Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Review – The Emperor’s Blessing

After 13 years (!) since the release of the first game, Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment have now produced Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, and not only does it have some mighty big shoes to fill, but the action game also needs to be able to pull in new players that have not played the first game, or even non-Warhammer fans as well.

As you can see, Saber’s in a tough situation, and it would be perfectly understandable if Space Marine 2 needed knowledge from the first game to fully enjoy it, or if it was made for die-hard Warhammer 40,000 fans, which waited over 10 years for the sequel. Thankfully, none of these ring true, as Space Marine 2 can be enjoyed without being a Warhammer fan or even knowing anything about the first game. How do I know that? Super simple, as that’s exactly me. Not only have I not played the first game, but I also am not familiar with the Warhammer board game or its surrounding universe. Even with those disadvantages, Space Marine 2 still manages to be a proper video game first and foremost, and that’s what matters the most.

Beginning Salvo

Right from the onset, Space Marine 2 starts off with a bang. Players are introduced to protagonist Titus, who is a member of Deathwatch. I won’t spoil what happens next, but the tutorial section is tied to the story and your upcoming heroic feats. While I have no doubt that anyone who has played the first game or knows a fair bit about Warhammer 40K will find joy in the references, it’s perfectly fine to go in blind (which is what I did).

You’re then introduced to your running mates, Gadriel and Charion, who will accompany you in your quest to rid the world of Tyranids. The story itself has a few twists and turns, and it’s nothing to write home about, but it’s not bad by any means, as it’ll keep you invested in the characters and what’s happening and add further motivation to squash some bugs.

Space Marine 2 is an entirely linear affair, though it does offer alternate routes to find dataslates, items and the like, but they’re usually short treks to the main path. That said, there are side missions to do, alternate vantage point missions to finish (more on this later), which further adds to the game’s overall length and meat.

Everything Goes Boom!

Space Marine 2 is an action game through and through. While it might look a bit like Gears of War, this is no cover shooter, and you’re almost always shooting your guns. There’s a whole mess of armaments to choose from, and the game is very liberal in letting you choose which ones to use in fighting off the hordes of enemies. Even on the melee front, there are a few choices that are available that spice things up a bit. Even if SM2 is a straight-up third-person shooter, the action is relentless, and it just feels fun to see a ton of enemies rushing at you and you swathing them away with your sword or blasting them with your guns. Saber Interactive uses its Swarm Engine (first used in World War Z) to good use, as the game pelts you with wave after wave of enemies, and it’s definitely a sight to behold.

• Related Reading: Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Best Settings

While I would have liked a bit more oomph when you’re hitting enemies, the shooting is solid, and helped ably by the controls. This is an important aspect than it seems, given you’re hounded by throngs of enemies or you’re fighting off some of the ginormous bosses, and wrestling with the controls would easily sour the experience.

Further adding fun to your endless shooting and stomping are the visuals and how everything melds together to give you a sense of satisfaction from offing your enemies. Slicing up a wave, stomping on them, and doing executions (of which there are multiple for each enemy that can be executed) is just damn mindless fun. However, the best part in combat for me is being able to parry an enemy or comboing your melee-heavy attack with the pistol shot to the face that grants you a shield bonus for pulling it off. Lest you think SM2 is all about shooting, there are dodge and parry mechanics that are easy to do, though it gets harder when you’re surrounded by hundreds of enemies. Pulling these off feels badass since Titus will lock to the target and counter shot, which finishes off smaller enemies and does massive damage for bigger ones.

Not Everyone Is Ready for the War Ahead…

While Saber manages to do a lot of things right with Space Marine 2, it does stumble in some areas of the game. Chief among the issues is the AI (artificial intelligence) of both your companions and even the enemies. I’ve lost count of how many times my AI teammates literally stood someplace and did nothing as I fended off the incoming wave by myself.

On the opposite side of the war, I’ve also lost count of how many times enemies stood around and did nothing while I pelted them with bullets. While this does happen, I’ve noticed restarting the encounter essentially fixes this, and I have faith that Saber Interactive can (maybe) provide updates to make this experience better. Having said that, even if it doesn’t get fixed, it doesn’t detract too much from the overall fun the game provides.

One thing that we also noticed is the lack of enemy variety. Sure, you have different kinds of Tyranids, but overall, there’s not a lot save for the rushing kind, the one that can deal more damage, the floating heads, etc. It’s not that big of an issue if I’m being honest, and the roadmap revealed by Saber Interactive also confirmed new enemy types are being added as free DLC. Near the end, you do see heretics take up arms and go up against your company, which shakes things up a bit, and this also ratchets up the difficulty, given most of the enemies will be using long-range weapons, which are complemented by their mindless mob that rushes at you. It’s tense and fun and provides a good break from the bug-squashing.

In terms of bosses, there’s a handful available in the game that provides a good break from mowing through the mindless horde. Aside from one instance in the opening chapter, playing the campaign solo in normal difficulty might prove to be a little too easy for shooter vets, so you might want to notch that up a bit (don’t worry, as you can switch it at the Battle Barge whenever you feel like it).

On the technical side, there are a few bugs, but nothing game-breaking or anything that will break you from the immersion. It looks like Saber took their time with the game, and it shows, as the game works flawlessly for the most part, and that’s even with a ton of enemies rushing at you.

Added Commendations

While the campaign is just eight hours long, it’s not the only thing on the menu. Players will be able to play Operations, which is the game’s bread-and-butter multiplayer mode where players can complete missions working together. In this mode, players will be able to rank up, unlock perks for their chosen class, and more (Read on here for which class suits you best). Note that you’ll need to finish the main campaign (which can be played solo or co-op) before Operations will be available for you. Having said that, the campaign does a good job of being the game’s overall tutorial before your Operations escapades.

Space Marine 2 also offers a PvP mode, and being honest here, it didn’t do it for us. Some might like pitting their Space Marine against others, but the shooting, movement, and such don’t really lend themselves to PvP combat (in my opinion). Having said that, I’m not docking it points, given this is, for all intents and purposes, an extra mode. Think of it as the cherry on the Tyranid-flavored sundae.

The Emperor Protects

When the first Space Marine 2 trailer dropped, it intrigued me right away. It looked like Gears of War but with a Warhammer coating that wants you to do violent things to bugs, and I’m happy to say that I got what I expected. Is it perfect? Nope, it’s not, but it does feel like Saber managed to execute their vision.

If you’re looking for an action-packed shooter that lets you turn off your brain a bit to just lay waste to enemies, then this is the game for you. There’s a full-fledged campaign, and there’s tons of sutff to do once you’re done with it, and all for just $60! It might not be AAA, but for an AA title? It does come very close to that. Space Marine 2 looks to be Saber Interactive’s most ambitious project to date, and thanks to the Emperor, the studio managed to hit it out of the park.

Saber’s first tour of service in the Ultramarines is one that’s decorated with stars, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the game and the franchise.

Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• Fun moment-to-moment gameplay
• Full game is loaded with complete with the campaign, Operations, PvP
• Superb co-op experience! Who wouldn’t want to terminate bugs with friends?!
• Gunplay feels satisfying
• Visual and cinematic moments are fantastic

Cons:

• Teammate and enemy AI sometimes bug out
• Campaign is a bit on the short side
• Enemy variety can be spiced up a bit more

Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.

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