Space Marine 3 Can Improve

With the surprise announcement of Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 3, speculation around the title has gone into overdrive. Space Marine 2 was a huge hit that surpassed the original game in every way. It took players into the grimdark setting of the 41st millennium, where the series hero, Lieutenant Titus, battles the ravenous Tyranids and the Chaos forces of the Thousand Sons.

While little information about the impending sequel has been released, developers have promised it will be bigger and better than its predecessor. While Space Marine 2 is currently the best depiction of the 40k setting fans have yet seen, most players would agree there is room for improvement. Space Marine 3 promises to be a huge hit for Saber Interactive, and the pressure is now on to deliver an experience like no other.

Campaign Length

Expand on Titus’s Story

Space Marine 2’s campaign can be completed in around 9 -10 hours and revolves around three planets and two enemy factions. While this doesn’t mean the campaign is too short, as Space Marine 2 crafts a fun, action-packed narrative that moves Titus’s story forward, Space Marine 3 could build on this with a much longer campaign.

From the mystery surrounding Titus’s Chaos resistance to his less-than-friendly relationship with Ultramarines Chaplin Leandros, there is still a lot of storytelling yet to be told. A longer campaign could craft a bigger narrative while maintaining the action players love.

Expanded Operation Missions

Experience the Setting From Different Perspectives

Space Marine 2’s Operations mode does a good job of presenting unique missions with varied and fun objectives. These missions effectively tie in with the main campaign, with players completing objectives seen off-screen during Titus’s story.

Space Marine 3 could expand on this idea further, creating a separate narrative with a deeper story that runs alongside the main campaign. This could highlight other Space Marine chapters beyond the simple cosmetic changes seen in the game and expand the setting even further. Operations could also depict other factions, such as Astra Militarum, Adepta Sororitas, or even Officio Assassinorum agents, who could perform unique objectives alongside the main Space Marine campaign.

The Ongoing Narrative

A Vast Grimdark Setting

Warhammer 40k is a vast and complex setting with countless stories, characters, and enemies. While Space Marine 2 does a fantastic job of depicting the size and scale of the grimdark future, there is still plenty of room for more.

Space Marine 3 could delve deeper into the setting, depicting different factions within the vast Imperium, such as the Adeptus Custodes, or meeting legendary heroes, such as Primarch Roboute Guilliman. This hugely anticipated sequel has the opportunity to fit more into the ongoing narrative of 40k, from contested areas of space such as the Nachmund Gauntlet to ongoing campaigns such as the Pariah Nexus. Space Marine 3 should expand on the overall setting, placing Titus directly into the larger story.

Varied Missions

Bring in the Big Guns

While Space Marine 2 offers a surprising amount of variety in terms of gameplay, from the fun jump pack sections to its varied PvE operations, Space Marine 3 could improve on this even more.

Space Marine 2’s main gameplay loop blends fun hack-and-slash melee combat and action-packed high-powered shooting. However, the Warhammer 40k setting is filled with diverse and deadly war machines that could be great additions to the sequel. From vast spacefaring battle cruisers to colossal two-legged Titans or heavily armored tanks, these additions would bring even more variety to Space Marine 3’s gameplay and give players a broader scope of war in the 41st millennium.

Enemy and Boss Variety

More Challenges to Defeat

While the Operations mode has introduced several new enemies and bosses to Space Marine 2, these are mainly limited to the Tyranid faction. Especially in PvE, the only real chaos boss players battle is the Helbrute. While these are always fun encounters, Space Marine 3 should expand its enemy variety during the campaign.

Regardless of Space Marine 3’s chosen villains, every faction in Warhammer 40k is filled with numerous enemies, from towering giants to small horde-like creatures. If Space Marine 3 has a longer and larger campaign, the variety of enemies and bosses will need to be increased as well. This will keep players more interested throughout a playthrough.

Expansive Levels

Explore the World of 40k

While Space Marine 2’s linear gameplay feels a lot bigger than it is, the game remains a straightforward single-path experience. Space Marine 3 has the opportunity to expand on this significantly. The three planets featured in the game hint at vast labyrinths of dank swamps, maze-like buildings, and dark crypts that are yearning to be explored.

While Space Marine 3 does not need to be an open-world game, larger levels could expand this element, giving players optional paths to tread or hidden areas to uncover.

PvE Customization

Create a unique Space Marine

Space Marine 2‘s Operations mode enjoys the most comprehensive level of customization in the game, with unlockable weapons, perks, and chapter colors available. However, this could be expanded even more in Space Marine 3. Deeper character, weapon, and armor perks can drastically change every class, giving players even more gameplay variety.

Adding a character creator to personalize the player’s Space Marine would also add another level of immersion to the game beyond the armor colors. This could also be expanded to the bot allies for single players.

PvP

Expand the Entire Game Mode

PvP in Space Marine 2 is a fun additional way to play the game, but it still feels like an afterthought next to the brilliant campaign and fun Operations mode. With only three game options on release and three small maps to go with them, PvP could be greatly improved.

A larger map could offer bigger games with more players involved. The maps could also be more immersive, connecting with the overall game. The current PvP maps feel separate from Space Marine 2’s story. While players can fully customize their Space Marine’s armor in PvP, the Chaos side has none. Offering Chaos players more options for their characters would please many fans in the new game.