Space Marine 2 Preview Surfaces on Steam Deck

A Deep Dive into Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – A Steam Deck and PS5 Review in Progress

For years, many gamers anticipated Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. My own journey began with Total War: Warhammer, leading me to explore the broader 40k universe. Since then, I've enjoyed titles like Boltgun and Rogue Trader. Months ago, I briefly sampled the original Space Marine on my Steam Deck. The recent reveal of Space Marine 2 heightened my anticipation, especially given my experience with other 40k games on PC and console.

Over the past week, I've logged approximately 22 hours across my Steam Deck and PS5, leveraging cross-progression and testing online functionality. This review is ongoing for two reasons: a complete assessment requires thorough cross-platform multiplayer testing, and Focus and Saber are actively developing official Steam Deck support, slated for release by year's end.

Having witnessed Space Marine 2's impressive visuals and gameplay on the Steam Deck, and knowing cross-progression is implemented, I was eager to see how it performed. The news is mixed, and this review will cover gameplay, online co-op, visuals, PC port features, PS5 performance, and more. Screenshots with performance overlays are from my Steam Deck OLED; 16:9 screenshots are from my PS5 playthrough. Testing was conducted on Proton GE 9-9 and Proton Experimental.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third-person action shooter that's brutal, visually stunning, and incredibly fun, even for 40k newcomers. A concise tutorial introduces combat and movement mechanics before you reach the Battle Barge hub. Here, you select missions, game modes, customize your appearance, and more.

The moment-to-moment gameplay is exceptional; controls and weapons feel perfectly balanced. While ranged combat is viable, I found immense satisfaction in visceral melee combat. The executions are satisfying, and mowing down hordes of enemies before facing stronger foes is consistently engaging. The campaign is enjoyable solo or with friends in co-op, though I'm less fond of defense missions, which thankfully aren't overly prevalent here.

Playing with a friend overseas, Space Marine 2 felt like a high-budget, modern take on Xbox 360-era co-op shooters – a genre rarely seen today. It's as captivating as Earth Defense Force or Gundam Breaker 4. I hope Saber and Focus collaborate with SEGA to modernize the original game's campaign.

My Warhammer 40,000 experience primarily stems from Total War: Warhammer, Dawn of War, Boltgun, and Rogue Trader. Despite this, Space Marine 2 offers a refreshing experience and is one of my favorite co-op games in years. While it's too early to declare it my favorite 40k game, the addictive Operations mode, class variety, and steady progression keep me coming back for more.

While I haven't fully tested the game with random players, my co-op experience has been superb. I eagerly anticipate testing the online functionality with a wider player base once the game officially launches.

Visually, on both PS5 and Steam Deck, the game is a masterpiece. On PS5 in 4K mode (played on a 1440p monitor), the visuals are breathtaking. The environments are stunning, and the detail in enemy swarms, textures, and lighting is remarkable. This is further enhanced by excellent voice acting and extensive customization options, allowing for creative self-expression.

A photo mode, accessible in single-player, offers adjustments for frames, expressions, characters, FOV, and more. However, on Steam Deck with FSR 2 and lower resolutions, some effects look suboptimal. On PS5, the photo mode is exceptional.

The audio is also impressive. While the music is good, it doesn't stand out as something I'd listen to outside the game. However, the voice acting and sound design are top-tier.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PC Graphics Options

The PC port, tested on Steam Deck, offers extensive graphics options: display settings, display modes, resolution scaling, quality presets (balanced, performance, ultra-performance), resolution upscaling (TAA, FSR 2), dynamic resolution targeting, v-sync, brightness, motion blur, FPS limits, and various quality settings for textures, shadows, ambient occlusion, reflections, and more. DLSS and FSR 2 are supported at launch, with FSR 3 planned for later. I hope for future 16:10 support.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PC Control Options

The game supports keyboard and mouse, along with full controller support. Initially, PlayStation button prompts weren't displayed on Steam Deck, but disabling Steam Input resolved this. Adaptive trigger support is available, and button remapping is fully customizable. My DualSense controller worked flawlessly over Bluetooth, including adaptive triggers.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Performance

While technically playable on Steam Deck without configuration changes, performance is currently suboptimal. Even at 1280x800 with low settings and FSR 2.0 at Ultra Performance, maintaining a stable 30fps is challenging, with frequent dips into the 20s. Dynamic upscaling for a 30fps target yields similar results. The game occasionally fails to exit cleanly, requiring manual closure.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Multiplayer Impressions

Online multiplayer functions correctly on Steam Deck. Co-op sessions with a friend in Canada were smooth, aside from occasional internet-related disconnections (likely due to pre-release server instability).

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PS5 Features

In performance mode, the PS5 experience is largely excellent, though a locked 60fps isn't consistently achieved, and dynamic resolution seems to be in use. Load times are fast, and PS5 Activity Cards enhance usability. Gyro support is currently absent.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Cross-Save Progression

Cross-save progression between Steam and PS5 worked well in my pre-release testing, though a two-day cooldown period existed between syncs.

Is Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Worth It for Solo Play Only?

A definitive answer requires further testing of online matchmaking and the Eternal War (PvP) mode.

Desired Features for Future Updates

I hope future updates bring improved Steam Deck performance, HDR support, and haptic feedback.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a strong Game of the Year contender. While online multiplayer testing remains incomplete, the gameplay is superb, and the visuals and audio are exceptional. I don't recommend playing it on Steam Deck currently, but the PS5 experience is highly recommended. A final score will follow after further multiplayer testing and patch releases.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Review Score: TBA