Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is a twin stick shooter that feels like it has been put in place to hype up the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, but it does have some qualities that allow to stand alone as a reasonably fun XBLA game.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is a difficult game to write about. I wish I could just turn in a review that read, “this game is okay,” but that would be a disservice to anyone reading this. It really represents my feelings rather succinctly though. The game is simply okay. Not bad, not great, just right in the middle. It has problems, but it’s totally playable. Some will like it, others won’t, but nobody will hate it, and I really doubt anyone will love it.

Kill Team puts in the giant armoured shoes of one of the Emperor's Elite Space Marines as he attempts to destroy an Ork ship from the inside. There isn’t much story to speak other than the arbitrary goals put in place to move you from point A to point B, and the art style is incredibly bland.

Generic Space Marine Guys Fighting in Space
I understand that Warhammer is a franchise that has existed for more than two decades, so the generic look of the game is probably a product of others liberally borrowing from it all these years, but every character, every enemy and every element of the environment cannot help but be a stereotype of generic video games are today. What may have been original in 1987, now becomes totally forgettable within moments of turning off the game.

The game plays like a twin stick shooter, but does have some melee focus depending on which class you decide to go with. This is where the game is the strongest. The combat is simple, but it is fun to play. Walk with the left stick, and shoot with the right. It’s like Geometry Wars, but your moving through a level. Along with the standard pointing and shooting, there are also power-ups that can be collected to give temporary strengths, and a special move that can be charged up and used with frequency. As you progress through the game, you will also collect permanent upgrades that can be attributed to two available slots, so you have to choose carefully.

You’ve Got to Diversify Your Bonds
There are four different classes to choose from, each having the same core attacks of long range and melee. The differences between the classes depend on how much focus is attributed to those two attacks, and what the special attacks are. The long-range combat focused character can use the special attack to shoot twice as fast, while the melee character can use his special attack to perform a sort of force push killing those within range. The other two characters are fairly even with melee versus gunplay, but one can place a turret, while the other features a fairly devastating dash attack. The special powers are used a lot, so the characters do feel a lot different from one another.

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter* (*Online)
Cooperative play works well, especially with the different feel of each character. The long range can cover the melee character pretty well for example, but to take on the game alone is far from an impossible feat. There are only five levels, the longest lasting about 45 minutes, so it’s not a long game. Replay is encourage to collect all the assorted power-ups, and there is a survival level unlocked for each beaten campaign level.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team does not have online multiplayer, which I found simply astonishing. I really thought I just couldn’t find the option at first, and refused to believe it. There are leaderboards for the survival levels, but all coop is restricted to local play. On one hand, playing with a real person next to you is always more fun, but on the other hand, are you crazy? This game was clearly designed to be, and even sold as a cooperative game. The word, “Team,” is in the title. It was likely pushed aside in favour of a release date well before the upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine retail release, but it really should have had more priority. They could have axed an entire class in favour of online play, and I would have been much happier.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team contains unlockables for the upcoming Space Marine, which really makes the game feel like a cool Space Marine promotion, rather than a game looking to make a name for itself. The combat is fun though, and levelling your character as you progress is rewarding. The visuals aren’t lacking so much as they are just boring, and I just didn’t care what was going on in the narrative. I know a lot of Orks died, so I assume they were the antagonists. It’s not a bad game. I definitely had some fun with it, but it’s hard to recommend it, as ultimately forgettable as it was. Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is for hardcore Warhammer 40,000 fans only, who happen to have another Warhammer fan sitting next to them.

General combat and gameplay is fun Classes feel diverse Games are always better with a friend, and this is no exception Power-ups have a tangible effect on combat It’s not that I don’t remember what happened, it’s just that I didn’t care No online multiplayer or co-op The art style feels like a totally generic video game stereotype No online multiplayer or co-op Some bad checkpoints, especially with the end boss Did I mention that there was no online multiplayer or coop? Quote: "Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team is for hardcore Warhammer 40,000 fans only, who happen to have another Warhammer fan sitting next to them. " Reviewed by Kyle Hilliard | 07.27.11

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