Despite providing an iconic grimdark setting, one that ought to be perfect video game fodder, the Warhammer 40,000 license has often been something of a poisoned chalice for developers. It’s really only in the last decade, with the likes of Space Marine 2, the significantly patched Darktide and Rogue Trader arriving on the scene, that the licence has finally been given the digital respect it deserves. The original Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus, released back in 2018, was an almost very good turn-based strategy game that pitted the deeply unsexy cyborgs of the Adeptus Mecahnicus against the unrelenting hordes of the robo-zombie-pharaohs, the Necrons. With the sequel now released, have developers Bulwork Studios delivered on the XCOM-in-40K promise of the original?
First off, if you are a fan of the multitude of Warhammer books released by the Black Library, then you are going to love the ludicrously excellent storyline that accompanies Mechanicus 2. With veteran author Ben Counter on scriptwriting duties, you know you’re in safe hands. Plus, the fully voiced dialogue brings the characters to distinctive 40K life. Overall, this is a deeply satisfying romp, packed with vast quantities of fan service to enjoy, and is the type of compelling narrative that will keep you playing through what is sadly a rather lacklustre strategy game.
Things start off promisingly enough in a neat prologue that switches between the player taking control of the Adeptus Mechanicus and Necron forces. It’s a great setup, effortlessly introducing the key protagonists and the main strategic differences between the rival armies. After the intro, you’re free to pick your side and dive into the game proper. It’s here that the game takes a sudden downward drop. A good strategy game is all about choice: the player is flooded with a range of tactical options – ideally with numerous solutions for any given combat scenario – and must correctly differentiate the correct approach. It’s this that gives the player agency, providing them with the opportunity to experiment and then rewarding them with a feeling of satisfaction when they achieve their goals. This is not the case for Mechanicus 2, which is unrelentingly, overwhelmingly, linear.
Despite the presence of a global map, you are not free to engage the enemy wherever you wish and you must instead complete missions in a strictly linear order. Then, once within a mission, the unit you have selected follows a prescribed path, encountering enemy forces on their way, in a manner reminiscent of an old JRPG. You can’t attempt to avoid or flank an enemy, you just bump into an invisible opponent and suddenly fight. There are some tactical choices to be made during this section, in which you must choose between a variety of text-based options, but the solution is usually so blindingly obvious the entire mechanic is rendered pointless. If in doubt, choose to be cautious every time.
Once into the turn-based battles themselves, things improve, but not by as much as you would hope. Yes, there are many differences between the units that comprise the Necrons and the Adeptus Mechanicus, but they rarely translate into meaningfully distinct gameplay. The structure of the combat doesn’t help here either, with control – as in the original – passing back and forth between player and AI after each individual unit’s turn is complete. This proves unsatisfying, as it means it’s impossible to move your force as one to deftly unleash some clever flanking manoeuvre or defensive stratagem. Instead, combat proves bitty and piecemeal, with victory achieved through attrition rather than skill. I mean, it’s reliably fine turn-based fare, but soon becomes repetitive due to a lack of player agency.
On top of all this are numerous technical issues on PS5 – including one where the entire game needs to often be rebooted as the controller stops working – and painful loading times and you have a disappointing sequel that doesn’t come close to improving on the original game.
