A fun tactical wargame based on Games Workshop's renowned Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk combines a faithful depiction of the excellent strategic choices of a Warhammer boardgame, coming with authentic space marines and weapons in adrenaline-pumping action. The game is played from a first-person perspective, and offers you the ability to control up to four marines simultaneously, each with his own window, through a variety of missions ranging from the straightforward find-and-exterminate to object recovery. The best innovation in Space Hulk that sets it apart from other real-time games is the unique "freeze time" feature: you are alloted a limited amount of free time for each level, which you can use to pause the frenetic action to give orders to your marines while the aliens are frozen in place. The hectic pace and the fact that you'll have to guide the action in four windows at once makes the freeze time indispensable, but the limited amount means that you must budget it wisely. The missions are fiendishly complex. With different armaments to choose from, you must utilize each weapon's specific features effectively, or things will become rather difficult. Certain missions require you to enter a Hulk, retrieve an item of historical importance and leave as soon as possible without being killed. Some of these missions have strong puzzle elements to them similar to some Warcraft maps, i.e. there is only one effective way to win the level. The game's wonderful atmosphere (with creepy sound effects) and solid gameplay will keep you glued to the screen, cursing the difficulty while playing it non-stop. Space Hulk is simply a must-play for every Warhammer fan and real-time strategy lovers.. especially anyone who likes a good, solid challenge that requires both wit and reflexes. Two thumbs up, way up! Reviewed by: Underdogs |