Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2: A Brutal, Beautiful, and Fun Action Shooter (Steam Deck & PS5 Review in Progress)

Many have eagerly anticipated Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 for years. My own journey began with Total War: Warhammer, leading me to explore the wider 40k universe. After enjoying titles like Boltgun and Rogue Trader, I finally delved into the original Space Marine on my Steam Deck. The recent reveal of Space Marine 2 heightened my anticipation.

Over the past week, I've logged approximately 22 hours across my Steam Deck and PS5, leveraging cross-progression and online multiplayer testing. This review is ongoing for two key reasons: a complete assessment requires thorough cross-platform multiplayer evaluation and official Steam Deck support, promised by Focus and Saber Interactive by year's end.

Space Marine 2's stunning visuals on the Steam Deck, coupled with cross-progression, piqued my interest in its handheld performance. The news is mixed, and I'll detail both aspects. This review covers gameplay, online co-op, visuals, PC port features, PS5 performance, and more. Screenshots with performance overlays are from my Steam Deck OLED; 16:9 shots are from my PS5 playthrough. Testing utilized Proton GE 9-9 and Proton Experimental.

Space Marine 2 is a third-person action shooter—brutal, visually striking, and immensely fun, even for 40k newcomers. A concise tutorial introduces combat and movement before you reach the Battle Barge hub, where missions, game modes, and cosmetics are managed.

The gameplay is exceptional. Controls and weapons feel perfectly implemented. While some might favor ranged combat, I relished the visceral melee combat and satisfying executions. The campaign is enjoyable solo or with friends in co-op, though defense missions are less engaging.

Playing with a friend overseas, Space Marine 2 felt like a high-budget, co-op shooter reminiscent of the Xbox 360 era—a style rarely seen today. Its addictive gameplay mirrors that of Earth Defense Force or Gundam Breaker 4. I hope Saber and Focus collaborate with SEGA to modernize the original game's campaign.

My 40k experience stems primarily from Total War: Warhammer, Dawn of War, Boltgun, and Rogue Trader. Space Marine 2 provides a refreshing and highly enjoyable co-op experience, potentially becoming one of my favorite co-op games in years. Whether it surpasses my other favorite 40k titles remains to be seen.

While full launch testing with random players is pending, my co-op experience has been outstanding. I eagerly await the launch of cross-platform online play.

Visually, on both PS5 (in 4K on my 1440p monitor) and Steam Deck, Space Marine 2 is impressive. The environments are beautifully rendered, and the sheer number of enemies, detailed textures, and lighting effects create a vibrant and immersive world. The voice acting and customization options further enhance the experience.

A photo mode (available in single-player) allows adjustments to frames, expressions, characters, FOV, and more. However, on the Steam Deck using FSR 2 and lower resolutions, some effects appear suboptimal. The PS5 photo mode, however, is exceptional.

The audio design is top-notch. While the music is good, it doesn't stand out as memorable outside the game context. The voice acting and sound design, however, are truly excellent.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PC Graphics Options

The PC port, tested on Steam Deck, offers extensive graphical settings: display mode, resolution, render resolution, quality presets (balanced, performance, ultra-performance), resolution upscaling (TAA, FSR 2), dynamic resolution, v-sync, brightness, motion blur, and FPS limit. Individual settings for textures, shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections, and more are also adjustable.

DLSS and FSR 2 are supported, with FSR 3 planned post-launch. 16:10 support is currently absent, hopefully added later.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PC Control Options

Keyboard and mouse controls are available, alongside full controller support. Initially, PlayStation button prompts didn't display on Steam Deck by default, but disabling Steam Input resolved this. Adaptive trigger support is present, and button remapping is possible. The DualSense controller (via Bluetooth) displays PlayStation prompts and even supports adaptive triggers wirelessly on PC.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Performance

While technically playable on Steam Deck without configuration changes, performance is currently suboptimal. Even at 1280x800 with low settings and FSR 2.0 at Ultra Performance, maintaining a locked 30fps is challenging, with frequent dips below. Dynamic upscaling aims for 30fps but still experiences drops. The game occasionally fails to exit cleanly.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Multiplayer Impressions

Online multiplayer works well on Steam Deck. Co-op sessions with a friend in Canada were smooth, aside from some internet-related disconnections (likely due to pre-release servers).

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PS5 Features

Performance mode on PS5 is generally excellent, although a locked 60fps isn't guaranteed, and dynamic resolution/upscaling seems present. Load times are fast, and PS5 Activity Card support is included. Gyro support is currently absent.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Cross-Save Progression

Cross-save progression between Steam and PS5 functioned well during the pre-release period, with a two-day cooldown between syncs. The final build's behavior remains to be seen.

Is Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Worth It for Solo Play?

A definitive answer requires further testing with random players post-launch. Eternal War (PvP) mode remains untested.

Desired Features for Future Updates

HDR support and haptic feedback are highly desirable additions.

Space Marine 2 is a strong Game of the Year contender. Gameplay is superb, and visuals and audio are excellent across platforms. While the Steam Deck experience needs improvement, the PS5 version is highly recommended. A full review with a final score will follow post-launch multiplayer testing and patches.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Review Score: TBA