Warhammer, in all of its many incarnations, is a universe filled with larger-than-life characters, concepts so outlandish it beggars belief, and lore so ludicrous very few games have ever tried to fully embrace it. I mean, this universe had Space-Jesus coming back from the dead to fight Space-Judas’ son after he blew up a gate that is actually a cluster of planets stationed in front of a tear in space-time caused by Space-Elves who had too much sex.
The lore has been built up, altered, and retconned over the decades, and it really is impossible to get something to truly encapsulate all the madness that takes place in Games Workshop's many universes. That being said, there are a handful of games that manage to dabble in the lore just enough to sell it convincingly.
5 Space Hulk: Deathwing
Space Hulk: Deathwing is not a hugely original game. We’d go as far as saying it isn’t really that great of a game to play either. Loosely based on horde shooters like Left 4 Dead, or the more recent Back 4 Blood, Deathwing does an alright job bringing the formula to the 41st Millenium. You are in control of a Deathwing Terminator - a 9ft tall superhuman in Tactical Dreadnought Armor - armor so big, and so bulky, they are quite literally walking tanks. Speed is not your friend, but big stonking guns and weapons wreathed in wicked lightning most certainly are.
Where the lore comes into play, is in the environments. It’s hard to imagine the scale of Warhammer 40K, but Deathwing does a pretty good job. Space ships aren’t just a means to fly around, well, space. No, they are titanic planet-sized cathedrals that travel through the bowels of hell as a means of taking a shortcut. Deathwing nails the scale, the iconography, and the breathtaking awe that defines the Imperium of Man. The only misstep for the lore is that the weaponry doesn’t have the kick mass-reactive rounds the size of a man's chest it should have.
4 Battlefleet Gothic: Armada & Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2
Battlefleet Gothic may not have Warhammer in its title, but rest assured, this is most certainly a Warhammer game within the Warhammer universe. Instead of taking on the role of a single character, however, you control entire fleets of starships in a bid to cleanse the galaxy of whatever xenophobia-fuelled stain got in your way. When it comes to space battles, Battlefleet Gothic and its wonderful sequel are some of the best.
They also capture the lore perfectly, with hilariously over-the-top designs. Of course, you have flying cathedrals, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. How About a ship with a big sword strapped to the front of it piloted by a species whose technology only works because enough of them believe it works? Or hyper-sleek ships made from living bones crafted by space elves? It’s all here, and it’s all on point.
3 Blood Bowl & Blood Bowl 2
Yet another game lacking the Warhammer title, but well and truly a part of the universe, Blood Bowl is a spinoff game that has remained popular since its tabletop inception way back in 1986. Based on the now-defunct Warhammer Fantasy Battles lore, Blood Bowl takes place in an alternate timeline where the endless war that makes up all of Games Workshop's games…well, ended. Instead of waging eternal war, they made a game that everyone could play. That game is Blood Bowl.
A mixture of American Football and murder, the world of Blood Bowl is violent, bloody, death-filled, and comically brilliant. The video game adaptations are almost perfect recreations of the classic game. This means what little lore there is in Blood Bowl, is infused into the core of this blood-fuelled sport. You have amazons going toe-to-toe with werewolves, vampires stopping to feed on their enemies (and teammates), goblins on pogo sticks, and angry small people riding on steamrollers. It’s over-the-top, but it’s accurate to the source material. It’s even got running commentary by Jim Johnson and Bob Bifford - possibly the least known commentators in sporting history.
2 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
When the Imperium of Man is beset on all sides by filthy Xenos and foul daemons and assailed from within by vile heretics, you can’t rely on mere men and women to hold the line. There are untold billions that make up the anvil that is the Astra Militarum - but the true heroes are the Adeptus Astartes; the Angels of Death; the Space Marines. Space Marine is probably the most accurate depiction of these iconic warriors to ever be plastered onto our screens.
Nothing quite sums up the sheer badassery of an Astartes like a standard soldier complaining about the impossibility of breaking through Ork lines after months of failed attempts only for three dudes in armor to casually proclaim “we are here now”. Where thousands have failed, three Astartes will succeed. It’s classic lore that is bolstered by a visceral combat system utilizing the devastating tools the Space Marines brandish. Pistols with enough force to effortlessly pop heads; a chainsaw melded with a sword for optimum rending; jetpacks that land with enough force to pulp an enemy into a fine red mist - it’s glorious.
1 Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus
Most games based on Warhammer tend to aim towards the 41st Millenium. This makes sense since it is by far the most popular of Games Workshop's creations. This also means that Space Marines tend to take center stage - but not in Mechanicus. Starring the eponymous Adeptus Mechanicus and the impossibly ancient Necrons, this game goes out of its way to reinvent the standard Warhammer wheel - so to speak. It also has a staggeringly good soundtrack. A lot of songs have a bass drop - Mechanicus is more about laying down a spicy church organ drop.
Set on a Tomb World - one of many planets that house the hibernating Necrons, the environments you will navigate in Mechanicus are large, alien, yet technologically advanced. The Necrons themselves are lovingly recreated, harnessing the power of miniaturized suns, weapons that phase through reality, and guns that strip enemies down at a molecular level - not to mention their eccentric personalities and arrogant demeanor. The forces of the Mechanicus are steeped in lore, with the leaders of the faction reciting ancient texts, arguing over the complexity of their charge, and bringing forward the notion that technology in the 41st Millenium is a terrifying concept, but flesh is weak and being a machine is preferable.