Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Review
I was playing Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's campaign, shooting bolt rifles with my squadmates. I couldn't help but smile as I felt the excitement of being back in this futuristic and dark world. It has been more than ten years since the original game, but Space Marine 2 brings new life to the shooter series effortlessly. The game features stunning and diverse environments, fast-paced action, and a feeling of camaraderie when fighting alongside your team, whether they are bots or real friends. While it may not introduce any groundbreaking innovations, I had a great time playing through the campaign, which lasted around twelve hours.
Let's address this right away: The original Space Marine game was clearly influenced by Gears of War, and this sequel continues that trend. It's a game where you control a team of heavily armored soldiers who say tough lines while shooting guns or using Chainswords to fight off alien invaders. Personally, I don't mind the similarities (especially considering that Gears may have been inspired by Warhammer first). It has been a while since I've played a game that satisfies that particular craving, and Space Marine 2 uses the deep lore of Warhammer 40k to create its own unique identity. This is evident in the engaging campaign that can be played alone or with a friend, as well as in two additional modes that allow you to upgrade weapons and customize armor in between battles, encouraging you to keep playing even after you finish the main story.
In the campaign, players once again follow Demetrian Titus, the protagonist from the first game, after more than a century has passed. Whether you played the original game or not, the story does a great job of catching you up on everything you need to know. Despite the long time gap, our hero remains the same tough soldier with a deep voice and a genetically-enhanced lifespan. He has been serving in the Deathwatch chapter of the Space Marines for the past century, taking on the most dangerous missions. A thrilling opening level involves deploying a "Virus Bomb," and players are then welcomed back as a blue-armored Ultramarine for their bravery and loyalty.
The plot is decent and it progresses quickly, taking your team to various fascinating places on different planets. There are some unexpected surprises along the way, as well as some interesting conflicts within the squad to keep things interesting. However, the story is quite focused on being serious. I understand that there is a war happening and people's lives are at stake, but a little bit of humor, even the dark humor found in other 40k games, would have added another layer of enjoyment.
During your missions, you have two bot squadmates with you. You can also ask your friends to join you instead of the bots. The bots are helpful teammates, able to help you fight enemies and heal you when needed. But like many games, playing with friends is more enjoyable. You can organize this from your home base, known as the Battle Barge.
The Orks from the previous Space Marine game have been replaced by a new enemy: the Tyranids. These alien creatures come in different shapes and sizes, such as large Carnifex beasts and smaller creatures resembling xenomorphs or velociraptors. Some can fly, while others move in swarms on the ground, climbing cliffs to reach you and the Imperial Guard. As you advance in the campaign, you'll face different enemy types, keeping the gameplay exciting as you use a mix of human and alien weapons to defeat them.
The guns and melee weapons in Space Marine 2 are really enjoyable to use, which is a good thing because you will be using them a lot. You can customize your weapons and gear before each mission, choosing your main weapon, sidearm, and melee weapon. There are also weapon caches throughout the game levels where you can swap out your weapons for flamethrowers, plasma blasters, sniper rifles, power swords, and various explosives like sticky bombs and shock grenades. Each weapon is suited for different types of combat encounters, but you won't always know what to expect. Thankfully, there are frequent checkpoints so if you fail, you can make a more strategic choice next time.
When you attack an enemy with one of these weapons, you'll see a satisfying splash of blood. Bigger enemies turn red when they're almost finished, letting you finish them off with a brutal move. By performing these finishing moves, you can restore your shields, which is useful. You can also heal yourself with Medicae Stimms or activate Titus's Righteous Fury ability to increase your health as you cut through enemies with your melee weapon. I like how in this game, regaining health is connected to taking down your opponents.
Actually, simply navigating in Space Marine 2 is quite enjoyable. You play as a large, well-protected soldier, and moving around has a solid and robust feeling to it. However, your character is also more agile than before, so the heaviness is not bothersome. It feels perfectly balanced.
The first Space Marine game had a boring color scheme of brown and gray, which was not popular at the time. However, the sequel has changed things up with vibrant and lively environments. You'll explore alien worlds full of green, purple, and lush plant life, as well as urban areas with gothic architecture and stained-glass windows. The art design is stunning and beautiful, making it worth it to leave behind older consoles.
Many areas in Space Marine 2 are full of action, with soldiers battling enemies in various settings. At times, you might be accompanying a tank through a destroyed city alongside Astra Militarum troops. Other times, you'll witness Tyranids flying through the sky while soldiers attack them. Unlike other military games, Space Marine 2 truly immerses you in a war zone where you're just one soldier in a larger battle. I don't usually take screenshots, but in this game, I couldn't resist capturing the stunning visuals in almost every level using the photo mode.
The story mode in Space Marine 2 is a great part of the game, but there are also other gameplay options to enjoy. In addition to following Titus's story, players can also take part in two different modes that offer more freedom and variety: Operations and Eternal War.
Eternal War is a player-vs-player mode, but before the game was officially released, there were not enough players to try it out for this review. I will provide an update later with my thoughts on it. However, I did get the chance to experience Operations, where you can complete side missions related to the main story but from the perspective of other teams while Titus is busy with his own tasks.
In Operations and Eternal War, you have the option to pick from six types of Space Marine. Each class has its own unique weapons and special powers. For example, Tactical soldiers can use an Auspex Scan to locate and weaken enemies, Snipers have a camo cloak for camouflage, Bulwark can place a banner to boost squad mates' shields, Vanguard uses a grapnel launcher for close combat, Assault soldiers can use a Jump Pack like Titus, and Heavy soldiers can deploy a protective bubble shield. These abilities are effective and enjoyable to use during battles.
When you play these game modes, you will also earn different types of currency that you can use to improve your weapons and personalize your armor with cosmetic items. This can be really enjoyable. You have the opportunity to unlock many cool emblems and charms for every part of your armor. You can also access new colors that are associated with various Space Marine chapters. All of the colors look really cool, and you can even decorate your character with chains, skulls, and other intricate details that would fit perfectly on the front of a heavy metal album.
The Operations levels in the game are very similar to those in the campaign, set in the same areas which makes them less exciting. There are currently six missions, and while playing them once was enjoyable, especially with friends, I don't feel the need to replay them just to upgrade my weapons and armor. I am looking forward to trying out the Eternal War PvP mode and other modes that are coming soon, but for now, the PvE missions are a fun but temporary diversion rather than something I will keep coming back to.
The new Space Marine 2 game is a really great shooter game where you play from a third-person perspective. The story is interesting, there are lots of cool weapons to try out, and there are plenty of different enemies to fight against. The game takes inspiration from the Gears of War series, but it puts its own spin on things which works well. The PvE mode, called Operations, doesn't have enough content right now to keep me playing for a long time, but there are lots of options to customize your Space Marine which looks promising for future updates. Plus, the graphics are really nice so it's satisfying to play and defeat aliens in such beautiful environments.
