14 DAY TRIAL // I drop a grenade to the right and shoot a red barrel for good measure, burning enemies moving towards me, as I move to a higher platform. I dakka a few armored Orks that try to move into melee range, but I get quickly hit two ranged foes. I double-jump towards them but they move well, and I take another few bullets to the armor until I hunt them down.
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef is developed and published by Rogueside. I played a demo on Steam and the game is set to arrive later this year on that platform as well as on the Nintendo Switch and current and last generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft. This is a very classic action side-scroller with a Warhammer theme.
The premise is simple enough that a squig can pick it up: you are a wronged, but capable Ork who needs to move through the planet of Luteus Prime to claim vengeance. This involves battling your fellow green skinned Waaagh soldiers but also the Imperial Astra Militarum, the Space Marines, and the genestealers that serve the Tyranids.
Gameplay is also pretty simple: move through a level, kill all enemies, find the way to reach the next one. The player character has access to a close-quarters attack, as well as dakka powered ranged one. Kill enough enemies and you get to Waaagh! and become a more efficient killing machine.
The action is fast and chaotic. It is very easy to get cornered and die and health pickups aren’t too common. Ranged enemies move quickly to find good firing positions and use their melee brethren as shields. Good use of grenades and Waaagh! activation is important.
Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef looks nice but not impressive. The environments are a little too brown, the enemies too alike. It is suitably filled with gore, given both the universe it is set in and the general Ork predisposition towards violence. The metal soundtrack, although it allows for little variation, does accompany the combat well, relentingly pushing the player forward.
Conclusion
The biggest problem is variety and difficulty. The full game needs to add more to the combat and the setting to keep me engaged. Warhammer 40,000: Shootas, Blood & Teef also has to offer newcomers to the genre a way to ease into the action without feeling frustrated when they make little progress.
Preview code provided by the publisher.
