Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch Reviews
While not a complex top-down, turn-based strategy RPG, Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch – Enhanced Edition does a nice job of laying a solid groundwork from the beginning in tactical options, challenge and character progression. Even if this groundwork never truly changes or improves, it doesn't stop the title from delivering an enjoyable strategy game for the most part. While strategy game veterans may find the variety of challenge and options lackluster and have trouble keeping engaged, it does well for those wanting to hop in for a couple missions of light strategy every once in awhile and is quick to reward them for doing so.
Deathwatch is a decent strategy game and one that doesn’t require too much brainwork to get a handle on. For smartphones and tablets it’s a great fit and would probably have worked nicely on Vita or 3DS, but in targeting the PlayStation 4, Rodeo and Funbox needed to do more than simply make Deathwatch vaguely controller-friendly and with slightly better visuals. Beyond some additional characters to recruit, there isn’t any meaningful refinement or expansion, and definitely not enough to justify that insane £50 pricetag.
It's a port of a solid mobile game, but the transfer to PC lost some of that luster in translation.
A great improvement over its humble origins, Deathwatch's engaging tactical systems and great progression elements also serve to highlight the odd fact that the next essential Warhammer 40K strategy title isn't a homegrown PC effort at all but rather, one born in the often reviled realm of ultra-casual games and microtransaction misery. If you have any prejudices about mobile games, look past them and get stuck in – Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch Enhanced Edition is the real deal.
Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch is a typical tactical turn-based game seen many times before. While not delivering anything new in terms of gameplay, the squad-based teamwork that is required to power through the 40 stages is nothing short of grinding fun. At the beginning, it feels like a bonding experience for the space marines. However, the game quickly falls down the path of needing to grind in order to venture through the missions, as a tough mission could be waiting, spiking up the difficulty quite unexpectedly and sharply. Combined with the stage designs that really do not complement the turn-based style of the game due to the enclosed tunnels and rarity of large arenas to set up ambushes in, this port of the smartphone game leaves a lot to be desired.
'Warhammer 40,000 Deathwatch' was an excellent mobile title, and its 'Enhanced Edition' remains competitive with other strategy titles on the PC. It doesn't have the visual or narrative heft of some of its high-budget contemporaries, but its gameplay punches far above its weight.
Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch is a great game and does the series proud