Space Marine 2

[mbar]

I think I will hold off
I thought maybe SM1 would be a good easing in and give some backstory
Well I guess the boys in the corporate office thought similarly
SM1 on steam is $60 for a game that was released in 2011- too obvious a money grab for me

75% off until the 23rd
https://store.steampowered.com/app/55150/Warhammer_40000_Space_Marine__Anniversary_Edition/

[Pete Dero]

https://www.vg247.com/warhammer-40000-space-marine-2-steam-concurrent-record-broken-official-launch

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is one of the biggest games of the year after it breaks its own Steam concurrent record.

Space Marine 2 has achieved a new peak concurrent on Steam, at 225,690 players. Considering the positive word of mouth, great critical reception, and general good vibes around the game, it was bound to break its initial Steam record.

[Jarhead0331]

As far as single player campaign content goes, its good...but not exceptional. I think it is also like any other popular IP brand, if you're into 40K, it gets bumped up in score by one or two points. So, if I'm judging it as a hack 'n slash action game, at best it gets a 7. However, as a loyal follower of the Imperial Cult and wannabe Space Marine, it gets an 8...maybe 8.5.

I just wish they did more with the down time between missions by letting the player do more aboard the Battle Barge and have a little more choice in planning for operations and deployment of assets. Some strategic layer would be absolutely awesome!

[Destraex]

I just finished the campaign and it's worth it for the cutscenes alone and the raw unadulterated 40k content. The game is like an interactive movie. I enjoyed the experience immensely.  The campaign was short but honestly, when it comes to this sort of game, I don't mind that. Because I like to enjoy the story and hit stuff but for it not to have time to become a grindfest.

I agree Jarhead that if it was not 40k content it would be mediocre, as this is a traditional tried and tested formula with nothing really new to think about and no real tactics so to speak. There is some skill to fighting and choosing weapons but I would say much less so than the first space marine game. I'd also say that even though the combat felt meaty it did not feel as meaty and the hits so impactful as the first game did.

I did note that even though the developer is based in the US that the credits seemed to suggest to me that it was likely primarily developed at one of Sabre's subsidiaries in eastern studios?

I now look forward to looking at what coop and multiplayer are like.  I'd also play this on a harder level later. I just played on medium.

[W8taminute]

When you say the story/game is mediocre, was not Space Marine 1 also the same? 

Even so, I know that the original Space Marine game was very enjoyable because it was WH40K.

[JasonPratt]

Having played the SM1 campaign some years ago, yeah I regard the story as being pretty mediocre at best. Not bad or faulty (that I recall), but nothing worthy of note.

By the way, for an arguably better game-story (than SM1) featuring a Tyrannid invasion, which (about halfway through) can be played through from other faction perspectives, I can recommend Dawn of War 2 and its sequel/expansion Chaos Rising, which finishes out the main DoW2 story. (CR is also where its diversification of factions can be played; the main DoW2 game is SM only.) Does not require any DoW1 story knowledge, though those events are referenced in-game in several ways, and the Chaos Rising expansion/sequel does finish out the first DoW1 campaign story in a big loop.

[JasonPratt]

I noticed in a lore review before SM2's release, that the recent 90s FPS action throwback Boltgun has a plot connecting back to SM1 and forward to SM2. For whatever that may be worth. 

[Destraex]

I noticed in a lore review before SM2's release, that the recent 90s FPS action throwback Boltgun has a plot connecting back to SM1 and forward to SM2. For whatever that may be worth. 

Wow. I did not know that. Bolt gun was good fun in a doom sorta way. Enjoyed that as well.

Space Marine 1 as per above had a good story snd so does Space Marine 2. I'd rather have a story that is cliche than some sort of whacky modern revisionist retcon of the lore for the sake of not repeating the same thing.