The Emperor has tasked us with diving into the world of Warhammer and conquering all tyrranids, and fending off the fiends of Chaos.
Space Marine 2 drops you into the fantasy world that is beloved by fans worldwide, and the game itself encompasses a lot of what makes Warhammer an unique universe compared to others.
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 is a journey throughout the galaxy, and hopeful players will be eager to experience the story of Titus and the adventures of the Space Marines.
Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 Review: For The Emperor
Lieutenant Titus and The Ultramarines
The story starts off with one of the most climatic missions we've seen in gaming this year, and it places you on the Deathwatch as Brother Titus, whom was the protagonist throughout the first Space Marine game. Completing this mission will see a new Titus, one that has been demoted, and thrown back into the fray commanding a squadron within the Ultramarines, and his new comrades in Gadriel and Chairon. Throughout the stages of the campaign, you see the three go at arms with one another, and form a bond that is unique, and one that has a few storylines that conclude towards the end of the story.
The campaign is broken down into sections, as through the in-game map you're made aware of the three planets you're able to choose from, and the threat that Ultramar faces, only grows with each section. Without getting into to many spoilers, fans of the Ultramarines chapter will be pleasantly surprised throughout the game, and it offers some surprises towards the backhaul.
While we're saving the gunplay and overall gameplay for a further section, there are some epic moments portrayed throughout the missions. Space Marine 2 does a fantastic job at incorporating in-game cinematics in a timely manner, ones where it doesn't feel like a dramatic cut from an important scene. The overall attention to detail throughout some of these worlds is unmatched as well. Whether it's the details on the Ultramarine suits, or Brother Chaplain's armor, there is a ton to be in awe of throughout the many journey you and your squad will partake in.
Some of the other supporting characters in the story include the aforementioned Brother Chaplain and your company Captain. While they offer varying dialogue and interactions before and after missions, there isn't the degree of communication that we see obviously between the main squad. This isn't a downside of the characters, as it showcased the business relationship that the Space Marines offer one another.
Clear Cut Gunplay
While the campaign is bound to draw a ton of attention amongst players, the overall gunplay of Warhammer 40K is top notch. There's a flurry of weapons for players to tinker with, and there's a good balance when it comes to damage output, and the recoil control needed to damage enemies.
It's hard to say at the current moment how the weapons are going to transfer over to PvP and the other PvE game mode, as during the review process both of these modes we're nearly impossible to find a match for. However, one of the shining elements we've seen so far is the one handed melee, combined alongside a pistol. This has offered some of the best combat thus far, and the executions that players get to perform are amazing.
One downside to the gunplay however is sponginess that some of the regular assault rifles can feel sometimes. We aren't to sure if this comes down to just the campaign itself, but we're eager to see how some of these translate over to online play.
Customization
Warhammer lore fanatics are going to be overjoyed with the Astartes Chapter Customization options that the game offers players for PvP and other forms of online play. There is something for every 40K fan here, and these armor sets are going to be even more customizable, as you'll be able to take bits and pieces form each and slap them onto a new one.
Furthermore, the weapons get some love as well, as with the use of Mastery Points, players will be able to unlock stronger options for their weapons, so this is a nice sight to see.
The Bulwalk shields are perhaps one of the best looking sights in the game, and we suspect them to be one of the more popular classes in multiplayer.
Verdict
All in all, Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 is a solid sequel to the original that evolves drastically in nearly every category. It is a title that Warhammer fans are going to thoroughly enjoy right from the get go. However, this isn't to say that the game is perfect, as some of the early boss battles are average at best, but they redeem themselves later on into the story.
Our verdict is purely scored on what we could play at the time, so we're going to have to reserve some thoughts for testing the online play further down the line. However for now, we're happy to say this one is certainly not a miss.
