By the Emperor, don't sleep on this PlayStation Plus boomer shooter

PlayStation Plus’ May offering has been pretty damn good all things considered, both for Essential and Extra/Premium subscribers.

I’ve been playing through some of the new additions I hadn’t got round to trying yet but there were quite a few I recognised, like Balatro, Sand Land, and the one I’ll be talking about today, Warhammer 40k: Boltgun…

For The Emperor, take a look at Warhammer 40k: Boltgun below

As a big Warhammer 40k fan I was very excited to see this title make this month’s cut of free games, as once you claim it through your subscription it’s yours to keep forever. What a gem it is too, a boomer shooter that appeals to both camps, those who know everything there is to know about Warhammer 40k and those who don’t know their space marines from their nurglings.

Like any good boomer shooter such as Doom, Warhammer 40k: Boltgun boasts a pixelated artstyle and clunky, bit-crushed sound effects, which can be tweaked to your preference in the settings for those who want it to look like an even older relic from the past.

It plays pretty much the same as the Doom games, with players controlling the hulking Malum Caedo on a quest to purge every last daemons from the corporeal world. The story itself is set shortly after the events of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine as well, after Titus' battle with the ruinous powers has concluded. Caedo’s basically there to clean up the demonic mess he left behind.

As said before I love Warhammer 40k but I’m by no means an expert on it. There are scholars out there who could give you the full rundown on the grimdark universe but I’ve only got a basic grasp on the history and lore, but that doesn’t stop the game from being an absolute blast.

Focus Entertainment

There are several weapons to collect on your journey each with their own potential for slaughter, and once you get really good at the game you’ll be effortlessly switching between them as you dish out the punishment on Chaos Space Marines and Greater Daemons. You’ll also engage in some close-quarter carnage with a chainsaw blade, and you’ll occasionally run across a power-up that’ll bolster your abilities even further.

My all-time favourite feature though, is the taunt button. With a push of the D-Pad on PlayStation 5, Caedo lets out a battle-cry for The Emperor, or directly calls out an entity in his path with the threat of death. It serves no in-game purpose, it’s just something Caedo likes to do and I love it.

Speaking of Caedo, there still isn’t an official Warhammer 40k miniature of him and one day I hope that changes. Canonically he’s one of the most successful space marines to exist. Aside from the thousands and daemons and Chaos worshippers he slays throughout the game he also takes on a Chaos sorcerer, a Great Unclean One and a Lord of Change, all of which are ultra powerful forces of nature, simultaneously. That’s a bit like Master Chief being dropped into the modern-day Doom games and taking on some of the titans.

Honestly you’re doing yourself a disservice not playing Warhammer 40k: Boltgun if you haven’t already. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or haven’t the faintest idea what it’s about, the chaotic gameplay and nostalgic visuals should be more than enough to get you onboard.

Don’t miss your chance to grab the game for free with your PlayStation Plus subscription, as it’ll be gone next month when the next batch of games get brought around.