Peace: Through Superior Firepower ( 5 Stars Out of 5)
Two months after the release of THQ’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine; the third-person action game for both consoles an PCs was given a patch of free downloadable content in the form of a cooperative mode called Exterminatus. Though the week-long delay with the Xbox 360 version was a little frustrating; it has been worth the wait.
A quick look at my September review of Space Marine will tell I love this game for its intense action, fantastic graphics and deep customization. All of this remains in Exterminatus. Defined in the source material, an Exterminatus is an order given by a high member of the Imperial Inquisition which will completely destroy a planet once it has been lost to the enemy. This usually comes in the form of starships safely bombarding the planet surface from orbit. However, because that wouldn’t make for a very engaging game, players will instead join forces with up to three other gamers to kill the enemies of the Imperium in person.
The gameplay of Exterminatus is reminiscent of similar modes in such games as Gears of War and Halo: Reach in which players must fight wave after wave of enemies until the enemies are finally overrun. What Space Marine adds, however, are multiple other goals, such as taking objectives or meeting in-game challenges, like getting ten ranged kills in ten seconds. While the latter are optional and only award points to your score if completed, the former is mandatory. Players will be facing literally hordes of orks; to the point where aiming your gun isn’t entirely necessary. These creatures spawn at various points on the map at varying times, and every enemy-type faced in story mode is present here; gretchins, shootas, choppas, nobs and warbosses. Gamers will have to employ various strategies to avoid getting overwhelmed, especially if their class centers around ranged attacks.
Exterminatus fits neatly into Space Marine‘s multiplayer component; allowing players to carry over their customized Angels of Death from the regular Annihilation and Seize Ground modes. In addition, players will continue to earn experience and equipment that can be utilized in every form of multiplayer. There are currently eight different stages to choose from, ranging from devastated cities to desolate wastelands. Each map contains a different layout and multiple levels to allow extra flexibility and replay value.
This new game type is a must-play for any owner of Space Marine. And for the low price of “free,” there’s really no excuse to miss it. More, albeit priced, downloadable content is planned for December, adding more maps to multiplayer and the ability to play a separate co-op mode as the Chaos faction.
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