To give an idea of what it proposes Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, it is sufficient to refer to the first episode of the series, published way back in 2011. This sequel is in continuity with it, starting from the basic concepts of the game: it is once again a third-person shooter, structured in a campaign from substantially guided progress, in which we are called to make our way through hordes of ferocious enemy aliens. Even the protagonists are the same as the first episode, in fact the charismatic Captain Titus returns, commanding a team of Ultramarines, one of the most famous and powerful Chapters of the Space Marines. Let’s linger a bit in this terminology to underline how this second episode also treats the precious Warhammer 40K license with extreme care, showing itself to be extremely precise and respectful of a Lore with few equals in the world. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to know the saga inside out to enjoy the game: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 manages to be immediately engaging, projecting us into the wildest action without too many preambles, while still leaving lovers of the subject the pleasure of noticing the various details and references that abound in the game.
MX Video – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
During the hour of play that Focus kindly gave us, we were able to experience first-hand the immediacy of the gameplay, also thanks to an excellent choice of the proposed portion of the campaign. We found ourselves catapulted into the heart of a vast pitched battle, a scenario of great impact which highlighted one of the innovations presented by this second episode, the very high number of enemies present on the screen. The passing of the baton from Relic to Saber Interactive played a role here, with Saber having the opportunity to use its Saber3D engine as well as the know-how gained in the development of World War Z, with its dynamic multitudes of zombies . From this point of view, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 manages to fully convey what the first episode, due to the technical limitations of the time, was only able to sketch: the contrast between the overwhelming number of enemies on the field and the prodigious military capabilities that even a single Ultramarine is capable of fielding.
Between explosions, aircraft falling to the ground, clouds of Tyranids swarming on the horizon to attack a location, the game overwhelms our senses and makes us feel “small”, a cog in the mechanism of a large-scale battle planetary, only to immediately claim our attention to repel the handful of aliens that surround us and give us the opportunity to unleash all the destructive force of a Space Marine. Like and even more than in the first episode, the gameplay of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 stands out for the successful integration between the use of firearms and cold-arm combat, where obviously the Chainsword, the iconic sword with rotating blades supplied to the Space Marines, plays a leading role right from the start. The mechanism remains the same as already seen, with spectacular close-up executions that serve to replenish our health level, but the balance between the fighting styles available has undoubtedly been improved, allowing an effective degree of freedom and variety in deciding how to deal with the clashes: you rightly enjoy a moment of great satisfaction when you make your way with slashes and “splatterous” executions among the enemies, but even the actual gunplay is rewarding and it is entirely possible to advance with a less direct approach , dedicating himself to mowing down Tyranids from afar.
The next section that we were able to play offered us a perfect scenario in which to thoroughly test these different gameplay styles, placing us to defend an outpost from the siege of countless aliens ready to charge headlong. In the early stages we “welcomed” the large number of Tyranids crowding the defensive walls with a hail of bullets (and in this scenario the work of Saber with World War Z comes to mind above all), but in the long run their number led them to break our defenses, involving us in a desperate blade defense, with aliens emerging from everywhere and forcing the Marines to use all their resources. In this chaotic phase the contribution of the other two Space Marines who accompany us was felt and in this regard I have great expectations on one of the most intriguing innovations of this second episode, namely the possibility of playing the campaign in co-op three players: unfortunately it was not possible to try it at the Fair Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 together with other players and we had to “make do” with the AI, which however proved to be sufficiently reactive, for example promptly rushing to revive us when on a couple of occasions we ran out of Titus’ health bar. However, it is easy to imagine that the possibility of playing the campaign together with others will open up a wide spectrum of tactical possibilities, allowing a well-coordinated Ultramarines team to become a truly unstoppable instrument of death and destruction.
The excellent work done by Saber Interactive on the physics of the game and in particular on the movements of our Marines also contributes to the remarkable playability, managing to convey the sensation of “heaviness” deriving from the powerful armor worn (for example when walking), but also the great speed of movement that the technology of such armor allows. In this respect, the movements of Marcus Fenix and company in Gears Of War may actually come to mind, a saga to which Space Marine is often compared, but at a gameplay level the differences are notable: while “Gears” has in fact made the cover-shooter mechanics, in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 the element of cover is very marginal and we are actually encouraged to constantly dive into the center of the action, to exploit our (offensive but also regenerative!) melee combat capabilities.
From a graphic point of view, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 it left us with an excellent impression, but it should be noted that the test took place on PC, it will be necessary to wait for the release of the game to evaluate its behavior on our Xboxes. As of now we can say that on an artistic level the game has made a notable leap in quality: we have had the opportunity to see very varied urban and natural settings, large outdoor maps as well as very dark underground scenarios… in all cases we are were struck by a decidedly inspired artistic direction, by the sophisticated lighting management and by the extreme attention to every detail, which above all will delight the many fans of the Warhammer 40K saga.
Ultimately, we can say that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 it really convinced and could prove to be one of the “revelations” of this autumn/winter from the already very busy release calendar. It must be recognized that the game remains based on a gameplay loop that is not particularly ambitious or innovative, for the “kill everything that moves” series: this may perhaps be a limitation, but if you are looking for continuous action and without too many thoughts, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has the potential to involve you in an adventure full of satisfaction!