Summary
- Space Marine 2 update includes Horde Mode and new skins, but the Assault skins has raised some questions.
- Players cannot customize Champion skins, leading to frustration with the limitations placed by Saber Interactive.
- Saber's adherence to locking down some cosmetic options in Space Marine 2 may push players to rely on mods for desired customization.
Space Marine 2’s Siege Mode update is right around the corner, bringing with it the long-awaited Horde Mode as well as some new cosmetic skins. While it is the free PVE addition that has got most players excited, there has been some discussion around the choices Saber made regarding the chapter packs releasing with update 8.0, the White Scars Champion and the Blood Angels Chapter Pack.
This update sees the Assault class get its first bespoke Champion skin, but it wasn’t Blood Angel-themed as many players had expected. Instead, it’s locked to White Scars, and that has annoyed some players who were hoping that the Blood Angels, a chapter that has made Assault Marines a core part of its identity, would get the cosmetic. None of this is helped by the fact that Champion skins are not customizable, and this isn’t the first time that Champion skins have caused some confusion in the Space Marine 2 community.
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Space Marine 2’s Champion Skins Need to Be Fully Customizable
Several months ago, Space Marine 2 added a Salamanders Champion skin for the Sniper class. This perplexed quite a few people, as while Salamanders would make use of recon troops like any other chapter, it hardly felt iconic. The class doesn’t particularly reflect the identity of the fiery warriors from Nocturne, and what’s more, it only now has a melta weapon option in the Inferno Pistol, something it didn’t have at release.
Now, the same eyebrows are being raised at the choice to make the Assault class Champion a White Scar. While a lot of players are happy to see the White Scars get some recognition, as they are historically so overlooked that it’s written into their lore, the Blood Angels seemed like the logical choice. Unfortunately, Champion skins cannot be customized in Space Marine 2, meaning that players can’t even recolor the Champion or take the parts from it that they like.
Champion Skins Are Needlessly Locked Down
Saber has done a lot to make Warhammer fans very happy, handing over modding tools to the Space Marine 2 community, but strangely, the studio doesn’t want to budge on Champion skins. It doesn’t seem to be a hard limitation of the game, as Space Marine 2’s customization is very modular; instead, it seems to be a choice, and many players would argue it’s a strange one. Even if the armor parts couldn’t be interchanged, there are plenty of reasons players might want to recolor a Champion, such as depicting a successor chapter.
Space Marine 2's customization remains one of the best in the business, and is constantly being expanded, but Saber has placed certain limitations on Champion skins.
It reflects a trend in the game where Chaos PVP classes are locked to specific legions, and these two cases of aesthetic restriction seem to be the most unpopular moves made by an otherwise very player-friendly developer. Saber seems to believe that some cosmetic choices need to be more locked down, a viewpoint that few in the community share.
Unless Saber Changes Things, It Will Fall to Modders
Space Marine 2 mods are already including loads of new ways to customize Space Marines in ways Saber had not intended, but it shouldn’t be their responsibility. Letting players tinker with the game in ways that add new cosmetics is great, but players should not have to rely on mods, which not everyone in a lobby will share, to make changes to customization that Saber should be doing instead. Most would agree that by making Champion skins fully unlocked, everyone wins, and these conversations are only going to keep happening if future Champion Packs choose to deviate from player expectations.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
- 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
WHERE TO PLAY
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!
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash
