Space Marine 2 Is Missing Out by Not Making This Faction Playable in PVE

Space Marine 2 was lauded as one of the best co-op games of 2024, which is a lot considering it went up against Helldivers 2. Ever since, Saber has supported the game with regular updates, adding new PVE missions and a PVP map, but the small scale of these updates has meant the game’s community has dwindled. This is why Space Marine 2 needs to bring out something big, like a whole other faction.

There has been a lot of talk about why having more factions would be great for enemy variety, such as adding Necrons to Space Marine 2, though there is one other way that Saber can change the PVE experience. To really entice players to come back, Saber should let people play as more than just the Emperor’s Finest, letting them pick their dark kin.

Related

Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2: Operation Exfiltration Walkthrough

Space Marine 2’s Extraction Operation will challenge players to the desert world of Avarax, where a dreaded Trygon boss fight halts their escape.

Space Marine 2 Should Make Chaos Space Marines Playable in PVE

It can feel all very righteous spreading the word of the Emperor to foul xenos and corrupt Tzeentchian cultists, but sometimes the whispers of the Dark Gods are just too good to pass up. So would the chance to play as Chaos in Space Marine 2’s Operations.

Chaos Space Marines are the antithesis to the Emperor’s Angels of Death. Twisted, warp-fuelled, and often millennia older than their loyalist brothers, Chaos Space Marines show what happens when a warrior conditioned to fight forever for an uncaring regime has realized they are nothing but a pawn performing a thankless task. Whether it is by questioning the Imperium, or a simple desire for power above all else, these are demigods with the means and motivation to wreak havoc in the service of new masters who can promise them everything.

It is no surprise, then, that adding Chaos as a playable faction is such a hotly requested thing for Saber to do. The current loyalist classes are great, but the sheer variety that is left on the table by not having Chaos feels like the game is missing something. While its PVE mode was significantly smaller than Space Marine 2’s, the first game had Chaos-specific PVE maps, with unique enemies to fight like Killa Kans and loyalist Space Marines. But this time, Saber should go further, and also give Chaos its own factional identity to go with new missions.

Chaos Space Marines Would Have Their Own Weapons and Unique Perks

Chaos would be a great chance for Saber to play with some really fun ideas. Using the current classes as a base, like they are for Chaos Space Marines in PVP, there’s so much room to create really fun new perks that suit the Chaos identity. They could emphasize team synergy perks for loyalist classes, but reward Chaos players with selfish perks – for example, instead of a perk that increases headshot damage for everyone, a Chaos Marine could progressively increase their headshot damage, but have the multiplier reset whenever they get a body shot.

Chaos perks have the chance to be more wild too. Saber is showing it isn’t afraid to risk unbalancing PVE for the sake of fun, and Chaos should be the ultimate expression of that. Let an Alpha Legion operative temporarily turn enemies into allies, or a Death Guard Bulwark spread disease through banner auras. If a Sorcerer class were added, there could be an entire specialization built around summoning and maintaining daemonic allies.

Weapon perks could get a similar treatment, incentivizing aggression and rewarding a player who plays to the class’ strengths. Chainswords could reward a high kill-count player with small bumps of health, while Multi-Meltas could refill the magazine on killing an Extremis enemy or above. Saber could lean into 40K daemon weapons, making perks that empower weapons with powerful passive traits, but with a trade-off that they can rebel and stagger the wielder if they are not satisfied.

Related

8 Planets That Would Be Perfect For Warhammer 40k Space Marine 3

With Space Marine 3 in development, there are a couple of great planets fans might hope to see featured in the next game.

Chaos Space Marines Could Get Their Own PVE Missions

Chaos missions would be a great excuse for Saber to show a different side of the game. Players could support the invasion of Demerium, or just be scavenging in the aftermath of the Thousand Sons. There is no reason why Chaos couldn’t be slotted into the game’s current mission structure, but it would require a few rewrites, and having their own, bespoke missions would be cool for variety. Hopefully, these could be added in large updates before a Space Marine 3 release.

Chaos missions would be great for expanding the storytelling. The early missions, when the Thousand Sons are succeeding in the campaign, could demonstrate the weakness of the Imperium of Mankind. When the Thousand Sons get beaten, it could show the precarious situation the Chaos Marines find themselves in, forced to survive on scraps, fleeing for the nearest ship off the planet. Saber could lean into the diversity of Chaos, showing different cults making a home in the anarchy of burning worlds, melding warp with realspace.

It would also let Saber repurpose factions from the campaign. Loyalist Space Marines and Imperial Guard would be an enemy now, and they could play so differently from anything else. Scores of Guardsmen would distract teams, letting any heavy weapon teams or Imperial Guard Leman Russ rain fire from a distance. Space Marine 2 hasn’t included tanks in the game yet, which the Imperial Guard are all about, so it would be a challenge unique to Chaos missions that makes them feel special.

Loyalist Space Marines have a lot of potential as enemies. They could represent a significantly tougher foe, maybe only a few for every hundred Guardsmen. Quick to adapt, shooting auspex scans at players, and generally keeping the surrounding soldiers from fleeing, Space Marines would be almost the equal of players, showing the impact the Emperor’s Angels have that does justice to their lore.

New PVE Missions Would Be an Excuse to Add More Chaos Customization

Chaos has also been missing cosmetic options since launch. Space Marine 2 leaked Chaos customization several times over the past few months, and PVE missions would be a great excuse for Saber to fully develop it. There is so much more that could be done with Chaos, so hopefully some more substantial updates in the future can change this.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

9/10

Released

September 9, 2024

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence

Publisher(s)

Focus Entertainment

Engine

Swarm Engine