“Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine delivers non-stop co-op action in all its gory glory.”
- Perfectly captures the Warhammer tone
- Non-stop action
- Variety of weapons and classes
- Operations missions are a blast
- AI teammate issues
- PvP needs balancing tweaks
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At one point in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s campaign, I found myself inside a glittering fortress cathedral. Countless deranged forces of the Thousand Sons and their ilk were hot on my heels. There were half a dozen guardsmen in front of me, once-loyal servants of the Imperium now turned foul worshipers of Chaos. I couldn’t just stop and shoot them one by one, so I sprinted past them. To my surprise, the mere act of me in my bulky power armor running toward human-sized enemies was enough to squash them into paste with an audible “splorch” as I left their gory remains all over the floors and walls.
This is Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a triumphant showcase of the bloody, grimdark sci-fi universe. With intense firefights, cinematic set pieces, a bajillion utterances of the word “brother,” and moments that truly made me feel like one of the Emperor’s “Angels of Death,” this third-person shooter offers a thrilling experience like no other. It’s not without some caveats, though. It’s a game best played with friends or with others online, as solo play leaves a lot to be desired. There’s still a handful of other issues to be fixed if it’s going to reach its peak potential.
A bone-crushing blockbuster
Space Marine 2’s campaign stars Demetrian Titus, the vaunted hero of the first game who has rendered loyal service for nearly two centuries. Gravely accused of being tainted by corruption, Titus becomes a member of the Deathwatch before events finally lead him back to his original chapter: the Ultramarines.
An awe-inspiring audiovisual spectacle that rivals any blockbuster movie.
This sets the stage for a fairly linear 10-to-12-hour-long campaign, one where Titus is joined by two comrades, Chairon and Gadriel, neither of whom fully trust him. Narrative isn’t the shooter’s strong suit, as the story is rather straightforward: These beefy men are your buddies and the aliens and heretics are the baddies. There isn’t much in the way of world-building or deeper relationship dynamics akin to Rogue Trader. It’s less of a full-fledged Black Library novel and more of a codex entry in this regard.
While the story itself won’t set the world on fire, the worlds themselves are quite literally set aflame because of Xenos and Chaos invasions. From the dense jungles of Kadaku to the sprawling cathedral cities of Avarax, I couldn’t help but marvel at my surroundings. There’s even the planet of Demerium, which was so befouled by Warp energies that stepping into another area feels completely surreal.
That Space Marine 2 can capture the setting in all its glory is impressive. Burning thunderhawk gunships plummeting from the skies, innumerable aliens rampaging across the countryside, skyscraper-sized cathedrals looming in the distance as bat-like creatures swarm around their parapets, derelict hulks exploding in low orbit as the roiling energies of the ever-changing Warp can be seen in the distance — all of these images and more create an awe-inspiring audiovisual spectacle that rivals any blockbuster movie.
Ferocious finishers and flourishes
The thrilling sights are backed up by equally intense gameplay. Space Marine 2 offers action-packed moments that left me on the edge of my seat. There’s an assortment of weapons to choose from, like high-impact Bolt Rifles and scorching shotgun-esque Multi-Meltas, as well as melee armaments in the form of Thunder Hammers, Power Fists, and the trusty Chainsword. I can freely switch between these weapons depending on the situation. Are there Tyranid Warriors that can snipe me from afar or Rubric Marines with flamethrowers? I’d engage them from a distance with a carbine or pistol. Sneaky, multi-limbed Raveners and Lictors getting too close? Fine, I’ll pummel them with an electrocuting hammer.
That’s complemented by reaction-based and context-sensitive mechanics. You’ve got dodging and parrying mechanics, akin to what you’d see in a Soulslike. These aren’t overly difficult to pull off since the timing windows are very generous. There’s also the Gun Strike, which allows for a critical headshot if I can perfectly dodge a blow. And, of course, there are the executions: brutal and gory finishing maneuvers that leave foes in a bloody pulp.
Parries and finishers are context-sensitive, too. If a smaller Tyranid alien or a Tzaangor minion leaps toward me, I simply batter or kick them aside. In other cases, a sequence would trigger, such as catching a stealthed Lictor and stabbing them with their own claw or pulling the helmet off a Rubric Marine and watching its soul dust flow into the ether. The display of savagery is even more striking when bringing down bosses; I love jumping on top of Carnifex and Helbrute monstrosities and ripping their heads apart. Since finishers also restore armor and help with survival, missions became a fiesta of ferocity, with one exhilarating engagement leading to another.
I felt a surge of adrenaline, fully immersed in the role.
There were sections in my playthrough where countless enemies emerged from distant structures or rushed up high walls and obstacles. They climbed on top of each other just to reach me, a clear nod to World War Z (the video game adaptation was also developed by Saber Interactive). It’s in these perilous moments when I felt a surge of adrenaline, fully immersed in the role, armored in grim determination as I faced onrushing tides and insurmountable odds.
Back to the operating room
Though it’s full of thrilling moments and top-notch presentation, Space Marine 2 does have some glaring flaws — chief of which concerns AI-controlled companions. The campaign allows for three-player co-op, which is ideal, since playing alone means you’ll get saddled with bots. While bot Gadriel and Chairon held up their own most of the time in my campaign, there were a few situations where they faltered. Sometimes they weren’t able to prioritize key targets. They waited around because they couldn’t shoot down flying units like Zoanthropes, and even left me to fend for myself because they kept getting gobbled up by rat swarms. A bunch of cats would probably be more useful in these situations than gene-enhanced super soldiers.
I had to rely on unbelievably dumb bots …
The AI problems extend to Operations. This mode is almost akin to Vermintide or Darktide, as these are three-player replayable missions that allow you to select from unique classes. They include the Tactical, which has access to most firearms and has a scanner that weakens foes, the Heavy, which brings to bear large cannons and weapons, and the Assault, whose jump pack provides great mobility and a means of diving straight down onto hapless opponents.
I played the campaign and Operations alone during my initial testing, so I had to rely on unbelievably dumb bots that couldn’t seem to complete objective-related tasks or ping helpful consumable items. Operations missions became a lot more manageable and downright fun to boot once I had more players to match with. However, there’s a restriction that limits the squad into only one of a particular class, which became an annoyance in co-op sessions. I can understand how this is meant to address balancing issues — do you really want three Snipers running around while cloaked most of the time? But it also prevents players from choosing the class that they prefer.
I play as a Bulwark because I like punching enemies in the face and planting my banner to restore my team’s armor. If matchmaking puts me in a group where someone else already picked the Bulwark, then I’d have to switch to a different class which I don’t have plans of leveling. Matchmaking doesn’t necessarily find a specific team where the class I preselected is still available. Leveling itself is a notably grindy affair too, as I need to amass requisition and armory data to unlock weapon perks, class perks, and cosmetics, so trying to build up two classes is a tall order.
The eternal woes of Eternal War
The package is rounded out by Eternal War, a PvP game mode that pits teams of six against each other. This was something I couldn’t try prior to the game’s release, and I’m certainly glad I got the chance to give it a go now that there are more players. Similar to Operations, Eternal War lets you choose from six classes, though there’s a limit of two of each type for your team. You can walk up to foes while shielded as a Bulwark, grapple and kick enemies in the face as the Vanguard, or stay in stealth temporarily to beeline for objectives as a Sniper.
PvP in Space Marine 2 is a highly enjoyable activity, if a little bit imbalanced. Ranged classes and weaponry are just too strong. Two Heavies can pulverize the entire opposing team with their auto-cannons, whereas melee-focused classes like the Assault, Vanguard, and Bulwark require more effort to make a difference. I fondly remember playing Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade years ago, knowing that my Assault/Raptor could dive straight into a Devastator/Havoc, leaving them reeling and unable to bring their weapons to bear. In Space Marine 2, the only melee stun or stagger comes from the Vanguard’s grappling hook ability, which means my targets can still pepper me with bolter fire without so much as flinching.
Matchmaking and squad groupings need a bit of work too. I live in the Philippines, and I’ve seen players with ping values ranging from as low as 50 to as high as 300; I couldn’t really tell if I’m being assigned to a lobby with people from the same region or if we’re all over the world. Similarly, there needs to be a way to reassign players to opposing teams. Because of quitters, I’ve joined some lopsided 6v2 matches that were already in progress. I was surprised when the system kept everyone in the same squads across multiple rounds.
Even with some needed tweaking, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 still presents an unrivaled experience; it’s easy enough to consider it as one of the best Warhammer games around. From cinematic backdrops of an onrushing tide of death and jaw-dropping sequences that left me in awe, to the brutal carnage and “we few against all odds” mantra that befits the setting, it’s an exciting shooter that any fan of Games Workshop’s universe would be a heretic not to try. We just need to see a few tweaks for Operations and Eternal War so that this bad boy can finally cross the Rubicon to go from a great game to a Primaris masterpiece that’s worthy of the Emperor’s grace.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was tested on PC.
