Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
Developer : Saber St. Petersburg
Publisher : Focus Entertainment
Platform : Ps5
Release Year : 2024
It’s a Bug Hunt
I think the world and lore of Warhammer 40k is so cool, and I have for a long time. Sure, I have never really played the tabletop game (a few games here and there over the decades, which I don’t think counts), but I have loved the whole aesthetic, lore, and over the top grimdark thing ever since I was a kid. My favourite army/faction have been the Tyranids for as long as I have known about 40k, so when I saw that they would be one of the main factions in Space Marine 2, I knew it was a game I had to play eventually. With an ever growing backlog, and with how expensive games are getting these days, I never got around to playing Space Marine 2 until now, when I saw it was free on PS+. I knew that it was finally time to wage war and give my life in defense of the Imperium from the vile xenos threat from beyond the galaxy, and from the ever cloying forces of Chaos.
Chainswords and Bolters
At its heart, Space Marine 2 is a good ol’ fashioned hack and slash game with a healthy dose of the whole enemy wave gameplay that I only really know from Left 4 Dead; as you make your way through the missions, the computer will throw waves of enemies at you at different points, keeping you on your toes from start to finish. Most of the websites I’ve seen list it as a third person shooter first, which yeah, you have ranged weapons, but I found that most of the time I was knee deep in the fray hacking and slashing my way through hordes of enemies with my trusty chainsword. Instead, I would call this game a brawler before I would call it a shooter, and guess what? I am just not that good at it. Maybe it’s because I was playing it like a more reactionary action game (think Devil May Cry or Bayonetta), but that is very much NOT how you’re meant to play it. Melee combat is supposed to be ponderous and powerful, so it makes sense that you’re not jumping all over the place while air juggling enemies, ya know? I would try to parry and dodge at the last possible second, when that is very much not how it is done here. The game gives you plenty of time to parry or dodge an attack when the colour and sound queues pop up (blue for a parry, and red for a dodge), and instead of doing that, I was just playing the game totally wrong and trying to time those counters to when I got hit, and not to the sound queues. So, this is totally, 100%, a me issue, so I don’t hold it against the game at all; it was my own fault for not adapting. It also didn’t help that I was playing Clar Obscur at the same time, because the timing there left little room for error, and kicked you in the face when you failed.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the gunplay. It is far from bad, but I wish it felt faster faster, if that makes any sense? Like, I wish the weapon’s rates of fire were a lot faster and that you had more ammo, but I also know that is not the point here. Your arsenal is supposed to be ponderous and powerful, because you are an Ultramarine in service of your Emperor, and it is your holy duty to bring your righteous wrath to bare against the Heretics and Xenos. I get it, I really do, but just due to my own tastes, I found myself engaging at range only when the game made me. I can totally see why people would like this style of combat, and thanks to the whole package that is Space Marine 2, I was really enjoying myself even if the combat didn’t 100% click for me.
I know this may sound like I didn’t have any fun with Space Marine 2, but when all the gameplay elements are thrown together and mixed with 40k’s gloriously grimdark aesthetic, it just works. The game is so much fun when it is firing on all cylinders, and when it is, the clunky melee and ranged combat felt right. I feel that the gameplay mechanics on their own aren’t all that great, but that when it all comes together, Space Marine 2 is just so good.
Chaos and Xenos, Oh My!
The best part of Space Marine 2 for me are the Tyranids. Full stop. I have been a massive fan of the Tyranid swarm ever since I saw their models when I was a kid decades ago, and my love of the Zerg and the Xenomorph helped foster that love. And yes, I know about the strange and convoluted history behind Starcraft and Warhammer 40k, so it really doesn’t surprise me that my love of the Zerg lead to a love of their inspiration. Seeing the ‘nids in glorious 3D is such a treat, and I wish the whole campaign was just the fight against Leviathan, because we could have seen the whole range of bioforms the Hive Mind has at its disposal, but alas, Chaos had to rear its ugly head.
But hey! We do get so see some great Tyranid bioforms, which makes me very happy. Gargoyles, Termagants, Hormagaunts, and Warriors make up the bulk of the Tyranid forces, swarming you in waves as you trudge through the missions. Facing off against the Swarmlord makes for a wicked boss fight, and having your mind attacked by Zoanthropes and Neurothropes is a real trip. I also love that the burrowing Raveners are here, because I have been a fan of them for a long time; and totally off topic, but if I was mini painting at the moment, which I am not, I would get myself the Hyper Adapted Raveners, because I am in love with their models. They are so cool, God damn. So yeah, needless to say, you fight a whole bunch of different bugs here, and I am all for it.
I bet if you are a fan of The Thousand Sons, this game as a treat. I don’t know much/anything about the forces of Chaos, so I don’t know if there is a good cross section of their army here or not. Some pretty cool daemons do try and stop you: the Heldrake was a horrifyingly cool foe; and the giant birdlike Lord Change was so rad. I bet some of the other kinds of daemons you battle, as well as the Rubric Marines, are awesome for fans of the army. After playing this game, I can kind of see the appeal in the forces of Chaos, if this faction only.
Grimdark Is So in Style Right Now
The visuals are where I think Space Marine 2 truly shines, no pun intended. It’s a good thing I was playing this on our PlayStation 5, because I doubt my PC could handle everything this game throws at the screen and not burst into flames. The massive hordes that are trying to kill you are wicked and intimidating in their size, and the amount of detail and stuff scattered about the maps is really impressive; the fact that a base Ps5 would stutter here and there means my ancient PC had no chance of running Space Marine 2 at anything above super duper low. So yeah, I am glad I played this on the Ps5, because experiencing this game with all the bells and whistles adds so much to that feeling of never ending war. Then wrapping this visual and technical marvel in the beautiful grimdarkness of the 40k setting, along with levels of gore that would make an ‘80s B-movie blush, is just so amazing.
Let’s be real here: you either like the aesthetics and tone of 40k, or you don’t. I love how over the top everything is, because this is cheese at its finest. Battling evil aliens and demons across the stars in the name of a living god chained back on earth is hilarious and straight out of the ‘80s in the best possible way. I take it as seriously as it takes itself, which should say all you need to know. The story is also great in that classic action-movie way: it’s over the top in a way that gets you invested in a story about a doomed system besieged by not only aliens, but also demons from hell. It’s very tabletop, and I love it.
For the Emperor!
Space Marine 2 is a fantastic experience, and I had a lot of fun fighting against the endless hordes of Tyranids and forces of Chaos in the name of the Emperor! There is still a healthy amount of content I could play here, but this backlog of mine is not getting any smaller, and after working through the main campaign and the side-missions, I feel like my tour of duty is done…for now! I can see myself coming back to this game to continue the fight, and I am totally looking forward to what the developers have instore for the upcoming Space Marine 3.
If you’re a fan of everything Warhammer 40k, action games that mix ranged and melee combat with practiced ease, and over the top storytelling, Space Marine 2 is the game for you. The amount of content here is kind of amazing, and this is a title that will keep you busy for a long time, especially if you’re not like me and you want to try out the multiplayer, because then I can see this game lasting you a long, long time.
