Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Review (Xbox Series X|S)

We're not huge fans of the term "boomer shooter", mostly because it feels like someone is attacking us for being very old, but there's no doubt this most violent of genres has been hitting out with some absolute belters over the past couple of years.

If you're an aficionado of all things retro-FPS who's been revelling in the bloody delights of Ultrakill, Cultic, Dusk and the mighty Turbo Overkill in recent times, then you'll know exactly what we're talking about, baby, and you'll also know exactly what to expect with the mighty Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. This is an incredibly slick and knowing tribute to the greats of yore (themselves back on the scene of late in the form of the recent Quake 2 revamp), and one that takes full advantage of this gen's hardware to deliver a flawless 4K blast of Space Marine fury that just about nails everything it sets out to achieve. Just about.

Now, chop our heads off with a chainsword for this, but this particular writer has got absolutely no clue whatsoever about the ins and outs of Warhammer 40K lore, that's just facts. So coming at this game we're really gonna need some dynamite gameplay to keep us interested, and Boltgun delivers that in spades. That's not to say we don't like Warhammer, by the way, we're just not hugely aware of/engaged with the backstory, but that's cool because this shooter rocks hard regardless.

And, you know, as much as we know very little, we do appreciate the deeply oppressive vibes of this franchise, and we are aware of the fact that this game recreates this vibe perfectly. In terms of its locations, its enemy variety, those roughly digitised screams and shouts, and a superb soundtrack that hits the spot just right. It nails the big stompy movement of an incredibly heavy space fascist as you manoeuvre them through some surprisingly large levels full of Cultists, Nurglings and...well....Chaos Space Marine Terminators. Honestly, listen, calm down. Those guys aren't even that hard. The weapons are suitably large and punchy, you know the sort of thing, your grav cannons and melty guns, the sort of implements of death that always result in ridiculously bloody giblet showers.

Movement is fast and precise - this game feels every bit as good as your Dooms and your Quakes - and the general gist of levels sees you find keys to open the way forward in time-honoured boomer-shooter fashion. We've played it all a million times before, for sure, but it's all just so damn cool here. The retro-styled pixel graphics look awesome, at once suitably old-school whilst also very much full of modern touches and details. Enemies do a good job of crowding you out and putting up a decent fight, there are some great bosses, and levels are designed to give off an epic sense of scale that we just weren't expecting coming into this one.

Of course, our enthusiasm is tempered somewhat by the fact it's all a little short-lived, and there are no co-op or multiplayer modes to keep you coming back, but these things aside - and especially if you're a fan of angry space marines - this is one of the most stylish and best-feeling retro FPS offerings we've played in quite some time. It belongs in that upper echelon alongside the likes of Turbo Overkill, Prodeus and Amid Evil which, if you know your boomer shooters, is all you really needed to hear.