We previewed Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 just over a month ago, so I apologise if we retread a few things here. But it needs to be said; I’ve rapidly been descending into various rabbit holes of Warhammer 40,000 lore over the past few months, and I just can’t stop. So Space Marine 2 really couldn’t have dropped at a better time for me.
I played the first when it was released over a decade ago now, but it only really appalled me as an action-based power trip more than a memorable story set in this universe. Space Marine 2 is an improvement in almost every way, but it’s the incredible combat mechanics that make this one of the most visceral and satisfying experiences I’ve had this year from a gameplay perspective.
The story itself leans into a fair bit of Warhammer 40,000 lore but still makes for an engaging ride, while the additional Operations and Eternal War multiplayer modes add a layer of depth and variety that will keep me around for months to come.
While Space Marine 2 doesn’t break the mould in terms of its gameplay, it’s simply doing it so well and so consistently, that it’s really hard to complain.
No Place for a Captain
I’ll try my best not to spoil the first Space Marine game, but in talking about the plot, certain points are unavoidable. You have been warned. Players once again take control of Titus, a former Space Marine who was framed for corruption and committing acts of treason. He is now serving on the Deathwatch, a group of veteran Space Marines essentially tasked with being the first line of defence against the most formidable enemies.
After Titus suffers a fatal injury, he is turned into a Primaris Marine, or Ultra Marine, and reinstated as a Lieutenant to take on a returning alien threat known as the Tyranids. As Primaris Marines are essentially standard Space Marines on steroids, Tituis is now bigger, stronger and quicker than he was before. Paired with a new squad, he must lead his men to take on this alien threat, while acknowledging his dark past, which this new trajectory and narrative inevitably involves him in again.
Squad mates Gadirel and Chairon are sceptical of Titus at first, questioning how such an important figure is only serving as a Lieutenant, and soon open their cans of worms as Titus does his best to explain things away. It’s not the deepest story in terms of character development, but the stakes are constantly high and I enjoyed some of the later twists and turns that kick things up into another gear during the second half of the story.
The 12-15 hour ride is generally well-paced and well-acted, with Titus now being voiced by Clive Standen. The lore certainly embeds itself in the story at every turn, but not in such a way that will scare more casual fans off. Certain character and location inclusions will most likely get a cheer from Warhammer 40,000 fans, but others will get the chance to learn who they are and their overall importance within the broader world at some stage in the story anyway.
Overall, the story serves as a riveting action-packed ride that rarely lets up, paired together with some cool twists and decent voice acting across the board. It’s definitely where I would jump in first, as a welcome option for hardcore and casual fans alike.
Bolters at the Ready
Space Marine 2 hinges on its action, and it’s all the better for it. Mixing up a range of melee and ranged weapons rarely feels stale or repetitive, as you wipe out waves of Tyranids with Bolter Rifles, Chainswords and a range of grenades and special abilities. Combat is fast and chaotic, which is nice even for a huge Space Marine, and it never really lets up.
Developer Saber Interactive also made the underrated World War Z game and has implemented that horde technology here, almost to perfection. Tyranids crawl over each other to scale walls and charge towards you with reckless abandon, attacking from all angles.
The gameplay is simply sublime. Gunplay is punchy and super satisfying, while the melee combat constantly encourages you to dive into the thick of things. Confining the melee combat to a single-shoulder button in which you tap for quick attacks and hold for heavy attacks also feels intuitive, but the overall feel of your blows can get a little lost in the chaos of the crowds at certain times.
You’ll be able to wield several types of Bolters (a Space Marine’s rifle, also known as the Boltgun) and melee weapons, but I feel as though most can be used in the same way to get the job done. The main story also decides your special abilities for you, but you’ll mainly switch between the Fury ability which sends you into a fit of rage, enhancing your attacks, or the Jump Pack ability for when you need to reach higher levels. While you can equip these abilities in both the Operations and Eternal War modes, the story does a decent job at showing them off at certain points.
Titus can even dodge heavier unavoidable attacks, and counter other attacks, each of which is marked with their colours. Dodging feels good, but the counters can get a little lost in translation, as you’re hacking or shooting waves of enemies for certain ones to pop out of nowhere. The colours stand out, but as you’re mashing multiple buttons, it’s tricky to hit them consistently.
There are also various types of Tyranid enemies, from grunts to snipers and heavier armoured enemies which take a little more effort to kill. You’ll also face a few bosses along the way, although the encounters also feature many of these aforementioned enemies. You do face another enemy in the latter half of the game, but in good conscience, I can’t mention it here, as it hasn’t been revealed via trailer or general official chatter.
It feels very Gears of War without the cover mechanics, but thanks to the addition of melee combat and special abilities, I can still commend Space Marine 2 for doing its own thing without ever feeling stale or repetitive.
The War Rages
The game also features a dedicated Operations mode and in conjunction with the main story mode, can also be played cooperatively with two other players. It’s essentially a collection of six individual hour-long missions, that each have their own unique maps and objectives. Similar to something like Helldivers 2, players can jump in as they like with their own custom Space Marines, and choose from one of six classes, each with their own weapons and special abilities.
These missions can be played offline, but are so much fun when played with friends. The difficulty level can also be adjusted depending on your Space Marine level and general experience, although difficulty settings do come with level cap recommendations.
These missions also tie into the story as Titus mentions another squad helping you out during the main story missions. The story points out when these become available, should you want to jump in straight away, but you can go back and play these whenever you like and in any order, once unlocked. I recommend finishing the story first so that you have the full selection available.
These missions are certainly fun, and while they lack any memorable story elements, still pose a fair amount of challenge and variety. A content roadmap has also outlined that we’ll be receiving free updates which will include additional Operations missions.
On the other hand, the Eternal War mode serves as the PVP mode which allows teams of 6 to duke it out across three modes. The Annihilation mode is your basic Team Deathmatch, while the Seize Ground and Capture & Control modes feel like Domination and Hardpoint modes respectively from the Call of Duty series, where you capture and hold certain parts of the map.
Combat here also feels great and the time to kill keeps the fast-paced action consistent and fun. While I wish this mode was a little deeper in terms of actual PVP modes, I can respect its inclusion for managing Space Marine combat as well as the swarm-based combat in the main story.
In either of these modes, you’ll also be able to customize your six classes, comprised of Tactical, Assault, Bulwark, Sniper, Vanguard and Heavy. Each class uses its weapons and has its abilities, and these, in addition to your armour style and colours, can all be unlocked and switched out as you level up. It’s relatively par for the course at this stage, but does it to the game’s depth, variety and longevity.
Look the Part
Space Marine 2 makes every effort to look as good as it can at all times. Character models, environments and hordes of enemies all look fantastic, thanks to finer details and fantastic lighting effects. Each of the game’s three main planets also looks incredibly distinct with unique colour palettes and structures and no two levels ever look the same.
Performance is also decent, considering how much is going on here, and apart from the game’s actual multiplayer servers, rarely had an issue other than dipping frame rates. A Quality Mode delivers a 4K resolution at 30FPS, while a Performance Mode will offer up to 60FPS at a 1080p resolution, and force triggers on the DualSense controller are supported as well.
The game drops frames in its Performance Mode even at a lower resolution, but I found combat felt just as good in Quality Mode.
Final Thoughts
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 certainly doesn’t break the mould from a gameplay perspective, but it’s getting a bunch of things right. From incredible combat to a serviceable story and stunning visuals, there’s plenty to love about this latest video game entry to the long-running tabletop franchise.
While the frame rate dips on occasion and the multiplayer servers have been a little shaky at launch, I still feel these issues rarely detract from what is one of the best action games of 2024, and one of the best Warhammer 40,000 games ever made.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Fantastic combat; Stunning visuals; Variety through alternate PVP and PVE game modes
Lowlights: Frame rate dips at times; Multiplayer servers shaky at launch
Developer: Saber Interactive
Publisher: Focus Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by the publisher.
