Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team Review

The Warhammer 40,000 series started out as a table top fantasy RPG back in 1987 as a futuristic version of the popular Warhammer Fantasy Battles. Since then it has slowly evolved into other forms of media such as video games, updated table top games and even a movie based off the Ultramarines Space Marine chapter. Most of the series’ video game spin off were solely on the PC until now.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is a third person dual stick shooter developed by THQ Warrington as a tie-in to the upcoming title Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Does it deliver what the fans want out of a downloadable 40K title? Or does this title bring nothing but disappointment to the Emperor of Mankind? Here are the Hots and Nots of Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team.

HOT

Gameplay
The game really makes you feel like you have control over a Space Marine and their devastating array of weaponry. You can choose from 4 different classes, 2 ranged (Sternguard Veteran and Tech Marine), and 2 melee based classes (Vanguard Veteran and Librarian). All 4 have their own unique weapons and special abilities that give you a reason to switch it up every now and again. You can also outfit your Marine of choice with two different perks to boost their abilities. There are also different power ups scattered around the levels that grant you things such as rapid fire and temporary invulnerability. The controls are simple and easy to pick up and the gameplay is addicting although it can start to get a bit repetitive after awhile.

Co-Op
One of the funnest (and easiest) things to do in this game is team up with a buddy and mow down the unrelenting hordes of Orks and Tyranids you will encounter on your journey through the Ork Kroozer. I would highly recommend playing the later levels of this game with a friend as there are parts of the game that can get a little difficult for solo players, especially if you are playing as one of the melee classes. The biggest downside to this is that the multiplayer is local only so no playing with your friends over Live or PSN.

NOT

Short

The game will last you about 4 hours if you play through the whole game solo. You can cut that estimate in half if you play the game with a friend in co-op. Add this with the repetition and the lack of an online co-op component and you have a game that is better taken in small doses. I found that it got really dull around the third level because I had blown away everything there was to blow away literally a thousand times over by that point.

Graphics

While the graphics in Kill Team aren’t horrendous by any means, they really aren’t anything special to look at. The Space Marines and the different chapters in the game each have their own unique color and flair that make them nice to look at, but the enemies and environments are dull and repetitive. The majority of the game has you looking at the same green enemies in the same scrap-yard style levels for the duration of the game. But then again, Orks aren’t well-known for their decorative skills, are they?

Verdict

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is a great dual stick shooter that will please fans of the series. With that said, I don’t think the game will appeal to anyone outside of the Warhammer universe. With repetitive gameplay and a restriction to same-screen co-op, $10 can be put to better use on other things on the store. I would recommend this game for fans of 40k only, unless you happen to have an extra bit of money lying around and it peaks your interest.

[Editor’s Note: Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team was reviewed on the PlayStation 3 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]