Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2has been smashing its sales goals, bringing in a whole new wave of fans as well as dedicated veterans of the40Kuniverse, largely thanks to the sheer amount of content it offers at launch. However, while there are manyexcluded features inSpace Marine 2that would be perfect for a sequel or DLC, there is a key change that a sequel should definitely make.
While the first two games have followed the exploits of Titus and his band of Ultramarines,it’s time that it shifts focus to another Space Marine Chapter, perhaps one that has gone sorely overlooked. The player count on Steam keeps rising, with it becoming the most playedWarhammergame of all time, with an all-time peak of 225,690 according toSteamDB. Naturally, this has led Saber Interactive to start looking forward at potential sequels and story-based DLC, with developers already discussing ideas.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 3 Should Ditch The Ultramarines
There Are So Many Other Interesting Chapters To Explore
The Ultramarines have long since been the posterchild for both the Space Marines and40Kas a whole, serving as the “coolest” Chapter thanks to its enduring loyalty to the Emperor, cavalcade of impressive characters, and undeniably awesome color scheme. Their popularity has been further cemented thanks to the likes of the originalSpace Marinegame, as well as, undoubtedly, Graham McNeil’s incredible Ultramarine book series starring the venerable Uriel Ventris.
However, the40Kuniverse has so many Space Marine Chapters - about 1,000 in total, although not all are well documented - which are yet to be given the spotlight. While thecompleteSpace Marine 2roadmaphasn’t outlined what potential story DLC or even a sequel may entail, they should focus on another Space Marine Chapter, or at least prominently feature one.
There are enormous differences between each Chapter, such as the more tribal nature of the Space Wolves, or how the White Scars rely heavily on using Assault Bikes. Pitting these conflicting natures against one another andexploring how much each Chapter relies on the Codex Astartes would serve as an interesting insight into the40Kuniverseand a deeper exploration of the dynamics between the Chapters.
It’s worth noting that theDeathwatch appear inSpace Marine 2, although they only turn up for one mission before they’re all promptly killed and Titus is reinstated as an Ultramarine. Additionally, other Chapters, including the Blood Ravens, appear briefly in the firstSpace Marinegame.
TheSpace Marinegames have already explored two different Chaos Legions in great detail, as well as Titus' tendency to ignore the teachings of the Codex Astartes. It would be interesting to see how Titus' squad, including Chairon and Gadriel, react to the other Chapters, much like how they were astonished by Titus' stint as a member of the Deathwatch.
However, to do this,Space Marine 3would need to move from the Ultramarines and either put the player in the boots of a different Chapter’s Space Marine, or have Titus spend a long time with other Chapters. The Blood Ravens make a great choice here.
Different Space Marine Chapters Have Appeared In Other Warhammer Games
The Blood Ravens Feature Heavily In The Dawn Of War Series
Several of40K’sSpace Marine Chapters have appeared in other games as either the main playable faction or as one of many optional factions or characters. This includes the Blood Angels inBattlesectorandSpace Hulk Tactics, the Dark Angels inDeathwing, the Space Wolves inRogue Trader, and the Blood Ravens in theDawn of Warseries, to name a few.
It’s always great to see other Chapters explored, althoughnone have really been given the same level of attention and detail that theSpace Marineseries affords to the Ultramarines. Often, the Chapter chosen for a40Kgame merely denotes what color scheme they have, more than exploring their traditions and beliefs in great detail.
Having a much greater exploration of at least one other Chapter, or potentially several, would easily makeSpace Marine 3one of thebestWarhammergames ever made, especially if it does those Chapters justice.It would also make sense for multiple Chapters to interact with one another, especially if they were at a large scale eventsuch as the fall of Cadia.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Already Has A Huge Problem For Releasing New Classes
The class system in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 offers great variety, but has a fatal flaw that can cause frustration for fans in the future.
There are plenty of story reasons forWarhammer 40K: Space Marine 3to include multiple Space Marine Chapters beyond the Ultramarines, while still keeping Titus around for players to see his story to the end. Fortunately, Saber Interactive are already playing around with ideas for a sequel, and hopefully the winning one will involve, at the very least, the eternally crusading Black Templars.
The series wouldn’t even have to drop Titus as a character altogether, especially afterSpace Marine 2’sshocking endingset up his future story perfectly. Considering how much deeperWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2went into the lore, plus all the unlockable Chapter options for multiplayer, there’s a good chance a sequel will include more Chapters in the story.
