Top 10 Games Like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

• Developer : Epic Games, The Coalition
• Release date : From 2006 to 2020
• Platforms : PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series, iOS

One of the key franchises that popularized the Xbox 360, and also the founder of third-person shooters that actively exploit the mechanics of cover. The first part, released in 2006, became a kind of demonstration of the capabilities of Unreal Engine 3 and a technical breakthrough for the industry. The commercial success of Gears of War helped create seven more games in the universe of the same name, including on mobile devices.

Brutal shootouts with rivers of blood, a good plot twist that unfolds over several games in the series, a close combat system, cinematic over-the-shoulder camera work – all of this played a role in essentially setting a new direction for the genre. Some games are literally indebted to Gears of War, as most of the gameplay relies on the cover system.

The Surge 2

• Developer: Deck13
• Release date: September 24, 2019
• Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

What happens when you wrap the mechanics of Dark Souls in a sci-fi setting, seasoning the gameplay elements with a dismemberment system and the ability to focus on individual parts of the enemy’s body? You get The Surge dilogy. And if the first part acted as a testing ground for testing the mechanics and the birth of an unusual universe, the second became a good work on the mistakes. A pancake that can hardly be called a lump.

In terms of gameplay, the project can be classified as a souls-like genre, where the “combat” is given special attention. The Surge 2 is not a corridor slasher, but a more thoughtful third-person game that forgives your mistakes a little less willingly than other projects. It is possible that this factor helped the game stand out from other representatives of the genre. And the ability to focus the camera on a specific part of the enemy’s body allowed for a deeper gameplay, making it more diverse.

Lost Planet 3 

• Developer: Spark Unlimited
• Release date: August 17, 2013
• Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Initially positioned as a direct competitor to Gears of War, Lost Planet could offer players a different setting, but lost to Epic Games’ creation in terms of budgets. It had a less interesting shooting system, and the level of cinematography did not reach the level of the genre’s founders. But by the third part, Lost Planet managed to occupy a separate niche in sci-fi genre circles.

Lost Planet 3 exploits the classic formula of slasher shooters of the era. Over-the-shoulder camera, the ability to take cover near any flat surface, aimed shooting. The gameplay was diluted with missions on the back of a dreadnought, as well as a rather unique setting. There is a lot of snow here, and in the era of the genre’s inception, this became something of a unique highlight of the game. A solid four.

Outriders

• Developer: People Can Fly
• Release date: April 1, 2021
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series

The Polish studio People Can Fly, which gave the world Painkiller and Bulletstorm, decided to experiment with the setting. Inspired by the success of Gears of War, the developers focused on shooting from cover, but did not forget about the leveling system – in Outriders, special attention is paid to it, which makes the project similar to Destiny and Mass Effect 3.

But they didn’t forget about the lore. The game has a lot of good cutscenes, and when going through the storyline, you don’t get the feeling that it was created for show. But the gameplay is what wins you over first and foremost. Outriders has four classes – each one provides a fundamentally different gaming experience and can boast of a variety of spells. And this formula is complemented by a good arsenal of firearms. And here is the signature style of the Poles, namely sparkling humor and irony.

Aliens Fireteam Elite

• Developer: Cold Iron Studios
• Release date: August 24, 2021
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch

Gameplay-wise, Aliens Fireteam Elite is still the same cooperative third-person shooter. But the proven gameplay formula was immersed in a recognizable universe, which allowed us to add the “horror” tag to Aliens Fireteam Elite. Not as scary as true fans would like, but still a horror.

Clearing corridors, minimal light, lots of xenomorphs. Repeat ad infinitum, or until you get bored. Incidentally, it was replayability that became the weak link of Aliens Fireteam Elite, which is why the game could not always keep players in front of the screens as long as the developers wanted. But it is still a tasty cooperative shooter in the Alien setting. Do such games still exist? Alas, no.

DOOM Eternal

• Developer: id Software
• Release date: March 20, 2020
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch

A continuation of the series reboot, released in 2016. The new team at id Software carefully transferred the series ideology to modern rails. DOOM Eternal was made more dynamic, in keeping with the original duology. The arenas became larger, but there were fewer bullets, which caused a controversial reaction in the gaming community. But they pumped up the system of finishing off enemies, pushing players to voluntarily-forcefully cut demons into pieces to obtain ammunition and other bonuses.

DOOM Eternal is criticized for platforming and an overly odious plot. But the series has never been famous for these elements. DOOM is loved for its gameplay, and here the complaints about id Software evaporate. Because the gameplay in the game is dynamic, sharply changing and simply cheerful. Here you can feel the “guns” in your hands, so it is interesting to shoot from them. Isn’t this why everyone praised the first two parts?

Remnant II

• Developer: Gunfire Games
• Release date: June 25, 2023
• Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series

Another Dark Souls with firearms in a sci-fi universe. Cooperative, of course. Which didn’t stop Remnant II from winning its audience. Because it has something to surprise with. First of all, competent art design. Secondly, respect for the From Software templates – both in gameplay and visuals. The appearance of the enemies here deserves special attention.

The procedural generation of the world also makes its contribution, which raises the replayability of Remnant II to some indecent heights. It features its own class system, as well as a pretty good leveling. Dodges and rolls are given the same important role in the game as in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, which will please some, and perhaps disappoint others. But it is the combination of all the above-mentioned aspects that makes Remnant II a rather original and worthy project to get acquainted with.

Helldivers II

• Developer: Arrowhead Game Studios
• Release date: February 8, 2024
• Platforms: PC, PS5

Having blown up the Steam charts at the start, but having lost its huge audience too quickly, the cooperative “survivalist” about the fight of brave paratroopers against bugs attracted the attention of the entire gaming industry. Excellent physics and destructibility of everything and everyone, countless funny situations, good lore, exciting shooting, high dynamics, good humor – this baggage alone is enough to become a potential hit. And Helldivers 2 became one, but not for long.

No, the game is still alive, but it has lost the lion’s share of the audience that was there at the start. This is partly due to Sony’s failed policy of requiring players to link their Steam account to the PSN service. But the main problem was the lack of content. After a while, there was nothing to do in the game. Activities were added more slowly than gamers got tired of battles. But even with such disadvantages, Helldivers 2 occupies the status of one of the main explosive bombs of 2024.

Deep Rock Galactic

• Developer: Ghost Ship Games
• Release date: May 13, 2020
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series

There’s a lot of digging and extermination to be had here. If you’re a fan of Minecraft and killing tons of insects, Deep Rock Galactic is at least worth a shot. At worst, you’ll spend an evening or two playing a decent game. At best, you’ll suck yourself into the abyss for thousands of hours. Or a hundred or two. Don’t let the battle passes scare you off, they’re the most generous here and don’t call for endless resource farming.

The dwarf skuf simulator in the depths of mountain deposits knows how to entertain the player. Partly this is due to active feedback between the developers and the gaming community. But first of all, thanks to a competent formula that combines cave exploration with a Minecraft flavor and shooting ill-wishers.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

• Developer: Fatshark
• Release date: November 30, 2022
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series

Cooperative “crushing” in the very universe for which this article was created. If suddenly Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is not enough for you, and your hand is still itching to exterminate the Tyranids, you can try Darktide. When creating it, the authors were inspired by the ideas of Left 4 Dead.

The game confidently combines both firefights and hand-to-hand combat. There is a class system, where each hero has his own strict role. Only four heroes, each with his own unique abilities. The strong points of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide include visuals, as well as the soundtrack. But the disadvantages are optimization. Fans of cooperative games and the “Wahi” universe must at least get acquainted with it.