Three years ago, the original Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun released, and since then, it's gone on to become a favorite for many boomer shooter fans, myself included. And now, having played the brand new sequel, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, it's easy for me to say it's surpassed its predecessor. This is the definitive way to live out your dreams as a one-man, chaos-killing machine.

Two is better than one. Double the Trouble

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is a very simple at its core, and it doesn't hide this fact: Mowing through hundreds upon hundreds of enemies with a diverse arsenal of weapons is the name of the game. Like its predecessor, ammo and health pickups are abundant, so you can keep on mowing down enemies without slowing down.

While Malum Caedo, the Ultramarine from the original, returns as a playable character, the most distinguishing characteristic here is the inclusion of Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath. You choose one character right at the start and stick with them throughout the whole campaign. After playing through the campaign twice with both characters, there is a lot of merit to playing this game twice.

Both characters feel and operate differently. Malum Caedo is bulkier and slower, while Nyra Veyrath is limber and elusive. As Nyra, I was able to bounce around the stage, avoiding enemy attacks while slicing through cultists, Chaos Marines, and other deadly enemies. Her freedom of movement is a stark contrast to Malum's slower build.

This sword will become your best friend.

For that reason, Nyra is much more enjoyable to play, while Malum feels a bit underwhelming by comparison. He has more health, but that extra agility Nyrahas goes a long way. She can slide with her sword and slash much faster than Malum's chainsword. If you slide then jump with Nyra, you're able to slow time, which is super useful, and you just feel badass doing it.

Meanwhile, Malum has a charge that is more often than not detrimental to use since it exposes him to enemy fire. On a higher difficulty, it was not useful at all since enemies dealt a lot more damage. At least with Nyra's slide, she can sort of duck under projectiles and avoid damage easier.

It's hard to beat the gunfeel of the shotgun. Meaty Combat, Beefy Weapons

But even so, both are incredibly fun to play. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2's combat is chunky and crunchy, and the carnage that unfolds is something else. Developer Auroch Digital also goes a bit further than just differentiating the way these characters move. Their arsenal is different as well, which again changes the feel of your campaign experience.

Nyra has smaller, more handheld weapons as she holds her sword in one hand and a gun in the other. Her bolt pistol is slower than Malum's boltgun, but feels more accurate. Each arsenal has its pros and cons, with some weapons feeling better than the other. It's hard to beat the classic shotgun in Malum's roster of weapons, though Nyra has plenty of satisfying weapons to use as well, such as the flamethrower and Storm Bolter. 

Because Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 pumps with so much ammo, a few guns feel a tad bit underwhelming in comparison to the rest. There's the Condemnor Stakethrower that shoots just way too slowly to be useful when fighting against a horde of enemies, and for as satisfying as the flamethrower is, its damage is only useful against groups of weak enemies. There is also some overlap between the arsenal, but I was impressed to find that there were more unique weapons for both characters than similarities.

Nothin' a heavy bolter can't fix.

Besides those certain underwhelming weapons I mentioned, the standard boltgun can feel just as effective as a heavy bolter in certain situations. While stronger enemies have larger health pools, I like the way things are balanced here. Maybe it's a psychological thing, but I felt like I utilized every weapon in my arsenal more often without these number values. Of course, Malum's grav cannon is always going to surpass the other weapons in terms of damage, but it's worth saving that ammo for bosses. 

If you played the original game, you might also recall both weapons and enemies having strength values. It was a cool idea in theory, but ultimately forced players to use certain weapons on certain foes. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 removes these strength values and lets the players decide what weapon works best, and it levels the playing field a bit.

Yeah so, that train is actually moving very VERY fast. AAA Level Design and Artistic Direction in an Indie Package

Strength values was one complaint players had with the original, but Auroch doesn't stop there with the improvements. The original had wide-open, giant arenas, but Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 narrows the scope of these levels a bit. At times, it feels more like a corridor shooter a la Doom, and even larger areas feel more condensed, yet more cohesive.

Don't get me wrong, there are still some areas that are vast and wide open, but the level design is a notch above the original, no doubt. There are more ways to interact with the environment and utilize it to your advantage, and areas are also just much more creative. I am really impressed with both the level design and art direction here, which work in tandem to create a game that is AAA quality in a tight indie package. 

I recall a few of my favorite levels. One level opens with a view of an imposing oil rig in the distance. You'll be climbing all the way to the top, and it's staggering to see the verticality on display here. Speaking of verticality, in one tense sequence, I found myself escaping a mineshaft flooding with chaos-infused liquid. I felt the urgency as the water level rose, and tried to take out the various forces of chaos along the way.

Things are getting heated!

Needless to say, this is just a snapshot of what you'll face in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, but I was always eager to see what the level designers cooked up. Graphically, it often feels like the level designers are just showcasing their immense talent in working with the iconic Grimdark aesthetic the franchise is known for.

There are a good number of levels here, though you won't be able to see everything in one playthrough. At various points, you'll be met with a split path where you can only choose one mission or another. I really wish this was clearer, since it wasn't until the end of the game that I realized I was missing out on a fair number of levels. I believe this is to further incentivize replaying Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2, but split paths should be more overt. 

Someone should hire me to take sick screenshots of their game. Seriously. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 | Final Thoughts

Last but not least, a number of players, including myself, took issue with some of the original game's bosses being too bullet spongy. That, and there was little nuance to fighting these enemies beyond unloading all of your ammo into them. Bosses in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 feel more distinct from one another and go beyond just "point and shoot." There are also a number of mini-boss type enemies in between, so that's another lesson Auroch Digital learned from and improved upon. 

I've played just about every boomer shooter under the sun, and something about this particular series speaks to me on so many levels. I'm big on weapon feedback level design, and that is what Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 does best. Shooting big, badass, powerful guns and mowing through enemies in cool environments is what I look for, and that's what I got here. For those reasons alone, this is one of my favorite boomer shooters of the decade. 

---

Warhammer: 40,000 Boltgun 2 was reviewed on PC with a copy provided by the publisher over the course of 14 hours of gameplay - all screenshots were taken during the process of review.