Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II is a gloriously dark spectacle

I barely finished my preview from Gamescom when the review codes for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II came in. Which works just fine, as I couldn’t wait to throw myself back into the hellish landscape of the grimdark future.

After a grueling ten-plus hours in the ultraviolent campaign, my initial expectations proved true. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II is a brilliant addition to the Warhammer saga. It has its problems, and some of them are noteworthy, but for the most part, this is a solid, beautifully crafted action epic.

Everything from my preview stands. The controls, at least on the PlayStation, are rock solid. The performance mode, which aims for a steady 60fps and lesser resolution, is perfect. As a solo player, I enjoyed the offline campaign wholeheartedly. Every element of the gameplay works when the product itself knows to step aside.

What does that mean? Well, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II behaves like a free-to-play game at times. It has an ugly tendency to remind you that you could spend more money on this. Buy a gold edition for extra perks. Or even a higher-tier version for early access. Want to play with friends? You better pony up some money for PlayStation Plus, as everything beyond the offline campaign is locked, too.

In a perfect world, one that we still could have, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II would be a couch co-op game. Something you could pick up with a friend and enjoy in a long session over the weekend. Instead, it’s strictly online. This means you and your friends better buy their copies and go from there.

Look beyond these issues, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II sings. This is a deliriously wild ride, a brutal and terrifying odyssey into the future. Every aspect of it works with merciless efficiency. Whether it’s the awe-inspiring scale or hectic close quarters combat.

From the opening set piece, where you lead a doomed mission against an invading force on a jungle planet, Space Marine II hits a narrow balancing act. It’s both scary and funny at the same time.

Warhammer 40,000, after all, leans into the satire of its deeply distressing future. The stoic acceptance that all is as the emperor plans it, even as everything goes to hell, is funny because the alternative is much worse.

Then there’s the way how the material marries future tech with superstition. We recognize things like rail guns, yet their machinations here remain a mystery to their wielders. Asking questions is tantamount to heresy, after all.

You’re left with a grim determination. Nothing will stand in your way, and boy does the game deliver on this promise. It throws endless waves of impressively horrific monsters your way, and every time you emerge victorious.

When you do, it feels like a hard-earned victory. The combat rewards the power fantasy that it needs to, but it’s never overtly easy. Instead, like the tone, it balances both in a way that looks easy, but must be impossibly hard to accomplish.

The campaign, at roughly 13 hours on normal difficulty, is just the right length. It ends before the carnage becomes monotonous. Instead, you want more, and that’s where the multiplayer kicks in.

With PVP, PVE, and unlockable gear rewarded for replaying levels, Space Marine II has enough content to justify its price. Even if the campaign itself is shorter than others.

For solo players, this is a tougher sell. It’s a great game, but one that requires friends to get the most out of it. If you already have a squad ready to go, you’ll find that Space Marine II delivers everything you’d want out of a game like this.

For everyone else, wait for a sale, and experience it then on your terms. It’s still worth it. As the emperor wills it.