Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector is built with a particular sort of gamer in mind: those who like Warhammer 40K, and who enjoy turned-based strategy. If this describes you (or you even think it might), then there is a very good, deep and tactically satisfying game to be had here.
Set in the aftermath of a Tyrannid invasion (an infinite swarm of eclectic monstrosities that devour all life on the planets they come across), players get to control their own army of the Imperium of Man’s finest troops: the Space Marines. Specifically, the beleaguered chapter known as the Blood Angels. That’s correct, players only get control of one faction for the duration of the campaign. But, trust me, that’s plenty. Players will find themselves with at least seven different types of infantry, three vehicles, and plenty of upgrade and customisation options, not to mention several heroes, and the fact that all your units have abilities which you will need to use to turn the tide of the battle in your favour. That’s a lot of choice, which allows for deep and satisfying tactical combat.
With Space Marines vs. Tyrannids as the theme, combat in the campaign comes down to quality vs quantity, with your dozen or so squads often pitted against more than three times their number. To survive, let alone win a decisive victory which doesn’t see your precious, veteran units being literally chewed up, players will have to constantly assess and adapt to the ever changing battlefield, managing choke-points, range-finding (each weapon has an optimum range, with accuracy suffering outside of it), unit abilities, and doing the best they can and trying to predict far enough ahead to survive the onslaught. Whether pitted against the Tyrannids in a straight up fight, or a sneaky ambush, players are definitely in for a stiff challenge. Fortunately, an exceptionally well thought-out UI makes managing all this fairly straight forward, leaving you to concentrate on fighting your opponents, and not the interface.
In between battles, players can hear the (suitably over-the-top) story unfold and unlock new units, as well as buying various upgrades for their units and heroes, purchased using points acquired via completing main and bonus objectives. Before launching into the next battle, players can choose their army composition, limited by a point cap, with each unit being worth so many points. This forces the player to think carefully about what they choose: is it worth taking that Dreadnaught if I have to swap out two infantry units to afford it? Is it better to bring the tank or do I really need another plasma-rifle unit?
On the presentation side, Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector also delivers. While there’s unfortunately no option to customise the appearance of your army, unit models are highly detailed, and combat is visually spectacular as tracer rounds and plasma bursts light up the environment and leave a blood-soaked, corpse-covered landscape in their wake (grim, yes, but this is Warhammer). Also, as you can issue orders to units concurrently, battles move at a cracking pace (for a turn-based game).
Thanks to a recent free update, players can also enjoy a ‘planetary supremacy’ mode, where the aim is to capture enemy territory and eliminate your opponents bases. This gives players a chance to pick a faction (including the Tyrannids, and even the terrifying Necrons if the newly released DLC is owned) and engage in a series of large-scale battles on fairly open maps, which is an enjoyable and different challenge to tightly controlled arenas of the main campaign.
While these modes can easily keep players amused and challenged for many, many hours, multiplayer lets players go toe to toe. While turn-based matches can take a lot of time, especially when players are moving a large number of models, there’s also a play-by-email option, which lets players see when it’s there turn, switch on the game, make their move, then go back to whatever else they are doing.
While the gameplay is excellent, there are few missteps. The save and load game screens are surprisingly clunky, the sounds/dialogue the units make when selected can get a bit repetitive, and the music will drive you to distraction unless you like atonal organ compositions (fortunately, this can be turned off). Also, being Warhammer, it’s grim and dark, which mightn’t appeal to those looking for something a bit lighter in tone and with a sense of humour. None of these really impact on the gameplay itself, but they are worth noting.
While it won’t convert those who dislike Warhammer 40,000 or turn-based strategies, for the people these appeal to, there’s plenty to like, and Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector will provide a deeply satisfying tactical experience, and is definitely worth playing. ■