Space Hulk is a turn-based tactical game set in the dark future of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. This adaptation of the classic board game puts you in charge of a squad of elite Space Marines exploring the labyrinthine interior of a ruined spaceship swarming with vicious, razor-clawed alien Genestealers.

Cleanse and burn

If you've played the board game, the basics of Space Hulk gameplay will feel familiar. You control a squad of Blood Angel Space Marines clad in bulky Terminator armour. Each marine has a different mixture of weapons and abilities, from the psychic powers of the Librarian to the area-effect damage of the marine carrying the heavy flamer. Using a budget of action points, you'll need to accomplish a series of ever more difficult missions, avoiding or destroying the Genestealers that swarm the hulk. Although the Genestealers lack your ranged firepower, they're deadly in close quarters, so controlling the corners and doorways where they might surprise you is vital to your success. The tile-based 3d view replicates the appearance of the boardgame, and the graphics are effective, although perhaps not very original. Overall, this is a faithful adaptation of the tabletop game, with all the qualities and faults that brings.

Watch out for blips

Space Hulk is a fun diversion for fans of the board game, but could stand to introduce more innovative gameplay elements.