Bantam Banter

I am not a Warhammer 40K guy. It’s a bit too rich for my blood, and I have other hobbies that empty my pockets on a regular basis. I have always been interested in the tabletop war game. The art of the characters and world just look cool as hell. Despite this, I’ve never checked out any Warhammer 40K games. There are too many great games out there, and to be honest, the previous games based on the Games Workshop game seemed pretty mid. That changed with Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2.

So, what made this game stand out amongst the rest? To put it simply, it was marketing. The reveal at the 2021 Game Awards sold me. I haven’t seen anything about the first entry, nor have I seen any trailers beyond that first trailer. I just thought the first trailer looked rad. A giant dude wearing giant armor using a giant chainsaw sword to kill a giant alien? Count me in.

Nearly three years later, that game has been in the back of my mind. It was never my most anticipated game, just one I was anticipating. If I had missed out on it, I would not have been bothered. But I sure am glad I didn’t miss out because Space Marine 2 is an incredibly solid video game.

I think the simplest way to describe Space Marine 2 is Gears of War meets Doom (2016), but that is a bit reductive. It is a third person shooter mixed with light hack and slash action that rewards players with initiating combat. All of its mechanics are fairly bare bones, but mixed together bring something special.

In any given combat scenario, players can simply shoot enemy Tyranids. Most of them are pretty weak, with 1 to 3 shots taking care of them. However, the aliens like to group up in what seems like the 100s, so players will get overwhelmed pretty quickly, resulting in the use of melee attacks. Melee attacks help with taking these things out in groups, making it highly satisfying when you’re ripping and tearing through aliens with a chainsaw sword, or giant war hammer.

What really makes this combat sing is its interesting loop. This all begins with the health and armor bars. The health bar is represent by one long red bar, while the armor bar is split up into three white ones. Once all the armor bars are depleted, health will begin to decrease when hit. To stay out of the red, players will have to initiate special glory kills by hitting heavy attacks, then shooting when the prompt appears. Hitting these specific kills will earn health for the armor bar keeping players in the fight. Additionally, more difficult enemies will appear, that can be stunned after enough hits are applied. Players can then perform a melee glory kill that also rewards armor health.

This gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying, and pretty difficult. Even the weakest enemies can get some pretty decent hits in. If players aren’t aware of what’s happening, the character will die very quickly. And these guys aren’t coming in with small groups. It feels like literally hundreds of enemies, ranging from grunts to giant monsters will fill the screen as players attempt to get to their next objective. Players can also parry enemies, which felt great when I was able to properly execute one. Everything about the combat and gameplay is simple, but it is maybe one of the most satisfying combat loops I’ve played in a game this year thus far.

One of its more obvious draws is its visuals. Space Marine 2 looks incredible. Even at medium to low settings — which I had to play on because my computer is beginning to show its age — their are so many sights to behold. The first time you see the bat-like creatures swarming in the sky, along with the insane destruction happening in the background looks insane. It’s even crazier when you realize the hundreds of Tyranid creatures in the background are actually heading towards you, in which combat ensues. The linear nature of its campaign allows for some crazy set pieces that look remarkable. Anyone who wants to play something visually appealing, Space Marine 2 is definitely one I recommend.

I think my biggest gripe with Space Marine 2 is its story. This is coming from a Warhammer 40K newcomer, so I’m admittedly not privy to the intricacies of its vast universe. But it really just assumes the player knows everything about Space Marines, and the Tyranid, and everything else about its insane lore. It did give me enough tidbits to want to look some of this stuff up, but I would have loved some more upfront explanations about what was actually happening. That being said, the story itself is very simple, and easy to follow. Without spoiling, I don’t think it will blow anyone’s socks off, but I do think its worth the ride.

Space Marine 2 is a very fun, action-packed, bloody mess of a game. It’s fun combat loop, and serviceable story make for a fun short trip within the Warhammer 40K universe. It isn’t perfect by any means, but it is an experience I’ll remember fairly fondly. I think the biggest compliment I can give this game is it got me interested in checking out the actual Games Workshop tabletop RPG. At the very least, I want to see what other quality Warhammer, and Warhammer 40K games are out there. So, thank you Space Marine 2 for potentially destroying my wallet.

SCORE: 4/5