As another varied entry in the expansive franchise, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus gives players a gloomy turn-based adventure with enough good ideas and personality to differentiate it from similar titles, while overcoming a few minor downfalls.
Increasingly I have become convinced that the massive stable of games set in the daunting Warhammer 40,000 universe are meant as entry points for people to begin scooping up any other media the name appears on. After playing Warhammer: Chaosbane I felt no more knowledgeable about the world than I really did before. After all, how are demons and priests stomping around in the same universe and timeline as space marines and planetary exploration? Well, they always say technology would seem like magic to our very early descendants.
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus is another game taking place somewhere in the franchise. Like its brethren, Mechanicus latches a genre onto a specific chunk of the Warhammer universe. Fans are likely going to cherish any competent, playable rendition of Warhammer but what will draw in newcomers and the uninitiated? Do you like Diablo? Play Chaosbane. Enjoy XCOM? Mechanicus just might be for you.
Thousands of years into the future, the Adeptus Mechanicus, also known as Tech Priests, thirst for knowledge by exploring the depths of the universe. Regarding technology as its own kind of deity, these Tech Priests have fused their own bodies with additional arms, legs, and weapons, becoming almost more Terminator than scholar. Mechanicus takes place on the Adeptus’ ship, hovering above a world infested with Necrons, one of the Big Bads of the universe.
Mechanicus‘ story and related lore is dense, almost exhaustively so. However, this is coming from someone who knows virtually nothing about the world and these established players. Despite that, it’s hard not to enjoy Mechanicus‘ atmosphere. Ben Counter, an experienced Warhammer writer, helms a story thick with lore but dripping in style. I found myself wrapped up in the overly dramatic, religious way the leads spoke to each other. Flavor text is succeeds in drenching players in the scenery whether it is a new discovery or potential ambush by the Necrons. Regardless of whether I understood what was truly going on or not, Mechanicus does an admirable job of not being overly inaccessible. Still, I think Warhammer fans are going to eat up the efforts of the team at Bulwark Studios.
Players familiar with any turn-based strategy game should appreciate the few quirks Mechanicus throws into the formula. As Magos Dominus Faustinius, the head of the Adeptus Mechanicus faction, players will direct the actions of units from the safety of the Ark Mechanicus, the group’s ship hovering above the Necrons’ Tomb World.
Directing units offers an interesting twist because players will control strong, named tech priests and throwaway Servitor units. Servitor units have a small pool of abilities and less health, meant almost as cannon fodder. Tech priests can be customized into certain classes using ability trees, also capable of being equipped with multiple weapons just by attaching some new mechanical limbs. Due to the cost of investing across skill trees, it is wise of players to push their tech priests into specializations to make combat more varied. The purpose of Servitor units is often to distract Necrons from directly attacking primary units and crippling the team while players set up attack sequences.
Because there is no real cover system like in XCOM, units will usually hit their targets unless some ability or skill prevents it from happening. Cognition Points also dictate what abilities can be used and are earned after damaging enemies or inspecting parts of the battlefield. Initially, a player may not have enough Cognition Points to use a ranged weapon on a distant target, forcing the player to decide how to situate units in a way that will maximize Cognition Point gain and minimize damage.
The overwhelming force of the Necrons is conveyed quite well. Missions constantly tick away at a Doomsday Clock that signifies the real awakening of the deepest, most dangerous Necron threat. Actions players take during missions will also have an impact, if sometimes only slightly. At different intersections, players will come at a crossroads that offers dialog-based choices. Choosing one option over the other can result in earning valuable upgrade currency, a fiercer threat in the upcoming encounter, or a boost to your team. Make more noise in battle and more Necrons are likely to stir from their slumber. To throw another wrench in the formula, Necrons are robots and won’t usually “die” the first time they lose all their HP. If they aren’t attacked again, or destroyed using a critical attack or other means, the Necron will revive and attack the player again.
After purchasing character upgrades and investing in better throwaway units, the finer mechanics of Mechanicus begin to gel. While it won’t drastically alter the context of other turn-based strategies, its stylized world is hard not to be wrapped up in. Though it may not be the prettiest game on the shelf and many of the squared-away environments feel similar, the through-line of strange Warhammer lore helps the game remain enjoyable and fun. Considering its roots as a PC game, Bulwark did admirable work at translating controls to console. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some finer movements and ease of use that gets lost in the shuffle.
Console players who purchase Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus will also have access to the Heretek expansion, introducing new plot threads, weapons, units, and enemies to the shuffle. Integrating itself in to the main campaign, Heretek supplements the core strengths of Mechanicus, giving players new opportunities for strategy. Though I can’t imagine a Warhammer fan ignoring this fascinating segment of the universe, its turn-based elements should please any player curious enough to dive in. The clash of technologies in this devout, unholy world often surprise with new layers of difficulty and tantalizing bits of weird, fascinating lore. Is it for everyone? No. But be patient and a new world of entertainment may open up.
