I wasn’t sure what exactly I expected as I strapped on Titus’ oversized boots and backpack, but within half an hour I was cackling madly as I launched myself across the map with a jump pack, chainsawing a hulking Tyranid monstrosity in the face. I’m a longtime fan of Warhammer but not particularly of the Space Marines, particularly the vanilla-as-they-come Ultramarines. But as chainsword met chitin, I knew the boys in blue had won me over, at least for this adventure.
Space Marine 2 is a fairly standard third-person shooter, though one that seems more informed by the success of soulslikes than the cover-based fare we’ve gotten used to. You’re always in the thick of the action, dodging and parrying to avoid damage — or better yet, just killing any enemies enough to be a threat. Basic enemies like the swarming Hormagaunts are mostly there to soak up your ammo and impede your path to actually dangerous enemies like Tyranid Warriors and Zoanthropes. Throw in some timely grenades and melee executions, and the game really lets you feel like one of the Imperium’s ultimate soldiers.
Combat is squad-based, letting two friends join you for co-op missions. The bot squadmates in the campaign were competent but not extraordinary, doing their part during massive horde battles and reviving me when I needed it (which was often until I had the controls figured out), but Space Marine 2 is clearly designed with multiplayer at the forefront. In addition to the main storyline, there are PvE missions that detail other engagements on the same planet, which is where the bulk of gameplay will likely take place — play the campaign to learn the game, then dive into multiplayer.
Even in single-player, it was easy to see that teamwork would be essential on higher difficulties. Losing all your health means you need a squadmate to revive you, but you can only be revived three times. However, performing a melee execution resets the count, so it can be important to let a weakened teammate land the killing blow. The demo mission’s boss fight against a Chaos Sorcerer and his summoned daemons (who may or may not have been illusions; it’s hard to tell with Tzeentch) would have been much easier with human players to coordinate attacks between the boss and his minions.
Of course, the real question is whether Space Marine 2 is a good Warhammer game, I’m leaning heavily toward yes. Being about the Ultramarines — the franchise’s mascot faction — helps focus the game on 40K fundamentals. Grand gothic skylines loom on the horizon past the swarms of flying Tyranids, deserting Guardsmen are executed by a firing squad on a Commissar’s orders, and of course the bloody, over-the-top battles of our bulky superhuman protagonists perfectly embody the grimdark vibe of the 41st millennium.
While you won’t need to be a hardcore 40K fan to enjoy Space Marine 2 (or, indeed, a Warhammer fan at all), it’s definitely made with people who love the franchise in mind. Luminaries like Marneus Calgar and Roboute Guilliman are mentioned by name, and there are references to planets like Calth and Cadia. It’s also just great to see the battlefields of the 41st millennium brought to life in a way that even the most skilled tabletop hobbyist could never pull off, with fiery Thunderhawk crashes and collapsing architecture amidst the action.
The plot seems like a bog-standard war story. Desperate last stands! No help coming from HQ! Loyalties are thrown into question! The action, both in cutscenes and in regular combat animations, is a violent delight. Marines ram their chainswords into the earth to rapidly brake after a jump pack charge, or grab a passing Hormagaunt by the tail before gutting it like a fish. It’s all very macho, but endearing in that it’s presented with that Warhammer flair that understands – without ever directly acknowledging – how ridiculous it is. If Henry Cavill’s Warhammer series is this good, count me in.
The last stand trope is particularly well-executed. There’s no timer you have to wait out or anything like that — as far as I could tell, it was just another horde fight. Bugs kept getting bigger and bigger, and I was running low on ammo. Finally, I went down between two Carnifexes (enormous Tyranid organisms that may as well be living tanks). I wasn’t sure if my bot squadmates could pull me out with twin bosses standing over me, and just as I was resigning myself to a do-over, the Tyranids fled; the whole thing had been timed.
I definitely want to see more of Space Marine 2, especially with some friends in tow to defend the Imperium together. The hordes are bigger and yet more manageable than the other big multiplayer Warhammer title on the market right now, Darktide, and it could also appeal to Helldivers players looking to feel a little less expendable while blasting bugs. I’ll certainly hope to be on the front lines when the game launches on September 9.
