"Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2" tested: an action-fest as if it were the year 2000

I'm not a Warhammer 40K expert. If I had to describe the complex franchise that sprang from a tabletop game, two things come to mind: dystopian sci-fi future and Space Marines. The bred super soldiers represent a kind of futuristic Knights Templar, crushing any threat to the Empire under their mighty armoured boots.

The threat in Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 consists of the Locust-like Tyranids and the forces of Chaos. These are heretics and renegade imperialists who have turned their backs on the almighty Emperor. Unfortunately, the orcs from the first part from 2011 have to stay at home. A pity, but perhaps a good thing. Even so, I'm bombarded with so many fantasy terms that I quickly lose track of what's going on. But the story is also rather unimportant. The only thing I need to know is that, just like 13 years ago, I slip into the role of Demetrian Titus and destroy everything in my path. Just like in real life.

Story is a means to an end

At the end of the first part, Titus is wrongly convicted of heresy by the Inquisition. After the judge himself is branded a heretic and killed, Titus returns to the Ultramarines - after a stint as a Blackshield in the Deathwatch (please don't ask me what that means). The Ultramarines are an order of Space Marines.

Titus is assigned two warriors, Gadriel and Chairon. The three of them embark on an epochal adventure to repel the Tyranid hordes. The campaign can be played alone or with up to two other people. This not only makes the missions easier, but also more fun. The bots are not the brightest and often just stand around stupidly in the area. At least they show no false shyness when reviving and are immediately on the spot. Fortunately, because despite Titus' colossal stature and steel armour, the hordes of monsters often overwhelm me if I'm not careful.

The game is played from a third-person perspective. Titus has a melee weapon and a ranged weapon. Given the number of enemies, the ammunition is usually used up after the second wave of enemies. That's why I make a lot of use of my chainsaw sword. I can use it to perform combo attacks and cut bloody swathes through the hordes of grotesque creatures. When enemies are weakened enough, they glow red and I can go for the brutal finisher. They are in no way inferior to the fatalities from "Mortal Kombat". Not only do I get to know the anatomy of my opponents, I also regenerate my shield. My life energy is also replenished more quickly if I opt for close combat. True to the motto: attack is the best defence.

There are also grenades and a super attack that charges slowly and can only be used sporadically. There is no skill tree or unlockable weapons in the campaign. Instead, new death tools are gradually introduced over the course of the game, which I can regularly swap out during the missions. I found the ranged weapons a little lacking in variation at first. The various pistols and rifles play very similarly. Only towards the end are large-calibre weapons added, such as laser rifles, flamethrowers or plasma cannons. However, the guns in the first level also pack a punch. Hits cause fountains of blood like in a Peter Jackson horror film.

I'm a little disappointed with the melee weapons. I can efficiently slaughter monsters with them. However, the sound effects are completely lost in the general chaos. When I slice through one of the many nasty aliens with my power sword, it sounds like I'm spreading butter on my bread. It's only when Titus is given a huge warhammer that the melee combat really gets going. I didn't let go of that until the very end.

Death comes from above

I have the most fun when I can strap on my jetpack. Chairon agrees with me: "I can't remember the last time I brought death from above". Such a deep insight into the personality of the stoic warrior is practically the equivalent of a happy dance. Unfortunately, the jetpacks only appear in certain levels. They make both movement and combat much more dynamic. With the jetpack, I can cover huge distances and crash into my enemies from dizzying heights with an explosion. This was already my highlight in the first instalment and is a lot of fun here too.

The action is clearly the centrepiece of the game. The levels are linear and lead me from battlefield to battlefield. Pulling a lever every now and then is the highest of feelings. Nevertheless, "Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2" gives me a good impression of the world, even without being able to follow the complicated background story. It is also sensationally staged. Gigantic hordes of monsters stream across huge battlefields and pounce on war machines with cannons the size of chimneys. Flocks of snarling alien birds circle in the sky. Me and my squad are right in the middle of it all. The world, characterised by eternal war, is palpable through and through. Not least because the Empire decorates every wall and every gate with grim skulls.

While the gameplay is not particularly varied, "Space Marine 2" impresses with its level design. From the lush green jungle planet of Kadaku, to gigantic halls where the ceiling disappears into the haze, to gloomy cellar vaults littered with piles of corpses, there is plenty of variety on offer. There is also a large portion of techno-gothic. Almost every member of the empire is made up of 50 per cent machine parts. Everything is characterised by war. For the Emperor. Against the heretics. This mantra is repeated so often throughout the game that if I were to turn it into a drinking game, I would have ended up in intensive care after the first level. Because it's just a game, I feel like I'm in seventh heaven instead.

After the campaign is before the war

In addition to the campaign, there are the game modes "Operations" and "Eternal War". The latter is a PvP mode in which two teams of six Space Marines face off against each other. Unfortunately, I never found a full server during the test phase and was therefore unable to try it out.

In "Operations" you play six side missions that run parallel to the campaign. This allows you to experience missions from a different perspective. Like the main story, you can also play these missions in groups of three. You can even choose between different classes. And you collect experience points to unlock perks and customise your living war machine. Cosmetic items are also available for the multiplayer modes.

"Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2" was provided by Saber Interactive for testing. I played the PC version. The game is also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.