Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was not the first game to adopt the Warhammer license but it was one of the first third-person shooters. It was released on a plethora of consoles in 2011, reviewed well, and it got a solid fan base. Despite this, it took over a decade to get a sequel.
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Now, at long last, fans get to enjoy Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Was the wait worth it and is it better than the original game? Those are both good questions, here's a comparison of the two games to figure out the answers. To fully dive into these games, spoilers need to be in effect.
8 The Graphics: Space Marine 2
Technology Changes In A Decade
It’s a bit obvious to state that the sequel looks a lot better graphically than the original. It’s not just the graphics though as Space Marine 2 adds more locations with greater detail. The first planet is lush with plenty of jungle life and then there is the big castle city brimming with war later on.
It truly feels like a conflict is waging on in the background. The first game doesn’t look bad especially if players check out the Anniversary Edition on Steam or even the Steam Deck but it’s also not as shiny and new as Space Marine 2.
7 The Enemies: Space Marine
Orks Win Over Tyranids Easily
While the Orks in Space Marine may not look as terrifyingly good as the Tyranids in Space Marine 2, they have more personality. They’re like The Covenant from the Halo series especially the Grunts who are constantly running away scared of Master Chief.
Every time players get on the scene in Space Marine, Orks yell out “Space Marine!” And welcome the challenge ahead. Sure, it may get repetitive for some but for others, their infectious jabs add a lot of charisma that the Tyranids sorely lack. It was a mistake not to have them in the sequel.
6 The Multiplayer Modes: Space Marine 2
A Hidden Co-Op RPG Begs Your Attention
The first game had a few basic multiplayer modes at launch followed by a co-op mode. That co-op was the basic skeleton that the developers turned into a full experience in the sequel. The co-op campaign in Space Marine 2 adds classes for players to try out with leveling up and gear sets.
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It’s the thing players should check out after they finish Space Marine 2. While the extra story isn’t as compelling as the main campaign, it does a nice job of filling in the gaps and achieves more than what the original game could.
5 The Characters: Space Marine
Titus Is A Better Lead This Time Around
Titus is the main character in both Space Marine games which may have been a bit of a surprise until he took his helmet off following the tutorial mission in Space Marine 2. There’s a lot left on the table but players can infer that a lot of bad stuff happened to Titus in between the two games.
He’s seemingly lost his faith in the Brotherhood of Ultra Marines and yet he still works for the glory of the Emperor. That’s why it seems like he doesn’t like his new crew and why he doesn’t talk much. Whine he’s not a Chatty Cathy in Space Marine, he’s at least a better character as he seems to care plus he has a good supporting cast like Veteran Sergeant Sidonus.
4 Recovery: Space Marine 2
More Ways To Heal
In both games, players can counter enemies to regain some health and armor points. While it’s technically easier to heal in the first game, the sequel has an added health-related benefit. When players die in the first game, that’s it.
When players die in Space Marine 2, they can be revived by a squad mate. This can happen during multiplayer or single-player too as the AI is pretty fast on first-aide which makes death not as prominent depending on the difficulty level chosen.
3 Equipment And Weapons: Space Marine
Going Fully Loaded Into Battle
There are a lot of downgrades when it comes to getting a loadout ready in Space Marine 2. First, in the original, players had a handgun that had infinite ammo. It was a weaker gun but it always gave players an out. Better yet, they could carry four ranged weapons at a time on top of a melee weapon like a chainsaw sword.
8 Enemies Space Marine 2 Should Add To PvE In The Future
Space Marine 2 offers up a wide variety of gruesome foes to face, but Warhammer 40,000 has plenty more enemies that would fit right in.
Space Marine 2 does have more unique weapons but players can only carry two guns at a time. There are plenty of guns lying around but players aren’t going to know what they will need in the upcoming battle until they encounter it. Do they need a sniper rifle or some type of explosive? That’s why Space Marine is better in the gear department as players will usually come onto battle prepared.
2 The Bosses: Space Marine 2
There Are Some Truly Epic Encounters
There aren’t too many epic boss encounters in the first game but Space Marine 2 is filled with bosses. One of the hardest is against a Tyranid that can turn invisible it is called Lictor and another challenging boss is a sorcerer from within the Chaos faction.
Revealing who that person is would be a spoiler as it is a later reveal. These boss encounters should prove to put players through the wringer and then some, making for memorable fights that the original game was just lacking.
1 Verdict: Space Marine 2
The Wait Was Worth It
There are things to like about both and for many, that nostalgia will have fans stick with Space Marine as the better of the two experiences. The story is simpler to follow, Titus feels more personable as a hero and as stoic as he can be, and the weapon loadout situation is great.
What the sequel does is bring some grit back into the series which is backed by graphics to make this so-called Grim Dark future feel compelling. Out of everything the sequel does better though, it’s the multiplayer that should truly sell fans especially those who love playing co-op shooters with friends.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
- Released
- September 9, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Saber Interactive
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash
