"Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine": Third-Person Throwback

If you have not immersed yourself in all the glory available to you from the Warhammer 40,000 franchise... my dear friends, you are committing great acts of heresy. Lest I allow you to continue your heretical behavior, defying the glory of the Emperor of Man, I have come to you today to spread his great and powerful word. That word comes in the form of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine! This is a throwback I find myself returning to frequently, and despite its age, the multiplayer is still up and kicking!

Go get yourself a copy right now!

PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360!

Space Marine is a gruesome, action-packed, all-violent, third-person shooter/hack 'n' slasher that sees you take control of the legendary Captain Titus, Commander of the Ultramarines 2nd company, in his efforts to quell the orc WAAAGH! on the Forge World Graia. This is nothing new to Captain Titus, despite his relatively young Astartes age of about 150 years old, and you should feel honored to be able to control such a distinguished Commander in the Emperor's Eternal Crusade.

From start to finish, every second of this game is an adrenaline-fueled massacre as is so often the case in the 40k franchise. Though the mapping and environment is pretty dated, almost as if the game were "on-rails" as us cool kids would put it, the game play and controls are quite innovative. This was actually the first game I ever played that offered full three-dimensional mobility in battle.

The orcs aren't the only foe within this game, no, as we all know the Forces of Chaos are regularly at play in conjunction with xenos invasions. Expect to run into some of the biggest names in 40k as you fight for the safety of the resources on Graia!

For the Emperor!

Unlike most other games released at the time, the multiplayer in Space Marine is still alive and well. Most surprisingly, there are still dedicated clans and tournaments weekly! Admittedly, however, there are slow days where you won't be able to find a single match and you shouldn't buy this game solely for the multiplayer aspect. Personally, I'm more a single player kind of guy anyways, but if you immerse yourself in the 40k community then you can always find someone to play with.

From my perspective, the only mode that is worth playing is Exterminatus: Basically, a wave-based survival mode in which you and three other Space Marines face off in an arena-like map against the orc WAAAGH! and Forces of Chaos. It is a bit like Call of Duty Zombies mode, or more closely related to the Gears of War Horde mode. So if you're anything like me, it is almost worth it to buy the game just for this mode.

Pro tip: This game is way better if you have friends to play with, for multiplayer, so I suggest you get your friends to hail the Emperor, and pick themselves up a copy right along with you. Heck, buy it for them, you won't regret it!

For those heretics who do not play video games, but are into reading or audio books, I demand you pick up Helsreach. It is a great place for beginners to pick up in the 40k series, and will end your traitorous behavior as you begin to hail the Emperor of Man right along with us on our Eternal Crusade. If you are already a fan or a newbie who plays video games, then I expect you to already be checking your bank account to make room for purchasing this amazing game.

The lore and community of 40k run so deep, and everyone who joins in finds something that appeals to them. There are so many games in the franchise, video games and tabletop, for you to really sink your teeth into. I guarantee that once you give your life to the Emperor, you won't regret it!

The ranks of the Emperor's Astartes await you!