Space Hulk: Ascension Edition (PC) Review

Everything takes place inside the dark and cold interior of a space-traveling rock, formed around the remnants of a space station, also known as... a Space Hulk. The futuristic jarheads that will explore this hostile environment have one simple mission - survival. Think of the 1986 movie Aliens turned into a far more forgiving, digital turn-based board game. The concept is quite promising and the Alien-esque atmosphere is spot on. After a closer look, though, there's much room for improvement.

Since this is a tactical TBS, the marines have a limited amount of action points that they can use in each turn. These units are slow and cumbersome, although very powerful, evident in the fact that every single move needs action points, whether that's shooting, walking, opening a door or simply turning around. This means that some strategic thinking is required in order to avoid certain death in the claws of the much more agile Genestealers, correct? Well "some" is exactly the right word...

At first, staying alive might seem very challenging. Placing a soldier near an air duct or with his back turned on an enemy is equal to writing his will. Why? Genestealers are relentless predators, fast and very dangerous when up close, that's why - unlike the marines who are better at ranged weaponry. However, no real strategic skill is required; just cover all openings with someone, turn Overwatch on - in order for them to shoot when enemies approach - reload weapons, and that's it. As long as the player isn't absent-minded, nothing bad will happen.

Do the RPG mechanics make things a bit better? Frankly, no. The units gain levels, unlock skills, weapons and items, but everything feels so simplistic and doesn't provide an option to create truly unique characters. Sure, one can focus in accuracy or melee, but in the end nothing really feels different. Furthermore, it's very easy to "cheat" and level up by creating a simple "circle" of marines and just keep shooting and reloading while aliens keep coming in never-ending waves.

What's the final nail in the coffin? The level design and the campaign structure. There are find-the-exit missions, item-fetching missions, rescue missions and many more, yet somehow they are all the same because the gameplay is the same. Once again it's just: place units "there" and shoot stuff that comes through "there." As for the three, needlessly long campaigns, there is absolutely no difference between them, thus no reason to play more than one.

On a final note, something that Space Hulk: Ascension Edition is missing is a "connection" with its source material. Simply put, this feels inspired from, but not part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. There is no plot and no progression, since all that the player gets is a simple briefing like "A giant rock is threatening us. Send it back to the void." Therefore, not only is this title boring but also disappointing for long-time fans of the franchise, as well as a bad and uninteresting entrance for newcomers.