Whatever you might be hearing from other so-called “gaming outlets” Warhammer 40k: Boltgun is not a boomer shooter. It seems that term has become a catch-all for any FPS that uses pixels and chunky polygons as its base. A boomer shooter is a DOOM (the original and not the remake series) or Quake. These are shooters where you are dropped into a huge level and have the freedom to explore and fight as you see fit, with the only goal being reaching the exit.
Boltgun is not that sort of game. In fact, it’s much more in line with the latest DOOM reboot series than the original. There is a fairly linear path you need to follow and that it only broken up with small arena combat areas where you need to kill everyone or destroy some object to move on. So, Boltgun is not a boomer shooter like it was heavily advertised as, but that certainly does not mean that it isn’t a great shooter in its own right. Hell, it might just be the best damn Warhammer 40k to ever hit the market.
What is on offer here is downright fantastic, especially when you leave the marketing stuff behind you. Boltgun sees you taking on the role of an Adeptus Astartes (space marines), the greatest of the Emperor of Mankind’s warriors. And among all the chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, you play as a lone Ultramarine, the group considered to be the strongest and most honored of all the Space Marine Chapters, and the one most video games tend to focus on. This means you are the ultimate ass-kicker in the most bass ass chapter of Space Marines.
And while I think the Ultramarines are a bit overused in popular 40k media (there are so many chapters that even those in the 40k world can’t list them all, each that can have a fun titles based on them), an FPS makes for the perfect pairing and allows you to feel like a god among men. Armed with your holy Boltgun you are dispatched with your squad to a planet that has seemingly been corrupted by the hordes of chaos. After planetfall your squad is killed and its left to you and your floating skull companion to kill everything in your path and complete the mission at all costs. All of this with your trustily chain-sword your holy Boltgun by your side, and a large swath of 40k weapons.
Combat is fairly straightforward in the vein of DOOM and Quake. Your Boltgun can take out most enemies with extra damage for headshots. Most enemies will fall to this weapon, but you will also have access to other weapons from 40k lore along the way. Your chain-sword can also autotarget when charged allowing you to quickly dash toward an enemy and slice them into tiny bits of viscera. It never stops being fun and the action is fast and furious with you jumping and dashing all over the place. I can see speed-runners really having a blast with this one.
But because Warhammer 40k is a tabletop RPG there are some elements that sneak into the combat that will help keep you on your toes. Each weapon has a damage rating, and every enemy has a combat rating. If your weapons damage rating exceeds the enemies combat rating, then that weapon will tear through them like nothing. If your weapon is less than their rating, it will do weak amounts of damage and make battles harder. This encourages you to swap weapons on the fly as you engage in combat and always keeps you engaged.
There are also a bunch of powerups that can buff your Boltgun by giving it powers to help you overcome just about anything. Perhaps you are dropped into an arena area surrounded by dozens of enemies coming out of the walls. If you are lucky, you might find a secret area in the corner or just slightly off the main path that holds a powerup that can make an encounter easier. They are mostly called “secrets” by the game, but most you’ll find without much effort. And they can stack during a stage making finding them a good idea. They don’t go with you to the next level but during a stage having a fully stacked Boltgun is a true joy.
Another fun feature that really keeps it in line with 40K is the dedicated taunt key that you have. It’s a real kick to punch it right before a rocking battle to help keep the blood pumping. A lot of it is glory to the Emperor and that jazz, but there are some deeper cuts including calling out Captain Titus, the star of Space Marine and its upcoming sequel. This makes sense as you are part of the same Space Marine chapter. Boltgun keeps the action fast throughout most of the 10 or so hour experience. Stages are a blast and aside from some points where the game forces you to slow down and a couple arena areas that are only there to be a pain, it’s a fun experience that flows well.
Warhammer 40k: Boltgun is a really fun retro-looking FPS, even though it’s far closer to a modern shooter like DOOM 2016 than the true boomer shooters of the 90s its advertised as. If you like fast-paced action in a really unique world with lore that you can spend the next few months lost in, then Blotgun is a shooter that should absolutely be on your list, especially at only $22 on Steam.
But if you are a fan of the 40k universe, then you are going to think this is a masterpiece of a title. Let’s face it, Games Workshop had a habit of giving the 40K license to any developer who asked really nicely meaning quality has been all over the place. So, it’s nice to see 40k games like Boltgun that really bring glory to the Emperor of Mankind!
Through the destruction of our enemies do we earn our salvation and Warhammer 40k: Boltgun has a lot of salvation to bring
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