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One of the many games that I have been looking forward to through the most recent show season has been that of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 from Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment. Why? Well every single time I’ve seen an update about the game, my excitement levels have risen.
One thing to note straight off the bat is that I never played the first game. If you haven’t either, then you’ll want to note that there are references in the story to events from that game. Thankfully, it isn’t a deal breaker – you can enjoy Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 just fine without having played the first one.
So, are you ready to be a giant, stompy war machine and take the fight to the enemies of the Emperor?
It’s the story of the game which is where I will start, and here I have to acknowledge the vast universe of lore that is built up around these games. There is so much to Warhammer 40,000 to learn, who the various factions are, what they do and how they relate to each other, that you could be going for weeks. But you can do that in your own time as right now we find a story that revolves around a Space Marine captain called Titus; a member of something called the Deathguard. After Tyranids arrive on the planet he is on, he winds up getting killed – but don’t worry, it doesn’t take long before he is rebuilt as a lieutenant in the Ultramarine chapter of the Space Marines, complete with fetching purple armour!
With the Tyranids now taking over the planet he was killed on, can Titus and his battle brothers stop the swarm and rid the galaxy of their evil presence? Well, it’s down to you to try and bring this about!
The presentation of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is from the standard kind of third person perspective we are familiar with in games like the Gears franchise. We see the action from above and behind our hero, and as we move about the place, are able to pan and tilt the camera to give the best possible view of the action.
And what a view. The graphics are brilliant, but it’s in looking around in the (rare) quiet moments, the landscapes really begin to pop. Then, when the enemy does appear, they do so in numbers. And the game keeps up with the frame rate really well; even in quality mode, there is no slow down to be seen, which is truly a testament to the developers work, as there are a lot of enemies on the screen at once. And one of the best things is that if you can see an enemy, you can kill it, meaning that whittling down the horde before they can reach you is a great idea.
The Tyranids come in all shapes and sizes and again look great. Yet as we fight, the armour of the Marines gets covered in blood and guts, ensuring everything just feels so visceral and raw that all that is missing is the smell of the blood to make the immersion complete.
Sound is also very well done, with the cries of the Tyranids, the noises of the many different weapons as you shoot them, and the squish as you lay about you with a combat knife or a chainsword all very well realised. The conversations between comrades are all fully voiced too, as are that of the supporting cast of characters. I have nothing to complain about with the way the game is presented.
There are three main ways to play Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – Campaign, Operations (PvE) and Eternal War (PvP). However, choosing which mode you are going to play is a bit hard to find – you have to get to the Battle Barge, a kind of hub area where you can interact with various people in order to choose. When you go to the launch bay, there is a terminal you can interact with, and from here you can choose the mode you want to play.
Starting with my least favourite and Eternal War is basically a PvP contest between a squad of Ultramarines and a team of Chaos Marines. There are three main modes – Annihilation, which is basically Team Deathmatch, where the first to 50 kills wins and then those of Seize Ground and Capture and Control, both of which are variations on the Conquest theme. The good news is that the 6v6 modes all work well, and there are a lot of people playing. Further, the shooting action is pretty good, all things considered. I’m not a PvP guy, but I can see the attraction here, with a mode that is fast paced, action packed and pretty good fun.
Operations mode is a lot more up my alley, with it being a three player PvE experience. The cool thing about this is that the missions here wrap around the Campaign mode, providing an extra perspective to missions that take place in the story. As an example, an early mission sees Titus and his mates dispatching another squad to cause a diversion and destroy a swarm of Tyranids. The first mission in the Operations mode is that same mission, but played out from the other squad’s point of view.
There are a variety of classes to choose from in both of the modes listed above, from a Marine armed with a sword and shield as a melee specialist, through to a Heavy Gunner, complete with the world’s biggest gun that can shred enemies. In a nice touch, levelling up not only your Marine’s chosen class, but also their weapons, unlocks new cosmetics that can be used in either of the modes, so you can express your individuality on the battlefield. The co-op mode is really good fun as well, with no lag or problems encountered when playing with folk either on Xbox or PC.
Campaign mode is the main attraction of Space Marines 2 though, and this is really well executed. The missions we undertake do get a bit samey, with them all largely following the same pattern of ‘fight your way to a set piece, survive the set piece, then rinse and repeat’. However, while the structure is the same, the way the levels look and play are quite different, and some of the bosses become a real challenge. All in all, I’ve enjoyed getting to know Titus and his buddies, and the way the story has unfolded is quite satisfying.
In summary then, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a solid and enjoyable blast-a-thon with a good story to go along with the gory action. The Tyranids make a great foe to fight against, the action is literally visceral and the whole thing feels incredibly solid. The challenge is real too, with so many enemies swarming at once that every fight feels like a real battle for survival. And then the PvE and PvP modes complement things well.
Play Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 now – https://www.thexboxhub.com/can-you-survive-the-tyranid-onslaught-play-warhammer-40000-space-marine-2-now/
Buy Space Marine 2 from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/warhammer-40-000-space-marine-2/9n9pczwhvp2l