Luke McCarthy
United States
Randolph
New Jersey
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Recently, I've felt compelled to write a review for this unspeakably well-made game. Certainly, I feel unworthy to do so, as it's the first review I've written formally. But even so, this literal hulk of a game beckons. And while doing justice to such a mammoth of a game would be a large undertaking, I'll settle for doing the best I can while retaining the attention of those less inclined to sit in one spot for more than a few minutes on end. Unfortunately, I should give fair warning that I digress like it's my job, so prepare yourself.
So what is the first thing you should know about Space Hulk? In my humble opinion, it's the quality of the pieces. I have never, and probably never will, see game pieces that rival, let alone surpass, the quality and fine detail all wrapped up in this box. Earth reborn? Please. these pieces are so good that, though I have dabbled with painting in the warhanmer 40k universe before, there's no chance of that happening here. What I mean by that is I'm not worthy to set a brush to these miniatures. I'm going to go and gladly pay a couple bucks per man to have these painted semi-professionally. A little expensive? Oh yes. Worth it? So much so. But I'll say this also: although they beg to be painted, I have yet to and am in no rush (for example I first need to get my hands on a copy of eclipse). This is because they look awesome even without paint, so don't feel like you have to spend money to paint them if you purchase the game.
Something else that really struck me is how easy this game is to grasp. Sure, there are points that require degrees of finesse, but having taught this game to multiple people now, they get it pretty early on. And the tyranids are even easier to play than the space marines, but you can gain advantages by playing mind games with the space marine player. Even better, this game still has a great deal of replayability despite being able to "figure out" a good strategy relatively quickly due to a large number of scenarios. In addition, there isn't always a clear-cut "best strategy". Usually, as the marine player, it's all about making the best of a less-than-ideal situation. This is offset by the fact that though the tyranids are in huge numbers at almost all times, the marines can effectively neutralize them (usually).
Overall, the game feels well-balanced, with the exception of a few scenarios that intentionally are tilted in one direction or the other. But just flip-flop sides as you go through each scenario, and it evens out. Plus, the scenarios are often short enough that this works out well within the span of only a few hours.
What I cannot emphasize enough about this game is that it is rare. Not just in actual quantities of people willing to sell it, but also in the sense that they just don't make games like this anymore. It will last through a nuclear war (presuming you get the sweet battle foam case of course). But really, the number of trees killed for my enjoyment is both awesome and probably horrifying to the amazon rain forest, which reportedly let out an audible sign of relief when games workshop announced that this would be a limited release game.
Now, I can admit (as I already sort of have) that I'm a warhammer 40k enthusiast, specifically for tyranids. So I certainly have a soft spot in my heart for this game. But I'm also pretty demanding when it comes to games that I really enjoy, and this hits the spot for me in every way. Great strategy, expands up to four players quite well for many scenarios, and is absolutely dripping with perfectly-done theme. It really is almost like a game of chess in that if you can out-think your opponent, you will get the upper hand. But like a true war game, the upper hand isn't everything. Which is nicely offset by the fact that sometimes you get lucky on the opposite end of things. But at the end of the day, this is hardly a game of luck. Sure, some bad rolls can change the tide of a game, and some people may not like that. But overall, I feel like bad players tend to blame the dice. Sometimes the best-laid plans go awry, and sometimes a plan that has no business working, does. That's just the truth of life, love, and war. Without it, this game would not be a good war simulation game. And it definitely is, albeit on a relatively small scale.
If you can get your hands on a copy of this game, DO IT!!! This is a game that will only go up in price over time, though you can usually find some guy in a vacuum who hates the game, needs cash, or is just an honest person that'll let you have the game for close to retail (for example, I got my set right before Christmas for $100 including shipping, and it included a battle foam set, as well as extra genestealers! Now admittedly, that was a steal, but I had another suitor looking to sell for that price without all the nice extras. All that to say, it's not impossible to find a reasonable deal. So don't let eBay prices scare you away from this excellent title.
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Ian Finn
United States
Encinitas
California
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Gush much?
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Duke Drizzt
United States
Washington
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Nice dude, this was the game that got me into "specialist" games, so to speak, way back when.....so needless to say when they came out w/ the anniversary edition I was more than elated. The $100 bones is more than worth what u get. Apart from the quality of the components(and the board pieces are sooo much better) the thing I love about this game is the puzzle piece design. It gives unlimited replay value. The missions that come with it are good but being able to create your own is worth it's weight in gold and there are a ton of user created scenarios on here to wet your whistle. The only game I've rated a perfect 10!
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Roderic Sisk
United States
Washington
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I reacted like you at first, then played a few times, found out you really can't go home again, and shelved it for being, honestly, sort of boring, especially for the Genestealer player who acts mostly as a GM for the Astartes. That's somewhat ameliorated if you take turns of course (as is suggested in the book since the designers certainly recognize the above), but that's only if you actually want to run through the rote twice in a row.
Obviously I live in a vacuum and hate having fun.
I have a pristine copy if anyone's interested.
EDIT: How's that for sales technique? "This game is boring and I could only stomach playing it three times. You should buy it!"
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StevenE Smooth Sailing...
United States
Irvine
California
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navajas wrote:
I have a pristine copy if anyone's interested.
How honest are you? LOL
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Duke Drizzt
United States
Washington
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StevenE wrote: navajas wrote:
I have a pristine copy if anyone's interested.
How honest are you? LOL
Ya, right? I'm having a tough time deciphering his post though I too inquired about the price.
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Roderic Sisk
United States
Washington
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I'm not sure what you mean by honest. As in, do I really want to sell / trade it? Very much. Honest as in, do I honor my word? Always. Honest as in, about my age or weight? Eh....
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StevenE Smooth Sailing...
United States
Irvine
California
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Honest as in...
Luke1705 wrote:
If you can get your hands on a copy of this game, DO IT!!! This is a game that will only go up in price over time, though you can usually find some guy in a vacuum who hates the game, needs cash, or is just an honest person that'll let you have the game for close to retail....
My emphasis added.
As if supply and demand mechanics make people or businesses dishonest.
[For full disclosure I do have an extra copy of SH which I may sell or gift to a relative/friend]
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Luke Stirling
Australia
Southbank
Victoria
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StevenE wrote: As if supply and demand mechanics make people or businesses dishonest.
That really depends how much you agree with the way things currently work. But that's more a discussion for RSP rather than a review thread.
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Roderic Sisk
United States
Washington
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StevenE wrote: Honest as in... Luke1705 wrote:
If you can get your hands on a copy of this game, DO IT!!! This is a game that will only go up in price over time, though you can usually find some guy in a vacuum who hates the game, needs cash, or is just an honest person that'll let you have the game for close to retail....
My emphasis added. As if supply and demand mechanics make people or businesses dishonest. [For full disclosure I do have an extra copy of SH which I may sell or gift to a relative/friend]
Duh. Missed it. Ha!
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Luke McCarthy
United States
Randolph
New Jersey
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I've actually never played as the Astartes yet; only Genestealers. And yet, I find myself loving it. Might that "new toy effect" wear off at some point in time? Undoubtedly it will. But as has been pointed out, the unlimited amount of scenarios and tweaking that can be done to change the game means that it will always be different if you want it to. And although the 'Stealers are certainly easy to play, I love the psychological aspect of blips. Is it 1? Is it 3? Am I throwing out a real force or a red herring to screw with the Space Marine player? It's super fun for me because it's all about pressuring the Astartes into making the wrong decision, and then hoping the dice help you out a little.
And furthermore, I can't do D&D, Descent, or probably even Thunderstone. It's either too long or too geeky. So this "GM-esque" theme is ok, because I get none of it elsewhere. Yeah, that is coming quite close to the pot calling the kettle black I know. But I really enjoy this theme, this universe, and everything about this game. Gushy? Absolutely. But I'll bleed for this game. Heck, strap me into a virtual simulator with a helmet and some virtual reality gloves and I'll pay $1 to play that thing all day long.
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Irish Man
United States
Charlotte
North Carolina
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I just posted a copy for sale at a reasonable price in the marketplace, including painted terminators and 5 extra termies. Ill put it on ebay in March if it dosent sell here. Id rather have a fellow geeker get it, cause this place ROCKS.
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