14 DAY TRIAL // 
Boltgun is a thoroughbred old school shooter that awakens long lost memories about the golden era of FPS. Similar to Doom or Quake, the newest Warhammer 40k title attracts its audience with rivers of blood and continents of gore. But is it enough to create a truly memorable experience amidst the oceans of Warhammer titles flooding our screens?
For a while now you cannot throw a stone without hitting a game licensed from the universe created by Games Workshop. Many of them have been mediocre at best, but the fans also managed to find some games like Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning or Total War: Warhammer. The newest production landing on our gaming systems stands out due to the pixelated violence and adrenaline pumping rhythm that is synonymous with the ‘90s when the FPS conquered the gaming world.
Boltgun is very close in spirit to the great ones that paved the way for the success of this genre. We have a story that is merely an excuse for the pixelated bloodshed, we have plenty of enemies to blow to pieces, levels that grew in complexity and doors that will not relent until you find the correct colored key. Yet something is missing in order for this game to become a masterpiece.
It all starts on Graia, an industrial world well known to the fans of the Warhammer 40k universe, that was already featured in the first Space Marine game released in 2011. You will play the role of the sole survivor of a ultramarine squad, sent by an inquisitor to stomp out any opposition while uncovering a secret relic hidden by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The initial simple levels, that can be considered place holders for an actual tutorial, bloom into complex and not quite easy to navigate web of structures. In total there are three chapters, each with several levels. The entire game can be finished in around 12 hours, depending on the level of difficulty chosen by the player.
While hacking Chaos Marines to the left and right through more and more complex levels it becomes painfully obvious that Boltgun misses badly a feature of the old shooters: a map. It is hard to understand why such a simple feature was neglected by the developers since they included features like grabbing on to the edge after an almost short jump, or even taunting your enemies with cringy one liners.
As a result, you will often go pixel hunting finding the locks that will open using the keys you have stumbled upon. When the levels start featuring portals defying the laws of physics just like the drawings of Escher, the navigation becomes a real pain in the butt. But with enough patience you will be able to find your way in the end, knowing that the path forward is paved with purging new groups of enemies.
Your character sounds and feels like a very agile tank. This is also the result of a very good implementation of haptic feedback in the DualSense controller, allowing you to feel the weight of the armor while running or jumping. There is also well-designed feedback for the various weapons, that feel distinct from each other and offer and overall, very satisfying shooting experience.
Another satisfying feature is the use of the chainsaw sword. You cannot swing it aimlessly around, rather you have to focus on an enemy in your range. Once you see the outline of your opponent light un in red by releasing the L2 button your ultramarine will jump on him, cutting him to size. In the case of large enemies like the Chaos Marines, the repeated pressing of the L2 button engages the chainsaw for a longer time in order to completely erode the HP bar of the enemy.
The overall atmosphere of the game is quite frenetic and engaging, with only one piece of the puzzle breaking the immersion. Unlike the trailer, where the action was amplified by metal tunes, the game itself is accompanied by a rather dull and anemic soundtrack. Unfortunately, this remains true even when facing one boss or another, the music never quite catches up to the rhythm of the action on the screen.
So next to the missing map and more aggressive tunes what is Boltgun missing? Variety. The level design, even with the annoying twists is quite dull, the enemy types are limited both in variety and AI, and even on the highest levels of difficulty you will always find plenty of resources to replenish your health and your ammo. The occasional boss fights will make you sweat a bit, but sooner or later you will feel like you need to take a break from doing the very same things over and over again.
The visual style is Warhammer 40,000 through and through, but the pixelation takes us back to a different, some would say better era. You can play with some minimalist graphical settings enhancing or reducing this effect, but even so Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun remains a love letter to Doom, and the graphics are probably the most eloquent proof.
The Good
- Great atmosphere and presentation
- Old school weapons
- Great haptic feedback
The Bad
- Monotonous design
- The soundtrack is rather anemic
- Lack of a real challenge
Conclusion
More importantly, the atmosphere is catchy and almost rises up to the expectations created by the trailers. Well, almost, but not entirely. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun feels like a pretty good start for something bigger. Hopefully, Auroch Digital’s take on the retro FPS genre will get a sequel that will bring exciting new mechanics and more varied content.
Review key provided by the publisher.
