Okay, to be honest right now, I've always preferred Age of Sigmar Warhammer, but that doesn't mean I don't like 40k. In fact, I LOVE 40k.
So it was no wonder that I couldn't wait for the new Space Marine 2, and even though I didn't play the unit (don't worry, I watched everything live and studied the complete lore for that period to be prepared).
Even though I wasn't completely under the hype because I'm more of a Dawn of War fan (even that triple disaster was relatively fun), I bought Space Marine at the first opportunity, that is, with pay, so that I could enjoy this edition and I can say that it was epic... The first two missions.
Mild spoilers ahead, you have been warned.
Introduction
The first mission in Space Marines 2 it immediately hits the heart of what this title promises: chaos, spectacle and brutal action.
Misija zabegins dolaskom Deathwatch kill teama, kojeg predvodi Blackshield Nullus, in sustav Recidious. Goal is andstražiti poziv u pomoć od strane Adeptus Mechanicusa s džunglastog svijeta Kadaku. This planet je poznat as nepristupačan i smrtonosan, s gustim vegetacijskim pokrivačem i ekstremnim vremenskim uvjeteam. Međutim, pravi razlog poziva nije otkriven do dolaska team – mjesto je dom tajnog mehanikuskog projekta "Aurora", čije se prirode gameči tek they start upoznavati.
As the Deathwatch transport enters Kadaku's atmosphere, the game begins with tension: a Tyranid swarm discovers the craft.
Now imagine the shock! The transport ship is shot down before the team can make a controlled landing.
You certainly did not expect this!
Of course, Nullus went out, got separated from the team, he has to find them, everything gets chaotic, find some Aurora project, blah blah.
Irrelevant.
THE GAME LOOKS BRUTAL! By brutal I mean really brutal!
The planet looks amazing and when you see the first Tyranid swarm you will be something like this:
The lighting effects on the planet are also impressive. The sun's rays break through the jungle canopy so that at times the planet seems alive, with roots moving at the edges of your field of vision and strange sounds coming from the distance.
The only shame is that after a while the visual magic fades a bit. The planet remains impressive, but the sense of wonder begins to wane as the same types of enemies and environments repeat themselves.
The first mission sequence introduces the player to the combat system. Armed with the classic Bolter and Chainsword, Nullus faces hordes of Tyranids – mostly Termagants and Hormagaunts.
The combat is intense and designed to make the player realize how unrelenting a threat the Tyranids are due to their numbers. The first major battle takes place in a clearing in the jungle, where Nullus must fend off waves of enemies while searching for survivors.
After the initial clashes, Nullus finds the remains of the Adeptus Mechanicus base. The location was devastated, and the swarm destroyed everything inside. In the base, he finds fragments of information about Project Aurora, a mysterious attempt to harness Tyranid biomass to create a weapon or defense system.
Kparadise misije doseže vrhunac when Nullus comes to središta baze, where it is the rest samo nekoliko preživjelih servitora koji su napadnuti od strane Carnifexa – tiranidskog kolosa. Ova borba je prva prava "boss fight" sekvenca games. Titus mora koristiti svaki dio svoje opreme i okoline in order to porazio ovu masivnu agotnju.
After an intense fight, Titus manages to destroy Carnifex, but not without a price. His armored body is pierced, and he throws away his helmet and it turns out to be actually… TITUS FROM THE FIRST SEQUEL!
Yes, we all expected it.
No further spoilers, it's time to talk a little about the rest of the game.
Positive things
The game as a whole is solid and definitely worth playing, and its greatest strength lies in its fantastic interpretation of the Warhammer 40K universe, especially the representation of the Space Marines. Fans have been waiting decades for a modern Astartes-themed action title, and in that aspect, the developers really hit the nail on the head. However, beneath the surface of the glossy presentation lie problems that cannot be ignored.
First of all, Space Marine 2 is a visual treat. The environments are detailed and atmospheric, from crumbling Imperial bases to organic Tyranid biomes covering the landscapes. Lighting effects, such as the rays of the sun breaking through the thick canopy of the Kadaku jungle or the glow of Tyranid structures, add to the sense of grandeur and menace.
Captain Titus looks cool in the armor - you can see the damage on the armor, every color and texture looks like it belongs to a real warrior from the future.
Little things, like a chaplain's sermon or conversations between NPCs, add life to the world. These details show fidelity to the lore of the 40K universe and make the game incredibly immersive. On the technical side, the graphics deserve a pure score of 9/10 – they are impressive and fundamentally define the atmosphere of the game.
The campaign is solid, with exceptional voice acting, writing and atmosphere. The late sequences where you engage in massive battles alongside other Astartes are particularly impressive. However, the linear nature of the campaign limits replayability, and enemies quickly become repetitive.
A small note. The campaign is only good because of the Space Marine part, the enemies are a disaster, but more on that later.
Boss fights, although visually spectacular, often boil down to simple tricks - like using krak grenades to quickly dispose of Carnifex, or running in circles and pressing the right button in a quick time event.
Innovative!
Well, the operations are great, at least the first one, everything else is the same, as are the missions.
Negative things
Despite its impressive presentation, the gameplay in Space Marine 2 has serious flaws that detract from the overall experience. Combat mechanics, which are key to a game of this type, are often dysfunctional and unconvincing.
You have three mechanics: dodge, parry and slash with sword/knife/hammer/chainsword. That's it. Forget the bolter, it's useless. Any, you have 10-15 of them, they are all the same.
The main part of the gameplay focuses on melee combat, but even that seems limited and unconvincing. You have the option to use a variety of melee weapons such as swords, hammers or the iconic Chainsword, but they all suffer from the same problem - the impact feel is not satisfying. The animations are over the top, but there's no weight to the attacks. Enemies often ignore the stagger effect or interrupt your attacks as if you were a regular soldier and not a Space Marine. Instead of feeling powerful and dominant, melee combat often frustrates with poor responsiveness and animations that lock you in place while enemies fight back mercilessly.
Shooting is another disappointment. The bolter, the iconic weapon of the Space Marines, works here as a toy gun. Regardless of whether you use the basic bolter or one of its variants - of which there are about 10-15 - the feeling of use is lukewarm. The sound of the gunfire lacks power, enemies don't react convincingly to hits, and the damage is so low that you're often forced to fire an entire tank to eliminate a single enemy. Shooting is simply ineffective, so the player instinctively reaches for a melee weapon that, despite its problems, at least does more damage.
The parry and dodge system doesn't work consistently, frustrating players, and melee combat, which should be the core of the Space Marine experience, feels weak and lacks weight. Instead of a sense of power as you fight your way through hordes of enemies, the combat often feels like a cheap arcade game with no depth.
The Ultramarines' sense of strength is further weakened by their lack of weight in every aspect – from stepping and punching to weapon use. The shooting is monotonous, without satisfactory feedback, and the melee shots are weak, as if they were done by the Imperial Guard, and not some cool regiment, but say... Mordians.
The game's systems often work against the player: enemies can ignore staggering effects and strike back while you're still in your own attack animation. Lamas.
The mission design is generic and linear, and the enemies are repetitive and predictable. Trydanid's waves, while visually impressive, quickly become boring due to the lack of variety.
The game's lack of cover is also questionable, especially given the complexity of combat, which often forces players to avoid combat instead of confronting it. Oh, we had a cover system in Dawn of War 1.
Finally, the multiplayer and cooperative modes leave a lot of room for improvement. Insufficient content and weak weapon balance reduce the appeal, while the lack of innovation makes the game noticeably inferior compared to other modern shooters. The game, despite the impressive visuals, fails to deliver the expected depth and difficulty of the combat experience.
Tyranids, while visually impressive, quickly become boring. As the main enemies of the game, their presence gives the impression of unfulfilled potential
Vahuntingi ovih aliena, koji on paper zvuče zastrašujuće, svode on generičke "grunts" koji ponavljaju iste predvidive obrasce ponašanja.
Chaos is even worse. After a week of playing, I realized I couldn't even remember the main Chaos leader's name, which in itself is a sign of a bad story. Instead of being a threat that keeps you on the edge of your chair, they are more like dust in the apartment that you need to vacuum, but you really don't feel like it.
Chaos troopers, on the other hand, are completely disappointing. As someone who was incredibly excited to see what the Chaos Ultramarines would look like, I was met with genericity. Instead of exuding corruption, power and mayhem as they should, they look like simple reskin of enemies from any other game. The lack of variety in their design and behavior further exacerbates the situation – encounters with them do not generate any excitement or feel like an epic battle between the loyal and depraved factions of the Space Marines.
With all that, the game does not meet the basic expectations that one would have from a title at this price. There are many things missing that should be standard for a game of this caliber and theme.
Where are the bigger battles, the more complex enemies, the varied missions that explore the depths of the Warhammer universe?
Yes, you have big battles, but only visually. Most of the enemies are a graphic dud that convinces you that the enemy is there, but in reality it is not, but you are fighting against 10-20 enemies.
For the price they're asking, the game feels incomplete, with minimal content and variety to justify the investment. After finishing the campaign and a few hours in multiplayer, I felt like I paid a premium price for a half-baked product.
If you don't have friends to play with, Space Marines 2 it quickly turns into a frustrating experience due to the bots' incredibly stupid AI. Instead of being useful support, bots act like useless static NPCs, often forgetting the objective of the mission or ignoring the enemies that swarm you. Their contribution to the fight is minimal - they barely do any damage, and you often have to save them instead of making the game easier for you. Instead of feeling an epic battle side-by-side with powerful allies, you end up in chaos that feels more like a bad joke than a real challenge.
Težina games time postaje umjetno pojačana. Game nije "teška" jer zahtijeva vještinu or stwaregiju – teška je jer vas ostavlja na milost i nemilost protivnicthere is, whereas AI sugameči beskorisno lutaju bojištem. WITHituacija postaje još gora u intenzivnijim sekvencama gdje je koordinacija ključna, but botovi jednostavno ne pware tempo games.
Luckily I had two friends with the game who knew how to hit the target, otherwise I would have given up very quickly. Only then does the game show hints of what it could be - a chaotic but fun fight against hordes of tyranids. But the fact that you need real people to make the game playable points to a serious problem in campaign design.
Final impression
TL;DR: While Space Marine 2 is visually and thematically impressive, the game suffers from balance issues, repetitive content, and limited variety. The campaign is short and linear, while PvE and PvP offer too little content for long-term appeal. The game feels like a beta version, with the potential for improvements through future updates.
Long read: Space Marine 2 delivers an impressive interpretation of the Warhammer 40K universe, with flawless graphics and an atmosphere that captures the heart of what Space Marines are all about. From the monumental buildings of the Empire to the designs of the Tyranids, the game's visuals are spectacular.
The detail and dedication to the lore is 10/10, a fantastic experience.
However, beneath that shiny surface, there are problems. The campaign, while intense, is short and linear, with repetitive enemies and a combat system that often melees instead of bolters.
PvE and PvP content is sparse and quickly becomes monotonous, with class system limitations and impractical balancing. The game feels unfinished, with technical issues and a lack of variety threatening its longevity.
Despite this, Space Marines 2 manages to deliver a visually and thematically powerful experience. The game is a promising continuation of the series, but requires significant improvements to live up to its full potential. For now, this is a game for fans of the franchise, but not for a wider audience looking for more lasting value.
I just said that I regret buying the Ultimate version because I don't think I'll ever use it again.
