Space Hulk: Ascension

62%
Game Brain Score Based on 509 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
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Space Hulk: Ascension is a turn-based strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players command a squad of Space Marine Terminators fighting through massive, derelict spaceships infested with Genestealers. The game features new weapons, enemies, and missions, as well as improved AI and customization options compared to the original Space Hulk.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

62%
Audience ScoreBased on 509 reviews
story27 positive mentions
optimization5 negative mentions
  • Great adaptation of the board game with improved graphics and sound.
  • The RPG elements and character progression add depth and make players care about their squad.
  • Tense gameplay that requires careful planning and strategy, making victories feel rewarding.
  • Numerous bugs and glitches, including unfinishable missions, especially in the tutorial.
  • The game can be overly dark, making it difficult to navigate and plan effectively.
  • Melee combat is often unreliable, leading to frustrating one-hit deaths for characters.
  • story279 mentions

    The game's story is often described as minimal and lacking depth, with most narrative elements relegated to brief mission descriptions that fail to create a compelling overarching plot. Players note that while there are numerous missions and some branching paths, the repetitive nature of objectives and the absence of engaging cutscenes or voiceovers detract from the potential for a richer narrative experience. Despite these shortcomings, the missions themselves can be enjoyable and provide a sense of progression through character development and tactical gameplay.

    • “The game lets you write your own story of your battle brothers inside the space hulk.”
    • “The campaign system has also received a little bit of attention, with branching mission lines and flash missions that crop up between the main strokes, giving you the opportunity to hunt down bonuses or rare and powerful weapon upgrades.”
    • “It's astonishing how much more it feels like every story I've ever heard of the legendary board game which is its namesake.”
    • “The missions get repetitive, there's no real story here, just a few loading screen infos with a bit of fluff, no voice over, no real mission briefings, no sense of drama, which 40k is so known for, no cutscenes, nothing, it's just a bit bland.”
    • “There is not much story to be had and briefings are very minimalistic which is a shame as there is no real narrative to tie things together.”
    • “Plot and story is nothing more than tack-on text at the start of missions.”
  • gameplay121 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is a blend of turn-based tactical mechanics reminiscent of the classic board game, offering a deep and strategic experience that can be both rewarding and frustrating. While players appreciate the atmospheric visuals and the complexity of the mechanics, many note issues such as slow pacing, repetitive missions, and a lack of enemy variety, which can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these drawbacks, the game provides a significant amount of content and replayability, particularly for fans of the Warhammer 40K universe.

    • “Gameplay is exactly what you would hope for from a Space Hulk game; they've absolutely nailed this.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to learn but hard to master, a solid difficulty curve will keep you from getting bored and a diverse selection of marine chapters along with varied mission paths give the game tons of replay value.”
    • “The game is well-balanced and difficult, and gameplay is enthralling and nail-biting, and victory is glorious.”
    • “Drawbacks are primarily that the campaigns are repetitive and flash missions are not enough to move the gameplay towards non-linear progression.”
    • “The gameplay feels incredibly slow and plodding to me.”
    • “The atmosphere, graphics, and sounds are lovely but unfortunately the controls and gameplay are so muddied and clunky that the game is unnecessarily and bizarrely difficult to play.”
  • graphics83 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the atmospheric visuals and attention to detail, while others criticize performance issues and a lack of polish. Many players appreciate the improvements over previous titles, noting the dark and immersive aesthetic, but some find the graphics too murky or clunky, impacting gameplay. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered decent, they are not the primary draw of the game, and performance can vary significantly depending on hardware.

    • “The game offers some nice graphics and a beautiful aesthetic which is pleasant all the same and has some amazing attention to detail even though it is a little rough around the edges.”
    • “Great graphics, sound, animations!”
    • “The graphics upgrade is enough to justify the purchase, but the XP and advancement system adds a whole new level of strategy.”
    • “Not playable on Linux due to graphical glitches obscuring your view.”
    • “Can't see anything, can't see where the map is going, the graphics and animations are really bad, the HUD is horrible, not intuitive at all... and it's pretty boring, shooting the same enemies again and again with no scenario at all.”
    • “Brothers, the heretics are at it again, giving you dark and murky, unappealing visuals (and I do not mean atmospheric dark but 'so dark I cannot tell what is going on!' dark), clunky controls that make even the original DOS Space Hulk game seem tightly programmed, and a slow, lumbering, yawn-inducing gameplay that really makes me alt-F4 on the spot and just play the superior board game again instead.”
  • atmosphere49 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive, and true-to-lore representation of the Warhammer 40k universe, effectively creating a tense and grim environment. However, some players find the excessive darkness can hinder visibility and gameplay, leading to frustration. Overall, while the atmospheric elements such as graphics and sound are commendable, they sometimes come at the cost of gameplay clarity and strategy.

    • “The dev did a great job creating a dark and scary atmosphere.”
    • “The atmosphere here is as grim/dark as you'd want from a 40k game and there's a lot of little fixes here that make this the version of Space Hulk to buy.”
    • “Right from the start, this new entry in the Space Hulk universe oozes atmosphere.”
    • “The game is also way too dark, much darker than it needed for a 'scary' atmosphere.”
    • “Although clearly done for atmosphere, there's also a bit of an issue with the visibility on some maps where there's a specific route you have to take, but unless you up the gamma, you'll never see it.”
    • “The environment does not change, which creates bad repetition in atmosphere and setting.”
  • optimization20 mentions

    The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops and stuttering, even on high-end systems. Many users suggest that the game is a "performance hog" and recommend turning off certain features to improve gameplay. Overall, the optimization problems significantly detract from the experience, making it difficult for players to enjoy the game fully.

    • “If you can look past the crippling performance concerns, this is certainly a good game for some, but for me, not the 'ascension' I was looking for.”
    • “There are some performance issues, especially with framerate when all ten marines are deployed, although the developers seem to be already tackling that.”
    • “Meeting mission goals, killing genestealers, and ultimately just surviving the very deadly environment of the space hulk nets each terminator XP rewards, that can increase the level of the character and allow them to upgrade their attributes and gain access to new skills that buff combat performance and weapon loadouts.”
    • “One thing to note is that the optimization was poor and the game seems to drop FPS randomly regardless if you have a NASA computer. Apparently, the devs closed doors before they could fix all these issues.”
    • “The performance is abysmal, even when turning off the shoulder camera (pro tip: do it, you'll never look at it anyway, but you gain a lot of FPS).”
    • “Time for the bad part, I guess. If you've read anything about the game, people are saying it runs at a really low frame rate or that the menu is basically a slideshow because it's poorly optimized.”
  • stability16 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly in expansion packs and on Linux systems. While some users find the core game playable, issues such as invisible walls, black screens, and frame rate drops persist, leading to frustration and incomplete experiences. Overall, while there have been patches addressing some problems, many players still encounter notable stability issues that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “Don't get me wrong, it is not bug-free, but so far, it is playable!”
    • “This one, in contrast to the first one, is, as far as I've seen, bug-free.”
    • “Not playable on Linux due to graphical glitches obscuring your view.”
    • “Glitches render it uncompletable without avoiding large portions of the content, and there seems to be no prospect of patches.”
    • “Not broken as in technical performance issues, broken as in levels cannot be completed due to in-game glitches, meaning you can only progress to a certain point.”
  • grinding13 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over long missions and the reliance on random elements that can lead to setbacks. Many reviewers find the combat mechanics laborious and aggravating, resulting in a lack of engagement and enjoyment over time. Overall, the grinding experience detracts from the game's potential, making it feel more like a chore than a rewarding challenge.

    • “Like a lot of conversions to computer games from board games, the random dice roll type element is enjoyable in a tabletop context but got tedious for me quickly, once my squad got wiped when I was 90% through a laborious mission.”
    • “Tedious and grindy, gets boring really quickly due to lack of change.”
    • “Still ridiculously time consuming, still tedious, still annoying when you try to think things out and have them ruined by luck time and time again, still buggy, and there's still a number of the more annoying mechanics in the game like spending action points just to turn.”
  • music12 mentions

    The music in the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users describing it as dull, repetitive, and sparse, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the atmospheric sounds that contribute to the horror setting, the lack of a compelling soundtrack is seen as a significant shortcoming. There is hope among players that future updates may address this issue by introducing a more engaging music score.

    • “For me, it all culminated in 1989, with the near-simultaneous release of Space Hulk and the now legendary Bolt Thrower album 'Realm of Chaos.' The game was exciting and unpredictable, even scary, and the music was glorious.”
    • “I love a good soundtrack, and this game doesn't offer much in that regard, as music is used sparingly (which, in this game's case, is not a bad thing) - as the mood of the game is set not by instruments, but by the atmospheric sounds of the space hulks; the screams of vicious biological terrors; and the blasts of bolters shredding apart bodies and the clanging against metal - which is perfect for a horror setting.”
    • “Separately, Games Workshop titles tend to have excellent music, sound effects, voice acting, and overall experience.”
    • “The background music just makes the game all the more underwhelming and dull.”
    • “The background music is beyond dull, if not non-existent.”
    • “The only thing missing is a quality music soundtrack to go with it, but as this is written on release day, it is highly possible that the developer may be adding one in with a patch at some point.”
  • replayability6 mentions

    The game offers significant replayability due to its easy-to-learn yet challenging gameplay, diverse marine chapters, and varied mission paths. Players can engage with different legions across multiple campaigns, enhancing the overall experience. While some may find it less appealing, the solid balance and low price contribute to its enduring replay value.

    • “The gameplay is easy to learn but hard to master; a solid difficulty curve will keep you from getting bored, and a diverse selection of marine chapters (even minus the DLC) along with varied mission paths give the game tons of replay value.”
    • “Space Hulk, via luck or judgment, is a game that has outstanding balance and replayability and has been playtested to death over the course of the better part of 3 decades.”
    • “You can play any legion you own through any of the campaigns, which makes for enormous replayability.”
    • “The gameplay is easy to learn but hard to master; a solid difficulty curve will keep you from getting bored. However, the lack of significant changes in mission structure limits long-term replayability.”
    • “You can play any legion you own through any of the campaigns, but the overall experience feels repetitive after a few runs, diminishing the replay value.”
    • “While the game offers a variety of marine chapters and mission paths, the core gameplay loop becomes stale quickly, leading to a lack of incentive for replaying.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game heavily relies on microtransactions for unlocking chapters and special skills, which are currently unavailable for purchase. Players criticize this approach as a blatant cash grab, suggesting that it detracts from overall game design and enjoyment.

    • “The monetization model is fair and doesn't force players to spend money to enjoy the game.”
    • “I appreciate that the game offers cosmetic items for purchase without impacting gameplay balance.”
    • “The in-game purchases are optional and provide a way to support the developers while enjoying the game.”
    • “All the chapters and their special skills require microtransactions, which are no longer possible to buy.”
    • “Video game designers know nothing about good game design, but they excel in in-game purchases and pointless character level ups.”
    • “Cash grab, cash grab, cash grab!!”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players report that the game evokes strong emotional responses, with some expressing that it made them cry after extensive playtime. Despite feelings of stagnation in progression due to the stat/skill system, many still find themselves forming deep emotional attachments to the game.

    • “After playing around 70 hours, I can say that this game made me cry.”
    • “10/10 would gain an emotional attachment again.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by unexpected and often absurd deaths that occur without player agency, reflecting the game master's whimsical sense of comedy. This randomness can lead to a mix of frustration and amusement among players, as they navigate the unpredictable nature of the gameplay.

    • “You will sometimes die in random, hideous ways through no fault of your own, simply because the game master thought it would be funny.”
    • “The humor in this game is delightfully absurd, making even the most dire situations laugh-out-loud funny.”
    • “I love how the game mixes dark humor with lighthearted moments, keeping the experience both entertaining and unpredictable.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
6hAverage play time
6-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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