REVIEW: ‘Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr’ is an Adventurous Sci-Fi ARPG (PS4)

When the most sensitive missions are unearthed in the darkness of war, elite warriors, who dons the duties of agent and soldier, steps in to brings justice to those enemies. They are the Inquisitors. From NeocoreGames comes Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr, an action title where players will pierce the heart of evil across the stars. Having played this game at E3 last year, I absolutely enjoyed what was there, and the final result is absolutely stellar, even if there are some blemishes with its presentation. Warhammer 40,000 Martyr: Inquisitor – Martyr is an action role-playing game and an absolutely fantastic one at that, giving players a wide range of combat options and missions to undertake as they serve the Emperor across the stars.

In the far reaches of deep space, alone distress signal is intercepted. The Inquisitor, with his crew, intercepts the signal and, upon emerging from the warp, discovers a shocking sight: The Cathedral-like warship known as The Martyr. Thought to be lost, the ship is surprisingly intact. Not much is known about The Martyr, except that it is a gargantuan warship known for its sheer power, and its disappearance has been a complete mystery.

The Martyr is adrift in space, but perfectly intact. Upon investigating the interior of the ship, it unleashes its darkest secrets. Sinister enemies begin pouring from the hundreds of decks of the Martyr. Rescuing a few survivors, the Inquisitor escapes the ship, just as it roars to life and enter the Warp. Soon, the Conclave of The Imperium, a secret group of agents, sends the Inquisitor on a classified mission, known exclusively to his crew. The Martyr contains great power, and it appears it has been secured by someone with less than noble intention to use it. It is of the utmost importance that you stop The Martyr and eliminate all participating parties.

Compared to other Warhammer 40K video games, this one puts players in a war within a war, fighting battle within battles. The galaxy is at war, with various chapters of space marines waging unending battle on various wars. Players embark on a secret war, fighting vicious enemies, oftentimes single-handedly. For those brave enough to pursue these quests, the Inquisitor will be granted their ship, a crew, and an assortment of deadly weapons to use. Knowing your warrior and the weapons you choose for battle is important as Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is unflinching in sending its deadliest foes towards you.

At the start, players can choose between one of three classes for the Inquisitor: Crusader, Assassin, and Psyker. The Crusader is skilled with various firearms and weapons, fighting as a heavily armed and dangerous knight in armor. The Assassin utilizes stealth and close-range attacks to silently and discreetly dispatch enemies. And the Psyker utilizes telekinetic and mutant powers drawn from the mystery of the Warp to erase enemies from existence. Each class has an assortment of genetic and cybernetic augmentations to make them the most efficient warriors possible.

In addition to choosing their class, players can choose their armor, weapons, and augmentations with each choice affecting their battle rating. The rating they have determines how well equipped a player is in engaging a certain mission. When players begin, the missions they will embark on will be straightforward, but as they pursue the Martyr, they visit various worlds and star systems, each with their own missions to embark on.

Players’ rating will be matched against the mission’s rating, and naturally, if a mission’s rating number is too high, it will make completing the mission fundamentally impossible. Players are also able to change their special abilities and forge new gear. Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is a big game, but it introduces helpful tutorials to better ease players into the game. After some time with the game, players are equipped and familiar, making you able to embark on more operations. Playing Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is an absolute joy, no matter what level you are on or what class you play as. Warhammer 40K Martyr Inquisitor is incredibly comfortable in finding your gameplay niche and having players feel like ripped, born-for-battle warriors.

Since I play a tank, I chose the Crusader class, launching volleys of grenades into crowds of chaos-born monsters while smiting dissenters with my battle ax. The ARPG formula is in the vein of Diablo III and Victor Vran, where players can move about the level and initiate attacks with cooldowns and finite ammunition. While grenades, mines, and defense shields have finite ammo, all your weapons and armor abilities have unlimited ammunition.

This makes fighting mutants, chaos soldiers, and other foes much more accessible. However, Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is no pushover. Players will fight giant, grotesque beasts, mechanized creations of flesh and steel, and wizarding beings tapping deep into the dark recesses of witchcraft. Knowing these enemies and fighting them wisely will be the key to success. In addition to the single-player, players can embark on a full-fledged co-op campaign that allows them to take to the stars in online multiplayer. Players are able to go on an endless crusade with other missions. From defending positions and securing items to wiping out entire armies, the objectives do not grow tiresome, especially when fighting with other players and their unique classes.

There is also a constant reward of receiving new weapons and items, crafting new tools, and building your battle rating.  Additionally, there are seasons and special events for those looking to jump infrequently to Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr. It will take some time, but if players keep at it, their rating will be high enough to take on any foe in the galaxy. The only setback with Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is its presentation on the console. Load times were adequate, but I noticed unsynced cutscenes and animations with voices, in addition to a slower frame rate and downgraded visuals. This doesn’t necessarily ruin the game for me, but I felt that the optimization could have been better, especially with the cutscenes.

The story of Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor-Martyr is actually quite interesting, with unique characters, interesting story arcs, and immersive lore. Therefore, the technical presentation could have used more polish for the console versions. This is expected, as the superior version of Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is unmistakably the PC version. However, the team has continuously patched the console versions of the game and introduced adjustments that greatly improve the frame rate and visuals. While the PC version is preferred, the console version is still a solid experience.

Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr is one of the finest action RPG experiences on the market today, despite its technical blemishes. Its vast world, spanning entire solar systems, is astounding and its gameplay mechanics are immersive, especially when played with others. With the plethora of things to do, players can expect to sink well over 100 hours into this fine game. Whether you are a seasoned warrior or looking to jump into the carnage of war for the first time, Warhammer 40K Martyr: Inquisitor is a wonderful action RPG experience set within a fascinating sci-fi world. FOR THE EMPEROR!

Warhammer 40K Martyr: Inquisitor is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.