[PC Games] Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Review

[Aronus]

I was halfway through the opening level of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s campaign, unloading bolt rifle rounds alongside my two squadmates, when I found myself smiling at just how good it feels to be back in this futuristic grimdark fray. It’s been over a decade since the original, but Space Marine 2 reinvigorates the squad-based shooter series with seeming ease. The environments are varied and breathtaking, the running-and-gunning feels great, and the sense of comradeship while fighting with your team, be they bots or friends, can be exhilarating. It may not break much new ground in its genre, but it didn’t need to for me to have a blast playing through its dozen-hour campaign.

Let’s get this out of the way early: The original Space Marine clearly took inspiration from Gears of War, and this sequel follows suit. It’s a squad-based shooter starring heavily armored dudes who growl their dialog while either shooting guns or revving Chainswords to ward off invading aliens. The similarities don’t bother me a bit (especially when one could make the case that Gears borrowed from Warhammer first). It’s been years since I’ve played a game that scratched that particular itch, and Space Marine 2 uses the rich lore of Warhammer 40k to carve out its own identity. That’s true in both the meaty campaign that can be played solo or co-op, as well as two additional modes that let you upgrade your weapons and customize your armor between rounds, which are meant to keep you coming back after the credits roll.

 

 

The campaign drops you back into the considerable boots of Demetrian Titus, the hero of the first installment. It picks up over a hundred years later, and does a good job of explaining everything you need to know, whether you played the original or not. Despite the century-long gap, not much has changed for our dour hero since we last saw him. He’s still a gravelly-voiced, seasoned soldier who doesn’t appear to have aged at all thanks to his genetically-engineered longevity. He’s spent the last century serving in the Space Marines’ Deathwatch chapter, which goes on the most dangerous of missions. After an intense opening level that has you deploying a “Virus Bomb,” you’re rewarded for your bravery and dedication by being brought back into the fold as a blue-armored Ultramarine.

The story is more than serviceable, and it moves at a fast clip, sending your squad to interesting locations across several planets. It has a few twists and turns that bring it to surprising places, and there’s even some intriguing inter-squad conflict to spice things up. That said, the whole thing is pretty one-note: it’s all very serious. I get that there’s a war going on and lives are on the line, but just a dash of humor – even the gallows humor many other 40k games use – would have added a welcome extra dimension.

 

 

 

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Review - IGN