Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 review

There are plenty of solid boomer shooters. Some even envision worlds as delightfully oppressive as Warhammer 40K. But few of them feel as polished, or quicken the pulse as well as Boltgun 2. Auroch Digital understands that a hulking Space Marine should feel powerful without turning every fight into a cinch. Expectedly, the sequel gives you plenty heavy weapons, some reasonably nimble Space Marine boots, and enough enemies to make both feel indispensable.

Boltgun 2’s storyline picks up directly after the events of its predecessor. Here, Malum Caedo finds himself facing another battle against the forces of Chaos, with the fate of the Imperium caught in the balance once more. The sequel expands the conflict with some new threats and a couple of twists along the way. But largely, the story mostly serves as an excuse to send the Ultramarine charging into another horde of heretics. Sure, it’s hardly Grimdark Shakespeare, but the objective is clear enough without forcing anyone to research a pile of Warhammer codices.

The Imperium of Man’s Worst Diplomats

At the start of a campaign, you can pick from two protagonists. Caedo is an armored battering ram, using his chainsword to close the distance and shred foes, while his Obliterating Charge smash-dashes through opponents. Alternatively, Nyra Veyrath swaps durability for per speed with a Fervent Slide that can skewer a procession of adversaries with a heavy-hitting Melta Bomb is a wonderfully OP grenade. The combination of a chargeable Power Sword melee and Bolt Pistol channel the energy of DOOM’s murder-tasking as you hunt down a host of hostiles. While there’s some overlap, the rhythm of each playable differs enough to justify a second run. Sadly, You can’t switch characters during the campaign.

Largely, it’s the sensation of physical impact that really elevates the fighting. Expectedly, The Boltgun behaves and sounds like a weapon loaded with explosive ammo. Shotgun blast counter charging enemy with satisfying blunt impact better than most FPS games while your Stakethrower launches an arrow-like explosive. Both Caedo’s charge and Nyra’s slide encourage you to become a force of homicidal fury. But if you want to slow down and savor things, weapons swap quickly enough. Using the game’s weapon wheel pauses the action, allowing you to soften an armored target, eliminate lesser foes, before killing them with the finisher weapon of choice. Best of all, the sound mix sells every hit, while Mick Gordon’s track build up to an appropriately apocalyptic-sounding final confrontation.

Grimdark with all the Gibbing

Smartly, Boltgun 2 gives those guns enough room to do their thing. It still has plenty of corridors and close quarters ambushes, but a lot of encounters spill out into spacious outdoor areas. And here, picking off a distant shooter aiming a red beam at you is just as gratifying as gibbing an adjacent cultist. Similarly, there’s a respectable amount of enemy variety between the Nurgle, Khorne, and Slaanesh forces. Everything from armored adversaries, charging beasts, to darting daemons all require different approaches, requiring you to prioritize targets and seek cover as necessary.

The game’s level design keeps combat from growing tedious. You might venture and find a frozen Imperial installation, a vegetation laden-swamp, or a bustling hive city with crumbling walkways. Many of the environments flaunt verticality, hidden supplies, or other surprises with few instances of asset recycling. As such, Boltgun 2 renders Warhammer’s cruel universe in richness rather than homogeneous rooms with cultist closets. Another welcome addition is the addition of a branching campaign. While the first Boltgun’s linear campaign was undoubtedly enjoyable, here a roughly seven to eight hour playthrough won’t send you through all of the 30+ levels. Sure, there’s not much more storytelling to gleaned, but the approach supports a second, and perhaps even third playthrough.

Enjoyably, Steam Deck performance is exceptionally solid this time. The original Boltgun could chug when too many foes showed up. But thankfully, this sequel generally holds a 60 fps target at default settings. Yes, it isn’t spotless. Occasional traversal stutters and the largest fights can push performance down toward 40 fps. But it’s less of a dealbreaker than it sounds, making this a suitable candidate for portable play.

For the Emperor, and the Adrenaline

Boltgun 2 earns its place in the boomer shooter pantheon with it’s intense firefights, spacious arenas, and two different playable. The platforming sporadically interrupts the charge, and the story is little more than an order to purge. But once the next battlefield opens up, those complaints seem to recede. This is one of the best first-person shooters of the year, and an convincing argument for letting Warhammer 40,000 get loud, loose, and blissfully chaotic.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.