Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus

 PC
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 98 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 98
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 98
  3. Negative: 8 out of 98

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  1. Lamp
    May 23, 2019
    9
    The game/designers accomplish(es) what it/they set out to do. As such, game is an 8.5/10 especially at $30. Great atmosphere (including dialog and music); fun combat with a moderate amount of depth; somewhat open mission structure; three endings that change the last minute of the game. As other reviewers have noted, the game is really easy on the normal difficulty, with a possible hugeThe game/designers accomplish(es) what it/they set out to do. As such, game is an 8.5/10 especially at $30. Great atmosphere (including dialog and music); fun combat with a moderate amount of depth; somewhat open mission structure; three endings that change the last minute of the game. As other reviewers have noted, the game is really easy on the normal difficulty, with a possible huge difficulty spike at the end depending on whether the player completed boss battles prior to hitting 100% awakening.… Expand
  2. Leofair
    Dec 5, 2018
    8
    Everything done right here with the 40k license.

    Pro: - Unique, fitting soundtrack - Deep representation of lore, style and harshness of the Warhammer 40k universe - Small bits of quirkiness - Very well done and strategic turn based combat - Nice upgrade and equip system for every tech priest - Interesting storyline Con: - A little bit repetetive - Would IMO have worked    Everything done right here with the 40k license.

    Pro:
    - Unique, fitting soundtrack
    - Deep representation of lore, style and harshness of the Warhammer 40k universe
    - Small bits of quirkiness
    - Very well done and strategic turn based combat
    - Nice upgrade and equip system for every tech priest
    - Interesting storyline

    Con:
    - A little bit repetetive
    - Would IMO have worked better with permadeath squads and reserve (like Chaos Gate)
    - Some more cutscene would have been nice

    Will buy all DLC    … Expand
  3. NimaGamer
    Dec 16, 2018
    8
    It's not a bad game. you will enjoy it specially if you are a die hard fan of the Turn-based strategy games . but don't be fooled by thinking it's another Xcom. the biggest problem is very low budget spent on this game and it shows everywhere. it has very little voice acting, no cut scenes, very simple graphics, animation and etcetera. another problem is at least for me it was too easy. itIt's not a bad game. you will enjoy it specially if you are a die hard fan of the Turn-based strategy games . but don't be fooled by thinking it's another Xcom. the biggest problem is very low budget spent on this game and it shows everywhere. it has very little voice acting, no cut scenes, very simple graphics, animation and etcetera. another problem is at least for me it was too easy. it needs to present a little bit more challenge. overall I recommend it but don't have huge expectations. it's just a small game from a small indie game dev studio.… Expand
  4. John44
    Nov 21, 2018
    10
    Игра очень понравилась,но есть 3 небольших минуса...
    1)Локализация хромает,т.к некоторые перки не переведены.
    2)Очень маленький шрифт.Приходится всматриваться в монитор и щурить глаза. 3)Оптимизация тоже не очень,но я привык. Мне игра очень понравилась.Своих денег заслуживает на 100% Моя оценка 8 из 10 p.s Будет 10,если все выше перечисленное пофиксят    Игра очень понравилась,но есть 3 небольших минуса...
    1)Локализация хромает,т.к некоторые перки не переведены.
    2)Очень маленький шрифт.Приходится всматриваться в монитор и щурить глаза.
    3)Оптимизация тоже не очень,но я привык.
    Мне игра очень понравилась.Своих денег заслуживает на 100%
    Моя оценка 8 из 10
    p.s Будет 10,если все выше перечисленное пофиксят
  5. kyzaghan
    May 20, 2019
    8
    Successful scenario based on the Warhammer 40 000 novels. Great using the sequence-based strategy. Dubbings and soundtrack are awesome. Random events, missions and bosses are cool. BUT There is too many terms related to the universe of Warhammer 40 000. It's very difficult for a turn-based strategy game. There are small errors. AS A RESULT, Warhammer 40 000: Mechanicus is one of the bestSuccessful scenario based on the Warhammer 40 000 novels. Great using the sequence-based strategy. Dubbings and soundtrack are awesome. Random events, missions and bosses are cool. BUT There is too many terms related to the universe of Warhammer 40 000. It's very difficult for a turn-based strategy game. There are small errors. AS A RESULT, Warhammer 40 000: Mechanicus is one of the best TBS games recently released.… Expand
  6. Mudrahel
    Jun 7, 2019
    10
    This is awesome game!
    I like warhammer universe and like tactic RPGs. If you like them too, then this game for.
    For me this game was like undiscovered part of warhammer that you familiar with. Usually I can find a lot of thing that could be done better or thing that bother me during whole game, but this one is pretty good. I can't tell that it is really 10 of 10, but I really enjoy    This is awesome game!
    I like warhammer universe and like tactic RPGs. If you like them too, then this game for.
    For me this game was like undiscovered part of warhammer that you familiar with.
    Usually I can find a lot of thing that could be done better or thing that bother me during whole game, but this one is pretty good. I can't tell that it is really 10 of 10, but I really enjoy playing in it.    … Expand
  7. EerieDemonble
    Dec 28, 2018
    8
    One of the best indie games in WH40k universe. Devs put some time, love and effort in this product.
    Pros:
    + mechanicus faction (finaly, we have enough space marines games) + great customization options (weapons, units, gear & skill trees) + atmosphere and lore + good story and characters + sound design & amazing soundtrack + interesting game mechanics Cons: - graphics is    One of the best indie games in WH40k universe. Devs put some time, love and effort in this product.
    Pros:
    + mechanicus faction (finaly, we have enough space marines games)
    + great customization options (weapons, units, gear & skill trees)
    + atmosphere and lore
    + good story and characters
    + sound design & amazing soundtrack
    + interesting game mechanics
    Cons:
    - graphics is serviceable
    - some OP combos (fixed in the recent patch)
    - maps is a bit small (some weapons have a huge blast radius)    … Expand
  8. Angelhelm
    Feb 18, 2020
    10
    Great game, better then xcom! Wonderful gameplay with for a warhammer 40k game amazing little in the way of bugs.
  9. Lapserdak_
    Dec 21, 2019
    10
    Игра великолепна во всех смыслах этого слова. Всё сделано на высшем уровне, атмосферность просто зашкаливает. С того момента, как включаешь игру и слышишь диалоги техножрецов на высоком готике - она засасывает тебя с головой и не отпускает.Игра великолепна во всех смыслах этого слова. Всё сделано на высшем уровне, атмосферность просто зашкаливает. С того момента, как включаешь игру и слышишь диалоги техножрецов на высоком готике - она засасывает тебя с головой и не отпускает.
  10. Yolowomen22
    Nov 17, 2018
    10
    This one is the surprise of the year for me. I expected a mildly entertaining Xcom clone in the skin of a medicore done Warhammer 40k story. Goog god, i couldn't have been more wrong.

    Let's start with the most important thing first....the tech adepts actually SPEAK THE CHANT MECHANICUM *nerd gasm*. Ok, now that we got that one out of the way: - the story was written by Ben Counter    This one is the surprise of the year for me. I expected a mildly entertaining Xcom clone in the skin of a medicore done Warhammer 40k story. Goog god, i couldn't have been more wrong.

    Let's start with the most important thing first....the tech adepts actually SPEAK THE CHANT MECHANICUM *nerd gasm*.

    Ok, now that we got that one out of the way:

    - the story was written by Ben Counter who is one of the better writers in the Black Library. So you can expect a solid story and no lore breaking nonsens.
    - interessting characters that react different to your decision
    - the game is Xcomish, but has more than enough good mechanics to stand on it's own. (the CP system is imo short of brilliant)
    - really neat soundtrack that compliments the overall atmosphere of the game    … Expand
  11. SmurfOpax
    Nov 16, 2018
    10
    Plays like Xcom were you have extra Cannon Fodder in addition to your soldiers. I like how you can modify your Tech-Priests and that you can combine different "classes". Difficulty sometimes looks really hard but overall it is more then doable on the standard setting. Voice Acting and Story telling is absolutely amazing when you know in advance what the Mechanicus actually is. I canPlays like Xcom were you have extra Cannon Fodder in addition to your soldiers. I like how you can modify your Tech-Priests and that you can combine different "classes". Difficulty sometimes looks really hard but overall it is more then doable on the standard setting. Voice Acting and Story telling is absolutely amazing when you know in advance what the Mechanicus actually is. I can imagine without pre knowledge people will read one of the weirdest stuff they ever read :D. Really great game, much better then expected. Of course it isn't a AAA title but it's a really solid and well designed game.… Expand
  12. Silverbow
    Nov 18, 2018
    9
    XCOM 40K, but I like this a lot more than I like XCOM, your mileage may vary.

    Strategy feels chess like, I consider that a huge compliment. Very tactical, multiple ways to accomplish your goals, every game is different, every tomb is different. Every decision matters, the upgrades you pick for your tech priests, the Sketarii troops you choose to take on the mission, which rooms you go    XCOM 40K, but I like this a lot more than I like XCOM, your mileage may vary.

    Strategy feels chess like, I consider that a huge compliment. Very tactical, multiple ways to accomplish your goals, every game is different, every tomb is different. Every decision matters, the upgrades you pick for your tech priests, the Sketarii troops you choose to take on the mission, which rooms you go to in the tomb before going to the objective, all of that makes a difference. As an example, the longer you take to get to the objective chamber in a tomb the stronger the necrons get. So you have to balance that danger with exploring the rest of the tomb and gathering resources, finding weapons... it's just awesome.

    The whole concept is built around Adeptus Mechanicus, but I wish we could have more races. Maybe in a sequel, they've done such an awesome job on this one.

    Game looks really good. Great value for money. If you like deep strategy or Adeptus Mechanicus you owe it to yourself to get this.

    Not a AAA game, as evidenced by the lack of voice acting. But this small studio has produced a gem. Saddens me that there are no critic reviews, guess if no one is paying you for a review then you don't review it :(

    Buy. This. Game.
    Now.    … Expand
  13. Kawapanda
    Nov 19, 2018
    9
    As a lot of people already said, this game is a pleasant suprise. Xcom 40k but with its own interesting mechanics. But what’s even more satisfying is the atmosphere, the soundtrack is perfect and the « voice » of the tech-priests, units and characters are verywell made, they do not speak but mimics the hybridation of flesh&machine, they actually sound scary and badass.

    This is a true    As a lot of people already said, this game is a pleasant suprise. Xcom 40k but with its own interesting mechanics. But what’s even more satisfying is the atmosphere, the soundtrack is perfect and the « voice » of the tech-priests, units and characters are verywell made, they do not speak but mimics the hybridation of flesh&machine, they actually sound scary and badass.

    This is a true gem for 40k fans that, like me, have come to fear any new warhammer game because of the big deception that can come with it ( Looking at you Dawn of War III ). It is true to the lore, it finally show one of the coolest faction in the entire setting with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and not the everboring smurfs.

    Pros :

    - Soundtrack and audio is amazing
    - Nice choice of smooth graphic with beautifull lights and animations
    - A lot of guns to toy with on your Tech-Priests : every weapon is in the game, from Plasma Culverin to Solar Atomiser, passing by Giant Mechanicum Power axes.
    - Good use of the lore, and great writing. Dialogues are well written and express different views and beliefs among the Adeptus Mechanicus concerning Xenos and their Tech.
    - Combat is interesting and puzzle-like . The Cognition Point system is a very cool mechanic, its like your reserve of Action Points or Mana that enables powerfull guns or powers and bonus moves, so you could spend it all in one turn for a big combo or a hit&run tactic with a melee priest but have nothing left for others. So you need to play around this system by gathering Cognition points around the map or ennemies to be able to keep using your best guns and powers.

    Pros/Cons :

    - Might not be an issue for most, but there is a Time-limit in your campaign so you won’t be able to do everyhting before the end. Maybe the devs could add an endless mode or something, but for now it also encourages you to play multiple times to see different paths of unlocks and progression.

    Cons :
    - Game appears to be a little to easy pass a certain acquisition of weapons and powers. But it’s mostly a balance issue that will be monitored by the devs as they seem to be very active.

    TLDR : Just buy it, finally a good warhammer game !    … Expand
  14. Alerik_Gaurs
    Nov 23, 2018
    10
    Я надеюсь, что это не последняя игра по вахе от этих разработчиков. То, как они передали атмосферу - это во истину круто, я никогда такого не видел. В плане атмосферы, эта игра является лучшем воплощением вахи за долгие годы.
    Игра имеет крайне малый бюджет и её разрабатывала довольно малая студия, что иногда даёт о себе знать, но в целом, добиться такого, с учётом 2х этих фактов,    Я надеюсь, что это не последняя игра по вахе от этих разработчиков. То, как они передали атмосферу - это во истину круто, я никогда такого не видел. В плане атмосферы, эта игра является лучшем воплощением вахи за долгие годы.
    Игра имеет крайне малый бюджет и её разрабатывала довольно малая студия, что иногда даёт о себе знать, но в целом, добиться такого, с учётом 2х этих фактов, нереально сложно, я искренне надеюсь, что мы увидим ещё 1 игру по вахе от этих разработчиков.    … Expand
  15. BlackSwan2
    Dec 16, 2018
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Unexpectedly good! Very 40K-ish atmosphere which is rather rare. Soundtrack is great, graphics design is a bit simplistic, but feels ok. The only flaw of this game is total absence of difficulty settings. After your Tech-Priests hit LVL 10 and get access to some decent gear, there will be no challenge left in the game After LVL 14 I stopped sending other troops to missions apart from 4 priests. The final boss was literally one-shot which is a bit shame. For this I rate this game an 8.… Expand
  16. bluekieran
    Nov 21, 2018
    4
    This is a very promising game ruined by being far, far too easy once your mech priests start getting upgraded and having loads of ways to get CP + powerful AoE weapons. Even the later boss fights and final battle are trivial.
  17. Fenarid
    Dec 5, 2018
    3
    Great audio and atmosphere, nice RPG elements, but the core game mechanics are very poor. Tactical combat mechanics are probably the worst I've ever seen. It's a pity because it could have been a great game. If only the inspiration for this part of the game drew from the Jagged Alliance or Fallout Tactics.
  18. Winters
    Feb 15, 2019
    0
    This is yet another result of Games Workshop throwing their licensing to the wind for maximum profits. The game was clearly designed for the mobile market and yanked into the PC market at the last moment. Every aspect of Mechanicus feels "mobile" and unpolished, the graphics, voice acting, dialogue, and gameplay. The lore desecration definitely felt like claws on a chalkboard.This is yet another result of Games Workshop throwing their licensing to the wind for maximum profits. The game was clearly designed for the mobile market and yanked into the PC market at the last moment. Every aspect of Mechanicus feels "mobile" and unpolished, the graphics, voice acting, dialogue, and gameplay. The lore desecration definitely felt like claws on a chalkboard.

    Developed by Bulwark Studios, a company famous for something called Crowntakers and a couple of unreleased games. So, another unknown/indie developer spitting out a WH40K title with a development time of less than a year, with the knowledge that WH40K fans will lap it up, making them a tidy profit.    … Expand
  19. TechMarine
    Apr 18, 2019
    2
    It's literally XCOM. Go play that instead, too, since, aside from the great sound and setting of the game, there's nothing here except a rolling rng machine of doom. Everything's way too difficult, you're on a time limit, and their excuse for poorly explaining everything is "act like a mechanicus and find stuff out yourself". Rubbish. Two points at least for having nice visuals, if onlyIt's literally XCOM. Go play that instead, too, since, aside from the great sound and setting of the game, there's nothing here except a rolling rng machine of doom. Everything's way too difficult, you're on a time limit, and their excuse for poorly explaining everything is "act like a mechanicus and find stuff out yourself". Rubbish. Two points at least for having nice visuals, if only anyone could get around to playing the rest of the game outside the tutorial without getting owned by a bunch of necron goons.… Expand
  20. Grismar
    Jan 10, 2021
    3
    Gets very repetitive fairly quickly and relies heavily on RNG. It's not hard because you have to make hard decisions, come up with a clever plan or need good skills, it's just hard because sometimes the dice won't roll your way and the game is stacked against you to provide a challenge that the game design can't. Of course that can be solved by playing on 'casual', but then repetition setsGets very repetitive fairly quickly and relies heavily on RNG. It's not hard because you have to make hard decisions, come up with a clever plan or need good skills, it's just hard because sometimes the dice won't roll your way and the game is stacked against you to provide a challenge that the game design can't. Of course that can be solved by playing on 'casual', but then repetition sets in from the start. It's well-designed, has good flavour, good graphics for this type of game, but in the end it's just not worth your time.… Expand
  21. MrCervero
    Nov 27, 2022
    8
    The turn-based strategy genre blows my mind (XCOM super fan) and this Mechanicus does not disappoint. He has good ideas, his own personality and I love how it reflects 40k.

    First of all, the story is nothing special, but the conversations of the subdominus are entertaining. In addition, the setting is so well achieved that everything around you helps to get you into the world of 40k.    The turn-based strategy genre blows my mind (XCOM super fan) and this Mechanicus does not disappoint. He has good ideas, his own personality and I love how it reflects 40k.

    First of all, the story is nothing special, but the conversations of the subdominus are entertaining. In addition, the setting is so well achieved that everything around you helps to get you into the world of 40k.

    In the other hand, combat mechanics are good. You have different disciplines for each techpriest with a lot of options and Augment equipment for your characters, Additionally, you can discover guns or some objects in your run through the tombs, that you can equipt later.

    With all of that in combat u can do a lot of actions, depending on your wepons, equipment and discipline of your techpriest. This disciplines have different passives for each character, and let you do some different actions in combat like buff damage for your wepons or more deffense for your team.

    Additionally, you can have troops too, which I find very interesting and without a doubt a great success, cause they add more strategy to the game. They can be uplocked in missions, and in the same way u can upgrade them through the game. We have different types of this troops and with more game difficult, the more you need to choose wisely this characters and know when to use them.

    They way you can get weapons, or upgrades for your troops, is doing missions for the subdominus, a mechanic so gratefull cause u can choose what mission, and for who, u want to do, with differents regards that can change entire game for you in the next battle.

    The awakening mechanic is also interesting. It gives you a purpose with a time limit that is in line with your mission and adds a plus of difficulty to the game in general.

    Like i said, i loved this game, and his try to not simply copy/paste the XCOM franchise. Developers tried here to give his own personality and they did it. Game is so fun and you have to learn things to play good in this 40k world.

    Recommended.    … Expand
  22. AFriendlyMan
    Oct 10, 2020
    8
    Music and voices made this game ultra epic atmosphere. And I felt some aethetic pleasure playing it.
  23. mr_jhnzn
    Aug 4, 2021
    9
    I'm almost angry at journalists giving this such bad reviews back in the day and making me miss this for a couple of years.

    It's a Warhammer 40K game; you're supposed to enjoy over-the-top antics, writing, everything. It's 40K. The mechanics are perfect, the approach has some fresh elements, it just throws you in after a short tutorial/intro. Only thing I can fault the designers with is    I'm almost angry at journalists giving this such bad reviews back in the day and making me miss this for a couple of years.

    It's a Warhammer 40K game; you're supposed to enjoy over-the-top antics, writing, everything. It's 40K. The mechanics are perfect, the approach has some fresh elements, it just throws you in after a short tutorial/intro. Only thing I can fault the designers with is that it is bit too easy and the difficulty does not scale for the endgame. After you figure out the rules of the game, you can't really go wrong with your character builds. A thoroughly enjoyable experience nevertheless. Replayability is a plus as the game mechanic kind of forces you to make choices.    … Expand
  24. Sepherim
    Sep 23, 2021
    8
    Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus es un juego de estrategia por turnos que se centra principalmente en el combate, dejando las tareas de administración reducidas a elegir misión y subir/equipar a tus mechanicus. No es una mala elección en este caso, ya que a cambio la experiencia del combate está muy bien hecha y sigue unas mecánicas distintas a las de muchos otros juegos del género, ya que aquíWarhammer 40k: Mechanicus es un juego de estrategia por turnos que se centra principalmente en el combate, dejando las tareas de administración reducidas a elegir misión y subir/equipar a tus mechanicus. No es una mala elección en este caso, ya que a cambio la experiencia del combate está muy bien hecha y sigue unas mecánicas distintas a las de muchos otros juegos del género, ya que aquí desaparecen las probabilidades de impactar, no sirven las coberturas para nada, la gente puede tener más acciones o menos según cuanta cognición tengamos, etc. El resultado es un juego de estrategia que te impulsa siempre a ir hacia adelante porque el tiempo corre (hasta que aprendes a mantener el contador a 0) y a ir eligiendo qué misiones quieres ir haciendo y en qué orden para conseguir las mejoras que mejor te convienen. Y, al hacerlo, crea una jugabilidad bastante única, con variedad de enemigos y situaciones, que permite explorar y disfrutar de una estrategia por turnos diferente.

    Gráficamente no se puede decir que sea una maravilla, el juego cumple pero sin grandes alardes. Y, transcurriendo prácticamente por completo en el interior de las tumbas necrones, los entornos se acaban haciendo repetitivos. La música cumple bien, los efectos sonoros son adecuados, las voces un poco decepcionantes. Y, al menos en mi experiencia, prácticamente no me he encontrado con bugs de importancia.

    Por todo ello, Mechanicus sin duda es un juego que vale la pena si te interesa este género. Un 7,5    … Expand
  25. malusferox
    Jul 19, 2020
    10
    Mechanicus is an absolute gem of a game, one that every strategy-minded Warhammer 40K fan should give a try. The graphics are pretty good, the gameplay/combat are excellent and the immersion is fantastic. But the star of the show is the sound department, with absolutely superb music and voice acting for the characters. An incredible game overall!
  26. EvgeniLinuxUser
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    Paphos, a lack of humor and a large number of deadly trinkets are what we love the Adeptus Mechanicus for. Works perfect on Ubuntu 18.04 (AMD Ryzen 7 2700X + Nvidia GTX 1080 + QHD + 32 GB + Intel SSD).
  27. davedave1125
    Jun 23, 2020
    9
    I really enjoyed this game, although it's hard to say why exactly. I do appreciate a good story and it is obvious that the writer involved is a member of the Black Library and it does show. The story is underlined thanks to the amazing soundtrack and it really helps to add to the story.

    The feeling of dread becomes more obvious as the player begins to recognise the Mechanicus and    I really enjoyed this game, although it's hard to say why exactly. I do appreciate a good story and it is obvious that the writer involved is a member of the Black Library and it does show. The story is underlined thanks to the amazing soundtrack and it really helps to add to the story.

    The feeling of dread becomes more obvious as the player begins to recognise the Mechanicus and Necrons are not so different, in fact can the Mechanicus see their own future looking at the Necrons as in heading to a total loss of their humanity. Great stuff and the music really underlines this idea.

    The game is generally fun, during my first playthrough I just got what I believed was a good upgrade at the time (there are loads) but as I started to play through I started to think about the best builds (upgrades, weapons, extra troop types) there are loads of options.

    Will have 1 or 2 more goes and then will certainly go for the DLC.    … Expand
  28. Konachu
    Jul 20, 2020
    8
    The title drop sums this game up so well. The epic music and dialogue gives me goosebumps every time I start the game.
    An amazing 40k game, the gameplay feels like you are playing the tabletop.

    Once you get the hang of the gameplay, the difficulty starts to feel easy, even with harder options set.
  29. Oshiri_Maeda
    Aug 28, 2021
    7
    Good game with amazing atmosphere (sound and visual). But I always felt like something is missing... maybe a decent story and not just talking portraits? Maybe bit more diverse gameplay and not just clicking through same rooms repeatedly? Who knows.
    Still a good game with very atmospheric sound and visuals. For WH40k fans - a must have.
  30. wokenoodle
    Feb 2, 2022
    8
    Mechanicus must be one of the most accessible yet deep games in the tactics genre it’s shooting for. Its mechanics and systems, while not numerous, are thought-out and paced really well, pulling you to the next daring mission even after the previous ended in a failure, one that you will probably recognize as your own fair mistake. With pleasing, stylish visuals, well-written dialog, andMechanicus must be one of the most accessible yet deep games in the tactics genre it’s shooting for. Its mechanics and systems, while not numerous, are thought-out and paced really well, pulling you to the next daring mission even after the previous ended in a failure, one that you will probably recognize as your own fair mistake. With pleasing, stylish visuals, well-written dialog, and astounding sound it delivers a truly immersive and gratifying playthrough, even if the lackluster level design and gameplay in between encounters might repel you from a second one.… Expand
  31. onw81
    Dec 16, 2020
    8
    + atmosphere, characters, plot, gameplay, OST (absolutely amazing and worth buying separately!)
    - gets bit too easy and repetitive later
  32. apeot2002
    Oct 23, 2021
    7
    Mechanicus is a good turn based tactics foray into a rarely heard-of corner of the 40k universe, but it has a slight problem with the difficulty curve

    The game lets you play as a Magus, a ship commander of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the A. I.-worshiping religion existing within the Imperium of Man in the grim dark of the far future, where there is only war. If this sentence was complete    Mechanicus is a good turn based tactics foray into a rarely heard-of corner of the 40k universe, but it has a slight problem with the difficulty curve

    The game lets you play as a Magus, a ship commander of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the A. I.-worshiping religion existing within the Imperium of Man in the grim dark of the far future, where there is only war. If this sentence was complete **** to you, be prepared to do some googling before you fire up Mechanicus, because the game expects you to be familiar with the 40k Universe. Be warned, though: that particular rabbit hole is without end.

    Assuming you know what you’re about, the day-to-day of a Magus are not that complicated: having just arrived over a Necron Grave World (basically a world where Skynet won and all the Terminators went into hibernation), you send a cohort of two to Six tech priests to explore grave complexes on the surface of that world to fight alien robots and steal all their juicy tech. The exploration is done on a pretty simple map of the grave, where every room you enter lets you make a decision that might hurt or help you, or it let’s you fight the aforementioned Necrons.

    The fighting is done via turn-based tactics combat, but with a few wrinkles. Your characters share an action pool. That sounds constricting but actually it’s not, because there are dozens of ways to fill that pool: You get points for killing enemies, points for touching stuff on the map, some skills reward you with points… It’s a points bonanza out there. The constricting factor is that every skill has a cool-down and can be used at most once per turn. This means that, for example, one of your characters can move across the entire map, fire off four attacks, heal himself and an ally, and maybe buff the entire team.

    Also, remember the rage-inducing attack misses the Xcom franchise is famous for? They are not here. The cyborg of the Adeptus Mechanicus hit what they aim at.

    Between missions you get to level up your Tech Priests and kit them out with all manner of gear you borrowed from the Necrons. Most of the skills and guns are kind of meh and do little to change the fighting experience, but they do add up. Boy, do they ever.

    So what do the Necrons have to stop you? Well, when exploring a tomb, you’re working under a timer: The more time you spend exploring rooms and fighting Necrons, the more Necron buffs accumulate. The counter increases incurred during an expedition also get transferred to a global percentage counter, and if that one ever reaches a certain threshold, your forces get overwhelmed and your missions fails.

    I say a certain threshold because I never even got close to it, and now we've finally arrived at the main problem this game has: Challenge, the lack of it (on normal difficulty, with the Heretek DLC in effect). Things were moderately dangerous in the beginning, but in the second third, with a couple of level ups, the difficulty curve started to droop. In the last third, it broke like a twig. I cleared out whole maps on the very first turn, without the enemy ever firing a shot, and my builds were pretty far from optimized. In fact, that's what kept my interest during that last third: How much can I own this army of eldritch merciless killing machines, this supposedly galactic threat? The answer: I killed their grand overlord in two turns. They are my mop now.

    Mechanicus made me understand and appreciate, yes, appreciate why XCom made my guys miss occasionally.

    With the challenge gone out of the game so completely, I don't even think a higher difficulty would make much of a difference. Maybe deactivating the Heretek DLC might have helped, but losing the story additions and missions in there would have hurt the game, too.

    There is one other thing that held my interest: The characters. The story is solid b movie plot material, which is good enough, but the characters are very interesting.

    Production values are a bit uneven. Sound production is fine, the score is more than fine, but the art direction is a bit muddled, and I'm not sure how but somehow they make the whole picture seem grimy and dusty. There is little variance in both enemy and level design, and even little variance in the design of your own troops. So it's serviceable, for an indie game like this, it's even fine. But don't expect to be wowed by Mechanicus' graphics.

    So who is this for: 40k enthusiasts and people interested in dipping a toe in a very fringe area of the lore. For those, I recommend Mechanicus. Fans of turn-based tactics games will be turned off by the lack of challenge.

    TLDR: This is a fine AA game with one fatal flaw. Get this if you are a 40k lore hound or you desperately need to scratch the turn-based tactics itch and have exhausted the market, but in this case, crank the difficulty up to eleven. Everybody else should enlist with XCOM first.    … Expand
  33. denisc205
    Mar 21, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Я люблю играть на максимальной сложности когда Данная игра заставила меня попотеть… Expand
  34. Nananhu
    Sep 10, 2023
    9
    Great Soundtrack, great dubbing. The choices you have play out very true to the lore. If you like the X-Com gameplay and Warhammer, then this is for you. My only complaint would be that the difficulty is not consistent. It starts off diffcult and becomes pretty easy later on.

Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best PC Game of 2018
77
#77 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Screen Rant
    Jul 17, 2020
    80
    That's basically the underlying core of Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus - it is basically a simplified version of the tabletop game, which makes a perfect entry point for newcomers but still offers complexity and depth for veterans of tabletop gaming. The ongoing war between the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Necrons is fun and engaging throughout the game's runtime, and players will most likely get several playthroughs out of experimenting with different Tech Priest combinations and strategies. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a must-play for RPG and tabletop fans as a result, and another quality entry into the franchise's expansion into the video game industry.
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  2. AusGamers
    Jul 31, 2019
    60
    In the end Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is enjoyable, but it’s also a bit of a let down when it comes to the actual combat. Truth be told I was expecting more of an XCOM-style experience with unit management and perhaps even some base management. The simplicity of individual encounters means that Mechanicus can be frustrating, where simple mistakes can cost you the entire mission. Again, these painful lessons in failure help you learn what works and doesn't. Like, say, bottlenecking your units when the enemy has a powerful AoE weapon.
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  3. Strategy Gamer
    Apr 16, 2019
    80
    Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is a great game that I will always recommend to anyone. It’s a novel spin on the whole tactical RPG genre, and it’s a breath of fresh air as far as 40K games are concerned. Now, if only the studio got to remake Chaos Gate…
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