Warhammer 40,000 video game Space Marine is getting a surprise sequel after more than a decade
SPACE MARINE!
Surprise! Warhammer 40,000 video game Space Marine - aka the best one - is finally getting a direct sequel after more than a decade.
Released in 2011, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine put players in the very heavy boots of Captain Titus as his squad of Ultramarines helped fend off an invasion of Orks and Chaos on Forge World Graia.
The PS3, Xbox 360 and PC video game was effectively Gears of Warhammer, with players controlling Titus as he blasted, sliced and stomped his way through a series of third-person shooter levels. A friend could hop in via co-op multiplayer, with a competitive mode also present.
The video game brought Games Workshop’s miniatures game faithfully to the screen, including a variety of brutal weapons and appearances from various factions of the grimdark sci-fi universe. (Which, if you needed reminding, doesn’t have any goodies.)
Its shoot-and-slash gameplay, faithfulness to 40k lore (albeit with additional chest-high walls) and visuals were warmly received, going on to become somewhat of an enduring cult classic among fans - no doubt also thanks in part to the way orks would bellow “SPACE MARINE!” every time you walked into a room.
Two Space Marine sequels were originally in the works as part of a planned trilogy, according to the game’s director, but were cancelled as the result of publisher THQ declaring bankruptcy in 2012.
Now, however, a direct sequel to Space Marine has been officially unveiled, confirming the return of Captain Titus and a new - yet familiar - foe in the form of the Tyranids.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II was revealed during The Game Awards by studio Saber Interactive - taking over from original dev Relic Entertainment - and publisher Focus Home Interactive, which announced that it was working on multiple Warhammer games in 2019.
The trailer shows pretty much everything you’d expect from a Warhammer 40k game - bolters, chainswords, pavement-cracking boots, cowering Astra Militarum and the xenomorph-like tyranids in bloody combat with the fearless blue-decked Ultramarines.
The CGI teaser ends with a very brief glimpse at gameplay, including a bit of over-the-shoulder shooting, Titus tearing through packs of enemies with swings of a chainsword, a jump pack-assisted ground slam and various environments being blown to smithereens.
There’s no release date for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II yet, although we do know it will be coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC when it arrives.