Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior Review - PS2

The Fire Warriors are members of a race named the Tau, who are being repressed by the evil Imperials - who are human by the way. The Tau, being comprised of four clans, plus the Elder, are a little sick of the treatment by our far flung descendants, and though usually peaceful, have decided enough is enough. When one of the Elder are kidnapped, and its entourage slaughtered by the Space Marines, you, a raw recruit of the Fire clan, are sent in as part of a rescue team.

Gameplay

Fire Warrior takes the standard FPS route, with few detours. Using the left stick to move and the right to look, the right shoulder buttons to fire etc, it deviates little from the set path.

And the same can be said of the level design. Each level contains some corridors and rooms, each giving the illusion of depth with doors that can't be opened, and alleys getting blocked off as you approach. It lets you feel like you're a part of a major battle, playing a small but significant role in the conflict against your clans. Ultimately though, it works against the game, as the restrictive feeling really kills the replay value.

The gameplay itself more closely resembles the infamous Halo, in more ways than one. Fire Warrior makes no attempt to out do the current king of FPS, and they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Your Fire Warrior, aside from his recharging shields, is only able to carry two weapons at any given time, and picking up one means dropping another. You always carry your standard weapon with you, however, so the choice really only comes down to which secondary weapon you will take with you. Unlike Halo, however, there is no melee attack, which is a big disappointment.

On the top side, there are grenades, which can be picked up at any time and used with the triangle button, giving you an advantage against the waves of drones that will march against you.

The AI is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. Rather than making the enemies smart and elite, they're little more than drones who swarm you and try to overwhelm you with superior numbers. They can take a few head shots to drop, and more than a few body shots, which really lets the game down, becoming a "my gun is bigger than your gun" fire fight.

Upon encountering the infamous Space Marines, your better off ... (continued next page)