Summary
There is no argument that the universe and lore ofWarhammer 40kare massive, a wormhole of factions and ancient to modern history one can easily find themselves lost in.Where to startis an easy question to ask, but not so easy to answer. The original miniature wargame? Perhaps, but just to get started requires a lot of rule reading and more than likely, a fair bit of trial and error, which can be very time-consuming and puts many prospective players off. Then there are the many (many!) RTS video game adaptions of the franchise, which in a sense simplify things as the rules and setup are already there and in place but the world and lore are often an ocean of information which the player is dropped in the middle of.
There are, however, also a few video game adaptions in the action genre. The player is given a single character to play, placed in a faction (usually denoted as the “good” faction of the game’s story), and pointed towards an enemy faction for whom the only option is death. Negotiations are something of a lost art in theWarhammeruniverse. Sadly, most of these simpler entries to the franchise are either quite dated or take place within an extremely specific setting that does not grant much access to the external factions and (lore), such asNecromunda: Hired Gun. Thankfully,Space Marine 2is here to help.
5It Shows The Space Marines Are Tough But Not Invincible
It Helps To Understand Their Place In The Universe
In the early stages,Space Marine 2does a good job of showing the Space Marines to be deadly tanks that can dish out death like a meat buffet but it also demonstrates that they arenot invulnerable. Squad mates are heard over the radio giving their all in brutal final stands against the Tyranids and when the player comes across them there is inevitably a pile of corpses around their fallen comrades.
It also sets up the increasing enemy difficulty with cinematic moments that introduce theseharder foesto the player just as they finish ripping through fellow, less fortunate, Space Marines. Some early dialogue from one of the main squad mates, Gadriel, around his disbelief that one of his brothers could have fallen to the verminous xenos, is contrasted well against the attitude of the hardened veteran Titus and his greater awareness of just how deadly these foes can be.
4It Displays The Epic Proportions Of Warhammer
From Flora Underfoot To Gargantuan Ships Above, It’s All Stunning
The surface of a frozen lake in Winter. The last leaf falling in the autumn breeze. Standing under the clear summer sky, absorbing the long-awaited rays of the sun. An eight-foot man encased in metal wading through the guts of his enemies. In spring.
Some things just need to be experienced to be truly appreciated. Some experiences are better (and healthier) to experience virtually.Space Marine 2presents a truly detailed world, from small things such as the scroll of the creed attached to Titus’s armor to the epic scenes of battle, there is always something to look at.
It’s A Fitting Adaption For The Two Armies
The simple gameplay setup is befitting for newcomers to theWarhammeruniverse. It illustrates how the two primary armies on show, the Space Marines and the Tyranids, function in the universe - and the game they are adapting from - without the necessary knowledge to use these units to best effect, which helps greatly in other video game adaptions ofWarhammerwithRTS-focused gameplay.
Whilst the game is full of lore and details for those in the know, it is generally kept in the background, while the main story moves on ahead dealing with the characters and knowledge that has been explicitly placed front and center of the player’s experience.
2It Keeps The Story Simple
Yet It Is Full Of Details
Factions are introduced with a timely pacing.Warhammeris a big universe with alot of lore, many factions, truths, and untruths, and, overall, it is a daunting franchise to know where to start.Space Marine 2, despite being a sequel to a game over a decade old, masterfully handles its place as a jumping-in point and also being part of a longstanding universe steeped in details.
It keeps the setup simple and understandable for anyone. Yet even by the end of the first mission, there are plenty of elements that could attract the attention of a newcomer for further investigation. Some of these are interrogated within the main story and character relationships and others are background details. Intermingled through set dressing and storytelling, which it leaves to the agency of the player to investigate further, should they find themselves intrigued enough to do so.
1It Nails The Atmosphere
It’s Grim, It’s Dark, But Most Importantly, It’s Fun
Essentially, it is the amalgamation of everything: aesthetic, soundtrack, gameplay, dialogue, tidbits of lore. All of this and more are absolutely nailed and really get across the atmosphere of the universe. By doing this within its own relativelycontained storyit allows newcomers to experience what it is that draws players intoWarhammer, whilst also creating a yearning for more.
It’s a grim world but certainly not without the fun self-awareness that it is a game, there to entertain and provide plenty of things to make its players' eyes light up as yet another design right off the cover of a heavy metal album is revealed or the next awesome set piece appears.
