Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is the latest title in the vast collection of video games involving the ever-evolving fictional universe. The game was released on September 5 for those who pre-ordered the gold and ultimate editions of the game. It’s a direct sequel to the original game, which came out 13 years ago. So far, Space Marine 2 has been met with fanfare and high amounts of praise from veteran Warhammer 40K fans and people just now getting into it. After spending a good bit of time playing the game, it’s easy to see why.

The Pros of Space Marine 2

Intense Combat

Within both the campaign and multiplayer action, the combat within Space Marine 2 is intense, flashy, and sometimes a bit insane. It’s easy to go from slicing up a few Tyranids to trying to hold off an entire horde of them while trying to complete a crucial objective. On paper, fighting off enemies is simple. Players are meant to attack, parry, and dodge until their foes drop dead. This may feel repetitive at times, but the game does throw you in for a loop with more powerful creatures to fend off. At times, especially when playing solo, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and ultimately fail unless players adapt and overcome. Adapting is exactly why the Imperium of Man holds strong.

Focusing outside of the main campaign, the combat gets even more interesting. In multiplayer modes, players have the option to choose between six different classes that all have different skills and uses. These classes are Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, and Heavy. These different classes are useful if someone wants to focus on bashing skulls, going long-range, or doing a bit of both. And there’s nothing quite like covering a battle buddy with a powerful rifle as they charge head-first into the heat of battle with a giant hammer.

Accurate and Deep Lore

While the brutal combat may be the core focus of the game for many, Space Marine 2 does an amazing job incorporating the established lore of the previous game and Warhammer 40K in general. While certain references may be lost on new fans, the game is filled with things that’ll make the more knowledgeable fans smile. The lore combines beautifully with the new story that Space Marine 2 tells. It’s a story of triumph, sacrifice, and serving the Emperor of Mankind. It’s a story that truly helps players feel like they’re a true member of the Adeptus Astartes and a legend among the regular folk.

For the ones who are or are planning to play the game without experiencing the first one, it’ll be handy to brush up on the story. Since this is a direct sequel, players once again take the role of Demetrian Titus. Without getting too much into spoilers for those who want to play the first game for the first time, Titus goes through quite a violent and confusing time. In that game, he is a revered captain. However, in Space Marine 2, he is demoted to lieutenant and still accused of heresy. It’s important to know exactly why that is unless someone chooses to try and figure it out for themselves within Space Marine 2‘s story.

The Cons

Problems on PC

While the game has mainly been met with praise, it isn’t without issues. The ones experiencing the most problems with the game happen to be PC users. One of the main criticisms of the PC version involves players being forced to install Epic Online Services even though they bought the game on Steam. Even if players have the service already installed, players are encountering an error that does not allow them to connect to multiplayer at all. I am included in that chunk of players. The reason why Epic Game Services is required is due to the game being cross-platform.

Another big reason why some PC users aren’t the happiest with the game is the lack of support for ultrawide screens at launch. However, in the official roadmap for Space Marine 2, the support should be coming soon. These two reasons combined with general performance issues and a lengthy EULA that sparks privacy concerns are the reason why the game debuted on Steam with a Mixed rating. It has since risen to Mostly Positive.

Score: 9.5/10

Conclusion

Even though the game is facing some criticisms mainly from PC users, the general consensus is that Space Marine 2 is a gem among the Warhammer 40K video games. Since I play the game PC and have experienced a few of the issues that many others are experiencing, I agree with that general consensus. Not only is the game a wonderful Warhammer game, it is a great shooter and just a fun game to dig into in general. Saber Interactive was able to combine insane combat, deep lore, and an established powerful character to create an experience that was well worth the long 13-year wait.

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