Warhammer Seeds of Heresy
While I was impressed by the environment, models, and sounds of the game I found the gameplay and storyline to be only adequate.
If you like hack-n-slash, pile-it-on action, this is definitely the game for you. What I liked about the gameplay was how it really did demonstrate just how superior (read bad @$$) a Space Marine is to just about everything else. Space Marine is the first game to put their Space Marine on par with the genetically-engineered, super-trained, über-armored elite soldiers of the novels. Sure, it’s a little odd that the Captain of the Ultramarines starts only with a chainsword and bolt pistol, but hey, I can pretend he wanted to challenge himself or took a vow of minimalism the day before. From the get go, when you dive out of a crashing Thunderhawk to the end where you… okay I won’t spoil it, the game reeks of super-awesome action, no doubt there.
What I did not like was the minimalist controls and simple two button mashing combos (for the most part) that it took to become such a crusader of carnage. Sure, there was some maneuvering to keep the bad guys in front of you, or turning around to get those behind you, but for the most part, you clicked a lot and turned. Shooting was shooting, but even still with a steady hand and the ever forward attitude of your opponents it was not anymore interesting or difficult. Beyond a few situations that encouraged the use of a specific tactic or picking off of a few hard hitting targets each combat turned into a swirl of clicking and mashing. While this created a truly epic visual it did become repetitious.
On a similar note, the game’s ‘healing’ mechanic, which consisted of stunning a foe (button mash button 1, hit button 2) and then executing them (clicking a third button) had similar pros and cons. Again, I thought that doing this, rather than adding healing stations or buff pickups, really added to the flavor of a Space Marine remaining true to the idea that they do not get hurt as easily or need healing like unmodified humans. However, even though it added a third button to click, it quickly became part of the same button mashing sequence that was melee and pretty much every battle. The scenes that became more interesting and intense in fact were those that did not have a lot of enemies to stun and thus recover life. Pretty much, if there was a horde of guys you knew you were okay as you could wade in, hack, stun, and execute to your heart’s content. Of course, some may find this mindless clicking style of play to be all they need, and I will give that it certainly allowed the story to move along without letting pesky gameplay bog it down, but I was hoping for a few more strategic moves or critical timing to break up the monotony and add a depth of complexity to the warfare.
The story and plot of the game, which guided the player from one mission/objective to the next, was somewhat predictable but flowed well and kept me interested enough to see what came next (though this may have been me hoping and looking for it to be something other than the familiar tale it turned out to be). Those new to Warhammer 40k, a section of the market THQ is hoping to draw in, may find it full of twists and turns, but for a veteran of 40k material it was another case of the same story that has been done over and over again, until perhaps the final scene. That said I did appreciate the side bar stories and background information contained in the servo skulls and scattered throughout the game. Though I wish they would have taken it a step further and made them more than just flavor, perhaps the story could have lead to a bonus clue or even a scene in which the player could conclude the story based on the actions they took. Again it’s not that I hated the story it was just not anything new.
