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0 Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a follow-up to the first Space Marine game that was released back in 2011. Developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment. With a 3rd person aspect and combining a hack-n-slash with a shoot-em-up, Space Marine 2 is by far the most brutal game I have played in a long time!
Releasing on PC, PS5 and Xbox X|S it utilises the amazing Swarm Engine, first seen in the immensely popular World War Z. Space Marine 2 will be fully crossplay from day 1!
Space Marine 2 – Making Destiny Look Like a Disney Film
Warhammer 40,000, in some shape or form, will have waltzed into your gaming life at some point. For me it was during the early 90s, my school had a Warhammer after-school club. Carefully painted lead figurines were deployed onto a makeshift battlefield and inch by inch moved about. The lore, intricacy, and rules were in a league of their own. I didn’t have the patience to paint the fine details. I just took over a squad of Space Marines, usually the Blood Angels Death Company.
With the vast array of computer games that were constantly being published, the slow-paced table-top gameplay fell away for me. Instead favouring spending my time gaming in front of a screen with my family and friends. Thankfully there was always a Warhammer 40,000 game somewhere to get stuck into!
I will stress now. Do not worry if you either can’t remember any of the lore or have never played a Warhammer 40,000 game. It will not detract in any way from the gameplay or story to be had in Space Marine 2!
Gameplay
Space Marine 2 is set 200 years after the events of the first Space Marine game that ends with Lieutenant Titus being wrongfully arrested by the Inquisition. Having now been cleared, your reinstatement is the starting point for this new chapter.
Playing as Ultramarine Demertian Titus, you embark on an action-packed series of missions along with two battle brothers named Chairon & Gadriel. The campaign can be played either solo or online co-op with up to 3 players.
Defending humanity against the Imperium, the opening mission is a fantastic way to teach you the basic controls of the game. While things may start relatively easy, the number of Tyranids soon increases in number and before you know it you are getting swamped. I will not go into any of the storyline or big spoilers however the opening mission took me around an hour to get through and it was brilliant.
Environment
The initial setting on planet Kadaku is a marvel to look at. Swamps, forests, cliffs, space debris as well as strange bugs and plants litter wherever you look. That’s before you look up at the sky and take in the views of distant mountains and other objects whizzing past. None of it looks repetitive and simply immerses you right into the gameplay.
Deadly Blows
The combat focuses mainly on slashing your foe with a melee weapon; a chain sword does the job very well. Timing your hits can be crucial at times and in a similar mechanic to Hogwarts Legacy, the attacker gives you a short warning as to whether you need to dodge out of the way or prepare to block an attack. Successful blocks and parries are rewarded by knocking back the enemy and performing quick finishing moves.
From grabbing a Tyranid launching for you out of the air and crushing it under your boot, to the chance of unleashing a devasting gunshot to the head, there are hardly in quiet moments to be had. The screen is constantly littered with dead carcasses and a lot of blood. Space Marine 2 is certainly not for the squeamish!
While you have a melee weapon, you can also carry 2 guns to complement your attack. You will discover various guns to suit your style as you get to checkpoints within the missions. Or simply discover them lying on the ground. I found a Bolt pistol was great for close combat and an Auto Bolter with a grenade launcher attachment more fun for ranged attacks.
Release Your Rage
Lethals such as grenades are found alongside ammo crates and serve to keep you replenished. If you are really lucky you may even find a stim pack to restore health. It is worth noting that your John Wick-style kill sprees and finishing moves, especially executions, are rewarded with a health boost. Helping you top up without the need for a stim. Your 3 bars of armour also restore, if you can stay out of danger long enough!
Finally, for combat, there is also a special that slowly builds up over time and allows you to deploy into the field when needed. Titus has Righteous Fury that when activated sends him into a frenzy of increased damage output and health regeneration. While it only lasts a few seconds, used correctly it can really help you out of trouble! To complement the squad, Chairon has Auspex Scan that helps you see which enemies are vulnerable for a fast dispatch while Gadriel has a battlecry to knock back and damage the enemy.
Multiplayer Modes
While the campaign has you following the story of Titus, there is a lot more that Space Marine 2 brings to the table via the centre of operations known as the Battle Barge.
Here you can choose If you wish to not only play the campaign but also select either a PVE “Operations” mission or take part in PVP matches via “Eternal War”.
Customisation
Rather than interact with the console beside you immediately. It is worth taking yourself off within the Adeptus Astartes warship to the Armouring Hall. Here you can customise your very own character to be used when taking part in modes other than the main campaign. There is a lot to unlock!
From initially selecting your class, consisting of; Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper or Heavy, you can then delve into the various armour sets, change the colours of your armour and select emblems within the Heraldry Editor, and begin delving into the chapters and associated lore. Further cosmetics can be unlocked using the in-game currency, allowing you to eventually wear your favourite chapter’s armour.
There are 4 weapon loadouts that you can configure so that you start with your favourite primary, secondary, melee and lethal weapons. Your perks can also be unlocked and chosen from a skill tree. There are 25 in total and their benefits range across core, team, gear, and signature moves.
PVE
Back to the PVE. The Operations allow up to 3 players to undertake auxiliary missions of combat squads Talasa and Veridian. There are 4 levels of threat to test your combat prowess. Once your team has assembled and you have boarded the ThunderHawk Gunship and selected your class, the mission starts. You then play through the mission short story as a team and gain XP for your character as well as your weapons to aid in leveling up, armor parts, data for unlocking perks, etc., and in-game currency to unlock more items.
When playing with others you will be thankful to know that there is an in-game voice chat facility to aid the co-ordination of attacks. It is also handy for when you need reviving!
At the time of writing, the PVP part of Space Marine 2 was not yet available to be played. Here you will pit yourself in epic 6V6 battles, first experienced in the previous Space Marine game. There are 3 modes to choose from; Annihilation, Seize Ground and Capture & Control.
I know from the forums that there was a concern that when playing as the Adeptus Astartes or Heretic Astartes there you could not bring to the field your own armour and weapon cosmetics that you have earned in Operations. Thankfully the devs have confirmed that this is not the case. Your customisations will be available in Eternal War matches. I do look forward to having a go at these!
DLC
While there will be a season pass, you may, or may not be pleased to know that this will only be for cosmetic items. Let’s just hope that your favourite chapter looks are not locked behind the pass! Any future gameplay additions such as new missions, enemies or weapons will be given for free to all players. There will also not be any microtransactions.
Graphics & Audio
Space Marine 2 looks as great as it plays. It is one of the most graphically and audibly immersive games that I have ever had the fortune to sit down in front of. I have always been a big fan of Destiny due to its wide expansive vistas and attention to detail. While I appreciate that the games are a lot older than Space Marine 2, there is just so much more going on. The god rays beaming through tree canopies and the hordes of enemies stampeding their way towards you are just visually, WOW!
“When World War Z came around with its incredible Swarm Engine, as Warhammer 40,000 fans ourselves, we immediately thought of the Tyranid hordes, and everything began to click. Supported by Focus Entertainment, which had already worked on Warhammer titles at the time, we had all the ingredients to create a worthy successor to the legendary Space Marine.”
Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at Saber Interactive
Everything that you look at is simply stunning. The characters, the armour, the gory finishing moves, detonating bombs, smashing down barricades and running for your life. It is one smooth and seamless affair.
Immersion
The soundscape is nothing short of a Hollywood blockbuster movie. We are talking LOTR battle of Helm’s Deep epic. Full orchestral scores light up the world and gameplay. The powerful music adds further drama and urgency to an already tense battle. Military drums echo as the adventure begins and the waves of hordes appear accompanied by their battle cries and gunfire.
In contrast, calmer music plays when on the Battle Barge. For some reason though, if I shut my eyes I do feel as if I am about to answer a really hard question on the gameshow “Who wants to be a millionaire?”. I think it’s the haunting male vocal choir that are resonating an “ahhhhhhhhhhh” in the background to the slow marching drums and horn fanfare.
Much of what you do in Space Marine 2 has a fully voiced narrative to it. There is a lovely running commentary during the campaign. This not only helps you character build who Titus is and understand his demeanour, but also aids with what you are supposed to be doing. As let’s face it, there is usually a lot of blood running down the screen to be able to read anything.
Longevity
The main campaign for Space Marine 2 is around 12 hours long to complete. That is, of course, if you do not get stuck at certain points due to the sheer amount of things that need euthanizing. The harder levels of game difficulty allow you to test your and any online friend’s abilities further. If you do not wish to play the campaign then there are the PVE and PVP modes. Both of which will add a lot more longevity to the game.
Final Thoughts
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a fantastic game. Not only play but to show off what is achievable on consoles and PCs in 2024. Highly polished, great game mechanics, awesome graphics and sound, crossplay throughout, PVE, PVP, and campaign capabilities as well as a serious amount of cosmetics and lore to get involved with. What is there not to love?
I feel that this game will win some serious gaming trophies going forward.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 achieves the ultra heights of the prestigious Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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