In 2011, the third-person action game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was released, which immediately won the hearts of fans of this universe. The project offered a rare gaming experience, combining dynamic battles and a deep atmosphere of a dystopian future where humanity is in an endless battle for survival. Now, thirteen years later, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 returns us to this cruel world. With new technologies and improved graphics, the game promised to become even more exciting and realistic. Find out what happened in the end in this review of the story campaign.
In Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, you once again take on the role of Demetrian Titus, the legendary Space Marine of the Ultramarines Chapter. After being unfairly accused of corruption, he was reinstated, but demoted to the rank of lieutenant. Despite this, he remains faithful to his duty and is ready to fight again. This time he is not traveling alone, but in a detachment with two more comrades.
The plot is far from the most important thing in this game, but it turned out to be really good. It was interesting for me to follow the story and development of the main characters, constantly bordering between mistrust, which only worsens under the pressure of an external threat, and the willingness to do anything for the sake of the brothers. Plus, it doesn’t take away from the immersion since it’s mostly delivered directly through the gameplay. Again, this game is not story-oriented, but within the framework of a “meat action” game, the story here is quite good, especially in comparison with the first part.
The Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 campaign offers players an exciting and varied adventure that never gets boring with the constant addition of new objectives, challenges, abilities, weapons and enemies. The developers skillfully maintain the player’s interest throughout the entire playthrough, without allowing monotony to take over. There are also excellent, albeit very rare, boss battles, each of which requires a special approach.
The locations in the game, although they are linear in nature with rare branches where you can find weapons, ammunition, grenades and audio recordings. However, they create a sense of scale with elaborate background settings that are breathtaking. This allows players to immerse themselves deeper into the atmosphere of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and feel like they are part of this dark and dangerous world. The variety of locations and their design also play an important role in maintaining interest in the game, so the campaign remains exciting throughout the entire playthrough.
Completely finishing the game on Veteran difficulty took me 13 hours according to the Steam counter, but on the easier difficulty you’ll certainly get through the game faster. The plot doesn’t feel too short or artificially drawn out with unnecessary action. Perhaps this may not seem enough to some, but such relatively small and eventful games also have their place. There is no backtracking, grinding or “filler” moments created solely to make the game bigger. In addition, do not forget about the six separate cooperative missions that perfectly complement the main story.
Unlike the first part, the sequel can be played entirely in co-op. This builds on some of the usual co-op mechanics, such as the ability to raise a fallen ally and gathering at certain points for further advancement. The need for team interaction and division of responsibilities in some missions adds interest to the passage. For example, one activates a point or separates from the rest, and the rest cover it. Therefore, if you have someone to play with, I recommend teaming up with friends in voice chat. However, this does not mean that playing alone is boring. You can play through the game in splendid isolation, with the help of an AI that takes control of two other characters, and it’s still fun.
When talking about Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, we can’t help but talk about the combat system. Compared to the original, the battles have become more complex and challenging, in the good sense of the word. Now you will no longer be able to complete the entire game using only your main firearm – there simply isn’t enough ammo for that, and the enemies are trying to close the distance with you. For this reason, you will have to skillfully combine long-range weapons with melee weapons, use finishing moves as often as possible to restore armor, use your superpower in time, and also do not forget about ways to avoid damage. Don’t worry, this still isn’t Dark Souls—the windows for parrying and dodging are large and brightly lit, but these mechanics still require some reaction.
Certain mission segments still involve the active use of firearms. In them you can always find a box nearby with the ability to replenish ammo an infinite number of times. But even in such cases, ignoring all the capabilities of the combat system can lead to disastrous consequences. It is for this reason that the battles here never get boring. The player can always try new strategies and combinations to cope with different opponents and situations.
Finally, it is worth noting the excellent optimization of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. The game looks incredibly beautiful and at the same time works perfectly, which is rare for modern games. On a fairly budget RTX 4060, I experienced drops of up to 45 FPS only in one of the last missions, which had a lot of visual effects. Also, during the entire playthrough, I encountered only a single harmless bug, due to which the character did not open his mouth in one line. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the technical component.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a real treat for all fans of brutal action games and the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The game grabs you from the first minutes and doesn’t let go until the very end. Dynamic battles, deep atmosphere and incredible detail of the world – all this makes the sequel one of the best representatives of the genre in recent years. The developers have created a really cool game that will surely please many players. This is definitely not worth missing out on.
