RPS@PAX 2023: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun really nails the feeling of being a big stompy space boy
We've played it, and it absolutely rules
I really like retro first-person shooters. Show me a game with a gun in it that looks like it could feasibly run on Windows 95, and all of the neurons in my brain will start to fizzle and spark. I just think they're neat, and their recent resurgance has been extremely nice for me, specifically.
Unsuprisingly, then, I've been very excited to get my hands on Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, a retro FPS by Auroch Digital set within the grim-dark universe of Warhammer 40k. A retro shooter where you play as a Space Marine is so obvious a pairing it's a wonder the concept has never been tackled before, to the point where the game's own marketing materials sort of pretend that it already was back in the 90s but everyone just forgot about it.
Publisher Focus Entertainment brought a fresh build along with them to PAX East where I was able to try it out for myself. Readers, let me tell you, this game absolutely rules. You can hear some more of my thoughts in the video above. Trust me, it's worth seeing how this game looks in motion. The hulking Space Marine you embody is weighter than your average retro-shooter protag, resulting in a game where every action feels vicious and deadly. It's great stuff.
There's no word on a release date just yet, but here's hoping it's soon. While you're sitting patiently in front of your computer, ready to slice up some Orcs with a big chainsaw, why not check out some of the other things we made during our time at PAX? Rachel highlighted a few games we played at the show that we didn't have time to talk about. We also asked four indie developers what it's like to demo their games for four days straight. For all this, and more, make sure to explore the dedicated RPS@PAX tag.