Space Marine II Review
With thanks to the folks at Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive I’ve been taking a look at Space Marine II. This Warhammer 40,000 adventure has arrived here on PC and Xbox, and I’ve been spending time on both platforms to bring you my Space Marine II review.
As always, you can find out here if Space Marine II is good on Xbox or PC. In addition, I’ve got my common-sense parent’s guide included with both the video and written review. If you like things a bit more bitesize, head over to Tik Tok where you’ll be able to find my review-in-a-minute very soon.
As ever, if you have any particular questions or have anything you’d like folks to know about your time with the game, add them in the comments here or on any social media platform.
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The Basics – What is Space Marine II About?
Available on: PC (Steam / Epic), Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
Price: c.£55-£90
Type: Third-person, brutal hack and slash
Download: c.65GB (PC)
In Space Marine II players once again take on the role of now-Lieutenant Demetrian Titus. Following on from the events in the 2011 original, you’ll step into his massive boots as an Ultramarine Primaris. Alongside a small squad of AI or human co-op allies, you’ll once again step into a Warhammer battlefield.
Rather than Orcs, this time players will be taking on the fearsome Tyranid xenos swarms. As well as some other enemies as the story progresses, the Tyranids provide a pretty epic enemy, with hordes often overrunning the battlefield. Players will take on the Xenos in a campaign as well as through additional PvE missions.
Space Marine II’s gameplay obviously takes a lot of inspiration from its Xbox-360-era predecessor. Happily though, as well as huge visual upgrades the combat mechanics have also been overhauled, making things a lot smoother and very engaging in the heat of battle. The straightforward controls alongside good on-screen prompts really help you to step into the shoes of an Ultramarine.
Space Marine’s PvP mode makes a welcome return in Eternal War. Players can take part in 6v6 class-based battles which may seem slow and clunky (especially compared to things like Call of Duty or Fortnite) but which I’ve had a lot of fun with. The classes really to each have their place on the battlefield, and things have been well balanced to provide a solid, if slow, third person PvP battlefield.
The new co-op mode is also worthwhile, allowing you to play with friends through the campaign as well as a set of behind-the-scenes missions. As well as a fun co-op experience, these missions provide a look at what’s happening alongside the main campaign, to allow the players to defeat enemy forces.
Is Space Marine II Safe for Children?
Rating: Adults Only.
Space Marine II is rated by PEGI at 18 and above and by the ESRB as a Mature 17+. From the outset this one is absolutely bathed in blood and gore. Alongside that, enemy design has done an incredible job of bringing Tyranids to life in all their horrific detail.
Adding online play to this cements a solid and definite Adults Only rating for Space Marine II, and it’s not one I’d even play in front of them at all.
The Run Down – My Five-Point Rating for Space Marine II
Gameplay – 4: If you enjoy the feeling of waging bloody war as a genetically elevated god among men, Space Marine II is going to be up your alley. The only niggle I have is that things are fairly repetitive after the first hour or two. In honesty though, while it’s fairly linear, the repetition manages not to get boring, and I’ve had an excellent time through all game modes.
Visuals – 5: On both PC and Xbox Series consoles, the graphics in Space Marine II are stunning. The grim dark environments have been beautifully created but especially impressive are the hordes, which are well optimised to provide a smooth experience on Xbox and PC, even with huge numbers of creatures on the screen at once. Also given that you’ll be in photo mode for hours, it’s satisfying to know that the shots you’ll get will be rewarding
Audio – 4: Marked down here for a little repetition again, but overall the sounds for Space Marine II have been well created. The original score brings an epic feel to the battlefields, and voice acting has hit the nail right on the head.
Narrative –4: Another strong showing, with a decent story for players to get into here. I especially like that the operations give a further glimpse into what’s happening behind the scenes, and things are good overall.
Replay – 5: Space Marine II has a strong start with solid gameplay and collectables which give some additional background flavour. In addition, the ability to play co-op through the story is very welcome and will add on some time. The extra operations missions and the story they provide gives more reason to jump back in on your own or with friends, and the PvP Eternal War delivers another satisfying reason to boot the game up as well.
The Verdict – Is Space Marine II Worth It?
My Pixel Bandits FOR THE EMPEROR Level for Space Marine II is a solid 9 / 10. It’s been a long time coming, but Space Marine II really provides a great successor to its Xbox-360-era forbear. Updated mechanics and new tech might not sound like much, but they definitely do provide a new, more fluid edge, while paying homage to the original.
It can’t really be ignored that missions do feel repetitive, with linear area clearance interspersed with boss characters. However, the new environments, high-quality visuals and above all enjoyable gameplay, mean that while repetitive, it hasn’t stagnated for me.
The blood effects and ultramarine ultraviolence are a bit over the top, but if you’re looking for a well-paced hack and slash in a grimdark future, Space Marine II should be top of your list.
As ever, to provide my review and common-sense parent’s guide, I received free copies of Space Marine II from the folks at Focus Entertainment.
