A Deep Dive into Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – A Steam Deck and PS5 Review in Progress
For years, many Warhammer fans eagerly anticipated Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. My own journey began with Total War: Warhammer, leading me to explore other titles in the franchise, including Boltgun and Rogue Trader. Intrigued, I briefly played the original Space Marine on my Steam Deck months ago. The recent reveal of Space Marine 2 heightened my anticipation, especially given my experience with the series across PC and console.
Over the past week, I've logged approximately 22 hours with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 on both my Steam Deck and PS5, leveraging cross-progression and testing online functionality. This review is ongoing for two key reasons: Firstly, a comprehensive assessment requires thorough cross-platform multiplayer and public server testing. Secondly, Focus and Saber Interactive have confirmed ongoing work on official Steam Deck support, targeting release by year's end.
Given Space Marine 2's impressive visuals and gameplay on Steam Deck, and the convenience of cross-progression, I was eager to see how it performed. The current situation presents both good and bad news, which I'll detail below, covering 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 was conducted on Proton GE 9-9 and Proton Experimental.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third-person action shooter that's brutal, visually stunning, and incredibly fun, even for newcomers to the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The tutorial is concise yet effective, introducing core combat and movement mechanics. The Battle Barge serves as your central hub, where you select missions, game modes, customize your appearance, and more.
The moment-to-moment gameplay is exceptional; controls and weapons feel perfectly balanced. While some may favor ranged combat, I found immense satisfaction in the visceral melee combat. The executions are satisfying, and mowing down hordes of enemies before facing tougher foes remains consistently engaging. The campaign is enjoyable solo or with friends in co-op, though I personally find defense missions less appealing. Fortunately, their implementation here isn't overly intrusive.
Playing with a friend overseas, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 felt like a high-budget take on the co-op shooters of the Xbox 360 era – a style rarely seen today. It captivated me much like Earth Defense Force or Gundam Breaker 4, and I hope Saber and Focus can collaborate with SEGA to modernize the original game's campaign.
My Warhammer 40,000 knowledge stems primarily from Total War: Warhammer, Dawn of War, Boltgun, and Rogue Trader. Despite this, Space Marine 2 has been a refreshing and incredibly enjoyable co-op experience. While it's too early to declare it my favorite Warhammer 40,000 game, the addictive nature of Operations mode with a friend, experimenting with classes, and progressing through missions and unlocks has me hooked.
I can't definitively assess the full game's online experience with random players yet, but my co-op experience has been outstanding. I eagerly await testing the online functionality with cross-play and cross-platform online features once the game fully launches.
Visually, on both PS5 and Steam Deck, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a stunning achievement. The 4K mode on PS5 (played on my 1440p monitor) is breathtaking. The environments are incredibly detailed, and the sheer number of enemies in swarms, combined with impressive texture work and lighting, creates a truly immersive experience. This is complemented by excellent voice acting and extensive customization options, allowing for creative self-expression.
The included photo mode (available in single-player) offers extensive controls over frames, expressions, visible characters, FOV, and more. However, on Steam Deck, some effects don't render optimally with FSR 2 and lower resolutions. The PS5 photo mode, however, is exceptional.
The soundtrack is good, though not memorable enough for repeated listening outside the game. However, the voice acting and sound design are top-tier, truly elevating the experience.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PC Graphics Options
My Steam Deck experience allows me to comment on the PC port's features. Epic Online Services are installed upon launch, but account linking isn't mandatory. The graphics options are extensive, allowing for adjustments to display mode, resolution, render resolution, quality presets (quality, balanced, performance, ultra performance), resolution upscaling (TAA or FSR 2 on Steam Deck), dynamic resolution target, v-sync, brightness, motion blur, FPS limit, and various quality settings. Four presets control texture filtering, resolution, shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections, volumetrics, effects, details, and cloth simulation.
DLSS and FSR 2 are supported at launch, with FSR 3 planned for post-launch. I anticipate significant Steam Deck performance improvements with FSR 3. I also hope for 16:10 support in a future update, as the game currently only supports 16:9.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PC Control Options
The PC port offers keyboard and mouse controls, along with full controller support. Initially, PlayStation button prompts didn't display correctly on Steam Deck, but disabling Steam Input resolved this. Adaptive trigger support is available, and disabling Steam Input revealed this option. The control settings allow for remapping keyboard and mouse bindings. My DualSense controller (Bluetooth) displayed PlayStation button prompts and even supported adaptive triggers wirelessly – a less common feature worth noting.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Performance
I experienced some initial freezing on default Proton and Experimental, but Proton GE 9-9 proved stable. While technically playable on Steam Deck without configuration changes, performance is currently suboptimal.
At 1280x800 (16:9) with the low preset and FSR 2.0 at Ultra Performance, maintaining a locked 30fps is challenging, with frequent dips into the mid-20s, and even lower during intense combat. Even at lower resolutions, frame rates fall below 30fps. This is far from ideal for a game of this nature. I hope future optimization allows for consistent 30fps performance, but it's currently unattainable in my 10 hours of playtime on my Steam Deck OLED.
Dynamic upscaling targeting 30fps with the low preset yields better results, reaching the 30s but still dropping to the low 20s. The visual quality remains good on the Deck's screen, but the game is currently too demanding for the Steam Deck. There are also occasional issues with the game not exiting correctly, requiring manual closure.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Multiplayer Impressions
Importantly, online multiplayer works flawlessly on Steam Deck. Testing with a friend in Canada yielded a smooth and enjoyable co-op experience. The only issue encountered was an internet-related disconnection, likely due to the pre-release server status. Further testing with random players and friends will be conducted upon full launch.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PS5 Features – DualSense, Activity Cards, and Performance Mode
My PS5 experience highlights the game's performance on current-gen consoles. Performance mode feels excellent, though a locked 60fps isn't consistently achieved. Dynamic resolution or upscaling seems to be in effect, as noticeable blurriness occurred during intense combat. Despite this, I'm confident in recommending Space Marine 2 on PS5, pending confirmation of cross-platform online functionality.
Load times are fast, and PS5 Activity Card support simplifies access to different modes and saves. Gyro support is currently absent on PS5.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Cross-Save Progression
Cross-progression between Steam and PS5 has worked seamlessly in my pre-release experience, though a two-day cooldown period exists between platform syncs. I've contacted Focus to confirm if this cooldown remains in the final build.
Is Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Worth It for Solo Play Only?
A definitive answer requires further testing of online matchmaking in Operations (PvE) and Eternal War (PvP) modes with random players. Eternal War remains untested at this time.
Desired Features for Future Updates and Patches
I anticipate significant post-launch support, and my primary wish is for improved Steam Deck performance and proper HDR support. The game's visuals would benefit greatly from HDR. While DualSense implementation is good, haptic feedback would be a welcome addition. The development team has confirmed haptics are not present at launch, suggesting future inclusion.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a strong Game of the Year contender. While full online testing is pending, the gameplay is superb, and the visuals and audio are outstanding across both platforms. I currently don't recommend playing on Steam Deck due to performance issues, but the PS5 experience is highly recommended. A final score will be provided after thorough multiplayer testing and post-launch patches.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Review Score: TBA
