Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

The best boomer shooter I've played in a long time, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is weapons-grade catnip for genre fans and Warhammer 40,000 fans alike. Indeed in retrospect, crafting a retro style FPS in the Warhammer 40,000 universe feels like something we should have had long before now - so perfect is the fit of form and function. In the Warhammer 40,000 universe there is only war. Apparently there are also supremely great shooters too. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a riotously violent and thoroughly entertaining shooter that everybody needs to play.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is not only a fantastic nostalgia trip, but also a fantastic game. With extremely fun missions, creative enemies and a perfect setting, old school gamers will feel right at home with a title that feels like a classic straight out of the 90s.

This renaissance of old school first-person shooters has really given us some gems. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun can comfortably add itself to that list. The combat is tight and frenetic with an ensemble of effective weaponry. Levels feel large and varied, although the lack of a map can lead to some confusing moments. The fiction and lore has never been my thing but it does seem to fit this very straight-forward, no nonsense effort. Enjoyable and rewarding from start to finish.

In a time when retro graphics have been done to death, Warhammer 40K Boltgun still manages to impress with its visual style. Better still, it feels amazing to play. Your Space Marine feels weighty, but also extremely quick. You get to be just as deadly as an Ultramarine should be, and you will need to be to take on the horde of classic Chaos monsters this game throws at you. Many fans regard Warhammer Space Marine as the gold standard of games from this setting, and I can say wholeheartedly that this game belongs in that conversation. The upcoming Warhammer Space Marine 2 will have to fight to get my attention away from Warhammer 40K Boltgun, because I cannot imagine it having as good a Boltgun as this game does.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun absolutely delivers on its promise of 40K-meets-Doom. Its guns are deliciously punchy, the chainsword is a consistent thrill to wield, and everything is presented with fantastic period graphics and a suitable riff-heavy soundtrack. The game’s overzealous commitment to one single note is a sadly undermining affair, eventually transforming an exciting experience into one that runs out of content long before it runs out of levels. Nevertheless, it’s fundamentally entertaining for as long as one remains invested, and I definitely had enough of that entertainment to feel like I got what I wanted out of it...Plus, y’know, it has an entire button dedicated to yelling at vile filth and heretics. That’s easily worth the cost of entry.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a good game if administered in small doses. Unfortunately, after a couple of hours, it becomes tiresome due to the repetitive design. Taking breaks will put it in a different perspective and chances are that you’ll find your way back to it for another short session. There's some replayability in this, since you can go back and to try and complete the levels on higher difficulty, as well as unearth any secrets that you might have missed in your previous playthrough. 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.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun aims to be the kind of FPS throwback to get your adrenaline pumping, and almost hits the mark, if not for the overly expansive levels which don’t quite land the old-school feel that the rest of the game nails.

A fascinating retro shooter that proves a perfect match for the world of Warhammer 40,000 but whose almost complete lack of nuance and variety eventually wears you down.