Compared to the other two prominent 40k strategy games Gladius and Sanctus Reach, Battlesector is less complex and more narrow in its scope. Rather than comparing it to those two games one should compare it to Mechanicus. Instead of aspiring to include every unit in the table-top game and the war game's intricacies in a digitalised form it instead focuses on delivering an atmospheric experience of a superhuman struggle against overwhelming odds. The aspiration of simplifying the table-top experience is never quite realised, as the different mechanics are not explained in thoroughness and are not natural enough to be picked up through gameplay. Likewise the aim of developing an enveloping 40k experience never completely gets there either as the game is a slow bloomer. By the time you get to fight epic battles against deadly foes in interesting environments you feel like your troops have slogged their way through a few too many deserts. And I'm not sure all of the blame lies with the developers, as there is only so much you can do with a game completely based on a desert moon of Baal Secundus, just as the environments of Mechanicus get somewhat dull towards the end. The voice acting, the music and the lack of proper cutscenes (as gorgeous as the art is) however, scream lack of funding. They are by no means terrible, but they pale in comparison to the revered Mechanicus. In short, buy this game if any of the below apply: a) You enjoy 40k and don't mind GW's primaris shilling. b) The game is on sale. Battlesector has a lot of room to grow and as far as fast and cheap 40k fixes go there's not many that are better.
