As a fan of Warhammer 40, 000, I have been somewhat disappointed when it comes to video game adaptations of the franchise in recent years. Yes, we did get gems like Inquisitor Martyr, but we also had the disappointing third entry in the Dawn of War series that seems to have killed that subseries. I have been very open about wanting to see more games from the franchise, and we now have one of the best arriving on consoles with Warhammer 40 000 Mechanicus. This game sees you take on the role of the Adeptus Mechanicus and explore a Necron Tomb World, in gameplay that adapts the classic tabletop format and mixes it carefully with ideas from X Com.
The journey through the Tomb World will be perilous, as the longer you take to clear an area, the more a meter fills up that determines the fights with the Necrons. You may think that speeding through an area is key then, but individual rooms in a mission may contain objects to dwell on and investigate. You might weigh the risks and rewards in each situation, and how well you think you can fight against overpowered Necrons. Collecting/studying or even destroying the objects isn’t an easy task either as you will be provided with multiple choices that will affect the outcome of the game. These choices will reflect pure obedience to Mechanicus doctrine, a leaning to the open-minded Xenarite philosophy that believes in studying Xenos tech, and the ability to go for a neutral option. You are not locked into a path from the very start but instead based on which path you primarily support.
The combat in Mechanicus is deep and involved. You will need to make choices in your fights and may need to sacrifice units for the sake of completing a fight. Every move must be considered, because the Necrons will take advantage of any and all mistakes that you make, in order to attack you. Keep an eye on your position and where enemies are at all times. Moving at the right time and place and create an opportunity attack where you will automatically attack the enemies surrounding you. I need to make something clear though, you will die in this game, a lot in fact. But do not be worried, since Mechanicus anticipates this and doesn’t penalize you as much as some other strategy games. In fact, you are encouraged to try and try again in order to learn, and the more you upgrade, the better you will be. The characters you use going in, will not be the same you use at the end of the game and that is something to remember.
Mechanicus also differs from other turn-based RPGs with a concept called “Cognition Points,”. These are your action points and in this game are shared among your units, and you will use them to activate almost all ( except a few) of your weapons and abilities, and you will also use them to deploy troops. Using Cognition Points will allow you to move some characters even further than usual, but this can have consequences in the form of losing strategic advantage, so choose wisely. Cognition Points are harvested from the environment in various ways, such as by positioning yourself next to Necron monoliths. This will mean that you cannot just play Mechanicus like any other strategy game, but there is a lot more you can do at the same time.
Mechanicus has a very detailed skill progression system, and the job system allows for a variety of upgrades along a specific path you can choose. These include the Explorator, Secutor, Tech-Auxiliam, Lexmechanic, Enginseer, Dominus, and Xenarite. These range from attack-oriented to support, defensive, and ranged combat. It should be noted though that pursuing ranks in discipline one will not lock you out of investing in others and you can mix and match to create your ability to invest in others at your discretion. Each path has its own strengths and weaknesses, so consider each path carefully. In addition, you can use the servo-skulls for a variety of functions that can also be further upgraded according to your chosen skill progression. These can scan enemies to tell you stats, drain cognition, and more depending on how you upgrade them. They are very important for your continued success in the game.
Mechanicus has an excellent story, and there are even hidden missions to find in the game. This is not even getting into the Heretek DLC which is included in this release, which adds a new set of missions and the aforementioned Xenarite skill path. From the presentation of the battlefield, the characters, and especially the Necrons, it is clear that a lot of love went into making this experience the best it could be. This is both true to Warhammer 40, 000 and makes the exact right amount of adaptational changes. The game plays amazingly well on console, and I had no real issues adapting to the controls. This is a work of art.
In conclusion, I highly recommend checking out Warhammer 40, 000 Mechanicus as it is a truly amazing experience. If you are a fan of Warhammer 40, 000, or just like Strategy RPGs, then this is for you.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided