Video Game Review - Warhammer 40K: Space Wolf

Rob reviews Warhammer 40K: Space Wolf on Xbox Series X...

I've been a fan of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K universe since I laid eyes on my brother's 2nd edition Space Hulk back in the early '90s. The premise of a universe-wide war opens up for plenty of storytelling, and as such we've seen countless books, board games, video games, and even animations that depict the constant state of war. 

Due to this, there is quite an extensive amount of lore. I could go into details of the Horus Heresy, The Gothic Wars, The Tyrannic Wars...the list goes on. 

One such faction that has heavily saturated the video game adaptations of the 40K universe is the Adeptus Astartes aka Space Marines. These heavily advanced humans are the defenders of mankind's sprawling civilisation, and the iron will of the Emperor. This time around it's over to HeroCraft to bring this mighty warrior to life. 

Space Wolf focuses on the endless conflict between the Imperium and their mortal enemies - Chaos Space Marines. It's quite a history between these two races that harken back to the Horus Heresy - and is well worth reading. Anyway, Space Wolf is a tactical turn-based strategy game that also incorporates a card-based mechanic too. However, even with the addition of an action card, the game is reminiscent of any other turn-based strategy title. 

There are quite a few levels on offer which all feature a variety of objectives that need to be completed. To help us accomplish these we have a fairly competent squad of Space Wolf Astartes at our command. These units can be outfitted with various skill and weapons that is determined by their customisable card deck. These decks feature a whole range of classic Warhammer 40K weapons such as Heavy Bolters, Plasma Cannons, Jet Packs etc. Each of these cards also comes with its damage and movement values, as well as its stats that affect each unit. With each unit able to equip a total of thirty cards, there's plenty of scopes to experiment with different load-outs and tactics. 

The use of both a turn-based system and card management does slow the game down considerably but keeps in tune with the titles tabletop roots. Each turn can take a considerable length of time and when you throw in the games ability to spawn enemies on the fly, it slows down even more. 

I often found myself being ambushed as enemies spawned around me. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, yet if your deck isn't set out correctly you'll potentially lose a member of your team. Due to this Space Wolf is a game that requires a lot of planning and strategy to succeed. The overall pace of the game does suit this style of gameplay, yet those of us expecting an XCOM clone will be disappointed.

The camera is also a little too zoomed in which doesn't give you much of a field of view. It's incredibly frustrating as you try to coordinate a strategy when you can't find the rest of your team. The camera does allow you to move across the map and even increase the zoom but a full layout of the battlefield isn't possible. One interesting view is the kill-cam which offers a unique view when killing an enemy. These come in a range of slow motion close up animations that show the ferocity of the kill. 

One area the game does well is its presentation of its characters. Each faction is designed on par with their tabletop brethren and also look just as menacing. I've always had a soft spot for Terminator Armour and seeing these heavily armoured brutes lumbering across the battlefield was a pretty impressive sight. However, when it comes to animation there isn't a lot of variety. By the time you've finished the first mission, you'd have seen everything the game has on offer. 

One thing I also noticed is that on occasion the graphics can be extremely glitchy. Often the graphics representing fire would be shown as a big black tangled mass. Drop Pods also go through the same tangled mess, and enemies quite literally spawn from this void. It's certainly not game-breaking but it does highlight just how unrefined the title is. Considering I'm also playing the game on an Xbox Series X makes it even more of an issue. 

Even with its flaws, Warhammer 40K Space Wolf is a fairly competent turn-based strategy game. While you can certainly see its roots as a mobile title, there's a lot here to keep you entertained. The card-based gameplay gives you plenty of reasons to replay previous levels and building various decks offers a lot of tactical variations, and the deep strategic gameplay keeps your brain ticking. However much like other video game adaptations of Warhammer, Space Wolf may look the part, yet even with what it does right it still feels lacking.

Rating 6/10 

A code was kindly provided by HeroCraft for this review. 

Warhammer 40K Space Wolf is out now and is available on the Microsoft Store by clicking here.

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev