Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (PS5) review: The Emperor of Mankind approves

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 aims to put you right in the middle of the Imperium’s most brutal battles, and it does so with an unapologetic embrace of its own absurdity. Developer Saber Interactive doesn’t waste time on subtle storytelling or moral quandaries; this is about jumping into hulking power armour, grabbing the biggest weapon you can find, and smashing xenos into a messy pulp. If that’s your idea of fun, you’re in for a wild ride, though it's not without a few bumps along the way.

The game kicks off with a tutorial that might feel a bit slow. You’re introduced as a Deathwatch Marine, but before long, the helmet comes off, and surprise – you're actually Captain Titus, returning from the first Space Marine game way back in 2011. Yes, this is one long overdue sequel. Anyhow, the tutorial tries to do a lot at once, bombarding you with cutscenes, controls, and a barrage of lore. It can feel like you’re slogging through molasses, but the good news is, it’s only temporary. Soon enough, you’re thrust into your Primaris armour, ready to crack some skulls.

Once you’re past the early hand-holding, the game opens up into a festival of carnage. There’s not much in the way of a plot here, just a series of escalating fights against Tyranids and Chaos Space Marines. It's more like a series of combat set-pieces than a coherent story, but that doesn’t matter much when the fighting is this visceral. Melee combat is the star of the show, and you’ll find yourself gleefully swapping between a thunder hammer, chainsword, and power sword, each offering a different flavour of violence. The ranged weapons, while competent, often take a back seat to the up-close-and-personal brutality of your melee options.

The weighty feel of every swing, every shot, makes combat feel satisfying. Smashing a Tyranid’s skull with a thunder hammer or slicing through a horde with a chainsword never gets old. The heavy bolt rifle became my preferred ranged choice, but I found some of the other options less compelling. The pyreblaster is great for clearing smaller enemies, but weapons like the melta rifle and plasma incinerator felt awkward and underwhelming against bigger foes. Still, when you’re charging headfirst into combat with a jump pack and a thunder hammer, who needs a gun?

As for the enemies, the Tyranids are your primary punching bags here, and they come in all shapes and sizes. You’ve got your basic swarms, which are more annoying than dangerous, and then the bigger threats like Carnifexes and Zoanthropes that require a bit more strategy to take down. There’s a good variety in how these enemies behave, which keeps things interesting, at least for a while.

The Chaos forces that appear later, however, don’t quite pack the same punch. They provide a change of pace but aren’t as challenging or engaging. Chaos Space Marines can be tough in one-on-one fights, but without the smaller enemies swarming around them, they’re pretty easy to isolate and take down. The difficulty level dips noticeably when you’re up against Chaos compared to the relentless waves of Tyranids, which can make the latter half of the game feel less intense.

The campaign, which runs around ten hours, is a fairly straightforward affair. The levels themselves are well-crafted, with plenty of Warhammer flavour. There are lots of small details that fans will appreciate, like Mechanicus experiments and Dreadnought construction sites, but the environments are mostly just backdrops for more combat. It’s a good thing combat is fun because it’s the only thing driving you forward. The game is definitely more about spectacle than substance.

Where things get more interesting is in the multiplayer, which is where Space Marine 2 could have some legs. The co-op mode lets you team up with friends to take on various missions, and this is where the game really shines. The AI companions in single-player are functional but frustrating in boss fights, so having real people on your side makes a world of difference. The Operations missions are tough, sometimes to the point of feeling a bit unfair with AI teammates, but with friends, they’re chaotic fun.

PvP is the other side of the multiplayer coin, and it’s got potential. Eternal War, the main mode, pits teams against each other in frantic battles, and it’s where the game's combat mechanics really come to life. Saber Interactive has plans for more content, including new maps, modes, and cosmetic options, which is promising – but also feels a bit like a wait-and-see situation. Given the current state of live-service games, who knows how long those plans will hold up?

Ultimately, if you’re into the Warhammer universe and love a good power fantasy, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is definitely worth a look. It is a game that knows what it is and sticks to it. It doesn’t try to be deep or groundbreaking; it just wants you to have fun smashing things. For Warhammer fans, this is a faithful recreation of what it feels like to be a hulking Space Marine in the thick of battle. For everyone else, it might feel a bit repetitive, but it’s still a well-made, if somewhat unambitious, action game. Whether that’s enough to keep players coming back after the initial thrill wears off is the real question.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available now on PlayStation 5 (reviewed here), Xbox Series X|S and PC.