Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: A clone of DOOM that doesn't deliver anything really unique outside of its Warhammer 40K paint job and even that is forgettable at times. Mostly competent but lackluster, it can feel like a slog and won't be remembered as a standout of the self-described boomer shooters.
Really, to sum it up: the game is fine, probably the picture-perfect definition of “average”. If you wanted a Warhammer game, it's not here, this is just a reskinned, slightly modernized DOOM. If you like DOOM, you'll probably enjoy this game, but there isn't much new for you here to see. If you came here for the atmosphere of 40K, it's there, but not as much as it is in something like Darktide.
There are some nice touches, like your heavy, metallic footsteps that can make you sound like a sprinting Abrams tank; your armor is called Contempt; the idling animation will have your marine consulting the Codex; there's a dedicated taunt key that'll have your space marine shout insults at the heretics. It would be nice if he did some of the taunting all on his own, as actually pressing the button to insult computer enemies is sort of a hollow gesture. Just spitballing, but maybe at the end of one of the numerous Purge sections, he talks some hard-earned smack? Oh well.
If the newer DOOM games have taught us anything, it's that exceptional music can help elevate “old” gameplay to ridiculously high levels. In Boltgun, the music is barely there. The main menu theme reminds me of the ambient music that played while you chose a track in Guitar Hero III or maybe the intro to a Bon Jovi song. During gameplay, you'll barely hear any jams playing at all. Sometimes there'll be single syllable chants every so often over a light beat. I've read online “Just put on the DOOM soundtrack,” as though that's not indicative of a pretty big problem with Boltgun. You may as well do that, as the sound effects of Boltgun's weapons aren't that impressive and there's zero monologue/dialogue you'll miss.
Listen to this track and tell me it isn't instant atmosphere, setting a clear tone. Darktide is known to have its fair share of issues, but music isn't one of them. Music can do a lot and its near-total absence is heavy, here.
The quality of game and its deservedly low price point reminds me of those Xbox 360 Arcade games, though towards the higher-end (in quality/competence) of them. I think they make it pretty clear to not expect very much, and so I didn't, yet I still feel sort of disappointed. It's hard to feel like a hardened space marine when my largest boss enemies manage to get stuck on the environment, standing still and waiting for me to slowly snipe them to death with my boltgun or plasma rifle, while they do little to nothing. The game tells me my weapon absorbed the machine spirit, but I'm not feeling it.
This may out me as a total moron, but I found myself getting lost in a lot of maps easily. A lot of the map design seems needlessly convoluted and when combined with the art style that can easily blend everything together into a pixelated blur, it can turn your brain to mush.
Lesser enemies shooting at me nonsensically did add challenge to the gameplay, but I felt like it made zero sense in the context of the game. Some shots were aimed right for you interspersed with shots aiming arbitrarily. Add four or five guys doing this at the same time and you don't really know how to move in that area without taking some hits. I think my opponents randomly flipping the switch between “competent” and “Stormtrooper” is a weird way to add difficulty, and ultimately, one I didn't really care for. I also cannot overstate how much I HATE Nurglings and the choice to just overload you with them (especially in the last fight? Seriously?) is a horrid one.
If you ask me, this game is repetitive, overstays its welcome, and just isn't that interesting. While its Warhammer 40K aesthetic is pretty good, it isn't a super strong coaxer. When I was finished with the first chapter, I had actually hoped it was over. I'm not entirely sure what it's missing, here, but it's obvious something is wrong. I don't think I can really recommend this game, though if you like “boomer shooters” to death, maybe this is worth checking out. Just don't expect anything great.
Really, to sum it up: the game is fine, probably the picture-perfect definition of “average”. If you wanted a Warhammer game, it's not here, this is just a reskinned, slightly modernized DOOM. If you like DOOM, you'll probably enjoy this game, but there isn't much new for you here to see. If you came here for the atmosphere of 40K, it's there, but not as much as it is in something like Darktide.
There are some nice touches, like your heavy, metallic footsteps that can make you sound like a sprinting Abrams tank; your armor is called Contempt; the idling animation will have your marine consulting the Codex; there's a dedicated taunt key that'll have your space marine shout insults at the heretics. It would be nice if he did some of the taunting all on his own, as actually pressing the button to insult computer enemies is sort of a hollow gesture. Just spitballing, but maybe at the end of one of the numerous Purge sections, he talks some hard-earned smack? Oh well.
If the newer DOOM games have taught us anything, it's that exceptional music can help elevate “old” gameplay to ridiculously high levels. In Boltgun, the music is barely there. The main menu theme reminds me of the ambient music that played while you chose a track in Guitar Hero III or maybe the intro to a Bon Jovi song. During gameplay, you'll barely hear any jams playing at all. Sometimes there'll be single syllable chants every so often over a light beat. I've read online “Just put on the DOOM soundtrack,” as though that's not indicative of a pretty big problem with Boltgun. You may as well do that, as the sound effects of Boltgun's weapons aren't that impressive and there's zero monologue/dialogue you'll miss.
Listen to this track and tell me it isn't instant atmosphere, setting a clear tone. Darktide is known to have its fair share of issues, but music isn't one of them. Music can do a lot and its near-total absence is heavy, here.
The quality of game and its deservedly low price point reminds me of those Xbox 360 Arcade games, though towards the higher-end (in quality/competence) of them. I think they make it pretty clear to not expect very much, and so I didn't, yet I still feel sort of disappointed. It's hard to feel like a hardened space marine when my largest boss enemies manage to get stuck on the environment, standing still and waiting for me to slowly snipe them to death with my boltgun or plasma rifle, while they do little to nothing. The game tells me my weapon absorbed the machine spirit, but I'm not feeling it.
This may out me as a total moron, but I found myself getting lost in a lot of maps easily. A lot of the map design seems needlessly convoluted and when combined with the art style that can easily blend everything together into a pixelated blur, it can turn your brain to mush.
Lesser enemies shooting at me nonsensically did add challenge to the gameplay, but I felt like it made zero sense in the context of the game. Some shots were aimed right for you interspersed with shots aiming arbitrarily. Add four or five guys doing this at the same time and you don't really know how to move in that area without taking some hits. I think my opponents randomly flipping the switch between “competent” and “Stormtrooper” is a weird way to add difficulty, and ultimately, one I didn't really care for. I also cannot overstate how much I HATE Nurglings and the choice to just overload you with them (especially in the last fight? Seriously?) is a horrid one.
If you ask me, this game is repetitive, overstays its welcome, and just isn't that interesting. While its Warhammer 40K aesthetic is pretty good, it isn't a super strong coaxer. When I was finished with the first chapter, I had actually hoped it was over. I'm not entirely sure what it's missing, here, but it's obvious something is wrong. I don't think I can really recommend this game, though if you like “boomer shooters” to death, maybe this is worth checking out. Just don't expect anything great.