As a seasoned gamer and avid Warhammer fan, let me tell you, my dear readers, I was thoroughly taken aback by the sheer brutality and necessity of the parry system in this latest installment of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. It’s been a while since a game has truly tested my reflexes and strategic prowess like this one did.
Enormous Tyranid beasts are hurtling towards me quicker than my Bolter can eliminate them. In a panic, I hurl a grenade close by and scuttle clear. A dozen smaller Hormagaunts are reduced to grisly fragments while the larger Warrior keeps advancing. As it narrows the gap, it slashes at me with its bone blades, and I barely manage to block the attack. Managing to stun the creature with my timing, I retaliate with a direct pistol shot that liquefies its brain matter.
Experiencing my initial encounter with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, the forthcoming third-person shooter from Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment, left me brimming with anticipation. A few hours were spent recently exploring a preliminary version of the game, delving into one of the campaign missions and testing out the Operations mode, designed for co-operative player-versus-environment (PvE) action. In summary, my enthusiasm is sky-high, and if the quality displayed in this preview is any indication of what’s to come across the entire game, it’s a title you won’t want to miss.
A campaign packed with action
In a time span of more than a century since the initial game – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine released in 2011 by Relic Entertainment – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 unfolds, with the Imperium of Man under constant assault from the ravenous Tyranids, a relentless extraterrestrial swarm.
1. In my playthrough, I was immediately immersed into the campaign without much introduction, but I was informed that the mission I experienced is roughly at the midway point. The protagonist Titus, known as the Space Marine, returns to the Ultramarines following a stint with Deathwatch. Accompanied by two other teammates (the game offers three-player cooperative play, allowing cross-platform interaction between consoles and PC), players effortlessly rain havoc upon the alien intruders, inflicting destruction and death.
With Saber’s tailor-made Swarm engine at its core, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 boasts stunning visuals. Pushed to its limits on an RTX 3070 and an i7-13700KF, the scenes are brimming with detail – from the flowing robes of a noisy Tech-Priest to the debris of crumbling monuments, every crack in the rubble is clearly visible.
The meticulous attention to detail creates a strikingly beautiful visual experience, convincingly portraying the grandeur and worn-out charm of a world that succumbed to internal deterioration far before it was attacked by extraterrestrial forces. What truly stands out is the colossal number of adversaries, as you’ll often find yourself facing swarms of various creatures, all appearing simultaneously on the screen.
Combat feels great, and I loved using heavy Bolters and Plasma weapons to obliterate foes. But against such numerous hordes, ammo eventually runs dry. Like its predecessor, Space Marine 2 demands that you engage in melee combat, swinging Chainswords and other Imperium implements to send weaker foes flying. You can also parry enemies away, delivering critical hits if your timing is perfect. I was surprised at how necessary the parry system ended up being (it’s explicitly required when fighting a particular boss), but once I practiced it a bit, it felt good to use.
In the ongoing battle, more forces entered the scene, including swarms of Tzaangors and heavily-armored Chaos Space Marines. These newcomers added additional complexity to the fight, joining the already numerous Tyranids. The diversity in opponents offered a refreshing change. However, I’m left wondering about the game’s pace as the action I witnessed happened around halfway through the campaign.
I was surprised at how necessary the parry system ended up being.
The situation escalated into a fierce battle against a powerful sorcerer from the Thousand Sons. This encounter proved to be quite formidable, intensifying significantly like a main boss battle. After a few attempts, I managed to prevail, but it left me curious about what further obstacles might lie ahead.
In my gaming experience, the frame rate generally ran quite well, with only a notable dip occurring when numerous explosives detonated amidst a colossal Tyranid swarm. Initially, the loading time was more than anticipated, despite pre-installing the build onto an NVME SSD. However, throughout gameplay, I didn’t encounter many frequent load screens as I progressed through levels, so it wasn’t too much of a hindrance.
Co-op fun continues the fight
Apart from the primary campaign objective, I was given an opportunity to explore the cooperative-focused Operations mode as well. This mode involves players undertaking perilous missions alongside their customized Space Marine characters. Upon selecting one of six unique classes (with each player in a mission required to choose a distinct class), my colleague Rebecca Spear and I ventured into a jungle operation, where our objective was to eliminate a threatening Tyranid swarm nearby.
Despite playing on a lower difficulty, the mission was challenging, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed if you aren’t carefully coordinating and calling out resources. Each Space Marine class has different armaments to choose from, as well as a unique ability. I opted for the Heavy, which provided me with a Heavy Plasma Incinerator or Heavy Bolter and the ability to generate a projectile-negating shield.
As we moved forward, there were opportunities for additional confrontations featuring certain adversaries capable of summoning backup, shortening the countdown until another horde of enemies attacked us relentlessly. We managed to destroy the mass and make our getaway, but it was a close call; our weapons ran dry as countless hordes of insect-like creatures overwhelmed our escape path.
Upon revisiting the central station, you will have the opportunity to review your accrued rewards, including amassing enough data to upgrade various weapon types. Earlier, I noted that you can personalize your Angel of Death character, and it is at this point where Saber draws inspiration from tabletop gaming pastime.
In the game Operations, you can accumulate currency that can be utilized to purchase cosmetic items. This lets you customize your Space Marine’s appearance according to specific chapters such as the Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and numerous others. Interestingly, these paints are named after the actual Citadel paints used in miniature figure painting, which adds a layer of authenticity that I find truly impressive as a hobbyist.
During Operations gameplay, I encountered a few issues (not related to Tyranids), primarily involving my character model freezing into specific poses and drifting across the battlefield instead of moving and engaging effectively. This problem seemed to resolve itself when interacting with objects and transitioning into new areas, but its recurrence suggests it wasn’t just a random occurrence. Here’s hoping the developers manage to fix this bug before the game’s official launch.
Not too long to wait
I’ve had a blast during the time I’ve invested in this early version of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. The combat is both enjoyable and intense, managing to enhance the original Space Marine experience while leveraging the graphical capabilities and enemy density that contemporary gaming platforms can handle.
I’m equally excited that this upcoming game offers a campaign with co-op functionality, a specific PvE co-op mode, and multiplayer PvP. Such complete packages seem to be less common these days, and I commend the developers for aiming high and providing a rich gaming experience.
It’s not implying that there are no criticisms or unanswered questions. I’m curious about the extent of the campaign, the dynamics of the PvP multiplayer, and how it will compare to existing options. Fortunately, I won’t have to wait long for these answers.
Currently, there’s approximately a month remaining until the game is released, and I am genuinely excited about it being one of my top picks for the year. Upon its release (provided minor glitches have been rectified and console versions run smoothly), it promises to deliver an outstanding gaming experience, catering to both novice players and dedicated Warhammer enthusiasts who appreciate intense action.
The much-anticipated release of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is set for September 9, 2024. It will be available on the Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5 platforms.
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2024-08-07 16:09