InWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, we play as the mighty Adeptus Astartes, the angelic-like warriors of the Imperium clad in power armor and standing feet taller than any normal person. However, they aren’t the only faction in the Warhammer universe, and the game gives us a look at some of the others, both allies and enemies.
Some of the factions get a lot of representation in the game, with whole levels dedicated to them, while others only get a brief cameo. Whichever it was, the factions presented in the game were all represented perfectly.
7Deathwatch
The Deathwatch is a chapter of the Astartes that includes veteran Space Marines, like the protagonist of the game, Titus. In the case of Titus, he was under suspicion of being a heretic, and so served the rest of his days as a member of the Deathwatch, until he was cleared of his charges at the beginning of the game.
While we only get to see the Deathwatch in the prologue tutorial mission of the campaign, they are a cool and interesting chapter of the Space Marines. The Deathwatch is the team that’s called when an impossible assignment needs to become possible.
6Eternal War Chaos Factions
The game’s premiere PvP mode, Eternal War, is a 6v6 game mode pitting Loyalist marines of the Imperium versus Heretic marines of Chaos. You can customize both your Loyalist and Heretic load-outs, depending on which team you get during matchmaking.
While this does not have any story content, as it is PvP, the ability to play as heretic legions like the Night Lords and Iron Legion is cool. The designs look great and accurate to the lore, and although it would be immersion-breaking, it would be very fun to be able to play as these heretical factions in the PvE modes as well.
5Tyranids
The Tyranids are the backdrop for the story to kick off, and without them, the game wouldn’t be the same. The Tyranids are a hive-mind race of Xenos in the Warhammer universe, and although they may appear to be mindless beasts, they are incredibly intelligent and coordinated, spreading themselves across the galaxy with alarming speed.
The game does a fantastic job of representing this iconic enemy faction of the Warhammer universe. The Tyranids are an overwhelming force, and you truly feel that while playing. They can easily overrun you, and while looking in the background of some levels in the game, you can see hordes upon hordes of the creatures bearing down on your location. The developers of this game also made aWorld War Zgame, and you can tell.
4Cadians
Besides the imposing Space Marines, the Imperium has armies of regular human soldiers. One of these groups is the Cadian Shock Troopers, known for their sharpshooting expertise and resilience.
The game does a great job of shining a light on these unsung heroes. While the Space Marines are genetically modified brutes able to tear Tyranid’s heads off with their bare hands, these are just normal soldiers fighting unspeakable horrors. Without these brave soldiers, the Imperium would not survive.
3Adeptus Mechanicus
The Tech Priests of Mars, The Adeptus Mechanicus are like the IT people of the Imperium, if the IT people worshiped machines and AI as gods instead of resetting your router. They are important and common in Warhammer lore, and seeing them here, while not a surprise, is always welcome.
They even have a fairly large presence in the story, with us having to rescue various tech priests from the oncoming swarm. We also get to see a group of them during one of the game’s Operations, as they guide us to launching a battle barge off the ground. A Warhammer game is not the same without the Adeptus Mechanicus.
2Thousand Sons of Tzeentch
In the first Space Marine game, the primary antagonist force was the Orks. This game took a different approach by using the Tyranids, but having the secret second faction be the Thousand Sons Chaos Marines was a genius move by Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive.
Tzeentch is one of the Chaos Gods of the Warp and is one that is not seen too often in the wider array of Warhammer media. Most of the time, we see Chaos Marines of Khorne, which are cool, but getting to fight the more magic and sorcery type of enemy heretics is a breath of fresh air, and provides a serious challenge for the late-game.
1Ultramarines
The poster boys of the entire game, what would the game be without the Space Marines? Not only do we play as these hulking brutes, but the game does a fantastic job of representing them, both in their capabilities, and how they’re perceived.
From a gameplay standpoint, we as the players feel the power of being a Space Marine, tearing apart enemies with chainswords and our bare fists, or popping heads from afar with a boltgun. When interacting with NPCs like the Cadians or Tech Priests, we see the awe that gets inspired in them, as the Space Marines are seen as Angels in the eyes of normal humans. Along with the customization available for your marines, this game is a Space Marine fan’s dream come true.
