Summary
Developers from Saber Interactive, the studio behind third-person shooterWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2explained why the game’s cooperative mission mode has a maximum player count of three. Called “Operations,” theWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2co-op mode pits teams of three Space Marines against hordes of enemies in unique missions.
Nearly 13 years after the originalWarhammer 40,000: Space Marinegame introduced many gamers to the power of the Adeptus Astartes, Saber Interactive is about to bring new generations ofWarhammer 40Kfans onboard with current-generation platforms.Space Marine 2is set some time after the first game left off, starring Titus of the Ultramarines, one of thestrongest Space Marine chapters around.
That said, the three-player team size inSpace Marine 2’s Operations mode is unusual. Saber Interactive explained the reason for thisin an interview with PC Gamer, saying that Astartes are simply too powerful to operate in a larger group. Adding even a fourth member made thenewSpace Marine 2co-op mode"too easy" and left Saber less able to effectively balance the challenge level players faced.
Saber Interactive Said Space Marine 2 Co-op Was ‘Too Easy’ With 4 Players
Part of the reason that Saber Interactive found co-op play too easy with larger teams is that even individual Space Marines are extremely powerful. In theWarhammer 40,000setting,Space Marines are the most powerful soldiers that the Imperium can field. According toSpace Marine 2Creative Manager Yann François, Space Marines are “almost invincible.” Dressed in power armor, armed with the best weapons humanity can produce, and enhanced by exotic genetic modifications, Space Marines are almost literal one-man armies.
For that reason, the difficulty for Saber Interactive when balancing the Operations mode ofSpace Marine 2was building a challenge around that sense of invincibility. Unfortunately, co-op missions with larger teams were too much of a “massacre,” with four Space Marines easily dominating the hordes of enemies in each mission. Thus, Saber Interactive settled on three members as a “good number,” able to communicate theoverpowering appeal of the Space Marine factionto players while still giving them a reasonable obstacle.
While three players is a relatively unusual team size for cooperative games, the number is becoming more popular with multiplayer game developers. The default team size forDestinyandDestiny 2was a three-person fireteam, whileOutridersalso used a co-op team size of three.Space Marine 2is about to join those ranks when it comes to co-op, though its multiplayer PVP modes will offer larger team sizes.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
WHERE TO PLAY
Your Craft is Death.Embody the superhuman skill and brutality of a Space Marine, the greatest of the Emperor’s warriors. Hold at bay the horrors of the galaxy in epic battles on far-flung planets with your deadly abilities and devastating weaponry. Uncover dark secrets to drive back the everlasting night and prove your ultimate loyalty to humanity.Crush the Tyranid swarms. Defend humanity.Purge the relentless Tyranid swarms as legendary Space Marine Titus in a spectacular new campaign. Play solo or with up to 2 friends in 3 player co-op.Enjoy intense, gory and fast-paced third-person action with hundreds of enemies on screen, from the creators of blockbuster co-op shooter World War Z.Defend the Imperium as your own Space Marine in an endlessly brutal and replayable PvE missions up to 3 players featuring 6 classes, unlocking new skills and cosmetics.Wage eternal war on your enemies in ferocious 6v6 PvP matches and bring glory to your faction!
