Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 – Review

Segment from the personal journal of a cultist in Vashtorr's service – approx. 41,012 AD

“Today was not a good day. We were ordered to guard the red key that opens the ammunition silo. Tarkyth-Ath, the rest of the platoon and I arrived at the fortification early and were preparing for our daily incantations when, suddenly, we heard a noise in the corridor. Before we could work out what was happening, we saw an Adepta Sororitas armed to the teeth, running furiously towards us. Tarkyth-Ath opened fire on her, but to no avail: the Sister's blue sword had already passed through him, and she was advancing on the key.

Chaos Marines tried to slow her down with grenades, while a Disharmonist bombarded her with sonic weapons. Useless: her Melta turned them into paste in seconds. I tried to stop her with my standard-issue weapon, but she ignored me completely. My bullets did nothing but scratch her black armour. In the end, the dark phantom grabbed the key in mid-stride and vanished. Vashtorr will be furious when he finds out. Maybe it's time I thought about a career change. Oh, and I never did get that debt back from Tarkyth-Ath…”

Bigger! Bolder! Better?

A year ago I was writing about Boltgun, one of the best boomer shooters you can play. That it was made with such passion by an independent English studio only adds to its charm. Fast, brutal and colourful, the game gave me enormous pleasure. Built to be played in short bursts or in one go, I thought it perfect for anyone without much free time – which was my case too.

The demo that landed a few months ago laid out the sequel's improvements at length and set the stage for the final release. The biggest new addition, of course, was the option to play as Nyra – this incredibly nimble Battle Sister, created to complement Malum's style. At the time she didn't get a fair shake (I personally dubbed her “the sugar-free soda version of Malum”), but I'm happy to report that most of my notes were taken on board for the final version.

Auroch Digital's ambition with this sequel was considerable. The small additions show a clear desire to find a style of their own and gently pull away from the genre's classic formula. If the first Boltgun wanted to be a DOOM clone set in the Warhammer 40K universe, Boltgun II wants something more. And with that, the franchise's own identity is starting to take shape.

Are these new features a good omen? Some are, some less so.

Shoot first, ask questions later

First off, the story is almost non-existent – not for want of source material, but out of a desire to keep things simple. In short: a big bad demon, Vashtorr, wipes out your empire's fleet and corrupts a few planets in the system. Now it falls to you, Malum or Nyra, to restore order and stop him, with your ship's crew at your side. That's it. Besides, in a boomer shooter the narrative matters about as much as a McDonald's salad: you play for the joy of making enemies explode when you click on them, not for the plot.

Beyond that, you can pick which missions to tackle and in what order. One of the game's new mechanics is exactly this mission prioritisation. Put simply, some missions are mutually exclusive: pick one destination and the alternative is off the table until you start over. Some will like that, others will find it annoying, but let's say it encourages replayability.

There are also optional missions now. They're short but satisfying. They feel like ideas the developers couldn't bring themselves to drop, yet couldn't work into a full level either. I thought they were great, especially because they're sometimes better than the standard levels, which come in three or four parts. Optional missions included, I finished the campaign in eight hours. Along the way I got to catch up with a dear old comrade and grow very close to his sister, clad in galvanised black armour. Don’t tell Malum!

Black and Blue

Thematically speaking, I don't think the W40K universe had two more fitting factions to make up a pair of protagonists. Nyra, an agile, tenacious Battle Sister, perfectly complements the toughness of a hardcore Ultramarine like Malum. The differences show most clearly in how each character handles and in the kit they have at their disposal.

Malum, a true force in a metal suit, has stayed almost unchanged, both in equipment and in playstyle. Nyra, by contrast, is the lighter but MUCH better-equipped version. She starts out with: a Melta Bomb (a grenade a cut above Malum's), a Power Sword (rather more useful than the Chainsword), and a Bolt Pistol (just as powerful as the Bolter, but with a smaller magazine).

Nyra is ridiculously well implemented – to the point where I never felt even the slightest urge to swap characters. It's an absolute joy to sprint between cultists and turn them into paste with one well-placed swing of the sword, or to riddle the red devils with holes and leave nothing behind but their remains. The levels feel built specifically around her arsenal. The crossbow, which you can use to shove enemies around, and the Power Sword are both extremely useful: half your opponents want to give you a hug at the first opportunity, and the other half are standing dangerously close to a precipice.

I was glad to see that Auroch have ditched the heresies I'd spotted in the demo, and every weapon has been buffed and now feels particularly satisfying. The flamethrower is even more useful when you use it to purify nurglings and cultists alike. The crossbow can now skewer several targets at once (I don't remember it being able to do that in the demo), and the new plasma pistol is absolutely brilliant at decimating armoured enemies.

But what about Malum? He's okay... He has more health, he's swapped the dash for a charge ability, and the shotgun is finally satisfying. Except that, the whole time I was playing as him, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to get back to Nyra. Malum had his share of the glory in the first game, I reckon, and now it's time to let someone else stand in the spotlight.

And yes, the taunt button is still part of the arsenal. With new lines and some choice language, it lets you hurl abuse at every creature of Chaos. Sometimes the right insult hurts more than a plasma blast.

Are we there yet?

The new planetary system Akrimonious Prime manages, paradoxically, to be beautiful and monotonous at the same time. I say that because every moment that left me gawping in admiration was followed by about three drab levels in shades of grey-green or dark red.

The trouble is that some levels drag on longer than they need to. One of the early ones, a jungle choked with vegetation, stretches across 4 parts, so you end up sick to death of the same trees and the same swamps. Another level, split into 3 parts, has you exploring an underwater base. By the end I was desperate to see anything other than grey-green corridors.

At the opposite end of the scale, some levels look stunning: a snow-covered military base, a magma-filled silo you have to escape from, or a moving train, followed by a raid into a mine seized by Chaos forces. Beyond the standout visuals, I was pleasantly surprised to see snow falling from the sky at times, along with other atmospheric particles that are very easy on the eye.

Alongside the visual upgrades, a few additions make the game feel more modern in quality-of-life terms, such as a hit marker when you land a shot or slow motion when you throw a grenade. But what really impressed me were the changes to the level structure: new platforming sections (slides!), the removal of weapon-specific levels (about time), and, for the first time, allies! Now you get to see the Death Korps kneeling at the sight of you and helping you stop Vashtorr's forces. Pretty cool, especially since you can hang back and watch the AI do its job.

And while we're on the subject of cannon fodder, there are both old and new enemies here. Of the new arrivals, two left a lasting impression on me: the Disharmonist (basically tougher Chaos Marines, kitted out with two sonic pistols that mess with your perception) and the Bloodletter (fire-sword devils that come at you on foot or mounted). The Berzerkers deserve a special mention too: on the brink of death they start dishing out more damage and come charging at you like lunatics – those brought back memories of being mercilessly set upon by Aspiring Champions.

At the same time, a big plus over the original is the far more satisfying enemy placement: they often arrive in groups and stand next to cliffs or explosive barrels. Those lads are definitely breaking a few Health and Safety rules, but their sacrifice is always met with a broad grin.

I should also mention that we now have proper bosses and mini-bosses, each with a name of their own and distinct traits. The bosses stand out mainly through their multiple phases or a specific vulnerability you have to exploit. The final showdown is genuinely memorable.

Beyond that, the levels stick to the same rules as any boomer shooter: kill everything marked in red; if you run into enemies, you're going the right way; and keep your eyes peeled for secrets, which are now a little more numerous and easier to find thanks to the addition of a 3D map, something the first game was completely missing.

Big bada bum

I keep turning over how to wrap this up and nothing original comes to mind, so I'll keep it short and to the point: the game is good, buy it. It isn't perfect, it isn't GTA VI, but for 25 euros you get the chance to treat yourself to an excellent old-school shooter, built to modern standards. So don't sit on the fence: Nyra is waiting for you. Ready your weapons and remember:

Only in death does duty end!

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