Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr | Xbox One | Review

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The final stretch of the journey to bring Inquisitor - Martyr to consoles was fraught with pitfalls, as the Xbox One and PS4 versions suffered two consecutive last minute delays said to have seen developer NeocoreGames (The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II) enduring 90-hour work weeks in a desperate effort to claw back time. While that definitely isn’t healthy, it did make the seemingly impossible possible, as now, still within the scheduled summer release window, console players are receiving a build that’s pretty much on-par with the PC version.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam

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Developer:
​NeocoreGames
Publisher: Bigben
Interactive
Platform: Xbox One,
PS4, PC
Players: 1 - 4

An isometric ARPG in the vein of Diablo and set in the iconic Warhammer 40,000 universe, you’ll start by choosing between three bespoke character classes in Psyker, Crusader and Assassin - basically encompassing your Mage, Warrior and Rogue archetypes respectively. Each class has a mana-equivalent resource that governs ability usage, as well as access to specific gear, which can be equipped to any of an additional three sub-classes that fall under each umbrella. This ensures that, whilst visual customisation options are lacking, you can (within the confines of your chosen class umbrella) equip characters however you see fit in terms of their weapons, armour and add-ons.

As your chosen Inquisitor - one of the Emperor’s most powerful and secretive Imperium soldiers - you’ll serve your leader by boarding the eponymous fortress-monastery, Martyr, to purge it of Chaos corruption. After seemingly concluding your work there, the clues you’ve gathered lead you on an investigation to uncover wider conspiracies and delve the depths of 40K lore.

With years of storytelling already under the tabletop franchise’s belt, that can be intimidating for newcomers, especially when it comes to the gobbledegook lexicon. It’s familiar on a surface level and intuitive enough to follow, but, when you also account for how the narrative is conveyed - via wordy text logs and weak voice overs that can get lost against the busy backdrop of sound effects - the uninitiated will probably glaze over before too long.

More engaging is the bite-sized, level-based structure that allows you to tackle an array of extracurricular activities on your interstellar travels. Areas are spread across a variety of biomes and can be both open and linear, often featuring different objectives - including large-scale, set-piece-like skirmishes on occasion - to set outings apart and keep things interesting. When the abilities to build your own custom missions using modifiers and undertake procedurally generated mini-campaigns are thrown into the mix, the breadth of mission content is significant.

As your chosen Inquisitor, you’ll serve your leader by boarding the eponymous fortress-monastery, Martyr, to purge it of Chaos corruption.

It’s fortunate that the sides are equally as satisfying as the main, because those looking to engage in co-op play will be disappointed to learn that story missions are entirely off limits. There’s even more bad news for local parties, as they’re limited to two player sessions in which the guest is required to choose a pre-made character that doesn’t retain any progress. You also can’t play the game at all if you’re offline, regardless of whether you’re engaging with any online features or not. At least the frame rate doesn’t really suffer, even when opting to bump the resolution from 1080p to 1440p, but matchmaking/inviting some online friends is preferable when up to four players can converge as their own unique character builds and gain individualised loot and progression.

On the topic of multiplayer, there’s also a fairly sparse and unremarkable PvP offering in which you can hone your skills in 1v1 or 2v2 bouts for objective control.

That said, polishing your gory combat prowess does come recommended, as the higher you climb on the five-rung difficulty ladder the greater the rewards you’ll reap for mission success. Making efficient use of cover, destructible environments, your loadout and abilities - whilst also knowing how best to counter different enemy races and the sometimes overzealous auto-aim - is key to earning more Glory and with that weekly rewards.

Additionally, through standard gameplay you’ll accrue conventional space bucks, dubbed Credits, which are used to purchase gear and services, as well as the more exotic Fate, a valuable resource which is used to fund research projects, launch those custom missions we mentioned earlier, and, reportedly, even gain access to some otherwise premium DLC in the future.

With years of storytelling already under the tabletop franchise’s belt, the lore can be intimidating for newcomers, especially when it comes to the gobbledegook lexicon. 

You’ll also work towards achieving Heroic Deeds - persistent challenges that, upon completion, can open up relevant skill trees in the game’s veritable skill forest - and, should you have joined/created one, collective assignments for your online Cabal (communities of like minded players). There are evidently loads of systems to manage, but once you’ve gotten your head around everything they serve as the dangling carrot that ensures you’re never far from your next reward. This constant affirmation cycle and, more specifically, the feeling of growth and progression that goes with it, will see Inquisitor - Martyr quickly sink its claws into loot fiends, especially since it’s so easy to adopt a “one more mission” mentality thanks to their short length.

How dedicated you are to perpetually tweaking stats on a micro scale is ultimately what’ll decide whether this is a game for you. ARPG fans will find it to be classic, satisfying stuff - especially if they’re keen on the Warhammer 40K connection - but newcomers may well find it to be bloated and lacking both the satisfying story and audiovisual flair to keep them around long enough to get to grips with the in-depth systems serving as the driving force in their place.

Pros

• Gory, tactical combat is always engaging
• Rewarding loot cycle & bite-sized structure should keep you coming back
• Bags of content to satisfy that craving for more
• Variety of locales & objectives ensure you don’t tire of purging bleak ship interiors, as in Space Hulk: Deathwing
• Not limited by your sub-class, accommodating more bespoke customisations

Cons

• Not the most engaging story, especially if unfamiliar with 40K lore
• Mediocre audiovisual presentation, even at 1440p
• Limiting co-op and PvP options, especially if playing locally
• Generous auto-aim can make it difficult to prioritise specific targets within a crowd

7/10