Boltgun 2's boomer shooter format captures the simple joys of Warhammer 40k

Warhammer 40,000 is many things: a galaxy full of villainous factions, ancient mysteries, and bold last stands against inevitable doom. But 40K is also an extremely silly setting. It’s why people like the Orks so much; they’re loud, raucous, and love nothing more than a good fight. The goofy parts of 40K break up all the grimdark, and I think that’s a big part of the reason the Boltgun games work so well. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is a boomer shooter that builds on the original, adding a second character and tons more baddies to mow down.

While Titus marches his way through the Space Marine games, eviscerating xenos and Chaos Space Marines with slow, visceral animations, the Boltgun games are defined by speed. Malum Caedo is also an Ultramarine, but he’s unchained from the strict requirements of canon. He’s able to rip his way through the armies of all four Chaos Gods, culminating with an encounter with the mechanical demigod, Vashtoor the Arkifane.

The biggest addition to Boltgun 2 is a second protagonist, a Sister of Battle. The Sisters of Battle have always been a popular faction in 40K; they’re power-armored warriors who use their faith in the Emperor to manifest minor miracles on the battlefield. Nyra Verath is faster than Arkifane, and she has her own arsenal of weapons. She has the same run-and-gun playstyle as Malum in the big picture, but the smaller details add up to feel satisfyingly different. Malum is slower, bulkier, and has access to bigger arms, whereas Nyra needs to keep ducking and dodging through combat to survive.