Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines 2 was probably not the sequel I expected to play. The original game from Relic Entertainment was perhaps unusual in every way. It was a shooter-melee hybrid, developed by a studio better known for its strategy games. It wasn’t particularly well-received upon release, but has since achieved something of a cult status among Warhammer 40,000 enthusiasts, and indeed anyone who has played it.
Space Marine was a complete game; it had a fairly long and well-made campaign, a horde mode when it was finished, and even a usable (though not outstanding) multiplayer mode, which was standard for the time. All in all, it was a unique experience that you wouldn’t expect to repeat.
Yet, 13 years later, here we are playing its sequel; albeit one made by different people and published under a different name.
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Space Marines 2 is a confident game that makes an immediate impression. If the stunning visuals, convincing growls, powerful voices, and impressive all-around presentation don’t impress you, you’ll know it. Exactly What kind of game is this when you get your hands on it?
I was given access to a preview build of the game, which included one campaign mission and two PvE co-op missions from the game’s “Extinction” mode. I knew I was enjoying the game when I found myself trying to load up the game with more missions than were included in the preview.
A lot of Starfighter 2’s confidence comes from its reliance on tried-and-true ideas, and its excellent execution of them. This isn’t a game that pushes the envelope, but it knows what it wants to be and how to deliver that experience to the player. To say its level design is dated is an understatement; it’s made up almost entirely of corridors, and while there are some opportunities for exploration, there’s less of it than I’d like. These levels don’t let you get lost, and there’s no need to. Of course, this is based on a campaign mission, so it’s likely that the rest of the campaign will be more imaginative.
However, this linear, limited level design is clearly the goal of the game’s Expeditions mode. The PvE co-op adventure is fairly straightforward. You show up with up to two other players, choose a mission, a difficulty, and start killing.
Both expeditions and the game’s multiplayer mode rely on the class system. In addition to the campaign, your chosen class will level up as you play in co-op or multiplayer, allowing you to unlock new skills, weapons, variants, and some really cool cosmetic items that are sure to make Warhammer 40,000 fans go crazy.
Starfighter 2 excels in co-op (which also features in the campaign), but I spent most of my time in the preview version playing solo. When you don’t have someone to join you, the game fills in the remaining spots with artificial intelligence. I found it to be…ok; smart enough to get out of the way and revive you when necessary, but not yet truly autonomous.
In fact, I found the storyline and the two other characters that accompany you to contribute far more to the overall atmosphere than their gameplay contributions. In the campaign, they provide a different perspective on the events of the story and really make you believe in the idea of being the leader of a squad.
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I can see how Space Marines 2’s gameplay could get a bit repetitive after a few dozen hours of play. It’s enough to keep you coming back to unlock content – I suspect players will spend most of their time on expeditions – but it’s not varied enough to offer any interesting gameplay opportunities. Aside from Tides of Darkness, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Warhammer 40,000 weapons as well-crafted as they are here. And considering how many classic WH40K toys you can get your hands on, I don’t think it’ll get boring anytime soon.
Saber Interactive has re-adopted the swarm technology from World War Z for Starfighter 2, only it’s been upgraded to dispatch Tyranids in overwhelming numbers instead of shambling undead. There are moments, especially on higher difficulties, that really overwhelm you.
These are Starfighter 2’s finest moments; when you find yourself switching between hacking away at smaller enemies with your chainsword and sniping snipers with your bolter, blood and guts filling the screen and coating your armor, and you never want to stop. This game has the DNA of Doom, Gears of War, and World War Z, and it doesn’t feel forced or misused.
The preview build ran fine on my (admittedly powerful) PC. FPS was around 90 almost the entire time, with all settings set to max, using DLSS quality. I’m running an AMD 7800X3D and RTX 4080 at 4K resolution. Most of the issues came when facing some of the larger Tyranid waves, and during some scripted events.
Regardless, my experience with Space Marines 2 leads me to believe that it will be one of the dark horses of this year.
Space Marine 2 launch September 9available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
