How Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Will Forge You into a Soldier in the 41st Millennium
Summary
- Creative Director Oliver Hollis on bringing galactic warfare to life in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
- The core intention from the outset has been to give players a taste of what it’s like to be a Space Marine.
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launches for Xbox Series X|S on September 9, 2024, and is available to be wish listed on the Xbox Store.
The beauty of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is that nothing is simple, nothing is clear cut, and it’s made the production of Space Marine 2 an exciting and rewarding experience. How do you make two-and-half-meter tall psycho-indoctrinated killers into relatable characters that an audience will root for? This is the type of fascinating question you’re faced with when you involve yourself in the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, and I’m here to tell you more about this exciting endeavour!
Guiding Principles
Our core intention from the outset has been to give you a taste of what it’s like to be a Space Marine. To achieve this, we need gameplay that makes you feel empowered to a level far beyond your average shooter. Everything, from weapons, abilities, and combat mechanics, to sounds and visuals, needs to be infused with the immense power of a Primaris Space Marine. An example of how we’ve handled this is the lack of a cover system in the game. Space Marines rarely use cover because their armour is so good. Typically, forward is the only direction that matters.
Our second core pillar has been to convey the sense of scale that you find in all Warhammer 40,000 literature – you’ll find yourself equipped with devastating weapons, but also at the center of a brutal battle for supremacy. The carnage you witness must embody the epic scale of Warhammer 40,000 warfare. We’re talking about conflicts that take place on a galactic level; whole solar systems consumed by war. You can already get a glimpse of this in the trailers we’ve released so far, with shots showing the sheer number of enemies, the allied forces holding them back, the massive artillery bombardments and the battles raging in all three dimensions.
Finally, we’re committed to making Space Marine 2 feel like a Warhammer 40,000 story. This means working very closely with Games Workshop, along with some of their Black Library authors, to ensure that the story is faithful to the universe from which it is born.
