Space Hulk: Deathwing

55%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,978 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • optimization
Space Hulk: Deathwing Game Cover
Its glorious action more than makes up for that, packing the expected punch with a wide arsenal of phenomenal weapons at your disposal.
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Space Hulk: Deathwing is a first-person shooter set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players assume the role of a Librarian in the Deathwing, the 1st Company of the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, and fight through hordes of Genestealers in claustrophobic environments. Co-op multiplayer is available, as well as customization options for weapons and abilities.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

55%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,978 reviews
story231 positive mentions
optimization230 negative mentions
  • Stunning graphics and atmosphere that captures the Warhammer 40k universe beautifully.
  • Engaging gameplay that allows players to feel like powerful Space Marines battling hordes of Genestealers.
  • Active development and updates from the devs, improving the game over time and adding new content.
  • Poor optimization leading to significant frame rate drops during combat, even on high-end systems.
  • Repetitive gameplay with limited enemy variety and objectives, making missions feel monotonous.
  • AI companions are often unresponsive and can hinder gameplay, requiring constant player management.
  • story1,243 mentions

    The story in "Space Hulk: Deathwing" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it shallow and poorly executed, failing to deliver the epic experience expected from the Warhammer 40,000 universe. While some appreciate the lore and atmosphere, noting that it aligns with the Dark Angels' narrative, others criticize the repetitive mission structure and lack of meaningful progression or character development. Overall, the game offers a basic storyline that serves primarily as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.

    • “The story is conveyed in well-voiced orders, and we also get messages from the grandmaster during the multi-part mission, who follows us and updates the tasks.”
    • “The story actually quickly develops its own dynamics and tension, and we really want to know what's hidden in the next spaceship.”
    • “Great story and the setting of the game fits Warhammer 40k perfectly.”
    • “The story is shallow and poorly executed, failing to capture the epic and immersive experience I was hoping for in a Warhammer game.”
    • “The story is poor and the telling is terrible.”
    • “The story makes little sense towards that last third and the ending fight/cinematic was really lazy.”
  • gameplay882 mentions

    The gameplay of "Space Hulk: Deathwing" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature and clunky mechanics. While some appreciate the atmospheric design and the thrill of battling hordes of enemies, others criticize the lack of depth, poor AI, and technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a fun but flawed gameplay experience, particularly in multiplayer, where coordination can enhance enjoyment despite the underlying issues.

    • “Gameplay is similar to Left for Dead, with you and your squad having to reach checkpoints within the massive space hulk and fight increasingly difficult creatures along the way.”
    • “A very good game that combines fast-paced action, tactical gameplay, and squad command with the same thrill of a horror game, with spooky corridors and ravenous genestealer xenos around every corner.”
    • “The gameplay is engaging and there is no real knowing of when you will be attacked.”
    • “The gameplay is slow and unfulfilling, with clunky controls and a lack of immersion.”
    • “The gameplay quickly loses its appeal after the first level.”
    • “The gameplay is unimaginative and clunky.”
  • optimization832 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frame drops and stuttering, especially during intense combat scenarios. While some users with high-end systems have experienced stable performance, the overall consensus indicates that the game is poorly optimized and requires further patches to address these issues. The enhanced edition is noted to have improved optimization, leading some players to recommend waiting for updates before purchasing the original version.

    • “It has been replaced by Space Hulk: Deathwing Enhanced Edition which adds new enemies, cleaner visuals, better graphics, and most importantly, it’s much better optimized.”
    • “The game has vastly improved; optimization has had a big push.”
    • “The performance issues the game had early on appear to have been mostly fixed.”
    • “This game runs poorly, and it is not very optimized.”
    • “The game is gorgeous but it's so badly optimized it's not worth it.”
    • “The staggering lack of optimizations already ruins the game for me.”
  • graphics823 mentions

    The graphics of "Space Hulk: Deathwing" have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and faithful representation of the Warhammer 40k universe, with many reviewers praising the atmospheric design and intricate details. However, performance issues, including frame rate drops and optimization problems, have been frequently noted, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, while the graphics are a highlight of the game, they are often marred by technical difficulties that detract from the experience.

    • “The graphics are beautiful, the story is classic 40k, but the gameplay is just as if the developers took the standard PC FPS gameplay from a game like TF2 rather than building something that actually works for the style of game they had.”
    • “The graphics and the feel are so damn good!!”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the sound is awesome and the attention to detail would make any 40k fan swoon.”
    • “The graphics leave a lot to be desired and the limited enemies make this a big miss on what I was expecting.”
    • “The graphics are like 2008 graphics; seriously, Space Marine graphics are better with everything on maximum, it looks nothing like the photos.”
    • “The game is clunky and unoptimized, loading takes an unspeakable amount of time, controls are buggy, graphics and sound are unimpressive.”
  • atmosphere606 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting representation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, capturing the grimdark aesthetic with detailed environments, eerie sound design, and a sense of claustrophobia. Many reviewers highlight the game's ability to evoke tension and dread, making players feel both powerful and vulnerable as they navigate through intricately designed space hulks filled with lurking threats. However, some critiques mention that while the atmosphere is exceptional, the gameplay can be repetitive and marred by technical issues, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Fantastic atmosphere that perfectly captures the feel and look of the source material.”
    • “The atmosphere is extraordinary, the combat is fun, and the enemies are vicious.”
    • “The atmosphere is grandiose and the dirty and gloomy tuning is absolutely successful.”
    • “Absolutely amazing environments/ atmosphere mired by slow, tedious, repetitive, frustrating gameplay and the lack of any depth.”
    • “The atmosphere is completely what you'd want in a dark and gritty universal setting such as the Warhammer 40,000 one.”
  • stability317 mentions

    The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting severe bugs, glitches, and performance issues that render it nearly unplayable at times. While some users note improvements following patches, many still experience crashes, freezing, and problematic multiplayer functionality. Overall, the consensus is that the game launched in a significantly buggy state, requiring further updates to achieve a stable and enjoyable experience.

    • “The game runs great on my rig aside from a few moments of framerate drop.”
    • “Constant 50-60 fps unless my screen is full of 'nids then I dip down to 30ish, no glitches or game-breaking bugs.”
    • “Hour and a half in and no glitches, no bugs, no loading issues, no crashes.”
    • “The game is an unfinished, bug-ridden piece of trash with terrible net code.”
    • “This game should not have been released in this state; the devs should be absolutely ashamed for releasing such a buggy, broken mess of a game and daring to charge money for it.”
    • “It's still full of bugs and glitches, and my avoid recommendation will stay.”
  • replayability117 mentions

    The game's replayability is a contentious topic among players, with many citing low to zero replay value due to predictable enemy encounters, lack of meaningful progression, and limited content beyond the initial playthrough. While some appreciate the co-op experience and the potential for varied gameplay through special missions, the overall sentiment leans towards disappointment, particularly regarding the absence of dynamic elements and customization options that could enhance replayability.

    • “This coupled with the special mission feature really makes each playthrough different, which again adds more replayability to the game.”
    • “The campaign mode is fun the first playthrough in its own right, and the different skill set trees and hidden relics account for additional replay value.”
    • “Pros: atmosphere is great, sound design awesome, difficulty range great, good replayability, level design - real treat for 40k fans, absolutely top notch.”
    • “There is limited replayability.”
    • “I did enjoy my time with this game; however, for £30 I can’t really recommend it, mainly because I feel it doesn’t have massive replayability as well as the poor performance.”
    • “The game also suffers from broken, unintelligent AI and a lack of manual save features as well as a general lack of replayability.”
  • music80 mentions

    The game's music has received largely negative feedback, with many players noting the complete absence of a soundtrack, which they feel detracts from the overall atmosphere and immersion. While some appreciate the eerie silence and ambient sounds that contribute to the game's grimdark setting, others argue that a more dynamic musical score would enhance the experience, especially during combat. Overall, the lack of music is seen as a significant shortcoming, leaving the game feeling empty and repetitive at times.

    • “The music and sound in the game are top notch, really puts you in the mood of the game.”
    • “The detailed visuals, atmospheric music, and voice acting give a great sense of immersion while you lumber along in your heavy armor.”
    • “As far as sound goes, the voice acting is very good, the music is suitably grimdark, but the best of the sound design by far is the ambient audio inside the space hulk: from creaking metal walkways, the clatter of genestealer claws on pipework to the various ambient machinery sounds, the audio really helps to give an immersive feel of being inside an ancient spaceship that's been taken over by horrors from the warp.”
    • “The appropriate soundtrack in this game is almost non-existent, which makes exploration really boring and honestly... the lack of soundtrack is really hurting the atmosphere of this game and the combat a lot.”
    • “Game feels very empty in multiplayer, there is no music, no in-game voice chat, no voice chat between the terminators.”
    • “There is hardly any music in the game whatsoever; you almost miss it by the end.”
  • grinding36 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often detracting from the initial excitement of gameplay. The lack of enemy AI variety, slow combat mechanics, and linear mission design contribute to a sense of monotony, making battles feel like a chore rather than an engaging experience. While some appreciate the atmospheric environments, many agree that the grinding nature of the game can lead to frustration and boredom, especially in longer sessions.

    • “Again, quite enjoyable, if not tedious at times.”
    • “The AI of the enemies is lacking, making the already tedious battles even more of a chore.”
    • “Absolutely amazing environments and atmosphere mired by slow, tedious, repetitive, frustrating gameplay and the lack of any depth.”
    • “This game is just plain boring, no real variety, lacks immersion, it's tedious, repetitive, and downright boring.”
  • humor26 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in chaotic moments, such as friendly fire incidents and buggy enemy behavior, which often leads to unexpected hilarity. While some appreciate the comedic potential of the game's serious tone juxtaposed with absurd situations, others feel that the lack of consistent funny moments and the game's unfinished state detracts from the overall experience. Ultimately, the humor can be entertaining, especially in multiplayer settings, but it is often overshadowed by technical issues and a lack of engaging content.

    • “To break this game down a bit, you're a super special snowflake as are the rest of the spess muhreens, and because of this you're pretentious and an asshole, and it's hilarious, but you also take everything so serious.”
    • “Hybrids take a hilariously stupid amount of shots to kill despite having no armor and being very small.”
    • “Enemies break dancing, getting stuck in walls and generally finding some hilarious ways to point out a lack of QA cycles is pretty funny -- except this is not a cheap game...”
    • “It's just not funny to play.”
    • “The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
    • “I expected more laughs, but it was mostly cringeworthy.”
  • monetization20 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized, with many reviewers labeling it a "cash grab" that prioritizes profit over quality. Players express frustration over the game's numerous glitches and lack of content, suggesting that the developers rushed the release to capitalize on the Warhammer brand. Concerns about future DLCs further indicate a belief that essential features are being withheld to encourage additional spending.

    • “There should be a law that restricts ads from looking so much better than the actual game.”
    • “Sadly, this game is just another cash grab with the developers probably being rushed to finish the game and being forced to release this pathetic excuse for a 'game' far earlier than it was supposed to be.”
    • “The game also seems to be very short-lived and I foresee many cash-grabbing DLCs from the developers to add features that should be in the game in the first place.”
  • emotional17 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with some players expressing deep connection and nostalgia, feeling empowered as a space marine, while others report disappointment and frustration due to gameplay issues and a lack of engaging content. The atmosphere and thematic elements resonate strongly with dedicated fans, evoking feelings of nostalgia and excitement, but technical shortcomings have left some feeling disheartened and questioning their investment in the game. Overall, the emotional impact varies significantly among players, highlighting both the potential for immersive experiences and the pitfalls of unmet expectations.

    • “I cried.”
    • “It's been a long time since a game made me feel like this - reminds me of the original Aliens vs Predator (as the marine).”
    • “I love these guys; they are my army; they are my favorite chapter and having them be the focus of this adventure made me feel like this game was created just for me.”
    • “This game is boring in terms of material, gameplay, and story.”
  • character development14 mentions

    Character development in the game has been widely criticized, with many reviewers noting a significant lack of depth and progression opportunities for characters. While the character and level designs are praised for their intricate details and aesthetic appeal, players express disappointment over the absence of meaningful character growth and gear acquisition, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite the game's strong visual elements, the failure to implement robust character development leaves a notable gap in player engagement.

    • “The level of detail extends to the character designs.”
    • “The character design is amazing.”
    • “So awe inspiring is the environment and character designs that you could easily spend hours just walking from room to room examining in detail all the architecture and machinery within the game.”
    • “The multiplayer is enjoyable, though lacking one key aspect: no character development or gear gain opportunity.”
    • “Considering they touted this as being written with Gav Thorpe, a rather accomplished 40k novelist, there is a shocking lack of any sort of character development.”
    • “The lack of what feels like real character development is disappointing.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

56% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
3-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 44 analyzed playthroughs

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