Warhammer 40k: Space Marine may be a massive departure from previous games in the franchise, and while it is far from original it still provides some seriously satisfying combat and set peices.

Space Marines Are Manly

If like me you were hunched over tiny figures, giving them life through detailed painting and imaginative table play at the teenager's sweet haven ‘Games Workshop', then you have been patiently waiting.

Entertaining; attractive and downright bloody

Pacing problems; a little easy; flawed ‘special moves'

To virgin eyes, Space Marine must look like a very generic sci-fi adventure game. A lone space marine – whose job is literally titled ‘Space Marine' – spearheads an attack against an invading alien horde, purging the beleaguered planet with guns and grenades and a roaring chainsaw. It is Doom .

To ensure a continuous bloodbath, ammo and grenades have been strategically placed across levels. This helps to keep up the war spirit, even though some brawls might not be as exhilarating.

Gratifying combat and bloodshed; Interesting storyline; Wide array of weapons; Well-crafted graphics; Superior audio production; Captain Titus' voice acting

Relentless need to unleash finishing moves to gain health; Somewhat linear environments; Brief campaign; Average dialogue; Occasional camera hiccups

If you're a Warhammer 40K fan, you've dreamed of taking up a chainsword and carving Orks into bloody chunks of flesh and bone. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine plants you in the heavy boots of an Ultramarine and lets you do just that. The viscera fly in this third-person shooter/melee hybrid.

Captures the brutality of the Warhammer 40K universe; Entertaining mix of shooting and melee action; It's fun to don a jump pack and stomp on Orks

The mindless slaughter lacks variety; Dull story; dull characters; Lame final boss

The Warhammer series has been around for decades, but this latest iteration fails to continue the proud tradition in any meaningful way.

Captures the scale of the Warhammer 40,000 universe; Visceral melee combat is immediately engaging; A huge suite of character customisation options in multiplayer

Combat quickly becomes repetitive and can even prove frustrating; Predictable characterisation; Linear plot and linear level design

Space Marine puts you into the power armor of Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, called to the Forge World Graia with two of his battle brothers to delay and destroy an invading horde of Orks until the Imperium's Liberation fleet can arrive and wipe the xenos from the planet.

The Assault Jetpack; World is Greatly Realized from Source Material; Strong Start and First Half; Surprisingly Enjoyable Multiplayer

Campaign Has a Lot of Filler; Combat Balance Doesn't Hold-Up; Encounters and Environments Get Repetitive

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, an action-RPG title that will put you in control of individual units throughout a narrative-driven story campaign and in wide-scale online battles.

Imagine being surrounded by a horde of angry orcs, decked out with swords and guns. Tactics would call to retreat, find cover, gut 'em with gunfire and turn them into chunks with grenades. But what you really is to get into the face of impossible odds and kick the seven hells out it.