Necromunda: Hired Gun is a new Warhammer 40K FPS available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. There's certainly room in the industry for more Warhammer 40K games, but with such a mixed track record of releases, can Necromunda: Hired Gun transcend its peers?
Critics have had some time with the game, exploring the vast, industrial underhive of Necromunda's setting. So far, the reception has been leaning towards the negative end. Some have found the title's bare-bones to be functional, and on occasion, even entertaining; others have felt the best thing about the game was the design and sprawl of the setting. But either way, clunky features and forgettable narrative weigh Necromunda: Hired Gun down.
Liam Croft, Push Square: "With shooters very few and far between this early on in the PlayStation 5 generation, the developer had the opportunity to leave its mark with a fast-paced FPS that picks up right where id Software left off last year. It even had the Warhammer 40,000 license to go alongside it, despite the universe being a turn-off for some. However, Necromunda: Hired Gun categorically fails to capitalise on quite literally anything it had going for it. On its own, it's a bang average shooter. When the cracks start to show, the game is one of the worst-performing and buggiest experiences we've had for some time."
Andrew Farrell, PC Invasion: "Takedowns are brokenly overpowered, true, but the animations are awful. The camera moves strangely during these sequences, and there’s so much clipping and goofy movement that I hated looking at them. You often don’t have to shoot if you don’t want to. Just spamming takedown can get you through most things. Then there’s the loot itself. The way you acquire it at the end of each mission is just weird, as it isn’t immediately clear how anything works. The way the game imposes what weapons you can and can’t bring is similarly strange. The super-weak handgun you start with is always in your inventory, even though you’ll never use it. You can bring two main guns and two sidearms, but one type of shotgun is counted as a sidearm, but only one. Regardless of some of these issues with UI and clarity, Necromunda: Hired Gun had the shooting action I was looking for. "
Travis Northup, IGN: "NPCs are equally shallow with precisely zero memorable characters or reasons to pay much attention to what’s happening with the story. The plot borders on being actually nonsensical in parts and cutscenes are filled with truly unremarkable dialogue and awkward explanations with little payoff. Most involve characters monologuing at you or having two characters exchange words while you...kinda just watch. Your character matters so little in all that’s happening, in fact, that enemies will shout “kill him” even if you’re playing as a woman. It’s disappointing because this all takes place in Warhammer’s bonkers sci-fi world where humanity has grown unchecked into something monstrous and unrecognizable. Instead of using the appealing setting to its advantage, Necromunda largely uses it as decoration for mindless action and gore."
Sherif Saed, VG247: "Necromunda often oscillates between a brilliant indie gem and a frustrating mid-tier game. Some moments, it’s the best Warhammer 40,000 action game – as you mow down enemies and watch their skulls explode to its rocking tunes, and look stylish doing it as you chain grappling hook shots and double-jumps. Other times, you miss a major story beat because an important character’s audio mix was too low, or feel like you’re pixel-hunting for enemies like it’s Warzone.
Rick Lane, PC Gamer: "It's fairly obvious that Hired Gun has been released too soon, not least because the version number on the menu screen currently reads 'Ver 0.58333.' It's riddled with bugs, from annoying glitches like texture flickering to hard screen locks and ctds, while the general balancing of the game simply feels off. It's a real shame. Despite everything wrong with it, I find the core premise appealing. The art and level design are fantastic, the weapons have promise if paired with interesting enemies, and the grappling-hook movement could be incredible with more time dedicated to it."