I was halfway through the opening level of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s campaign, unloading bolt rifle rounds alongside my two squadmates, when I found myself smiling at just how good it feels to be back in this futuristic grimdark fray. It’s been over a decade since the original, but Space Marine 2 reinvigorates the squad-based shooter series with seeming ease. The environments are varied and breathtaking, the running-and-gunning feels great, and the sense of comradeship while fighting with your team, be they bots or friends, can be exhilarating. It may not break much new ground in its genre, but it didn’t need to for me to have a blast playing through its dozen-hour campaign.
