“The pressure doesn’t stop” for Space Marine 2 after several 40,000 disappointments

The virtual world of Warhammer is a bit strange at the moment. With Darktide’s reputation never fully recovering from its rocky launch, Rogue Trader being solid if unspectacular, and Realms of Ruin struggling both commercially and critically, Games Workshop’s recent virtual efforts – perhaps being with the exception of Boltgun – have not always lived up to expectations. Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2however, is THE exit – the one that all heretical and Imperial loyalists have been waiting for. As we get closer and closer to launch, I ask creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick if the team is feeling the pressure and if they’re confident enough that Space Marine 2 will escape the shadow of its well-received predecessor. -love.

After all, the original Space Marine is one of the best Warhammer 40k games ever made. The perfect blend of hacking, slashing, history and good old fashioned fun, it sits alongside The Emperor alongside Dawn of War and, my favorite, Vermintide.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 therefore certainly has a legacy to live up to, compounded by the buggy launches of Darktide and Rogue Trader and the poor performance of Age of Sigmar – Realms of Ruin. I ask if the franchise’s virtual wobbles have added pressure on the team, which is arguably already under pressure given that this is indeed Space Marine 2.

“The pressure hasn’t stopped,” he told me. “It is well known that we delayed the release of our game (to ensure a good launch). We felt it was essential to polish it and do everything we can, within our control, to make it ready to go the moment people get their hands on it. I think that alleviated a lot of the worry, and I was really happy to see the fans react well to it – we were afraid they would be very angry, but most people were like “thanks for not release a broken game”.

Sylvain Le Roux, senior brand director at Focus Entertainment, also notes that, echoing Hollis-Leick’s words in an earlier video, “there is no greater pressure than the one we put on ourselves.” .

Much of this stress undoubtedly comes from the Space Marine’s original heritage. With over 12,000 reviews on Steam and an average rating of 92%, Sega and Relic’s interstellar adventure is undoubtedly the quintessential Warhammer 40k game for much of the community.

But this is Space Marine 2, and it’s not 2011 anymore. I ask Hollis-Leick how the team innovated on the original game while retaining the sparkle that made it so great. It’s a question that makes you smile.

“I have a great story about that,” he told me. “When we were at Gamescom (2023), I was away from the booth and I came back and was told I had a visitor. Turns out one of the original developers of the original game had come to the booth to see if he could take a look. We chatted for a bit and then he played the game and he was absolutely deadly – he put it on the hardest difficulty and he shredded the enemy.

“He stood out and he said to me, ‘You really took him to where we wanted to be able to take him.’ You did all the things we wanted to do, but couldn’t. Of course, that was great to hear because that was our intention.

When I ask him what the biggest differences are between the two, he replies: “I feel like our version makes melee combat against enemies feel better. We have a more swarm-based approach because of the Tyranids, so we had to develop a melee system that’s less hack and slash and more (a system that) creates a route and cuts a path through all these enemies.

“We also have these great reaction shots where you can cut through enemies, then immediately pull out your sidearm, take out a guy here, and then go right back to your chainsword; it’s this really nice fluid system of melee and distance set up. I feel like our combat system is really next level.

“When it came to the scale of the first game, they pulled out all the stops to try and make that scale epic. I feel like we’ve gone a lot further in this area – we have the advantage of new technology, but the level of detail (is incredible). Our artists are absolutely obsessed with this license.

“I think we’ve created a more vibrant and epic version of the Warhammer universe, and we also have more exciting and satisfying combat mechanics.”

As announced during Warhammer Skulls 2024, Space Marine 2 benefits from a Helldivers 2-style PvE mode, which we asked Hollis-Leick about. Additionally, pre-orders are now officially open, meaning you can grab the game early, along with a host of cosmetics.

While we wait for the Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 release date, we’ve got a look at all the best new PC games to play right now.

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