Just under 40,000 years from now, in the 41st millennium, we might see another game as faithful to it’s source material as Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2. Obviously, I am exaggerating -a little- but in the Grimdark universe of 40k, details matter. From the design of the Battle Barge, the spacecraft that you launch your missions from, to the scripture carved into the Deathwatch’s armour, which protects them from the forces of Chaos, every element is meticulously crafted.

In Space Marine 2, you once again step into the role of Titus, a member of the Adeptus Astartes, the elite super-soldiers sworn to defend the galaxy from the Chaos seeping in from the Warp. If you’re not familiar with 40k lore, that probably raises more questions than it answers—and it would take more than one video to explain everything, after which you’d have even more questions. But we’re here to focus on this game, set in just a brief chapter of an ongoing war that has spanned millennia.

Saber Interactive, the studio behind World War Z, Teardown, and Insurgency, has done an incredible job with Space Marine 2. Compared to many AAA releases this year, it’s nearly perfect—though not without its flaws.

The Primarchs may frown upon such criticism, but sometimes discourse is necessary to strengthen our resolve against Chaos. Okay, from here on out, I’ll keep the 40k references to a minimum and focus on reviewing the game itself. Rest assured, I’ll also steer clear of spoilers, though I will touch on the story later.

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Design

To nail a game like this, you need to understand what players crave most—immersion. The feeling of truly existing in the universe, of being an 8-foot-tall Space Marine, wielding a bolter that fires 19mm GyroJet explosive rounds, with a Chainsword ready for close-quarters combat.

In 2022’s Darktide, Fatshark absolutely nailed this. They captured the oppressive atmosphere of 40k’s slums and military complexes, immersing players in the grim struggle against hordes of Chaos minions. The attention to the small details of equipment, character design, as well as the sheer scale of the environments made you feel part of the universe.

Add to that how the player and non-player characters spoke and interacted, it all worked together to make you feel as though you’re there, enacting your purpose - whatever that may be.

Saber Interactive has followed suit with Space Marine 2. From the Gothic cathedral-like ships to the thuribles burning incense to ward off the forces of Chaos, the attention to detail is staggering. There are subtle elements you wouldn’t notice unless you actively looked for them, and even larger details that could easily be missed if you were too busy looking for the aforementioned subtle ones.

As a Space Marine, the universe acknowledges your presence. Regular soldiers bow out of respect and call out when you pass by, while captains deliver morale-boosting speeches or execute deserters for cowardice. These moments add weight to the game’s world and your place in it.

The detail even extends to how you move. You don’t just feel like you’re wearing heavy power armour—you see it in your movements. Your head turns first, then your torso, and only when necessary do your legs follow. This carries over into combat too. Ranged weapons feel as powerful as they should, and when you switch to melee, you feel almost unstoppable.

Finally, the level design. Space Marine 2 isn’t an open-world game, but its levels are far from linear. Each stage has a start, an end, and objectives in between, but I never felt boxed in by invisible walls. There’s enough space to explore, with alternate routes often leading to valuable gear, rewarding your curiosity. The terrain feels real, organically guiding you to your next objective amid the destruction and chaos.

Graphics

You can’t talk about immersion without mentioning graphical fidelity, and in this regard, Space Marine 2 delivers in spades. The textures, shaders, reflections, and shadows all work together to create a visually believable and immersive experience.

However, this level of graphical quality comes at a cost. With nearly all the settings maxed out at 1080p, my 4080 Super was pulling just over 70 frames per second, even with DLSS enabled.

That said, credit where it’s due—the game’s engine maintained that framerate even during intense encounters with tens, if not hundreds, of enemies on screen. Throughout my playthrough, I didn’t notice any significant framerate dips, which is impressive considering the chaos unfolding on screen.

My only complaint here is the lack of ultrawide support at launch, but Saber Interactive has promised to address this in one of the first patches on their roadmap.

Sound and music

Complementing the graphics, the sound design in Space Marine 2 is top-notch. Spatial audio helps you pinpoint when enemies warp in nearby, giving you an edge in chaotic battles. The ambient noise doesn’t distract—it subtly reminds you of your surroundings, whether it’s guardsmen barking orders or explosions shaking the landscape.

The orchestral soundtrack fits perfectly with both the Gothic 40k aesthetic and the epic scale of the ongoing battles. It enhances the atmosphere without overwhelming the action, striking the right balance between grandeur and immersion.

All of these elements—graphics, sound, and music—come together to create a truly immersive experience that’s hard to put down. If your goal is to feel what it’s like to be a Space Marine in the 40k universe, this game delivers on all fronts.

But what if you’re unfamiliar with the 40k universe? Well, that’s where we hit a bit of a snag—but more on that in a bit.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Space Marine 2 is straightforward—you start at one point and are given an objective. Along the way, you’ll inevitably fight hordes of enemies and occasionally face off against a boss or two. While objectives may shift as the excellent story unfolds, the game rarely feels repetitive or boring, despite the sheer amount of combat.

Combat is done really well, fluidly transitioning between ranged and melee attacks, requiring you to parry or dodge as needed to keep the flow going. A perfect dodge or parry opens up enemies to a quick shot from your sidearm, keeping the combat dynamic and constantly moving.

Scattered among the swarms of enemies are bigger, tougher foes that’ll provide more of challenge for your combat skills. These enemies can block melee attacks or wear you down with ranged weapons before you get close enough to strike. When you finally deal enough damage, they get stunned for a brief period, allowing for a brutal finishing move that’s immensely satisfying.

Throughout all this your armour protects you, but once it’s depleted, your health becomes vulnerable—nothing groundbreaking here, but it works well within the 40k framework.

Before each mission, you have access to an armoury where you can choose from the weapons you’ve unlocked. No weapon is inherently better than another; they vary based on situational effectiveness and personal preference. Whether you prefer the longer-range Laz rifle or the up-close devastation of the Melta Bolter, both get the job done, just in different ways.

Weapon variety doesn’t stop there—throughout missions, you’ll come across weapons left behind by fallen brothers or stashed in drop pods, keeping things fresh on long missions. And the missions are long, often taking about an hour to complete. But this isn’t a drawback; each mission is meticulously designed to push the story forward, with plenty of new environments and details to admire along the way.

If you’re prone to interruptions while gaming and you’re worried about the length of the missions, fear not, the game saves often and allows you to quit and get back into the action again at a later stage.

One of the more thrilling aspects of gameplay is the return of jetpacks, a fan-favourite from the original game. These jetpacks allow for special aerial manoeuvres, letting you rain destruction from above in true Space Marine fashion.

However, despite all this, gameplay does have a few shortcomings.

The controls can feel clunky at times. For example, when backing away from an enemy you’re locked onto, hitting the melee button might cause your character to turn around and swing in the wrong direction. Additionally, AI companions sometimes feel oblivious to immediate threats, leaving stunned enemies alive instead of executing them when they have the chance.

The biggest disappointment, though, is that, while the combat is solid, the only thing setting it apart from a genre crowded with third person action games, is the setting. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table otherwise. Some might argue that Saber Interactive’s horde mechanic, borrowed from World War Z, adds a unique twist, but even that feels more like a visual spectacle than a true gameplay innovation.

It’s important to note, however, that this is just one shortcoming in an otherwise stellar game, and I haven’t even touched on the story yet, which is another home run. These few flaws, while occasionally frustrating, don’t detract from the overall experience.

At no point did the issues with combat or controls diminish my enjoyment of the game. However, it’s worth acknowledging them, especially if we want to understand why Space Marine 2 may be less popular among those unfamiliar or less invested in the 40k universe.

Story

Now, let’s talk about the story—don’t worry, I’ll keep things spoiler-free. Space Marine 2 continues on from the original, with you stepping back into the role of Titus. The narrative unfolds across several large missions, featuring diverse set-pieces and some of the best cutscenes I’ve seen in recent years.

Beyond the main storyline, there’s plenty of surrounding lore presented through overheard conversations, scattered data slates, and dialogues with your fellow Astartes. This method of exposition is perfect for newcomers to the 40k universe, offering background information in a natural, unobtrusive way.

It’s clear that Saber Interactive put a lot of effort into even the smallest interactions, making the world feel rich and fleshed out. These moments may seem insignificant at first, but they add flavour to the story and help immerse you further into the game.

The storytelling also reminds you that the battle rages on, even after you’ve left an area. You’ll catch glimpses of shifting battle lines, areas you once cleared now overrun with enemies, or guardsmen regrouping to form a new line of defence. The world feels alive, and rather than being the sole force driving the action, you’re part of a much larger war.

As the story progressed, I found myself increasingly captivated, eager to see where it would go next. By the time I reached the final few missions, I couldn’t put the game down. In fact, I probably missed some additional exposition because I was so focused on seeing the main story through to the end.

Difficulty

Let’s briefly touch on the difficulty levels in Space Marine 2. You have four options: Easy, Normal, Veteran, and “Angel of Death.” Each difficulty adjusts factors like healing, resource scarcity, and the aggressiveness of enemies. While Veteran is set as the intended experience, I found myself playing more on Normal. This wasn’t because I found areas too difficult, but rather because it felt more immersive for me.

As a Space Marine, you’re meant to feel like an unstoppable super soldier, and Normal difficulty nails that feeling. Smaller enemies go down after a hit or two, and a heavier attack almost guarantees they’re obliterated, while larger enemies offer a more balanced fight. On Veteran, I often found myself questioning how something could still be alive after taking what felt like a proper Astartes-level beating. This disrupted the flow of combat for me, which, in turn, affected my immersion. Of course, this is a very personal choice—your mileage may vary. After all, we each serve the Emperor in our own way.

One thing that needs to be addressed is the bots. They can be outright infuriating. The game allows you to play cooperatively with friends, and I believe this is the intended way to play, as it’s a lot more enjoyable than relying on the bots to make intelligent decisions, like prioritising key targets or using tactics effectively.

Occasionally, the game throws boss fights at you, which demand pinpoint movement and concentration. The problem is that you’re often attacked by smaller enemies at the same time, and if you ignore them, they’ll stun or interrupt you right when you need to focus on the boss. Ideally, you’d want the bots to handle these smaller threats, but they’re usually too busy mindlessly attacking the boss, or sometimes engaged in an idle animation checking their weaponry.

To make matters worse, the enemies seem to have a sixth sense for targeting you specifically, often singling you out in a crowd as the “smartest” target. This can lead to some tedious moments in combat.

My last gripe with the bots is when they stun bigger enemies, instead of executing them they simply leave them be to catch their breath and come at you again. I initially thought that this was down to the bots programming to leave executions to you, the player, but then on a few occasions I had the bots storm through hordes of enemies just to do the execution on an enemy I had worked hard to stun.

In short, if you can, grab a buddy or two to play the game with—you’ll have a much better experience.

Multiplayer

Speaking of multiplayer, Space Marine 2 was clearly designed with co-op in mind. You can play almost the entire campaign with friends, as they take on the roles of your supporting cast, and enjoy the story together from nearly start to finish—except for the introductory mission. But the real multiplayer experience comes in the form of Operations.

Operations take place alongside the main missions. In these missions, you control non-main characters with a progression system for both class levels and gear. Operations tie directly into the main story, letting you step into the shoes of supporting squads that Titus interacts with throughout the campaign. It’s a clever way to expand the narrative and adds excellent replayability. As you level up, you unlock higher difficulty tiers, which come with greater rewards.

I can’t stress enough how much fun this is with friends. While the campaign took me about 8 hours to complete, I’ve spent an additional 20 hours playing Operations, and they’re a blast. You can tackle them solo as well, there are even specific challenges designed for solo play, but I imagine the higher difficulty levels would be quite tough with bots.

Controversy

Saber Interactive deserves a lot of credit for building something incredible with Space Marine 2 but it doesn’t come without controversy, as is the case with most modern launches. I would be remiss not to mention some of the ethical shenanigans that surrounded the game’s launch. I’m talking about the fact that pre-orders of the Gold and Ultra editions were given four days of early access.

I’m generally against pre-orders, especially in the digital age where there’s no fear of your local gaming shop running out of copies on launch day. But this is a new low—treating your most devoted fans, who are willing to shell out money for your game before it’s even available, like second-class customers? It’s hard to say who is directly responsible for this decision—though I suspect the publisher, Focus Interactive—but, especially in a story-driven game like Space Marine 2, it’s something we as consumers shouldn’t stand for.

And let’s not pretend the timing was coincidental, with early access starting on a Thursday, just before the weekend, and the full release coming on Monday. It’s a clear attempt to capitalise on that weekend window, and it’s a practice I hope we see the end of soon. We’ve already seen this same tactic with World of Warcraft’s latest expansion, The War Within.

More so, what about anyone purchasing those special editions post-launch? They’re paying the same amount but getting less.

On the bright side, there’s no in-game cash shop or micro-transactions, which is a refreshing change. That said, there is a season pass for purely cosmetic DLC, but it’s optional and doesn’t affect gameplay.

Saber Interactive has released a roadmap of what’s planned for the next few seasons including some free content, like new Operations.

Options

As we start wrapping up, let’s take a look at the game’s settings. Space Marine 2 offers a variety of options to tweak the graphics according to your preferences and system specs. One thing to note is that the game defaulted to DLSS for me, but it doesn’t offer any options to adjust DLSS for quality or performance. Based on some graphical artifacts I noticed during gameplay, it seems DLSS automatically adjusts to maintain a stable framerate. Alternatively, you can opt for FSR or Temporal Anti-Aliasing—your results may vary.

In terms of sound, you’re given control over several volume sliders, as well as options for speaker configuration and dynamic range, which is particularly handy for customising the experience based on your headphone or speaker setup. You can also adjust or completely disable multiplayer voice chat if that’s your preference.

For controls, the game allows you to independently adjust camera and aiming sensitivity on the x- and y-axes, as well as invert the vertical axis if that’s your play style. If you’re not a fan of camera shake, you can reduce or turn it off entirely—a welcome feature for many. Aim assist is also available for controller users, though this might cause frustration for keyboard and mouse players in PvP modes with crossplay enabled.

If that’s you, the good news is, crossplay can be disabled in the settings, though PC players using controllers will still have access to aim assist.

You can also customise various other settings, such as enabling helmets for your Space Marines, adjusting subtitle size and language, and fine-tuning the heads-up display (HUD). I left the HUD on its default settings, which must have been well-designed since I rarely felt it was obstructing me or missing when I needed it.

When it comes to control settings, you can fully customise all the keybindings on keyboard and mouse, similarly for controllers though I’d venture most people would have their own controller configurations in this case. The one option I felt that was lacking was to reduce the number of times the game asks you to hold down a button to achieve even simple actions.

Last, but certainly not least, the accessibility options gives you some ease of use settings like always having objective markers on, or having backgrounds to your subtitles. There is also a switch for mono sound output as well as options for protanopia, deuteranopia, and tritanopia colour blind modes.

Before wrapping up, I should mention that the game starts quickly, with little to no egregious loading or unskippable title screens, apart from one “Press Any” screen which waits for you before the game signs you in. It doesn’t take long to get into the action.

There’s also an option to link a Pros account, but it’s not required. Doing so just unlocks special items via Twitch drops. Similarly, you have the option to link your Steam account to your Epic Games account, but all I can say about that is… shrug.

Conclusion

Here we are, more than 10 years after the release of the original Space Marine, a game that was beloved by Warhammer 40k fans. Before that, we assumed the universe could only be properly experienced in board game or strategic formats. Seeing the world brought to life by Relic back then was a revelation, and now Saber Interactive has gone above and beyond in crafting a worthy successor.

While I find it hard not to recommend Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 to just about anyone, I understand why it may not resonate with everyone. The Grimdark universe isn’t for everyone, and if you’re not drawn to it, there are plenty of other action games you could play. But I’ll say this—none will offer quite the same experience as Space Marine 2.