Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun 2 Takes the Ultraviolent ‘90s FPS to the Great Outdoors | IGN Preview

Warhammer 40K was ever specified a earthy pairing with what has travel to beryllium called the "boomer shooter" – these crunchy, nostalgic celebrations of ‘90s mayhem that instrumentality notes from the likes of old-school Doom, Quake, and Rise of the Triad. The archetypal Boltgun was 1 of those team-ups that seems truthful evident successful retrospect that I was astir huffy I didn't deliberation of it myself. With Boltgun 2, the mates of levels I played amusement a tendency to germinate a spot beyond those templates, though. It inactive has the look and consciousness of each the blood-drenched classics, portion dialing up the scope and expanding the environments and quality roster.

Retroactive Continuity

Like its predecessor, Boltgun 2 brings the grimy, oppressive world of the 42nd Millennium to beingness with a readable, pixelated benignant that evokes the essence of it successful a mode that adjacent the astir hyperrealistic renditions similar Space Marine 2 conflict to match. This creation benignant conscionable works for the chunky weapons, madcap enemies, and hostile environments truthful that it doesn't consciousness similar a gimmick oregon a compromise. It feels similar undiluted 40K. And it's awesome however overmuch property and item they've packed into immoderate of these low-res heretics.

The biggest alteration this clip astir is successful the mode levels are laid out.“

The biggest alteration this clip astir is successful the mode levels are laid out. I played 2 levels acceptable connected 2 antithetic deadly worlds, and some absorption connected lengthy, semi-linear outdoor environments that impact traversing immense distances alternatively than exploring and backtracking though a azygous facility. We mightiness inactive spot immoderate of the latter, but the devs are conscious of the information that the archetypal crippled felt similar it kept you cooped up wrong excessively much.

The archetypal level is astir wholly winding earthy corridors done a jungle-covered decease world. And the forces of the Archenemy look to beryllium our main opponents this clip around, with Nurgle's cultists taking halfway signifier for this stretch. Hopping implicit elephantine histrion roots and blasting done mossy caves is decidedly a antithetic vibe, and I recovered it a small spot excessively linear successful immoderate sections. There are inactive secrets to find and a mates places wherever you mightiness person the prime of a near way oregon a close path, but the trade-off of this caller biome is that determination are respective places wherever it looks similar I should beryllium capable to blast my mode done the underbrush that are simply hard blockers.

It Takes Two

Poxwalkers and Plague Marines are a bully acceptable for this jungle trek, though, impeding the mode with damage-dealing pustules and teeming hordes of minions. Boltgun 2 has a small spot of a solid cannon feeling to it, adjacent successful the boots of the Space Marine Sternguard Malum from the archetypal game. Ranged attacks tin often beryllium shrugged disconnected successful ridiculous quantities portion adjacent the basal bolter blasts full rooms afloat of trash to bits, but getting bogged down successful melee is seemingly a destiny adjacent the Emperor can't spare 1 of his sons from.

He has a almighty complaint quality that tin blast a way done a full battalion if utilized right, and a deadly chainsword that makes him a lucifer for conscionable astir immoderate idiosyncratic foe close-up. But charging into the heavy of it and trying to combat my mode retired truly ne'er ended up being a bully idea. You privation to get in, bash immoderate damage, and get retired truthful his superhuman wellness regen – and immoderate powerups you tin gobble up – tin bash their jobs.

This benignant of tactical reasoning is adjacent much important for Boltgun 2's 2nd playable character, Nyra Veyrath, a Celestarian of the Sisters of Battle. She's little tanky but acold much mobile, which lends itself to a swift, merciless, astir manic playstyle that had maine seldom lasting inactive for much than a second. Instead of a charge, she has a descent that tin crook into a leap that doesn't person the sidesplitting powerfulness of Malum's charge, but allows her to rapidly reposition done immense groups alternatively of going astir them. Her powerfulness sword besides has a deadly lunge that further develops her relation arsenic a hit-and-run benignant of combatant who strafes astir the force flanks and wears them down.

The jungle level concludes successful a large, honeycomb-like cave with a traversable arena surrounded by deadly poison swamps, from which endless waves of Nurgle forces volition onslaught successful aggregate directions until a dropship arrives. It's tense, tricky, and tactical. But Malum and Nyra won't beryllium alone, since affable Imperial Guardsmen from the Death Korps of Krieg amusement up to, well, bash what guardsmen bash and enactment arsenic quality shields for the astir part. I'm giving them a hard time, but this tin beryllium precise helpful. Like I said, getting surrounded is astir apt the worst happening that tin hap to you successful Boltgun 2. So having a blob of friendlies successful a pinch tin springiness you much options to reposition for a renewed attack.

They don't bash a batch of damage, truthful they surely aren't going to triumph the conflict for you. And they instrumentality afloat affable fire, truthful you're astir apt going to extremity up putting a clump of their names connected a plaque yourself. But I similar however they make the consciousness of a larger subject cognition taking spot astir us. I would person astir apt expected Catachans for this peculiar mission, but they didn't person caller models successful the tabletop crippled precocious and I'm definite Games Workshop wants to merchantability much Krieg.

Cold arsenic Ice

The 2nd ngo I played takes spot successful melodramatic frozen canyons connected an icy satellite strewn with Imperial ruins. This creates a premix of earthy and artificial environments and doesn't consciousness rather arsenic aggressively linear arsenic the erstwhile one. This time, Khorne's bloody-handed forces are the main opponents, mostly rushing you down similar the past 11th Edition rulebook astatine the section crippled store. Nurgle has immoderate absorbing tactics. These dudes mostly conscionable person anger.

By now, my arsenal was acceptable to lucifer them, though. And each the guns successful Boltgun 2 consciousness beauteous fantastic. Even Malum's bolter and Nyra's bolt pistol deed with the devastating unit 40K lore would suggest they should, making abbreviated enactment of adjacent immoderate of the tankiest enemies. These aren't the weapons you autumn backmost connected erstwhile you're retired of ammo for everything other – they're afloat respectable tools successful the kit that tin cleanable up, particularly astatine mid-range.

For erstwhile you truly conscionable request thing large to die, Malum gets an armor-shredding plasma weapon and Nyra gets a long-range crossbow. Both person a overmuch slower complaint of occurrence but deed similar an orbital laser, which rewards being thoughtful and precise adjacent amidst each the chaos and carnage. For peculiar occasions, Malum brings a dense bolter that requires a spot of a wind-up but beauteous overmuch deletes thing you constituent it at. And Nyra gets a wicked flamer that tin simply pain a way of slag done everything wrong abbreviated to mean range. It's particularly satisfying to exterminate Nurgle's disgusting minions with this thing.

All the guns successful Boltgun 2 consciousness beauteous fantastic.“

The crystal level besides features immoderate occupied bunkers that tin either beryllium assaulted astatine region oregon infiltrated for immoderate close-quarters action, which was a bully alteration successful texture compared to the wood level. There are immoderate secrets to beryllium recovered that required a just spot of precise question and jumping, which I had a bully clip with. And these frantic sections bidding you lone to "PURGE" supply aggravated crescendos to the rising enactment that tested each of my skills and drained my ammo, encouraging maine to usage each of the antithetic weapons disposable to maine successful their earthy roles.

I've lone played a mates hours of Boltgun 2, blasting done the 45-minute demo arsenic some playable characters, but I've had a rousing clip with it. Both characters consciousness antithetic and breathtaking with punchy and satisfying weapons. The caller level designs – peculiarly the icy 1 – person maine intrigued to spot what other they've cooked up. It's inactive precise overmuch what I'd expect erstwhile you accidental "Warhammer 40K" and "boomer shooter." But that remains a glorious combination.

Leana Hafer is simply a contributing freelancer for IGN with a specialty successful RPGs, strategy, horror, and endurance games. She has been reviewing video games professionally since 2010 and is 1 of IGN's astir prolific contributors, with much than 100 reviews published. You tin besides find her enactment connected sites similar PC Gamer and PCGamesN.