Summary

  • Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has endured a small review-bombing campaign on Steam following its early access launch.
  • Some Steam users have taken issues with the fact that the game stealth-installs Epic Online Services and has a rather comprehensive EULA requiring players to agree to personally identifiable data collection.
  • Although Space Marine 2 hence debuted with a "Mixed" user review label on Steam, its ratings have already improved to "Mostly Positive" by September 7.

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 has been the subject of a review-bombing campaign on Steam. While the effort initially managed to mess with the game's overall user rating on Valve's storefront, Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 has already largely recovered from it.

The sequel to Relic Entertainment's 2011 third-person shooter is officially scheduled to hit the market on Monday, September 9. However, anyone who has pre-ordered one of the higher-tier editions of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 has been able to jump into the game since September 5.

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Space Marine 2 Review-Bombed Over Epic Online Services and Privacy Concerns

And while Space Marine 2 was met with largely positive reviews from critics, its initial audience reception has been somewhat more polarizing. That's reflected in the fact that the game debuted with "Mixed" user ratings on Steam, as hundreds of early adopters decided to review it negatively on Valve's storefront due to its reliance on Epic Online Services and a rather exhaustive end-user license agreement (EULA) that raised some privacy concerns. On the subject of the former, some players have taken issue with the fact that Space Marine 2 installs Epic Online Services without informing them about it. The framework itself is used by the shooter for offering cross-platform multiplayer.

The Best War Games's review of Space Marine 2's EULA suggests it is comparable to those attached to most other contemporary Saber Interactive titles, including Teardown, SnowRunner, and Expeditions: A MudRunner Game. While all of these mandate players to agree to some degree of personal data collection by publisher Focus Entertainment, none of their clauses are anything out of the ordinary compared to what the average multiplayer game requires these days. The information that players agree to have collected comprises their demographic data and in-game statistics.

Space Marine 2 Steam Reviews Improved Following Early Access Launch

The shooter's overall Steam rating improved to "Mostly Positive" as of September 7. The game currently sits at a 76% player recommendation rate on the platform, meaning it's just four percentage points short of attaining the "Positive" review label. Looking at the contents of its latest negative user reviews, the backlash against the game's EULA and stealth installation of Epic Online Services has largely died down, with most of the current player criticism being directed at some newly discovered Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 bugs.

Meanwhile, the game's critical reception has been nothing short of stellar. This is reflected in its "Strong" OpenCritic rating, derived from an 89% reviewer recommendation rate and an aggregate score of 83.

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
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Third-Person Shooter
Hack and Slash
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
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Released
September 9, 2024
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
Developer(s)
Saber Interactive
Publisher(s)
Focus Entertainment
Engine
Swarm Engine
Multiplayer
Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Your Craft is Death.

Embody the superhuman skill and brutality of a Space Marine, the greatest of the Emperor’s warriors. Hold at bay the horrors of the galaxy in epic battles on far-flung planets with your deadly abilities and devastating weaponry. Uncover dark secrets to drive back the everlasting night and prove your ultimate loyalty to humanity.

Crush the Tyranid swarms. Defend humanity.

Purge the relentless Tyranid swarms as legendary Space Marine Titus in a spectacular new campaign. Play solo or with up to 2 friends in 3 player co-op.
Enjoy intense, gory and fast-paced third-person action with hundreds of enemies on screen, from the creators of blockbuster co-op shooter World War Z.
Defend the Imperium as your own Space Marine in an endlessly brutal and replayable PvE missions up to 3 players featuring 6 classes, unlocking new skills and cosmetics.
Wage eternal war on your enemies in ferocious 6v6 PvP matches and bring glory to your faction!

Franchise
Warhammer 40K
Number of Players
1-6
Genre(s)
Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash