Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment.
I was initially quietly optimistic in the build up to the release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. It’s a franchise I’ve dabbled in over the years, but outside the heavy weights, I’ve often felt disappointed.
Total War: Warhammer stands as one of the greatest strategy games of all time. Fatshark’s Vermintide delivered a fantastic co-op experience, and the more recent release of Rogue Trader was a great take on the tactic’s genre.
I also really struggled through Underhive Wars, would rather forget my time in Chaosbane, and Darktide, well, you get the point. Couple this with World War Z, a part amazing part embarrassingly broken experience, I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Space Marine 2 and Saber Interactive.
The 10-15 hours that followed were bizarre. I cannot tell you how many times my comrades and I screamed “holy shit, that was awesome” over Discord, but for each of those insanely epic moments, there was an air of disappointment we just couldn’t shrug.
There’s A Story Here, Somewhere
If you’re stepping into Space Marine 2 as a relative newcomer to the Warhammer franchise, do not expect a warm welcome. It makes absolutely no effort in explaining the events of the original Space Marine game or the wider Warhammer universe as a whole.
No introductory cinematic, no compendium of events, texts, and characters in a pause menu, nothing. This makes it challenging to really dive into the quality and impact of the story, because I had no idea what was going on.
Sure, I understood the assignment. Land on a planet besieged by Tyranids, find a guy, rescue a guy, fix something, use more elevators and “loading screen” doors than I can count. However, without greater knowledge and understanding of the wider story, it feels simple and hollow.
The epitome of this came during a singular moment in the story, one that was clearly designed to shock and awe. Instead, our entire party, in unison, simply asked: “What was that?”
I will be the first to admit, it’s a little entitled and unrealistic to expect the full package. A sequel to a game in one of the biggest and most expansive fictional universes ever created, no developer in the world has the time to bring us all entirely up to speed.
But it has been nearly 13 years since the last game, a brief rundown would have been appreciated.
Courage & Honor
While the ever-expanding lore of the Warhammer universe is sure to appeal to a lot of folks, let’s be honest: That’s not the reason we’re here.
It quickly takes a backseat to running around as a superhuman, genetically modified killing machine in mechanized armor swinging a sword with a chainsaw.
And, by god, is it glorious.
Gears of War has long been the pinnacle of the third-person shooter, but nothing has come as close to that mantle as Space Marine 2.
The slow, clunky, pounding footstep movement, slogging through with enough momentum to disintegrate targets on contact. Glorious models of chaos foot soldiers replaced by a misty haze of blood and body matter.
If you have ever sat at the head of a Warhammer table and wondered just how those models would interact in real combat, dial that up to 11, and you’re at Space Marine 2’s level of bloody and messy.
Every dodge, every swing of the blade, every carefully timed counter – all of it is rewarded with the dismemberment of your enemies in the most glorious fashion imaginable.
Even toward the end of the story, nearly 12 hours of main campaign and optional Operation missions, the combat is nearly identical. Except for a couple of insanely action-packed missions, it doesn’t evolve or change throughout the story, but it didn’t matter.
Slicing through near endless waves of xeno’s in that iconic bulky blue armor, sharing that relief of respite with friends after an intense 5-10 minute battle, it’s everything I want as a Space Marine. Pain is temporary, honor is eternal.
Did You F**king See That?
Despite the near flawless execution of Space Marine combat, the game’s real gem is in the environment. It’s all a carefully constructed illusion. Linear paths, small areas split between poorly disguised loading screens, but if you can suspend belief for just a moment, it’s magical.
Seeing thousands of Tyranid’s swarming a fortified position in the distance. Watching the iconic tanks of the Astra Militarum stand toe-to-toe with a relentless force. Fighting off Tyranids as they form World War Z style pyramids to climb the battlements. It creates a feeling and scope of a universe at war unlike any other, arguably the most faithful adaptation Warhammer has seen in video-game form.
My entire journey through Space Marine 2 was all much of that.
“This is amazing, but…”
That was great, but…”
It’s a game that is so incredibly good, but it’s just not quite great.
Watching the credits roll, celebrating the triumphant combat while commiserating a complete lack of understanding of the story, I wasn’t sure how much more time I wanted to invest in Space Marine 2
If you’ve played World War Z, Space Marine 2 is very much of the same ilk. It’s a similar package, but fine-tuned and executed to an infinitely higher degree. Technically, near flawless, suffering only the expected matchmaking and lobby forming bugs common in today’s gaming launch space, but much like its post-apocalyptic brethren, some may find the content a bit lacking.
The main campaign is probably five to eight hours long, depending on difficulty and play style. A further six Operations are available at about 30–40 minutes a piece. That’s it, without stepping into the PvP arena.
This sours the experience further when you consider the price of the Gold and Ultra Editions. I don’t recall a game offering these $80-$100 early access editions when the entire game can be easily completed before official release.
It’s likely to offer greater value for those that are happy to grind through the multiple classes, perks, and weapon upgrades, through both co-op Operations and PvP. It just feels as though it’s content to justify a Season Pass.
Hardened Warhammer fans finally have the ultimate Space Marine experience with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Gory, bloody, and brutally entertaining combat stands at the forefront of Space Marine 2, delivering one of the most immersive Warhammer worlds to date. However, after 14 years between releases, a refresher on the events of the original wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Overall – 75%
75%
Hardened Warhammer fans finally have the ultimate Space Marine experience with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Gory, bloody, and brutally entertaining combat stands at the forefront of Space Marine 2, delivering one of the most immersive Warhammer worlds to date. However, after 14 years between releases, a refresher on the events of the original wouldn’t have gone amiss.