Courage and Honor!
There is something uniquely intense about Warhammer 40K. It’s a bloody and visceral experience, especially when behind the Chainsword of a Space Marine. It’s a franchise that has cemented its video game legacy across a wealth of genres. From tactical turn-based combat in Rogue Trader and Chaos Gate, to stunning isometric hack-and-slash warfare in Inquisitor: Martyr, Warhammer 40K has returned to the third-person heavy boot-stomping roots of 2011’s Space Marine, a fantastic entry in the Warhammer 40K universe. With modern hardware powering this latest entry by Saber Interactive, Space Marine II is devastatingly gorgeous, ruthlessly violent, and a wild ride from start to finish.
Following the events of 2011’s Space Marine, Demetrian Titus of the Ultramarines, was arrested on suspicion of heresy, given his resistance to the power of Chaos. While he was eventually relieved of those charges, Inquisitor Thrax still imprisoned and tortured the Ultramarine for a century. While Thrax would be silenced by his fellow Inquisitors on the charge of heresy himself, they would free Titus and allow him a return to his chapter. However, Titus chose a self-imposed penance and joined the Deathwatch because he believed he had disgraced his chapter and himself.
Space Marine II takes place over two hundred years later, as Titus has been sent on a mission to defend the planet of Kadaku from the Tyranid threat. As the Hive Fleet Leviathan has invaded the Imperial-controlled planet, Archmagos Nozick Beta-12, of the Adeptus Mechanicus has requested aid to protect a top-secret project called Aurora. Titus, who begins his descent to the planet's surface, is separated by his brothers, stranded, and needing to complete the mission. While the mission succeeds, the conclusion of its success will change Titus forever.
Space Marine II’s main story then continues to dive into that top-secret project and what it means to the current war transpiring across the galaxy. The ramifications of what it might mean are intentionally hidden from Titus as his concerns are cast aside by those still skeptical of his position. However, as Titus and his new squad discover, their desire to serve the emperor will spearhead a mission so dire that the fate of the galaxy will hang in the balance.
The relationship Titus has with his new squad immediately stands out from the story. Titus is a man fixed with a history many are unaware of what actually occurred. They know only of the suspicious nature of his past, the claims of heresy, and his time in Deathwatch. Seeing his squadmates suspicious of him, desperate for information about what Titus knows, and then denied it at every turn, keeps the story engaging, especially when tensions flare and the group has a war with words. Your squadmates consist of Chairon and Gadriel, each of which are controlled by your co-op partners or that of AI. While the AI is suitable for the more basic difficulties, having a real player behind them is crucial for the more punishing challenge of the game's harder modes.
Still, the two are solid companions, brothers forged in blood as they serve the Emperor with all they have. Gadriel is the first to be made aware of Titus being his new lieutenant, a change in leadership that catches him off guard. His caution towards his new squad leader is a topic that continues to dominate his thoughts, demanding answers out of Titus when he has none he wishes to give. Chairon is the more easygoing of the two, eager to fight alongside a hero such as Titus. He has a history with several Space Marines the trio will meet up with, and has his own demons that haunt him. He initially may play backseat to what the story demands from Gadriel, but Chairon services the story in some surprising ways.
Space Marine II gave me exactly what I wanted from its campaign and what I wanted to see happen with Titus. I was a huge fan of the original and while it is very possible to enjoy this new entry without playing the first, or even developer Auroch’s 2023 release in Boltgun, a technical sequel to Space Marine, there is one very interesting moment that will be entirely lost of those who are unaware of a certain character from the first game. Otherwise, newcomers to the series and the franchise, in general, can enjoy Space Marine II while knowing next to nothing about Warhammer 40k, just expect to have a lot of terms and names like “Machine Spirit”, “Adeptus Mechanicus”, and the “Omnissiah” thrown at you that you may not understand just what they mean. Sadly, there isn't a glossary or bestiary to catalog these terms, enemies, and places. To be honest, this is the only real blemish of an otherwise perfect game.
Warhammer 40K has always had a very gritty arsenal of weapons that usually have the appearance of heavy metal fantasy meets function. From Boltguns to Carbines, and the type that can melt flesh off the bone in a split second, shooting feels chunky and deliberate. Guns fire off rounds that rumble your controller in very noticeable rhythms and pulses. While you can aim from the hip or zoom in, there is an element of spray and pray for even the most accurate rifle. You'll be outfitted with pistols and rifles of the Bolt variety and more. There are varieties of the Stalker and Inquisitor types, as well as Melta-guns and Heavy Bolters that can trounce nearly anything in your path. Melee options are knives, chainswords, and power swords, to a slow but devastating hammer. Melee feels brutal as if every swing is you desperately clinging to life. Warhammer 40K is meant to feel chunky and weighted, and Saber Interactive knows this and nailed the assignment.
You'll also have a parry-like deflect, which can parry an incoming blue attack. Perform this in succession, and you'll have a target lock on your foe. Face them and tap the trigger to pull off a guaranteed headshot, likely killing them. This effect has a very cinematic flavor to it and can help stave off some damage when you perform it in the midst of a horde. Enemies can be executed as well should they start to pulse red, and both this and your target shot will refill your armor and the white portion of some impacted health as it slowly depletes. Enemies can also strike with a red-indicated attack, which will need to be dodged. While the dodge is not generous, Space Marines are built to take punishment, and not be agile and nimble warriors.
It's important to know that Titus will have access to a default version of these guns. You'll have drop pods all around you to constantly switch up your arsenal, but in the game's co-op nature for the Operations mode that stands apart from the main campaign, you'll be able to upgrade your guns. Frankly, the weapons that Titus has access to already feel more powerful, giving the Ultramarine a suitable arsenal of death right from the get-go.
What you are gunning down is just as important as the weapons you'll wield, and while the enemy variety is fairly thin, it largely comes down to narrative reasons, given where we are in the galaxy, and the forces of evil we are facing. While the Tyranids are a central threat, the forces of Chaos also make themselves known. The Tyranids are an insectoid race that consumes biomatter. Hormagaunts, for example, are weak but travel in massive groups and swarm as a massive horde. Seeing hundreds of them on screen reminded me of World War Z, which was developed by this very team, as they would create ramps to allow their brethren to climb up and be active in skirmishes. Termagants, however, are similar to Hormagaunts, but they pack firepower, wielding weapons and engaging you from a distance. It's easy to get attacked by over a dozen at once, and when they work with the forces of Chaos, who return from the first game, they become a devastating challenge.
While much of what you battle is fodder for your boltguns, chainswords, and varied grenade types, you'll also look to vanquish far more formidable forces that take considerable effort to put down. These are both massive and deadly opponents, as grotesque as they are durable. Many of these beasts have numerous tricks up their sleeve, such as Lichtors; stealthy assassins that can gut you in seconds, to facing down members of the Thousand Sons, one of the nine Traitor Astartes Legions who swear allegiance to Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Sorcery, Manipulation, and Mutation. What is exciting about the seasonal content drops are new areas that feature new enemies, allowing the game to continue to be a fresh experience as you continue to dive in. This comes in the form of content drops, not that Space Marine II is trying to be a live-service game; it is not.
The campaign falls under two lanes; playing as Titus as you travel to Kadaku, Avarax, and Demerium to discover the truth beyond Aurora, and that of a customized Space Marine where you'll play through six missions (at launch) that run parallel to the campaign. At various points in the main campaign, Titus will instruct a squad or two to undertake challenging assignments; these are those missions. As you continue to play through them, as well as the PVP, you'll earn a currency called Requisition Resources which is used to outfit yourself with better guns, customization parts like decals and helmets, and purchasing skills to make your Space Marine a more durable force. As they lack the experience and power of Titus, they are noticeably weaker than what you'll experience throughout the main campaign. However, by leveling them up and their kit, they will become unstoppable.
To add, you’ll choose from six classes to apply to your creation. These are Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, and Heavy. They also come equipped with a special skill. The Vanguard, which is the class I chose initially, has a grapple line that can be used to pull yourself toward an enemy. This is perfect when you need to bridge the gap and propel yourself towards a foe ready for an execution. Other skills across the classes are a banner used to restore armor to your squadmates, a jump pack, a powerful barrier that blocks all ranged damage, a scan that reveals all nearby threats, and a cloak that conceals you until your next attack. Each class also has its own armor class, meaning you’ll have either two or three slots of armor whereas Titus had four. While there are pickups to grant you four, these are temporary and disappear once broken in battle.
Each class has its own weapon loadouts, as the Sniper will have the Bolt Sniper Rifle, and the Vanguard will initially start with the Instigator Bolt Carbine. However, you’ll have three weapon loadouts and I opted for the Occulus Bolt Carbine instead, mainly because I preferred its range. Weapons will earn experience as you use them, regardless if the mission is a success or not. Once a weapon has been leveled, you’ll be able to upgrade it to more advanced tiers, complete with a shiny new cosmetic for it, should you have the various upgrade currency to do so. Requisition Resources, which is your basic currency, is earned as you complete any of these six missions or a series of trials per class as well as the Eternal War PVP mode.
Space Marine II is built for the long haul as upgrades and customization elements are costly for the amount of Requisition Resources you earn. For example. Each of the six missions rewards 35 Requisition Resources points (It was 25 during the review period), but to even approach your first weapon upgrade, you’ll need 60. This is to say nothing of the 30-40 and more that is required for various customization elements as well as the Perk system to make your Space Marine a force to be reckoned with. While there are some incredible skins and colors to unlock, it can be a very grindy affair. Best put in the work, Space Marine.
While the Campaign and Operations modes will certainly keep you busy for nearly 15-20 hours, the Eternal PVP mode will likely have you remaining to unlock even more of the game’s stunning cosmetics, especially across all classes. As you’ll have a Space Marine or Heretic Marine fresh for the fight, starting at level 1, you’ll take part in a series of three match-types that harken back to a much simpler time, especially that of the original Gears of War. Seize Ground, which is your attempt to capture three points around the level, is joined by Capture and Control, which has you trying to capture a singular rotating zone, to Annihilation, which is your standard team deathmatch. Currently, that is all that is present, and functions exactly how you would think as each class will aid or hinder your ability to destroy your opposition.
It is a tad basic at launch, but the rewards for taking part in it is certainly worth the experience. The amount of cosmetics, and wanting to unlock additional weaponry for your Space Marine, will likely keep you coming back for more. Levels pull from the aesthetics of the campaign, and are ultimately pretty great, offering a wealth of flanking moments to catch your enemy off guard. While I’ve had a few matches that took several minutes to queue up for, most of my time during the launch of the special editions has been fairly solid and quick to join. That said, I have had a few infinite loading moments where my matchmaking just didn’t go anywhere, but I likely chalk that up to launch day issues. Thankfully, in matches, I’ve had zero lags or disconnects, but that could change once the standard edition players start filling up the servers. As of this writing, the mode runs fairly well.
Now, while I say currency and purchasing items, as well as DLC, Space Marine II does not feature microtransactions of any kind. There is a season pass that includes some cosmetic items across its seasonal rollouts, but there is no in-game store or anything of the sort. Everything is earned as you play through the Operations mode, which rewards you with 35 points of Requisition Resources to the 10-35ish points you’ll earn as you level up in Eternal War. You'll also have trials that reward it as well as you complete a series of objectives across each class such as killing a set number of enemies in a certain timeframe to killing enemies in a particular way. These trials are fairly easy, but earning the lowest time can be fairly challenging.
Building on the Swarm Engine, previously used in Saber Interactive’s World War Z game, Space Marine II’s use of the Tyranids allows for intense floods of enemies filling the screen. The engine allows for crisp and incredible detail and animations, providing a feast for the eyes. As a photo mode is present in the game, it allows for some incredible shots, especially when you tear open a grotesque abomination with its own claw, as seen below. Saber Interactive has crafted a stunningly beautiful game across both PC and console that ran incredibly well across both Quality and Performance, which is labeled as Speed Mode. If there is even the slightest nitpick, it would be the facial animation and head models of its Space Marines don't match the same detail found in every other aspect of the game. That said, during the campaign, I could read Gadriel’s face extremely well.
This amazing detail bleeds into its environments and the horrors you'll mutilate. Executions are a sight to behold, as are the gallons of blood that flow from even the most basic decapitation. Environments range from massive open areas where the draw distance goes for miles to claustrophobic corridors that are barely lit and ooze atmosphere. The scale of outdoor areas is massive, with towering cathedrals and manufactorums overhead, to the decommissioned bunkers and spacious forests and swamps all set to impress. Even levels that share in similar aesthetics, all feel different and original from one another. The final few levels of the campaign are also something else entirely.
While some may lament the fact Space Marine II is a very linear experience, it's exactly what I wanted from it. This allows for incredible set pieces and a focus on keeping the action going. Translate this to an open world, and Space Marine II would have been a game crafted around open-world busywork, bloat, and awkward pacing. Instead, you get a 10-15 hour campaign and a series of six Operations missions that are each about an hour long, and run parallel to the story, playing out moments alongside what Titus and his squad are up to. Space Marine II is a densely packed game with easily 20 hours of content before you even replay anything.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine II is superb. Its campaign is well-written, its characters are engaging, and the complicated nature of working in the shadows allows for some tense moments that shine. Saber Interactive’s improvements to the Swarm Engine allows for a beautiful game with immaculate detail and animation. With a steady release of new levels, enemies, and cosmetics, fans of Space Marine II will see a wealth of new reasons to jump back in once you've worked through the campaign, its secondary missions, and its fairly impressive albeit thin PVP offering. Warhammer 40K deserved a visually impressive and chunky return, and Space Marine II is a bloody good time, and a game worthy of the Emperor.
Developer - Saber Interactive.
Publisher - Focus Home Entertainment. Released - September 5th, 2024 (Gold/Ultra/Collectors), September 9th, 2024 (base edition). Available On - Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC. Rated - (M) - Intense Violence, Blood and Gore. Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X. Review Access - A review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.