Space Hulk: Ascension Dark Angels DLC

After the sad news that Full Control is winding down its productions we have what could well be the last piece of downloadable content for the time-absorbing Space Hulk: Ascension. We always assumed some kind of rights issue stopped the Dark Angels from being included to begin with but whatever the truth they are here now in a campaign that will test player’s skills to the maximum with an additional twenty campaign missions and some sadistic flash ones.

Each new expansion has added some kind of new gear and this one is the same. In terms of equipment you can now play around with the heavey plasma cannon which causes splash damage from huge balls of exploding plasma. Players also have a new class to use in the Apothecary.  A support character, the Apothecary provides stat boosting bonuses to terminators within close proximity. However, he takes the place of either the Librarian or Sergeant so careful consideration of how you play is required.

This campaign is pretty full on from the start. The very first mission gives you command of two full squads and the remit of exterminating around sixty Genestealers. The aliens come fast and furious and it seems as though more of them can be present on the map at once now. It was a common occurrence for all our Terminators to be blasting away to the point of overheat during a single turn so be prepared for intense, inch by inch fighting.

The stuttering from the Salamanders DLC seems to not be present here and the expansion runs very smoothly in terms of graphics and speed. We did however hit a few bugs where Terminators couldn’t walk through certain areas which required a restart to clear. We had this problem once before with the flamer in the Imperial Fist DLC and it’s something that needs addressing because being stuck in a corner for no reason and having to plan a new route is near impossible under this amount of enemy pressure.

Overall, fans of the game should find more than enough to justify this as a purchase. It adds fun new things to play around with and offers a serious challenge. We still have gripes such as the vents being too hard to distinguish and the white Deathwing armour making the command wheels hard to see but there’s nothing game breaking here. It’s another solid expansion that fans should love.

Space Hulk Ascension: Salamanders DLC

Following on from the Imperial Fist DLC comes a yet larger chunk of new content. If the last twenty hour add on campaign wasn’t enough then this massive new one should keep even the most hardcore Space Hulk fans happy for months to come.

This time it is the Salamander chapter that is thrust into the lime light with their own set of strengths and weaknesses. The new marines like fire and as such can take two heavy weapon marines into battle with them. They also have improved immunity against flame.

The Salamander campaign is based around using the heavy flamers to block strategic areas and cleanse the inside of the hulks. The Salamander hulk has been given a volcanic makeover as well with lots of glowing magma and embers filling the inside and it makes it look like a sort of metallic hell. The campaign is not for the faint of heart and is probably the most difficult yet.

Having two flamers in play certainly changes up your options but as they only have six shots each you find yourself trying to pull off the same defences manoeuvres with three marines that you would normally be doing with four.  This makes it incredibly strategic and any small error can spell disaster. There also seem to be many more Genestealers in play right from the off.

Indeed, the new levels are more like intricate puzzles that need to be solved. This is further emphasized with levels that become flooded with lava or contain rotating bridges and walls of flame. It's a new direction for the game and one that offers something different.

We did find this DLC really chugged away as well. No matter what we did it really slowed down quite considerably at times and there was noticeably missing frames and stuttering as the turns unfolded. This is the first time we have encountered this with the game and going back to the previous campaigns revealed none of the same problems. If this is down to the new flame and magma graphic effects is hard to tell but it needs looking at.

Assuming the stability is sorted out then this campaign is another worthy addition to Space Hulk. It certainly has a unique feel and look to it and the huge running time will certainly keep you busy. The new way of playing requires even more careful thought. If you are up for a challenge and can forgive a few technical issues then this represents another solid expansion.