Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,122 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector Game Cover
Take back the Blood Angels homeworld from the Tyrranid swarm
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"Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector" is a turn-based strategy game set in the Warhammer 40k universe, where players can lead the Blood Angels in a 20-mission single-player campaign to purge a Tyranid infestation. The game also features a skirmish mode with customizable army lists and various objectives to complete. Experience fast-paced battles with powerful abilities and devastating weaponry.

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

Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,122 reviews
story232 positive mentions
optimization7 negative mentions
  • The game closely resembles the tabletop experience, providing an engaging turn-based strategy gameplay.
  • The campaign features a well-written story with good voice acting, immersing players in the Warhammer 40k universe.
  • The graphics and unit models are visually impressive, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
  • The game lacks sufficient content, with only one campaign and limited factions available in the base game, leading to repetitive gameplay.
  • DLC factions do not include their own campaigns, making them feel like a cash grab rather than meaningful expansions.
  • The AI can be frustratingly predictable and unchallenging, diminishing the tactical depth of the game.
  • story1,033 mentions

    The story in "Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector" is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its adherence to the Warhammer lore and the engaging voice acting. However, the narrative is often criticized for being simplistic and repetitive, as most missions culminate in the objective of eliminating all remaining enemies, which can lead to a tedious gameplay experience. While the campaign offers a decent introduction to the Blood Angels and their struggles against the Tyranids, players express a desire for more varied mission types and additional story content, particularly for other factions.

    • “The story was surprisingly engaging, and the voice acting was exceptional.”
    • “The campaign tells an interesting story about a chapter of the blood angels on Baal moon.”
    • “The story is interesting, the characters are engaging, and the individual missions help push everything along.”
    • “The campaign, while lengthy and varied in both mission structure and unit types, offers nothing more than static painting and slowly delivered lines of lore and generic military talk--and not even during the mission, only before and after!”
    • “The story is very much a 40k story and keeps the game moving in a nice way, and the voice acting is very very good.”
    • “The story itself is nothing too ground-breaking, but it's anchored by the aforementioned voice performances and the warhammer 40k mainstay of a war between billions being portrayed as a character drama between 7 or 8 self-serious sci-fi archetypes.”
  • gameplay504 mentions

    The gameplay of this Warhammer 40,000 title is generally praised for its fun and engaging turn-based mechanics, closely resembling the tabletop experience while introducing unique features like momentum and unit facing. Players appreciate the strategic depth and variety of units, although some express concerns about repetitive gameplay and a lack of diverse factions. Overall, the game is seen as a solid entry in the genre, particularly for fans of the franchise, despite some criticisms regarding balance and the need for additional content.

    • “Fun campaign, and probably the closest you could get to real tabletop-style gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is amazing; turn-based combat with unique passives for each race encouraging different play styles.”
    • “The gameplay is enjoyable, weapons feel good and destructive, and the maps are a manageable size so battles don't take forever.”
    • “It's not dawn of war in obvious ways; it's a turn-based tactical game much closer to tabletop mechanics than Relic's largely-conventional RTS, but at the same time both worked as a showcase for new units.”
    • “The gameplay is really barebones; I don't see an effort to make things interesting.”
    • “The gameplay is simple, but this is deceptive, for there are swathes of buffs, heals, and actions that a unit can do in the game that adds a beautiful layer of complexity to it.”
  • graphics267 mentions

    The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals, detailed unit designs, and faithful representation of the Warhammer 40k aesthetic. However, some players criticize the graphics as outdated or lacking polish, particularly when compared to other recent titles. Overall, while the visuals are generally well-received for their artistic quality, performance issues and a perceived lack of innovation in graphical fidelity are noted by several users.

    • “The stunning visuals, detailed unit designs, and immersive sound effects bring the grimdark Warhammer 40k universe to life in an engaging way.”
    • “The graphics and art style are gorgeous, and it is obvious the amount of work and detail the devs have put into it.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and the story missions satisfying.”
    • “Very simple, very easy, same game as other Warhammer 40k turn-based games but with outdated graphics and worse gameplay and story.”
    • “Rtx4060/i9-13900/32gb ram; and yet even dropping to the lowest graphic settings available in the game is still like playing a slideshow.”
    • “The title screen isn’t the only thing that looks dated either – the in-game graphics do too: even on the highest settings, they look like something out of Dawn of War – currently approaching its 20th birthday.”
  • music90 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its orchestral and thematic fit for the Warhammer 40,000 universe, while others find it repetitive and forgettable. Some players highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the gameplay experience, though a few critiques mention that it lacks the grandeur of previous titles in the series. Overall, the sound design, including music and voice acting, is generally regarded as high quality, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “The soundtrack and in-game sounds are top-notch as well.”
    • “The music is one of the best parts: hints of the original Chaos Gate!”
    • “Propelled by great voice acting, an amazing soundtrack, and good sound design, Battlesector manages to create a great atmosphere as you play through the 10-12 hour campaign.”
    • “The music is also flat and totally forgettable.”
    • “Also, the music is repetitive and it just starts to grind on you.”
    • “The music is not fantastic either, it's not as grand or intimidating like other 40k titles.”
  • replayability64 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players noting that while the campaign offers a solid experience, it lacks significant replay value due to its linearity and limited factions. Multiplayer and skirmish modes provide more replayability, especially with the addition of DLC factions and custom campaigns, but many feel that the overall content is insufficient for long-term engagement. Future expansions and updates are hoped to enhance replayability, but currently, it is seen as limited, particularly for single-player enthusiasts.

    • “The campaign offers a challenging and dynamic experience, while multiplayer options add significant replayability.”
    • “Now that the game has a map and even a campaign editor, it offers more replayability than ever, and with the ever-growing roster of factions, it shapes up to be a really good 40k game.”
    • “This is by far one of the best Warhammer 40k games and strategy games available; it is infinitely replayable and very balanced.”
    • “The campaign will offer you any content, the skirmish modes are too bland to offer any replayability.”
    • “Unfortunately, there is not a lot of replayability in the game for people who are exclusively interested in a single-player experience.”
    • “The only huge problem with it is the lack of replayability and single-mode content.”
  • optimization33 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, particularly on low-end PCs and even on some high-end rigs. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay and good visuals, others have noted overheating problems and frame rate drops, indicating that optimization is a major area needing improvement. Despite these concerns, a few players found the game to run well on platforms like the Steam Deck, suggesting that performance may vary widely depending on hardware.

    • “The models look fantastic and haven't had any performance issues (running an i5 and 4060ti).”
    • “Game engine is solid with good performance.”
    • “I generally can't play turn-based games because they're too slow, but this one is optimized and really fast.”
    • “The game is good, very happy with the variety of races, but badly needs optimization, as at 60 frames it manages to burn the video card - a very big problem.”
    • “My biggest complaint is that the game lacks optimization at almost every level, from the menu screens to battle controls.”
    • “I have a high-end rig and the developers really need to address the optimization of this game; be warned about this issue, it will heat up your rig and cause some slow performance issues.”
  • grinding31 mentions

    Players consistently describe the grinding aspect of the game as tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the mandatory "mop-up" phase after completing main objectives, which often involves searching for remaining enemies. The repetitive nature of missions, combined with slow animations and poor design choices, contributes to a sense of monotony, making the gameplay feel more like a slog than an engaging experience. While some find enjoyment in the game, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grinding elements detract significantly from the overall fun.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Battlesector is a potentially fun game, but even aside from gameplay issues like the poor balance and tediously slow animations, the fact that the base game is sorely lacking in content and variety makes it clear that it was never intended to be anything more than a way to sell overpriced DLC.”
    • “The game isn't very challenging, and it's hamstrung by a number of bad design decisions, of which by far the worst offender is the fact that after every objective in a mission is complete you are forced to do a tedious mop-up of all remaining enemies in the level (sometimes they are out of sight and it takes ages to find them).”
    • “Unfortunately, in addition to the very limited objective types, every mission is marred by the fact that you're required to completely wipe out the enemy to finish, which makes the game incredibly tedious.”
  • atmosphere31 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its faithful representation of the grim and brutal Warhammer 40,000 universe, enhanced by excellent graphics, sound design, and voice acting. Reviewers highlight the immersive experience created by the music and visuals, which effectively capture the dark themes and tactical intensity of the setting. Overall, the game successfully translates the iconic atmosphere of Warhammer 40k into a compelling strategic gameplay experience.

    • “A faithfully grim world: the game captures the dark and brutal atmosphere of Warhammer 40,000 perfectly.”
    • “The music, voice acting, and graphics create a wonderful atmosphere.”
    • “What a great game we have here; being an old Warhammer 40k fan and having played almost every possible PC game from the franchise, I have to say that this one here grasps all the atmosphere of the dark grim lore of the 40k world.”
    • “Bad story/atmosphere (compared to Mechanicus).”
    • “What a great game we have here, being an old Warhammer 40k fan and having played almost every possible PC game from the franchise, I have to say that this one here grasps all the atmosphere of the dark grim lore of the 40k world.”
    • “In this extraordinary soup you can find great intricate graphics, excellent animations, passable sound effects; the story is there, and definitely the grimdark Warhammer 40k atmosphere.”
  • stability26 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while many players report a solid core experience with minimal bugs and smooth performance, others have encountered minor glitches, particularly in the tutorial and audio. Some users noted occasional freezes and graphical issues, but these do not seem to significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. Despite some reported bugs, the game is generally considered well-made and stable for a turn-based title.

    • “It's well made, looks great, and plays very well; it also runs great.”
    • “Best of all - so far no glitches, bugs, or crashes.”
    • “For a small Aussie dev team, the product is polished, bug-free, and fun.”
    • “It suffers from minor glitches like overlapping UI or bad audio - but that's not the issue.”
    • “The 40k grist mill grinds on with another under-developed, buggy, unfleshed title for the pile.”
    • “Gameplay is buggy and not engaging... limited functionality and no army builder.”
  • monetization10 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game has been widely criticized as a cash grab, with players noting that additional content, such as extra armies, can cost significantly more than the initial purchase price. Many reviewers express frustration over mandatory advertising and the perception that the game prioritizes profit over player experience, leading to a feeling of being misled by the marketing. Overall, the monetization approach detracts from the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “But it is a cash grab in the same way 40k is; every extra army costs you $10-20, so expect to spend way more than the sticker price if you want to actually experience this in its full.”
    • “Game play is fairly good, presentation is fine, but overall it's a cash grab.”
    • “Another crappy title with great advertising and many 'favorable' reviews - I got duped again.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky animations and amusing bugs, such as the exaggerated movements of units during combat, which can lead to hilariously chaotic scenes. Players find the design of certain models, like the "funny little sewer goblin people," to be both entertaining and absurd, while the buggy speed-up function adds an unpredictable comedic element to gameplay. Overall, the humor is described as lighthearted and often unintentionally funny, contributing to a whimsical gaming experience.

    • “It also has death company which are really funny.”
    • “The models look good but are hilariously stupidly animated and implemented.”
    • “Also found it hilarious the landspeeder in this game is just as bad as the one on the tabletop lol.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized, with reviewers noting a lack of depth in the narrative and character development, which diminishes emotional investment in battles. The cutscenes and dialogue, while voiced, fail to evoke strong feelings, and the inability to form attachments to units further detracts from the emotional experience.

  • character development1 mentions

    The game offers a sense of commanding a full battalion, accompanied by decent character development that distinguishes it from other titles.

    • “Unlike the other two games I mentioned, this one gives you the feeling of commanding a full battalion and has some decent character development.”
    • “Unlike the other two games I mentioned, this one gives you the feeling of commanding a full battalion but has very limited character development.”
    • “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression throughout the game.”
    • “I was disappointed with how the characters evolved; their arcs were predictable and uninspired.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

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Play time

24hMedian play time
79hAverage play time
15-52hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 15 analyzed playthroughs

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