GamesThird Person ShooterWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2Space Marine 2’s game director “can’t wait” for a Warhammer dating sim, as he says to expect bolder 40K video games in the futureWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesThird Person ShooterWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2Space Marine 2’s game director “can’t wait” for a Warhammer dating sim, as he says to expect bolder 40K video games in the futureWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
In recent years, some of thebest Warhammer gameshave arrived non-stop. ThoughSpace Marine 2has been this month’s breakout hit, its spacefaring siblings Boltgun andRogue Traderwere some of my favorite games of 2023, while Total War: Warhammer 3, one of thebest strategy gamesI’ve ever played, still waves a flag for the fantasy side of the universe. Across the games I’ve already mentioned, there are two big throughlines: massive isometric RPG Rogue Trader and retro shooter Boltgun offer unique perspectives on the setting, while Warhammer 3 and Space Marine 2 show the sheer size of Games Workshop’s universes in ways that once seemed impossible.
During arecent chat with Space Marine 2’s game director, Dmitriy Grigorenko, and creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick, a large part of our conversation revolved around Space Marine 2’s technology. It was “very challenging” to make the technology behind it work, admits Grigorenko, but it’s hard to argue with the result – as I said in mySpace Marine 2review, it really does feel like you’ve stepped into an intergalactic shootout. But is this a glimpse into the future of Warhammer games?
A grimmer, darker future
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)
No level left behind(Image credit: Saber Interactive)Space Marine 2’s directors had to “fight quite a lot” for one level to be included, as some people thought the game was becoming a “40K fancy dress party”
No level left behind
(Image credit: Saber Interactive)Space Marine 2’s directors had to “fight quite a lot” for one level to be included, as some people thought the game was becoming a “40K fancy dress party”
(Image credit: Saber Interactive)
Space Marine 2’s directors had to “fight quite a lot” for one level to be included, as some people thought the game was becoming a “40K fancy dress party”
Though Space Marine 2 has only been out for a few weeks, it’s hard not to get excited at the potential on offer. It’s proof that we now have the technology to tackle 40K at a broader scope – and when I ask Grigorenko if these advances will drive bolder Warhammer adaptations, he says it “absolutely” will.
Yet the game director argues that scale has been something many Warhammer games have successfully worked around – he’s played around 100 hours of Darktide, for example, and is waiting for a Mechanicus sequel like the rest of us – and finding therightangle will always matter when telling a story in the grim, dark future.
“It’s all about what kind of game you want to make, because the universe is vast, and you can make a game out of anything,” explains Grigorenko. “I can’t wait for a dating simulator. But, I mean, I’m making a joke, but maybe someone is going to make it eventually! It’s all about, ‘what do you want to make?’ It’s not about, you know, the [technical] quality.”
(Image credit: Saber Interactive)
“There was zero reason to do that! Our programmers just did it for the sake of doing that,” he continues. “We were like ‘okay, actually, you can make a real-time strategy out of this, we can actually command those guys’' – you can do it in our engine, but we couldn’t figure out how to make it work.”
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As much as I’d love to see someone at Saber Interactive turn Space Marine 2’s horde mechanics into a top-down slaughterfest, perhaps it’s a project for another developer. I’m still holding out on Creative Assembly turning to the dark side of 40K once it’s fleshed out Warhammer 3 for all its worth, and for now, there’s always Dawn of War. Then again, perhaps Grigorenko is onto something – if there’s a studio with eyes on a grimdark dating sim, please know my wallet and heart remain open for Nurgle’s love.
Meanwhile,Space Marine 2’s creative director sees what you’re doing in Games Workshops, and he approves
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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1
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”