I quite like Warhammer. I quite like video games. Naturally, when Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was announced, my head almost exploded from the sheer hype and anticipation (Yes, I was, and still am a grown man). This was back in 2021, with the game landing in September of last year. Spoiler alert: It was, and still is, absolutely fantastic and a real treat for both fans of the franchise and new players.
With its compelling campaign mode, a bunch of repeatable PvE content and a PvP mode where you and other space marines tear chunks out of one another to prove who’s side is ‘The Stronger One™’, it felt like it had quite literally the full package. It was, to boot, all wrapped up in awe inspiring visuals, meaty sound design, carefully crafted combat and a whole load of FOR THE EMPEROR!s. On top of all this brilliance, Saber Interactive, who are the studio responsible for Space Marine 2 recently announced that Warhammer: Space Marine 3 has entered active development!
But! That was nearly a year ago now, with Space Marine 2 fast approaching its first birthday in September. Saber Interactive have been toiling away at adding incremental updates to the game in scheduled waves, with each one adding either new QoL fixes, cosmetic options and new maps, missions and enemy types. But the biggest and arguably the most anticipated update to the game dropped in July, with the long awaited Patch 8.0 or ‘Siege Update’ coming along and throwing down a brand new game-mode into the mix. Honestly? If you’d have asked me what you could have added to this game to improve upon an already great experience, I’d have said some sort of horde mode. Lo and behold, along comes Saber to answer my prayers.
So, horde modes. So hot right now, am I right? This one certainly is. Siege mode is Space Marine 2’s take on a never ending onslaught of foes for you and two of your battle brothers to lay waste to in various different ways. For those familiar, the operations mode already included in the game at launch is a three man co-op experience and siege mode is similar in that regard, as it retains the three player maximum. You’ll be fighting both of the enemy faction types, the always hungry Tyranids and mischievous heretics The Thousand Sons, both of which offer a varied challenge that will influence your style of play and what you choose to spend your upgrade points on.
Siege mode is a pretty well-refined experience by my standards. You’re given a pretty hefty amount of consumables to grab that are placed around the level you both spawn in and the ones you progress to. You’re able to complete challenges whilst playing that will reward you with small amounts of currency that go towards certain unlocks, like adding friendly NPC helpers to serve as meat shields whilst you reload or something a bit more beefy in the form of an extremely cranky Dreadnought who, even by Warhammer 40,000’s standards, unquestionably claims the title of absolute unit.
There are five waves total on each level with the fifth being the final and hardest wave of the lot, throwing quite literally every enemy type at you as well as some nasty bosses. One thing I did appreciate was the option as a party to either quit while you’re ahead and return to the hub area or progress to another level once finished with your current one.
That’s not all! As per a community update via Steam, Saber have teased some glorious surprises they’re planning on dropping as the game hits its anniversary. Patch 10 promises to introduce a new class in the form of a Techmarine, a brand new weapon and another new multiplayer mode, but they’re keeping it close to their chest.
Expect updates to follow as Saber ramps up the hype train for patch 10. I’m like a kid on Christmas with this and although it’s had its fair share of issues, most of them matchmaking related, Space Marine 2 is truly a sequel worthy of praise and I reckon it has and will continue to pique the interest of a brand new generation of Warhammer nerds.
Warhammer: Space Marine 2 is available right now on Steam, Epic Games, Xbox and PlayStation.
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