While the story ofWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2can be enjoyed without playing its predecessors, it helps to flesh out the gravity ofSpace Marine’s plot. While the originalSpace Marineis an obvious predecessor to the sequel,there’s another Warhammer title that fits directly in between the events of both game’s storylines. Having barely survived fending off the hordes of Chaos and Greenskinned Orks, someone had to come back to clean up the mess Titus left behind.
WhileSpace Marien 2has plenty of content to keep players enticed, there’s something special about the classic Daemon-blasting gameplay of old.Slaying endless hordes of Chaos is something that fits right into the gameplay styles of theboomer shooter revivalof the modern era, taking advantage of over-the-top weaponry and fast-paced action that translates well into 40k. ForSpace Marine 2fans wanting to expand into the world of Warhammer 40k, this retro-styled shooter is a fantastic option.
The Warhammer 40k: Boltgun Experience
A Classic Formula That Pairs Excellently With The World Of 40k
Released in 2023,Warhammer 40,000: Boltgunis a direct sequel to the events of the originalSpace Marinefrom 2011, as it follows the protagonist finishing Titus' original mission.Warhammer 40K: Boltgun’s gameplayitself is a mix of the classic Doom art style mixed with the updated gaming features of more recent shooter games, with the protagonist clearing out hordes of Chaos Daemons. Players can use a wide array of unique weapons to obliterate enemies into red mist with great prejudice.
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Aside from the novelty of blasting iconic Warhammer enemies in Doom’s art style, the gameplay itself is incredibly satisfying to experience. Rewarding high mobility and quick reaction times,the visceral combat is best enjoyed when players swap between their growing inventory of devastating weaponry.Boltgunhas also received several updates that add more content, DLC, and game modes to keep the action going, giving players a taste of every Chaos God’s minions.
How Boltgun Connects To Space Marine 2’s Story
The Much-Needed Story Behind Space Marine’s Alien Artifact
Picking up directly after the events ofSpace Marine1,the story ofBoltgunfollows the Ultramarine Malum Caedo on a one-man mission to locate a lost shard ofSpace Marine 2’s vital artifact. With the Forge World Graia having been torn apart by Xenos, Chaos, and cultists alike,Malum acts as a one-man army to tear through hordes of heretics in search of the ancient Power Source. Battling the different rough locations of fortified bastions, snowy mountaintops, to rocky canyons, Malum must scour the planet while executing anything that gets in his way.
Boltgunstill manages to set up an interesting plotline with nuance worthy of the franchise.
While the story isn’t necessary to understand theSpace Marinestoryline,Boltgunadds some useful background to the history of the powerful artifact and why it is of such interest to themysterious Adeptus Mechanicus. Given the nature ofBoltgun’s action-packed gameplay, there’s not as much room for story elements as a cutscene-filled 3D action game likeSpace Marine 2,butBoltgunstill manages to set up an interesting plotline with nuance worthy of the franchise. Ultimately, the Mechanicus attempts to understand and experiment with the ancient artifact that causes many of the tragic events in the franchise.
While the Adeptus Mechanicus has the best intentions at heart,Boltgunshows just how dangerous their machinations can be when left unchecked, providing players a glimpse into the horrors that await them inWarhammer 40K:Space Marine 2.
