Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 increases the on-screen chaos by building on the technology used in the game World War Z.
Before work began on Space Marine 2, developer Saber Interactive included more zombies than I’ve ever seen on screen in its co-op shooter World War Z, which saw players mowing down hundreds of mindless enemies that literally fell on top of each other and charged at the player in waves.
In a Gamescom interview with Gamesradar+, Tim Willits, CCO of Saber Interactive, explains that “Space Marine 2” and “World War Z” are so committed to this carnage because both games share a common director (Dimitriy Grigorenko) and the same “swarm technology.”
“The swarm technology brought all these zombie hordes and then we evolved that technology with updates for World War Z,” says Willits, before explaining that the technology saw a “new evolution” in Space Marine 2. “So we’re able to create these epic battles where hundreds, maybe thousands of Tyrannids come at you in a swarm and then when they hit the breaker they start to turn around, split up and chase you.”
Warhammer’s Tyrannids not only have superior numbers, but also the intelligence that the Zombies lacked. “In World War Z, the Zombies were a bit dumb,” Willits continues. “But in Space Marine 2, when the Tyranids break loose, they’re clever, and they’re coming to get you.”
What makes things even more terrifying is the existence of an “AI Director” under the hood that “controls the swarms, controls the enemies,” and “knows about you and knows about your teammates.” Space Marines are canonically OP, but hopefully the threat of being outsmarted keeps us on our toes, because, as Willits says, “the game isn’t fun when you’re just invincible.”
“So there’s this kind of balance, and then you get overwhelmed by the heavier Tyranids or Chaos Marines that show up in combat, and then things might go badly for you, but you fight through,” says Willits. “And we’ve created this system where you can really live out this power fantasy of being a Space Marine, kicking ass, destroying Tyranids, having fun, and you can really feel like you’re the toughest, baddest Space Marine in the universe.”
Space Marine 2 was actually inspired by Doom 2016, just as the original Doom was inspired by Space Marine 1, which in turn inspired Doom 2016.
