Space Hulk: Deathwing

This game is an overall great experience. Most of the negative reviews are about wanting it to be a game that it's not. As another review mentions, the original Space Hulk board game is walk down a corridor, purge, do your objective, walk down another corridor, purge, etc.
This game does exactly what the original board game set out to be, nothing more. It's not L4D, it's not Back 4 Blood, it's not Vermintide, it's not Darktide, and it's CERTAINLY not Space Marine 1/2. It is its own, slower-paced horde shooter experience. Also keep in mind Streum On is NOT a AAA studio. The voice acting is going to sound off, and the visuals are going to have their flaws. If you enjoy old games for example, you may not see this as a problem, rather a charm.
Let me put one thing first- The campaign is awful and half-baked. Instead of pointing out all the numerous flaws, I recommend people watch TheRussianBadger's video "HEAVY FLAMER HERESY | Space Hulk: Deathwing".
Where this game truly shines is in the co-op multiplayer. AI is useless and you need to bring a balanced arsenal in the campaign, while multiplayer is the complete opposite. You can go full-on heavy flamer and obliterate everything up close without much of any repercussions, because your teammates can take on any enemies at long range should they be equipped for it. And always, ALWAYS bring a Chaplain.
Another thing- You're not made of paper mache. You're a Terminator fighting the Genestealer breed. Keep in mind that a single standard Genestealer can easily kill a regular Space Marine, yet here you are taking on dozens. You even take on Broodlords, the apex of the Genestealer breed. You ARE a walking tank, though it may not feel like it because the enemies you fight are, from a lore perspective, intended to be strong.
Personally, I can't say anything about performance issues. I've never had any and I've only played the enhanced edition (which from what I've heard has much better performance). Sure, there's UI bugs on rare occasions, and the audio also bugs out from time to time. Truthfully, I don't see these two as big issues. As long as you steer clear of the campaign and manage to play with randoms or friends, you'll have a blast regardless of the minor problems.
Overall, yes, this game is jank and clunky in some areas. The same can be said about a lot of games. The original Stalker games are Russian jank, and the original Dead Space often feels clunkier than this game. Does that make those games bad? Heck no. Don't go into a game with high expectations. With some games, what you see on the page is what you get, nothing more, and that's okay. A game doesn't have to be innovative to be fun.

No, the game is not bad at all. In my opinion, it is one of the best representations of what it would actually feel like to be part of a Terminator squad exploring a Space Hulk infested with Tyranid Genestealers in search of a possible relic from ages long past.

The game feels lore-accurate and wonderfully grim. The visuals do an excellent job of conveying the horrors that exist within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and the cathedral-like aesthetic that runs throughout the Space Hulk is especially well executed. Every corridor and chamber feels ancient, oppressive, and steeped in history.

The gameplay is very different from Space Marine 1 or 2, and that's exactly the point. You are not an unstoppable demigod tearing through entire armies. You are a Terminator operating within a squad, slowly advancing through a derelict vessel that has been drifting through space for Emperor-knows-how-long. Despite the slower pace, you still feel powerful thanks to the wide variety of weapons and tools available, all of which have satisfying visual and battlefield impact.

Customization is another strong point. Progression feels rewarding, as you unlock equipment and upgrades that allow you to tackle higher difficulty tiers. The core missions are enjoyable, and the additional missions add even more content, although I will admit that replayability can become a bit repetitive over time.

What helps alleviate this is the map design. The Space Hulk itself feels enormous, with branching routes, narrow passageways, and multiple approaches to objectives. Exploration becomes part of the experience, and discovering new paths or hidden areas helps keep repeated playthroughs interesting.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Part of that enjoyment comes from how effectively it immerses you in the setting. I've always been fascinated by the idea of experiencing the Warhammer 40,000 universe from the perspective of those who inhabit it, and this game captures that feeling remarkably well.

For me, it's an 8 out of 10.

I've found this game incredibly enjoyable, as it plunges me deep into the horrors of Warhammer 40,000. The game is incredibly immersive making you feel as if you were a Terminator, battling against a horde of xenos. The quality of this game is commendable, it could do with some slight improvements here and there, otherwise the game is all smooth sailing. 8/10 - would recommend to anyone who wants to start getting into Warhammer 40,000 gives you the sense of 'All Hope is Gone', but it is an excellent PvE shooter, I love it

TLDR: This CAN be a fun game, but it tends to be fun despite its mechanics, not thanks to them. There's something about being a walking tank and shooting infinite ammo down a tiny corridor with waves of aliens coming at you that can be satisfying. But apart from that, the game doesn't manage to deliver on many other important fronts. Vermintide 2 or Deep Rock Galactic are much better options.

Story: As a *Librarian*, explore the Space Hulk (this thing puts the Ishimura to shame) that's just popped out of nowhere after a lil' MIA nap of 10 000 years. Will there be Tyranids in there? One would think so. Will there be annoying turrets? Maybe. Will you get lost? Definitely. Apart from that oh so ever enjoyable experience, you'll be met with an amazing story, such as the occasional bugged out loading screen briefing (audio just stop or doesn't start), or finding relics and lore that don't matter at all, and visions that sadly never really amount to anything. Don't buy this for its campaign as skeletons tend to have more meat on their bones than this story.

Gameplay: Space Marines with infinite ammo that shoot down hordes of aliens. Translation; huge characters that you cannot shoot or see through down narrow corridors, with non stop hordes of slightly different aliens. Those mobs are sometimes so alike that their sheer quantity and proximity make it difficult to tell them apart. Solution? Unload your mag, cast all your avaialble spells, repeat every few seconds. That's the game. It could be much more with deeper mechanics but something just makes it feel clunky as all hell.
You can unlock a few weapons through campaign's progressions, but a lot of them require both hands, which can suck considering your off hand melee weapon can give you up to -66% cooldown on your spells.
Guns also jam, it's a nice touch, but it doesn't really change anything compared to Far Cry 2.
On single player campaign you have 2 teammates which you can give basic commands like move to, defend, heal, etc. These commanads are generally useless, except for heals, which you MUST be on point with. You can also decide on their loadout, though it is very limited and there are obvious better choices.
A specific enemy can one shot you, but if you're careful enough with how you approach it you can keep them at bay. That being said, considering that the checkpoints are few and far in between, this can be problematic on harder difficulties (talking about the Broodlords btw).
There are turrets which you can hack, but it is mostly a useless and unintuitive feature (you have to open up your map, which doesn't pause your game, then scan, which, uh, scans nearby turrets, then you gotta select an action; hack, enable/disable, destroy. Destroying it is often the better option as it often will shoot you later anyway). Or you can just shoot them. Both are just as annoying.
The levels are huge, look great, but are often reused as later levels make you backtrack.
I played a little bit of co-op, and I must say the game feels VERY different with people, and in a good way.

Graphics: I want to say they look great, but environment details and vibe aren't enough to say graphics are great. I would say that they nailed the aesthetics of a ruined and delapitated Space Hulk in the 40k universe, but a lot of other things fall flat. Mobs, spells, interface, they were all reminescent of a bygone era when the devs could simply not make things look better due to hardware limitation. I would also strongly recommend going straight to the options and turning that muzzle flash down, maybe even the head wobbling, I dunno if they were trying to blind and make the player sick, but this isn't how you make big guns feel big.

Audio: I don't recall a single song in the game. It is mostly ambience, which could be fine for what they're trying to achieve, however for a game that's supposed to use a L4D formula, it makes for very little intense moments. If you've played Vermintide, you know the banter between characters can be enjoyable, and call outs on special mobs can be super helpful. However in this title it's call outs that aren't needed and are often wrong, or too late. Guns SFX is also not as bass-y as I'd thought them to be.

I had more fun playing co-op for 10 minutes than playing the whole campaign. So why am I recomming it? Because we need more titles with this formula, because it's still fun with all its flaws, because cleansing the world of Tyranids filth for the Emporor is what my chapter demands of me!!!! DO YOU QUESTION MY FAITH, BROTHER?!!?!?!?1!% If you're looking for a game with inifnite hordes of mobs with fun objectives that's multiplayer, there are much better options (Deep Rock Galactic or Vermintide 2, for instance). Space Hulk: Deathwing is more like playing Left for Dead, except you're the Tank, and you've activated God Mode. Also, my personal experience was bug free. Well, apart from the loading screens that wouldn't have audio.

The game is amazing to play in co-op even today. It's very punishing, but it is enjoyable, especially once you learn how to play classes and finding a class that works best for your style of play.
For solo play, it's somewhat tedious, though practical to command the other soldiers in your unit.
If you've never played a Warhammer games, this one can be somewhat discouraging, especially for solo players just dipping their toes into Warhammer 40K.

---{ Graphics }---
☐ You forget what reality is
☑ Beautiful
☐ Good
☐ Decent
☐ Bad
☐ Don't look too long at it
☐ MS-DOS
---{ Gameplay }---
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ It's just gameplay
☐ Mehh
☐ Watch paint dry instead
☐ Just don't
---{ Audio }---
☐ Eargasm
☐ Very good
☑ Good
☐ Not too bad
☐ Bad
☐ I'm now deaf
---{ Audience }---
☐ Kids
☑ Teens
☑ Adults
☐ Grandma
---{ PC Requirements }---
☐ Check if you can run paint
☐ Potato
☐ Decent
☑ Fast
☐ Rich boi
☐ Ask NASA if they have a spare computer
---{ Difficulty }---
☐ Just press 'W'
☐ Easy
☑ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Significant brain usage
☐ Difficult
☐ Dark Souls
---{ Grind }---
☐ Nothing to grind
☐ Only if u care about leaderboards/ranks
☐ Isn't necessary to progress
☑ Average grind level
☐ Too much grind
☐ You'll need a second life for grinding
---{ Story }---
☐ No Story
☐ Some lore
☐ Average
☑ Good
☐ Lovely
☐ It'll replace your life
---{ Game Time }---
☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
☐ Short
☑ Average
☐ Long
☐ To infinity and beyond
---{ Price }---
☐ It's free!
☐ Worth the price
☑ If it's on sale
☐ If u have some spare money left
☐ Not recommended
☐ You could also just burn your money
---{ Bugs }---
☐ Never heard of
☑ Minor bugs
☐ Can get annoying
☐ ARK: Survival Evolved
☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs
---{ ? / 10 }---
☐ 1
☐ 2
☐ 3
☐ 4
☐ 5
☐ 6
☐ 7
☑ 8
☐ 9
☐ 10

The game is highly recommended for Warhammer fans. If you're coming from Space Marine 2 looking for glorious and epic stories against "damn aliens" to feel a sense of power and a dopamine rush from glory kills, this might not be the best place for you.
Space Hulks are massive macro-agglomerations of ships and wreckage that have merged together and drift aimlessly through space, entering and exiting the Warp from time to time. Industrial chimeras that hide secrets, relics, and ancient riches, and of course, raiders, demons, and all sorts of aliens. But, no enemy is more dangerous than Genestealers crawling among pipes and walls seeking prey, and that is the case of Olethros. Don't expect other factions here: We're talking Dark Angels vs Genestealers.
Grand Master Belial sends a team of his best Terminators from the Deathwing, straight from the Inner Circle, to investigate a ship that descends from the heresy, Caliban's Will, and here I need to point out my favorite aspect of the game: The level design is beautiful. Every detail matters, every corner tells a silent story. Everything is so well built that it's really worth pausing the steady march to contemplate the work of art that this game is, and the declaration of love for Warhammer that the scenery around you makes.
The game is a solitary, heavy journey, that varies from intense to empty; from a sudden horde of Tyranids you will find yourself with the industrial silence and the heavy footsteps of the Indomitus Terminator armor, and then the claws of the xenos scratching the walls again announcing the new danger. The campaign is short, 9 story missions, but each one is long and intense enough. If you decide to look for the relics, this job might become more extensive, and here a point is worth making: Don't expect anything new. The game is about walking through industrial labyrinths and shooting. The most different thing you can do is hack turrets to destroy them, disable them, or use them against enemies. There are no epic encounters with other members of the Imperium, especially because Dark Angels are quite reserved about their agendas even with their peers. Is it repetitive? It might be, but a Space Marine's life is repetitive outside the novels, it's a story of procedural military fiction.
All the weapons are absolutely satisfying to use, from the Thunder Hammer liquefying the xeno carapace to the auto-cannon sweeping the dark and oppressive alleys with a wave of steel. The Stormbolter variations are great, with efficient ammo and game varieties. The Plasma Cannon can be a formidable ally, or a trap, as if used carelessly it can cause your own death (Which is very lore accurate). My weapon of choice is the Heavy-Flamer, fire has no secrets, good area damage, it falters in long-range combat but is devastating in close-range.
The customizations are standard, there is no much dreamed-of freedom to meticulously customize your own armor; all the skins are related to the Dark Angels' successor legions. They are all beautiful, but here comes the problem: Everything is absolutely expensive. Not with real money, of course, but with reward points that you earn through XP and level progression. A skin can cost 30,000 rewards and that would take several online missions, which is always configured in very difficult terms by the players, which can make it frustrating not only to customize your appearance, but to evolve your perks and buy improvements for your preferred weapons. And here comes the importance of playing the main mission, it is exactly to know the type of weapon you feel most comfortable with to focus on in future multiplayer matches. (Having friends to play with can enhance your experience). The Special Missions are a great help, as they also offer XP rewards, allowing you to play with your class of choice alongside the predefined Terminators Barachiel and Nahum.
"BUT IT'S SO FRUSTRATING BECAUSE THE TERMINATORS SEEM TO BE MADE OF PAPER!"
Yeah, it's always important to remember that Space Marines are not the only elite death force in this galaxy. The Genestealer is the most dangerous and powerful species among the Tyranids and they can tear through tank armor to kill the crew, not to mention their hybrid enemies will use Heavy Guns and even industrial lasers against you. The Terminator armor protects you from damage that would have annihilated a normal Space Marine, but, it doesn't make you invincible. You need skill and an eagle eye to take out the strongest threats first, like a Space Marine would. And, exploring environments like a Space Hulk is definitely a brutal journey even for the hardest veterans of the first company. Believe me, in Warhammer terms, surviving a mission here is actually a quite impressive feat.
"OH BUT THE GAME IS JUST ABOUT GOING FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER"
Yes, you're right. But I repeat: Space Hulk missions are always methodical and formal. It's a pretty conservative game, I'd say. And that's a good thing if you really like Warhammer and want to experience what it's like to be in a chunky but devastating armor. A tank with legs. You won't fly, jump, and dodge like Titus, you'll walk, shoot, and press buttons. And god, that feels good!