In the grim darkness of the distant future there is only war. The Emperor’s best, the transhuman Space Marines, are the stronghold that defends humanity against the evil forces of Chaos. Sometimes the setting of Warhammer 40,000 is dead serious. But it’s also an extremely stupid galaxy, and Warhammer 40K: Bolt gun indulges in the lighter side of things, to great effect.
Boltguna boomer shooter made by Auroch Digital, draws a lot of inspiration from it Demise, Wolfenstein, Duke Nukem, and other old fashioned FPS games. I take on the role of an Ultramarine, one of the Angels of the Emperor of Mankind, sent to the world of Graia to clean up after the events of the 2011 action game Space marine. I play as Malum Caedo, a Sternguard veteran, and I’m the only survivor on my team.
Everything has gone straight back to hell after the events of Space marine concluded and previous Ultramarine protagonist Captain Titus killed boatloads of Orcs and Chaos Space Marines. The planet is once again infested with cultists, Chaos Space Marines and daemons. Luckily I have a chainsword, the titular boltgun and a special button for praising the emperor. My course is clear: rip and tear.
Image: Auroch Digital/Focus Entertainment
At first sight, Bolt gun is an elaborate joke. If you’re familiar with the 40K setting then it’s a delightful gag that turns familiar tropes on their head. If you’re not familiar, it’s just an over-the-top, bloody romp – a Duke Nukem game in which, instead of playing a red-blooded American who likes beer and tits, the main character is an eight-foot-tall tank in power armor that daemons turns into red mist and praises his emperor.
The thing about most jokes, though, is that they eventually get thin. If Bolt gun was just a silly joke, it would get stale after the first few levels. Thankfully, there’s more meat on this particular bone, as the gameplay is actually pretty good. It wasn’t long before I fell into a rhythm of killing heretics.
With the chainsword I can charge forward and close the gap, taking down even the mightiest enemies. But it also traps me in stationary animation, opening me up to enemy fire. I can also mow through demons at a distance with my boltgun, which is less reliable but gives me plenty of room to dodge shots and control space.
Combat is interrupted by reconnaissance. I will occasionally have to find a key or knock down a secret wall. The more I research, the more I am rewarded. I find new weapons in the levels, like the Meltagun or a Vengeance Launcher. There are also hidden upgrades that spit fire cones or give grenades the ability to explode into black holes. These powerful tools are fun to deploy and ridiculously overpowering, and I’ve often cleared an entire room of bad guys in fantastic shape.
Image: Auroch Digital/Focus Entertainment
As for whether Bolt gun is a challenge or not – that’s really up to you. There are different difficulty levels ranging from Low to Exterminatus. If you just want to explore the environments and discover the story, the accessibility menu includes an invulnerability setting. On the Normal difficulty, even simple pest toads and cultists can pack a punch. I have to watch my positioning and choose my tools carefully, as my enemies have a similarly versatile arsenal at their disposal.
The more I go through Graia, the more I come to appreciate the environments of Bolt gun. I started on snowy peaks, with metal Imperium infrastructure built into the mountains, before making my way through housing blocks and factories with giant Titan mechas looming in the background. Graia’s stark surfaces are punctuated by colorful, vibrant realms of Chaos, teeming with winged Tzeentch daemons and mischievous little Nurglings.
Auroch Digital has done a great job of putting retro visuals and the trappings of older shooters alongside modern sensibilities to bring the game to life. The Abyss of Chaos looks downright disturbing, captured even through an old-fashioned lens. These trippy environments and gross daemon designs combine with visceral and satisfying combat to make Bolt gun great, and it’s fun exploring the world of Warhammer through such a ridiculous, blood-stained filter.
Warhammer 40K: Bolt gun was released on May 23 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Windows PC. The game was reviewed on PC using a pre-release download code from Focus Entertainment. Vox Media has partnerships. These do not affect editorial content, although Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased through affiliate links. You can find additional information on Polygon’s Ethics Policy here.