Fighting as a Space Marine in the Warhammer 40k universe is daunting. Powerful aliens threaten humanity and the Space Marines are the best humanity has to offer. Against swarms of Tyranids, humanity is slowly getting pushed back on two planets. It’s up to you to lead a squad and fight back the alien threat. While fighting in the war, you’ll uncover a dangerous plot that could threaten the future of the Space Marines.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a tough third-person shooter hack-and-slash adventure where you fight in a squad. Enemies ambush you from all directions and you must be alert at all times. The action is engaging, thrilling, and gory at the same time. None of your adventures are a walk in the park and this can make things difficult. But if you are willing to stay and practice, there’s an exciting adventure filled with combat that tests your reflexes.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 puts you in the shoes of Titus, a Space Marine who is grievously injured. After being patched up, he is brought back into a war against the Tyranids. Titus must use his experience to regain a foothold for humanity while working to uncover a nefarious plot. Working with a new team, he must continually battle against threats to humanity no matter where they come from.

You don’t need to play the previous entry to be familiar with the story. However, this narrative can be confusing if you aren’t familiar with Warhammer lore. The importance of the Space Marines, what Chaos is, and the general setting quickly pass you by. There isn’t an in-game glossary to help you out and there’s little time to comprehend everything. Playing through the general campaign can be difficult if you don’t truly understand what is happening.

Fortunately, the general direction of the plot is easy to understand. You may not know who the Space Marines are, but you can quickly tell they are revered. Tyranids are creatures that take orders from a hive mind and have various forms. Applying typical sci-fi tropes helps you understand the story even if the finer details are unclear. But you do miss out on the intricacies of the game if you aren’t up-to-date on the lore.

Even if the story can be a little bit confusing, the areas you visit are great to look at. External environments are breathtaking while internal locations are futuristic and detailed. You may not get a chance to truly appreciate the environment during combat, but it’s noticeable as you move through locations. These amazing environments are filled with the scars of battle, making you feel like you are walking through dangerous locations. Every battle is bloody and full of gore, whether it’s exploding enemies or those suffering the effects of a gruesome takedown. It serves to hammer in the horrors of battle and that Space Marines are not kind protectors. They will do whatever it takes to bring down their enemies, even if it involves dismemberment and execution.

Every character involved in the story has a unique design sometimes ravaged by the fires of war. There’s a strong personality behind those designs helping you get attached to the cast. That makes every loss feel personal and every interaction feels like a genuine conversation. You don’t feel like you are listening to a group of soldiers talking about how tough war is. Instead, you hear a character’s overconfidence, pain, or whatever is going on during a scene.

The gameplay is a combination of shooter and hack-and-slash but requires teamwork to shine. You fight enemies in a team of three Space Marines throughout a single objective. Your teammates will be other players or bots if no one is on the server at the moment. Gameplay consists of your team going through a linear map while fighting off enemies. You use close-range and long-range combat to take down enemies while trying to achieve your objectives.

Combat is fast-paced and exciting, with many enemies to test your skills. The tutorial is detailed and gives you several opportunities to practice. Enemies are easy at first, but gradually use pack tactics and ambushes to overwhelm you. You must remember everything you learned while slowly obtaining new weaponry to overcome your enemies. The situation shifts rapidly and you won’t succeed if you aren’t paying attention.

You get a melee weapon, a primary ranged weapon, and a secondary ranged weapon to fight your enemies. Finding different battle stations allows you to switch weapons depending on the needs of the battlefield. Sometimes new forms of equipment such as flight-capable armours let you traverse the area and open up new combat options. The flexibility to choose your own playstyle is one of the game’s greatest strengths, letting you decide how your Space Marine fights.

Unlike some games that emphasise one form of combat over the other, melee and ranged combat are balanced. The Tyranids are effective melee fighters but also excellent snipers. You must fight over great distances and be ready to switch to close combat at a moment’s notice. Capturing that balance isn’t easy and that’s what makes combat special. You must learn how to use your guns properly and figure out what melee combos are available to you. Otherwise, it’s tough to gain any advantage over your enemies.

Once you’ve completed the campaign, there are additional missions you can take on that are tangentially related. These missions are Operations and Eternal War. Operations involve regular Space Marines going on missions that happen concurrently with the campaign. However, they include different classes and playstyles along with a skill tree and currency. Eternal War is a PvP environment where you can test your skills against other players. Both game modes provide a break from the campaign in case you are looking for some more content.

Operations give you a chance to test different classes of Space Marines, such as those oriented purely for melee or ranged combat. Instead of progressing with Titus who remains a balanced fighter, you can try new playstyles and experiment to your heart’s desire. Eternal War lets you bring those skills against other players who may or may not be ready for you. While both Operations and Eternal War have similar gameplay, there’s enough variety to prevent the main game from becoming stale too quickly.

While it’s great to have a challenge, this game can be punishing even in the early levels. It’s easy to get overwhelmed even if allies are supporting you. Larger enemies take more time and focus to defeat but smaller enemies still swarm you. The missions are not impossible but it definitely feels like a grind at times. It’s great for immersive purposes as you see how even powerful Space Marines can be defeated in combat. But if you aren’t used to great difficulty, this could be a tough game to get attached to.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 takes some inspiration from games like Bloodborne. There’s a risk-reward mechanic for gaining health back after enemies attack you. This makes you consider pressing the assault or falling back to get support from your allies. Enemies also attack from every conceivable direction forcing you to dodge or parry to stay safe. Every item you find must be utilised properly or you will struggle.

Unlike a Souls-like game, it’s unlikely you can fend off all the enemies by yourself. Your allies are also incredible fighting machines who assist you when things get tough. While you shouldn’t be too dependent on your teammates, their aid makes a difference when enemies put you in a tight spot. Nothing shows you the teamwork of the Space Marines when an ally frees you from the grasp of an enemy.

If you can’t fight with other players for whatever reason, bots join in to take their place. Bots aren’t inherently bad but they don’t fully capture the camaraderie of the Space Marines. There are times when they provide excellent cover fire and pull you back from a mortal injury. Other times they are happy to let you suffer in an enemy’s grasp or abandon you for another position. This inconsistency sometimes increases the difficulty because you aren’t sure you can rely on your allies.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 accurately presents the challenges of intergalactic war for better or worse. It’s brutal, painful, and overwhelming even in the best of times. But if you persevere and work with your allies, you won’t find a better hack-and-slash experience. Fighting for your life, working with a team, and eventually succeeding is one of the best feelings ever. That sensation is expertly captured by this game and few things come close.