Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2has a great campaign and a really fun co-op experience, not to mention quite a few PvP options. Firmly set in the Warhammer universe, it’s a game that attracts those familiar and unfamiliar to the universe alike, due to its authentic representation of Warhammer and strong gameplay sensibilities.
If you’ve finished with Space Marine 2 or are looking for something of a similar vibe to play alongside it for variety’s sake, you’ve got options. Whether it’s something in the similar co-op vein, or something else set in the Warhammer universe, these games are going to be the perfect next step.
Helldivers 2 makes its fair share of headlines for having a loud player base, but that doesn’t have to detract from what is a very fun and very tongue-in-cheek game. While it doesn’t really have much of a story-driven campaign, you still feel like you’re working towards something with the community-driven, developer-led directives given to the players.
Helldivers 2 is a particularly great time with friends. Bring that same squad along from Space Marine 2 and kill some new bugs. If you get sick of killing bugs, you’re able to go kill some robots instead. Just be warned, the robots shoot back.
9Payday 3
While it had what can be lightly described as a rough launch, Payday 3 has built up from there, providing what is a fun, if a little bit limiting, co-op experience. It can be played solo, with friends, or with random matchmaking, meaning you’ve got plenty of options.
Pulling off that heist feels great; pulling off that heist in a cleaner and more efficient way the next time feels even better. Payday 3 is a game that rewards quick and outside-the-box thinking, and experimenting with different ways to do things with your squad can lead to some fun hijinks.
While very different in gameplay from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, for those wanting a bit more Warhammer in their lives, this is a great, slower-paced, and considered game.
It can also be played multiplayer, with both co-op and competitive options, and options for both one-sitting experiences and longer, we’re-going-to-be-at-this-for-weeks campaigns. There’s a lot to Total War: Warhammer 3, and it can provide some variety to Space Marine 2 without being entirely removed from it.
7 Days To Die might seem pretty distant from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and it is. But, if you’re looking to fight hordes and hordes of enemies all running at you at the same time with friends, 7 Days To Die does it like nothing else.
Because 7 Days is a survival-crafting game, you feel a lot of ownership over whatever situation you find yourself in. It might be a rather unfortunate situation that ends with you and everyone you love dead, but it’s a situation you put yourself in, because of the nature of the game. If you and your friends want a real challenge, 7 Days To Die can provide it.
Possibly the chunkiest game on the list, Destiny 2 has a humongous variety of stuff to do, and just about all of it can be done with friends, if that’s what you’re looking for. There are few co-op experiences that rival the scope of Destiny 2, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.
It also has PvP in the mix, with Destiny 2’s Crucible still going strong. Destiny 2 is a great game to play alongside something else with friends, providing a nice, consistent presence as you work through other, shorter games together.
Coming from the creators of Left 4 Dead, Back 4 Blood is a co-op experience that’s going to challenge you and your crew in all the right ways. Definitely feeling in the same thread as Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 without stepping on its toes, Back 4 Blood would be a natural next step for someone looking to fill the void.
It doesn’t have to be played with friends if you’re looking for a solo experience, though, and it does have PvP options for those looking for it. All in all, Back 4 Blood has some good replayability built into it and can be a good time for a long time.
Maybe the only game on this list rivaling Destiny 2 in regards to just how full it is of things to do, Warframe is a free-to-play game that you really do not have to spend a dime on if you don’t want to. Just about everything in it can be done with one or more friends, and there really is an ever-expanding amount of things in here.
Warframe also gives you extreme control over your characters and how they function. It has some of the most depth and complexity to its character and upgrade system of anything on the market, and for someone who loves tinkering with a build to get just a little more out of it, Warframe is going to be your jam.
Monster Hunter World (and Monster Hunter Rise) both accomplish a feat similar to Warframe, but they go about it in a very different way. The Monster Hunter games also do a great job at putting you in complete control of your build, possibly to a bit of a lesser degree than Warframe, but you arguably obtain the materials to create your build in a more engaging way in Monster Hunter.
Monster Hunter can be played solo or with friends, and sometimes friends will be very welcome indeed, because some of those monsters hit hard. Over time, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the monster you face, and it can be very satisfying to plan specifically for a monster and execute that plan of attack perfectly.
Another zombie dismember-em-up, Dead Island 2 has a lot of polish. While it might not have as much meat on the bones as some of the other games on this list, sometimes that’s not what you and your friends are looking for.
For a game that you can pick up and put down in a reasonable amount of time before moving on to the next thing, Dead Island 2 is going to be a blast. With some inventive zombies, fun weapons, and memorable characters, it’s a great game to pick up and play with your friends.
One of the most original games on this list, Deep Rock Galactic is an utter blast for anywhere between 1-4 people. Space Dwarves go into procedurally-generated caves to get the goods and try not to die to the alien monsters lurking within. What more do you need?
It’s got classes, it’s got destructible environments, and it’s got pretty much endless replayability. It’s also a game known for agenerally friendly community, which means it is a unicorn in the online gaming space.
