Space Hulk: Deathwing (Video Game)
Ted Hentschke
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Developed by Streum On Studios
Published by Focus Home Interactive
Available on PC through Steam
Rated M for Mature
If there’s one silver lining to the demise of THQ, it’s the freeing up of the Warhammer liscence. THQ did a good job with games like Dawn of War and Space Marine, but fans like myself constantly crave more ways to spend our time in the grimdark future of the 41st millenia. Now that basically anyone can take a crack at it, smaller devs are coming to the table with their own take on both the classic Warhammer and 40k. It’s a mixed bag really, ranging from the fantastic Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide and Battlefleet Gothic: Armada to the far less spectacular Eisenhorn: Xenos and ill-fated Dark Nexus Arena. I’m willing to accept a few duds if it means more righteous combat in the Emperor’s name.
Space Hulk: Deathwing first caught my eye at E3 2015. A Warhammer 40k FPS is the perfect way to fulfil my power armor murder fantasies, and the popular Space Hulk title is in need of a modern take. We’ve already had a few remakes of the board game, but I want to shoot hordes of ‘nids in real time, damn it. Adding on that Streum On Studios are the people behind the wonderfully bizarre E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy, I was ready to take out my wallet in the presentation room. I was troubled by the lack of news as the game developed, but a decent showing at E3 2016 kept my hopes alive that this might be the next big hit.
Speaking of big hits, who doesn’t love Thunder Hammers?
Having now played through Space Hulk: Deathwing twice, my feelings are mixed. While it clearly isn’t the next big thing, I did find a lot to love about it. There are plenty of bugs (other than the ones you’re supposed to be killing), some shoddy menu designs, and an overall lack of necessary item descriptions. But I’ll be damned if Streum On didn’t nail the tone. It’s a universe that few developers get right, as they tend to soften the grimdark aspect with more conventional characters to fit a traditional narrative. The thing is, this is a future where space demons rip forth from psychic warp to slaughter entire solar systems, and the good guys are likely to blow up their own planets just to deny them the real estate. This is not the time nor the place for a plucky female guardsman to prove that the little guys can be heroes, too.
Do these look like men who need to get the girl and find self-affirming happiness in the simple things?
From the the lumbering steps of your Terminator armor to the gothic architecture and proclivity toward skulls, everything about Space Hulk: Deathwing is rich with authentic 40k goodness. Servo-skulls float about performing unknown tasks, monolithic doors groan open and shut, and the dead bodies you find are likely intentional decorations. The techno-medieval blend is evocative of a space cathedral, anachronistic in its split between ritualistic ceremony and awe inspiring function. A stone chapel, replete with pews, towering bookshelves, and lecterns, can serve as both place of worship and navigation system. In the world of 40k, if your weapons malfunction, it might genuinely be because you didn’t pray hard enough.
I’m not sure how your propulsion system works, but mine is powered by the suffering of heretics.
Beyond the visuals, the portrayal of our “heroes” is hardly heroic. Goodguys just as dickish as the bad guys is a distinctly Warhammer trait, and Streum On doesn’t rely on typical devices to push along the plot. The Space Marines are Tyranid slaying badasses, but they aren’t doing this for the good of all mankind. Initially, they just want to see if any of their old cool stuff is still on board. Their ultimate decision to go full genocide on the Tyranids is because they have your precious Dark Angels genetic code, and letting them keep it would be blasphemous. I mean, sure, killing the murderous space bugs helps the greater good (and not the Tau kind), but that certainly isn’t what got them to put on their big boy pauldrons and go bug stomping.
You’ll satisfy your chapter’s righteous kleptomania by collecting these relics. They range from ancient armaments to these minor devices, and whisper menacingly in your mind until collected. Once again, these are the good guys.
The Space Hulk IP has always been memorable for the unique Terminator vs Genestealer dynamic. Terminator armor is the most powerful available to Space Marine battle brothers, turning the already menacing warriors into living superweapons. Wielding devastating power weapons and firearms fit for a tank, the wearer becomes death incarnate. However, it comes at the cost of mobility. That’s the Genestealer’s advantage. Well, that and sheer numbers. It’s the three of you against an unending horde of ravenous space bugs.
Smashing Genestealers, whether it be with bolter, flamer, plasma, psychic powers, or thunderhammer, feels fantastic. There’s a weight to the combat that’s unseen in modern fast-paced military shooters. The Tyranid waves are unending and unpredictable, forcing you to pick your engagement areas wisely. You can block off doors to funnel the enemy, but doing so can also block of your own progress. Blocked doors can be smashed open with a punch, but this also opens another avenue of attack. There’s more than just simple bitey bugs to deal with, as firearm wielding hybrids can pepper you from afar. Specialized strains of warriors and stalkers offer a more formidable challenge, and at any point a few critical hits can mean lights out for you or your compatriots.
If you don’t find melting bugs with a molten flamethrower the size of a person satisfying, I don’t need you in my life.
The level design suits this style of combat nicely, and does so in a way that feels authentic. These claustrophobic halls and towering walkways were not designed to be navigated by a Terminator. Your foes will have access to a number of areas that you simply can’t reach. You’ll have to keep an eye on high rafters or blocked off scaffolding for a surprise rocket attack. It would have been very easy to design the levels entirely around the Terminator, but this approach is just another factor that makes Space Hulk: Deathwing feel genuinely Warhammer 40k.
For the first five levels, I was ready to give Deathwing a near perfect score. Unfortunately, more time with the game revealed some pretty glaring design flaws. First off, the menus leave a lot to be desired. They feel like beta placeholders waiting to be revamped before the final release. Aside from some vague statistical ratings, the weapon descriptions lack key elements. I can assume the general gist of a weapon with “armor piercing,” but don’t ask me what the Mace of Absolution’s “smite mode” is. I had look up on the forums what the “Lion’s Nemesis” psychic ability actually did (Spoiler Alert: it turns you into a fucking god).
I didn’t find out what the “smite mode” was, but that didn’t stop me from doing plenty of smiting with it.
Likewise, the multiplayer feels downright unfinished. Smashing bugs with your friends online is fun, but there’s absolutely nothing to keep you coming back. There’s no long-term progression or multiplayer specific maps. You’ll drop into one of the campaign missions, level up as you smash bugs, and do it all over again on the next map. That is assuming the host doesn’t leave, because if they do the whole party is kicked. There are a few different classes to play around with, but nothing that makes it feel more like a proof of concept demo.
That last complaint is more for other gamers, since I don’t really care about the multiplayer. What really got to me was how absolutely imbalanced the game is. As I said earlier, I’ve played through twice. The first time I put all of my skill points into the the magical “Psyker” tree. In the second I put all of them into the squad buffing “Command” tree. The difference in power was staggering. 30% more teammate health does not make up for missing out on a psychic vortex that turned every bug in the room into a pile of meat. That Lion’s Nemesis ability I told you about earlier? It’s the final Psyker skill, and lets you beat bosses in two hammer blows. It’s seriously nuts.
Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the dying screams of three dozen space bugs. What was that about wanting slightly better hacking speeds?
The difficulty ramps, but never in a way that made my AOE murdermace anything less than devastation incarnate. From level 6 to the end, I just left clicked my way through countless hordes without a care in the world. And to be clear, I tried every single weapon. The only thing that came close to the murdermace was a force axe that let me cast my spells with 66% reduced cooldown. Shooting lightning out of my face every 2 seconds was almost enough to make up for not destroying bosses instantly.
Space Hulk: Deathwing is a game that needed just 6 more months of polish. With a better multiplayer system and some campaign rebalancing, this game still can be an absolute gem. Ultimately, that doesn’t outweigh that there’s not really any other game out there like this. Smashing bugs just feels great, and the aesthetic is a testament to the fandom. At $40, it’s a bit too expensive to recommend as a budget title. If you’re a big fan of Warhammer 40k and want a game that gets the universe right, Space Hulk: Deathwing delivers. If you want a solid shooter with a unique twist and some good challenge (in the early game at least), it’s still recommendable. If you want a perfectly polished robust experience without any glaring flaws, this isn’t the game. Hopefully with some patches they will get there, but not yet.
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Categorized:Horror Gaming Reviews
