For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed the first Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun game. While it might have been a little shallow and repetitive in parts, it’s an incredibly competent and fun boomer shooter.
Thankfully, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 has taken notes and kept the receipts, because even though it’s not perfect, it’s a much more varied and engaging sequel that keeps the original’s best bits, all while introducing some fun, new ideas, including a second playable protagonist.
For the Emperor!
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, much like most other Warhammer 40,000 stories and properties, immediately throws you into the thick of things. The original Boltgun protagonist, Malum Caedo (once again voiced by actor Rahuk Kohli), returns and is tasked with investigating a disturbance on an isolated planet. Your ship is shot down, which is immediately revealed to be the work of Vashtorr the Arkifane. Now on a mission for revenge, you’re tasked with taking down Vashtorr and ending his Chaos corruption once and for all.
It is definitely a straightforward tale, but it’s enough that you’ll want to tear down waves of orcs and chaos-laden enemies as a result. The major difference, or addition, if you will, is a second playable character in the Sister of Battle, Nyra Veyrath.
The story does allow these protagonists to feel somewhat interchangeable at times, but I would be lying if I said I was here for the story. If you are, though, you might want to invest in something like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
The game features 33 missions, but only 23 are playable with each character, and one playthrough takes about 8-10 hours. This obviously adds plenty of replay value, as branching missions and certain choices lead to new areas and encounters, but even then, I never felt the game wore out its welcome too soon.
Double Trouble
Malum Caedo is a Sternguard Veteran of the Ultramarines Chapter’s 1st Company, so he knows a thing or two about war. That being said, he is still a blast to play as, equipped with not only a broader arsenal of ranged and heavy weapons, but also his trusty Chainsword. It also acts like a dash, as you’re able to hold the L2 or LT to lunge towards enemies and cut them in half.
As you can imagine, Malum’s movement is much slower and more hulking compared to Nyra’s, but thanks to the verticality in most levels, he still feels agile enough to be satisfying to play as.
He is also equipped with his own special abilities, including the devastating Obliterating Charge and the ability to throw a frag grenade to help clear out larger groups of enemies. It certainly still feels like the first Boltgun for the most part, but in the best way possible. Like most boomer shooters, the action is chaotic and frequent, and even on the game’s normal difficulty setting, you’ll be tested.
The four difficulty settings on offer do add some variety, but it can get quite brutal rather quickly if you’re not confident with each character’s abilities and weapons.
Nyra Veyrath serves as the newcomer and biggest addition to Boltgun 2, and like most Sisters of Battle, she is much more agile and nimble than her Space Marine counterpart. She has access to her own unique arsenal of weapons, including the Bolt Pistol, Crossbow and Flamethrower, and wields the Power Sword instead of Malum’s Chainsword.
As fast as the action feels at times, she is certainly lighter on her feet, at the cost of less health and a lack of protective armour. This simply means you’ll need to rely more on movement in order to survive.
Nyra’s special abilities, including the Melta Bomb, in which holding the throw button slows down time, do massive damage to even the strongest of enemies. Top it off with the Power Sword slide that allows her to dash between enemies, and Nyra feels just as dangerous as Malum, even if she doesn’t have the larger amounts of health and armour that Malum does.
While the combat is definitely the focus of the experience, Boltgun 2 does scatter a fair amount of upgrades and collectibles, cleverly hidden throughout the environment. This not only encourages exploration, but generally rewards you for going off the beaten path, while adding variety and versatility to the level design. As a result, most of the missions and environments feel quite grand.
The only real gripe I have with the combat is the enemy AI, which can get a little confused at times. Some enemies simply get caught facing the other way, while some forget to fire at you altogether. In addition to this, it’s a shame the game doesn’t feature any sort of cooperative play, which feels like a missed opportunity given the two playable protagonists.
Look the Part
Much like the first Boltgun, the same retro-inspired pixel art style returns, and it looks great. While it evokes the look of an older title, it’s so incredibly sharp and detailed that it really does catch the eye. Character models, weapons, and enemies are all vibrant and consistently gorgeous, and the game also runs at an even clip.
While 60 FPS is the standard here, PS5 Pro users can take things up a notch with 120 FPS at 4K, and it all runs without a hitch.
Final Thoughts
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 feels familiar in all the right ways as far as gameplay is concerned, but really takes things up a notch with the addition of a second playable character.
This not only adds replay value through various choices and extra missions that can only be played through with one of the two protagonists, but is backed up by an array of unique weapons and abilities. If you’re a fan of boomer shooters or Warhammer 40,000 in general, this is certainly worth checking out.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Same solid combat; Slick visuals and performance; Two protagonists add plenty of replay value
Lowlights: Enemy AI can falter at times; No cooperative play
Developer: Auroch Digital
Publisher: Big Fan Games
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC
Available: Now
Review conducted on PlayStation 5 Pro with a code provided by the publisher.
Featured header image provided by the publisher.
