QUICK REVIEW: Above and Beyond (Episode 2) – Aron Nemeth

The second Caligari Archivum story tying in with the upcoming release of the Inquisitor – Martyr computer game, Above and Beyond (Episode 2) sees Áron Németh continue the story of Captain Theoden Mercer as he and the crew of the Stormskipper brave the warp to reach Rengris VII. When their journey is interrupted by a troubling encounter it begins to look as though there might be more going on than Mercer and Prefectus Stolde originally thought, and that Rengris could be the centre of something that endangers the entire sector.

Episode 1 was enjoyable for its action scenes and greasy atmosphere, but there’s less of that here. Narratively there’s not much happening other than the characters getting from A to B, while the development of Mercer and co. feels a little disjointed – it’s like the characters know what the reader does, not what in-world people would be aware of, which doesn’t feel right. The whole thing doesn’t quite fit with the tone of 40k, and it’s unclear exactly what this story is trying to be. The pacing feels weird, the dialogue is a bit stilted…there’s the core of a decent story here, it just needed a bit of judicious editing.

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