When it comes to single-player FPSs, two comparisons always spring to mind; is it more like Half-Life or Halo? Warhammer 40,000: Firewarrior looks towards the latter for inspiration.

Firewarrior does an excellent job of portraying the Warhammer 40K universe. Each of the races presented in the game stick closely to the look of each figure in the table top game. This feeling is one of the real strengths of the game. It doesn't take liberties with the subject matter and remains true to its license. The texture work is right up there with other big looks PS2 games. Of course, the grainy, gritty look of the game would probably tell you otherwise until you realize that's the look the developers were going for. Everything is very dark and washed out, providing a real feeling of war. Special effects are also great and help to sell the situations you're in. When running through trenches or through big industrial complexes, you always get the feel that something bigger is going on around you.

Instead of a bold soundtrack playing throughout the game, Firewarrior instead serenades you only with the sounds of war. Gunfire echoes all around you, as do far off explosions and ships zooming overhead. These, combined with the graphics, do a great job of setting up the world around you. The only flaw in the game, and one that is really minor, is the voice acting, which leaves a lot to be desired.

Warhammer 40,000: Firewarrior doesn't waste any time in getting players into the action. The Tau forces are pinned down and in desperate need of backup, which you will provide. After a quick rundown of your objective, which is to get to the extraction zone, you're dropped into the heart of the battle. There's no training mission or deep back story -- its just you in the middle of a gunfight trying to make it out alive. This is one of the highlights of the game and is what gives you the impression that you're about to experience something that is really cool. And, you'd be right for the most part since the game manages to keep up this same level of intensity throughout the game's twenty levels. Yet, at the same time, as the game progresses, mission structures begin to become more and more generic. From about the middle of the game until the end, the game degenerates into the simple 'blast the hell out of anything that moves while collecting multicolored keys' gameplay of the original Doom instead of the Halo-inspired game it begins as.

Although Firewarrior does feature a multiplayer aspect, it's pretty clear that it didn't receive the attention that the single-player experience received. Included are three play types: Capture the Flag, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. Each of these games plays well, but run their course rather quickly. Multiplayer aspects also suffer from a lack of maps -- which round out at a whopping four maps. Multiplayer options can also be brought into the online arena, but once again feel like an afterthought.

FPS veterans will blow through Warhammer 40,000: Firewarrior in less than a weekend. After completing the game, players can try out the Hard setting (which is only unlocked after beating the game on Normal), which feels like it should have been the Normal setting. Another option is to go back and complete missions again and try for a better ranking. Doing so is a fun challenge, but is worth it since you can unlock new features and the option for a left-hand weapon to compliment your right hand arsenal. Enemy AI isn't all that smart and instead reverts to the old standby of just being more powerful than you are.

In true FPS fashion, you'll be able to gain new weapons by looting the corpses of both your comrades and enemies. Similar to Halo, you can only carry two weapons at a time, which makes weapon selection critical. For the most part, the weapons selection is nice, but nothing out of the ordinary, ranging from the typical machine gun to a laser blaster. There are also mounted machine guns scattered around the field that can be used. In another nod to Halo, Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior features a self-generating shield display. This ensures that no matter how much fire you take, you'll have something to help protect you until you find health packs (which are plentiful). This is especially useful since enemies tend to inflict massive damage.

Firewarrior isn't the next big FPS, but it really doesn't have to be. Overall, the game provides a nice atmosphere that makes for a fun shooter. However, the lack of challenge, as well as the limited replay value and pitiful multiplayer options make this one a renter only.