Fans of Warhammer 40k have faced a number of disappointments in the last few years. With games like Darktide and Rogue Trader having horrendous launches and falling short of expectations, the pressure on Saber Interactive to succeed with Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 is enormous.
This means that there is once again an expectation set on Saber with Space Marine 2 to make a game that outperforms the classic that was the first one. Creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick acknowledged that the team has been under “non-stop” pressure to find success while avoiding the problems of recent Warhammer releases.
Saber’s Efforts to Meet Expectations with Space Marine 2 Includes a Launch Delay
Hollis-Leick discussed Space Marine 2 during an interview with PCGamesN. He admitted to feeling the heat, but is positive about the game’s reception, particularly following the team’s choice to postpone the release for polishing—a move that fans applauded.
The pressure has been non-stop. It’s well known that we delayed the release of our game [to ensure it launches well]. We felt that it was critical to polish it and do as much as we can, under our control, to make it ready to rock from the moment people get their hands on it.
He explained that their choice to delay the game was from an intention to give players a consistent experience from the start. This is a common problem that many game launches have faced and Saber draws on the controversies with prior Warhammer 40k games like Darktide and Rogue Trader.
The original Space Marine, published in 2011, is still highly acclaimed by players, with over 12,000 positive Steam reviews. Hollis-Leick believes that Space Marine 2 has not only matched, but beyond, the expectations established by its predecessor.
I think that’s mitigated a lot of the concern, and I was really pleased to see fans react well to that – we were worried that they’d be very angry, but most people said ‘thank you for not releasing a broken game.
He recounted a touching moment at Gamescom 2023 when an original developer from the first game praised the sequel, noting that it had achieved everything they had hoped for but couldn’t accomplish at the time.
Space Marine 2 Has Been Set Up For Success by Saber
Space Marine 2’s melee combat system has been revamped to provide a more thought-out approach to hacking through foes which has been said to be the biggest upgrade in the sequel.
The game also has a more natural feeling of combat flow, allowing players to easily switch between melee and ranged attacks. The growing scope of the game is what allowed this change.
Space Marine 2 also includes a Helldivers 2-style PvE mode, providing a co-op experience in which players can specialize in one of six classes and contribute to Titus’ quest.
This mode offers a new level of depth and replayability so players can see the ongoing war from several angles while playing with friends.
Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 is releasing on September 9, 2024, which is the delayed launch date. Pre-orders already open and players who pre-order will receive the Macragge’s Chosen DLC, which includes unique skins and other cosmetic items.
The game will also not feature any microtransactions, a decision that Saber made to commit to delivering a complete experience.
