It seems like a week can’t pass by without another Warhammer game coming out and causing utter mayhem and bloody carnage. But there was a time (a rather long time) when Warhammer games were some of the most clunky, and dull video games ever made. While having great lore to work from, many of these games just couldn’t cut it. But in recent memory, we’ve had plenty of great titles such as Vermintide and the recently released Shootas, Blood & Teef. So we’re on a winning streak for the moment, but will the re-release of Inquisitor Martyr Ultimate Edition disrupt that?
What is Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor Martyr Ultimate Edition 
Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor Martyr Ultimate Edition is an enhanced version of the 2018 title with all the previously released additional content. Inquisitor is an ARPG in the same vein as that of Diablo, where players will pick a warrior of a certain class and explore numerous, hostile environments, engage in real-time combat, and use a host of special abilities, with plenty of build crafting and immense amount of loot to obtain. Players can choose from one of four classes (with a fifth on the way) which include Psyker, Crusader, Assassin and Tech-Adept, all of whom have three variations to them, and a varied range of skills and abilities, allowing for maximum freedom in player style.
Martyr takes place in the Caligari sector, which is a new location in the Warhammer 40K lore created by Neocore games. This allows the developers an immense amount of freedom in creating new environments, creatures, and battles without the limitations of the many existing storylines. While this sounds a little odd, considering the lore of Warhammer 40K is so incredibly expansive, I admire the craft of the developers in adding new content to the lore.
This has led to a familiar feeling but now we have a unique set of grimy industrial-inspired places to commit mass murder and destroy the enemies of the Imperium in glorious battle!
New Hammer, Old Tricks!
The main campaign of Inquisitor takes place over 5 chapters, where you’re an Inquisitor, the elite combat unit of the Imperium of Man who eliminates any ongoing threats for the emperor. So just a typical Warhammer affair of murder, carnage, and oppression. Going from glamorous and gritty intergalactic prisons, factories and palaces, killing those who defy the Imperium order and doing so with as much bloodshed as possible. It’s a straightforward affair of guns, blades, and gore, yet many instalments of the Warhammer 40K gaming lore usually are. But this doesn’t mean that Inquisitor isn’t a rip-roaring affair nonetheless, with plenty of lovingly crafted lore and world-building to make this universe of mass murder a vastly compelling one to observe and explore.
So, expect everything from intergalactic genocide, cleansing of the filth and lots of hammy over-the-top thematics.
While the story itself might not break the mould, it is a product of an incredibly rich and detailed universe and one that’s pretty fun from start to finish. Inquisitor brings forth an expansive domain filled to the brim with various dead or decaying planets, slimy ghouls, and cultist organisations who all have rich backstories and an interesting attribution towards world-building. The locations you explore are beautifully crafted, lavishing in the gothic attire that Warhammer 40K is known for. Looking vastly like that of a ’90s metal band’s high-end music video. It's always a massive strength to the content these games are based on when the game itself can be bad (like Fire Warrior), yet still, look and feel like an immense, gothic epic that spans a varied and deep universe. Even if Inquisitor was a bad game, I would relish and admire the immense detail and design of the world around me (thankfully, Inquisitor is also pretty good for gameplay too).
And like any great Warhammer adaption, you have everything to make it ooze with gravitas, right down to the hammy, yet compelling voice acting (with actors clearly having a ball when performing). All of these thematic elements make for a splendid Warhammer venture that’s in keeping with many other high-end 40K titles. There are also some neat narrative choices you can make, especially an important choice later in the game which determines which side of the Imperium you side with. It's all very gripping stuff and adds a layer to the narrative’s depth.
While not the best-looking game in the Warhammer series (nothing compared to Vermintide or Darktide), it gets admiration for the art style and craft in its world-building.
While much of the lore here is new, the remnants of the remainder of the universe are deeply felt and affect much of the gothic visual design, and body horror/cosmic horror flare other Warhammer games are known for.
Destruction in the name of the Emperor
If you’ve played the likes of Diablo, or any other isometric ARPG, you’ll get the feel of Inquisitor quite quickly, seeing as you pick a character, explore an area, murder everything in your path and then venture forth collecting loot and gear to become more powerful, and able to take on the ultimate threats to the Imperium.
There are 4 classes to decide from, those being the Psyker, Crusader, Assassin and Tech-Adept, which each have their own subclasses, and various powers and abilities. All these classes lend to interesting dynamic gameplay, where you can fully adapt your playstyle and mould your tactics based on various perks you can acquire through the campaign. Playing single-player is fine but it does get quite lonely and playing with friends in these types of games is always a must.
Each of the classes has its own advantages depending on how you want to approach each combat encounter and exploration. The Crusader is a brutish tank type, with heavy weapons that kill things nicely. It’s a simple path to follow and the most straightforward in terms of combat. Then you have the likes of the Assassin, who is more elegant with a refined approach to ranged combat, and usually carries around weapons that allow for speed but have less amour on their person.
Then we have the likes of the Psyker and Tech-Adept who specialise in magic and technology, where various elements of the environment and special weapons can be used to deal massive aerial damage or focused super attacks. These guys were a lot of fun and act as great support for the other two classes mentioned for the most part.
They’re all a lot of fun to play as, with the Crusader being the go-to if you fancy mindless yet fun murder and mayhem. If you fancy something more exotic which encapsulates environmental damage, then go for the Psyker or Tech-Adept. But if you desire a challenge of mind and might, then the Assassin is the desired pick for the hardcore ARPG’ers (but firmly the least fun to play solo). They all have their purpose on the battlefield and while the Crusader is the most fun of the bunch, putting these guys together in a full squad is something short of spectacular when fighting the hordes.
There is a good deal of depth when picking each class and sub-class, and mixing playstyles bring forth some great action. And of course, there is a skill tree mechanic at play, which opens up a vast amount of new abilities and possibilities in how to kill your enemies. The list is varied and expansive, with plenty of devastating offensive, lifesaving defensive, and useful passive abilities which expand on the tactical carnage.
This really is a game made for friends slaying together and embodying tactical teamwork, especially against the bigger crowds and much bigger bosses of the game. While it is fun to have with friends, I never really felt that combing attacks or abilities really created any interesting dynamics, that excelled to the likes of Diablo 2/3 or even the underrated Victor Vran. It has those powerhouse moments where the efforts you unleash utter destruction and vanquish the enemies before you, but it feels very straightforward and never evolves beyond a solid, yet a little repetitive nature. I feel it's most likely due to the level/arena design, which is fine overall but leaves way too many open spaces, and empty feeling environments and aside from some minor inclusions such as destructible environments, there aren’t many things to make the combat arenas interesting.
There are small snippets of tactical thinking and combing the strengths of the group into a massive advantage, especially during key boss fights, but for the most part, it’s a run, gun, unleash a spell and move on kind of deal. It could have been something where everything works together, but the outcome is just pure insanity.
But again, this doesn’t detract from the fact that Inquisitor is good fun, as the action is intense, diverse and gripping, where players are matched against a monumental variety of enemies and bosses to sink their blades and bullets into.
A decaying and vastly dangerous universe 
The main dynamic for Inquisitor back in 2018 and in 2022 is how players can interact with the galaxy and forge their own path of destruction. You get to pick and choose planets you wish to explore and be allowed to change certain factors, altering the mission density itself for greater rewards. You create and modify new missions in the galaxy through a system akin to tarot cards, where you can decide the enemy types, objectives, and item drops, and increase the difficulty for more rewards.
It’s a really great system which I really liked back in 2018 and admired still in 2022, due to the immense flexibility it offers, but also giving me a chance to mould the galaxy as I saw fit, whether to make it more challenging and ruthless or to take a stroll and take out the abominations. And as I said in my 2018 review, the investigation missions are the main highlight here, being a series of glorified of single missions with some "tactical" choices in between, making it almost like a blood-soaked choose-your-own-adventure.
Improvements for the Imperium
Now back in 2018, Inquisitor was a game which had a lot of promise but was hugely flawed in many ways. I recall there being issues with an imbalance to combat, the grindy nature of obtaining loot, bugs and general pacing problems due to certain mission objectives which would pop up.
While there are still some pacing issues found every so often, where some mission objects just repeat themselves or feel a little tedious and long. The general balancing has improved massively, with many tweaks and refinements to make Inquisitor a smoother, harder-hitting experience than it should have been back in 2018. While still not perfect, I admire the developers for the work they put into Inquisitor, ironing out the major bugs, refining the pacing where they could and above all making the combat a lot more engaging and fun, even if most combat arenas are a little uninspired and plenty of mission objectives repeat a little too often.
Overall?Inquisitor back in 2018 was nowhere near the same calibre as the likes of Diablo 2, but this recent next-gen release with all its many improvements really does make it shine brighter. I admire the Warhammer 40K lore and what it brought to gaming in general, but there have been plenty of missteps along the path to glory. But Inquisitor is a solid reminder of how Warhammer 40K is getting better and better in the video game space, and with its tight, enjoyable action, immense lore and world-building, and neat dynamics such as the galaxy map and branching story, Inquisitor is a great, highly enriching ARPG which shouldn’t be left in the dead of Space, like so many Imperium scum!
++ engaging and brutal combat (more fun in co-op)
+ Great world-building and story dynamics
+ Excellent mission creation elements, immense skill tree system and classes
- Lacks the tactical edge in combat
- Arena and level design can be a little dull and uninspired
An Xbox Series X/S review code of Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor Martyr Ultimate Edition was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
