Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 Preview

In the dark world of Warhammer 40,000, genetically engineered Space Marines and fanatical Sisters of Battle wage a multi-front war against aliens and demon gods. There is no “good guy,” there are no saviors, and everyone is expendable, according to the grand calculations of the Empire of Man. Entire planets can be wiped out in an instant, and that hardly moves the needle in the battle between galactic empires. Nothing really changes.

Maybe that’s the reason behind developer Auroch Digital’s latest release Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun 2 It looks very similar to its predecessor. We may be fighting many of the same battles upon replay – a common feeling in first-person shooters. During a virtual press preview event showcasing two of the game’s upcoming levels, an Auroch developer told attendees that the focus was on taking “what people loved about Boltgun and (making it) bigger and better.”

When I got through the preview levels, I found undeniable quality of life improvements and a whole new arsenal of weapons alongside familiar gunplay and gruesome gore. But the big new features — including a second playable character and more visually diverse level design — don’t seem to meaningfully change the sequel.

I’d be happy if every level in Boltgun 2 played like the ones in the demo, but so far I haven’t seen much real innovation compared to the original.

There are more demons than you can shake with a sword

If you’re a Warhammer fan just looking for another hit of FPS carnage, Boltgun 2 will be incredibly satisfying. There are more weapons, diverse levels, and a whole host of new enemy types for enthusiasts of different factions to enjoy.

Although I’m not well-versed in Warhammer lore, I was pleasantly surprised to see minions of Khorne and disgusting new Nurgle-themed enemies spread throughout the two levels I played. The original Boltgun game primarily allowed players to beat up Tzeentch’s minions, so it’s promising to see several new, detail-rich pixel art versions of the iconic enemies (before turning them into mulch).

Developers Auroch Digital clearly love the tabletop game Boltgun is based on, because you can see where certain mechanics have been lifted and adapted to a completely different medium.

These blundering poxwalkers will regenerate and mutate the body after death, returning from the dead to attack you again. Khorne Berserkers will become enraged when they reach a low health threshold, becoming faster and more dangerous. Demonic infantry units will rise and ride horses into battle.

All of these little interactions make the world of Boltgun 2 feel more interactive. Best of all, the focus on dealing with different enemy behaviors adds some much-needed mechanical depth to a secondary game. Boom shooter.

The new levels are beautiful but very spacious

When I think back to my time with the original Boltgun, I fondly remember the level that culminates in the game’s first chapter. In this game, you are immersed in a twist, as the cathedrals that have become so common begin to collapse and collide with each other in a place not governed by the laws of physics.

It’s a visual spectacle of purple hues and topsy-turvy gravity, a truly stunning backdrop that will likely be the piece de resistance any You have appeared in an FPS game. But it especially stands out in Boltgun, because almost everything else is a gloomy gothic cathedral or a hot gun factory. The Warhammer aesthetic is great fun, but the entire game is a muddled series of grays and reds that don’t particularly stand out.

Fortunately, the two levels present during the playable preview were distinct and colorful: Sure, the icy, demon-overrun military base was close to some of the original Boltgun’s stages, but the overgrown, cult-infested forest (complete with man-eating plants) was a welcome reprieve. I don’t think there was any splash of green in the first game, so I’m hoping the multi-planet adventure in this preview will be the base for the full release.

Although these new levels certainly look nice, I have some reservations about the gameplay.

The original Boltgun may have placed players in visually monotonous environments, but that game’s industrial atmosphere often confined you to narrow rooms and corridors. Finishing off in these situations forces you to think quickly, and take cover in time to avoid the barrage of gunfire from creeping enemies.

These encounters elicit a real sense of danger, forcing you to manage health and ammo while maintaining the fantasy of power that comes with being a genetically engineered monster that can tear apart enemies with ease.

By contrast, the Boltgun 2 levels I played were wide open. Most battles in the forest and swamps take place in clearings with only a couple of trees to break up the line of sight between you and your enemies. The icy military base featured an entire bridge filled with dozens of enemies that could be micromanaged and defeated before even crossing over to your side of the expanse.

I was even able to slaughter some enemies across a long enough distance that they didn’t register me as a threat, allowing me to shoot at them without encountering any resistance at all. But even when enemies react to my presence, the vast expanses of open air make it very easy to dodge bullets flying at you. At its worst, Boltgun 2 feels like it’s emulating Serious Sam’s arena-style maps, which doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the game’s Doom-like foundations.

There’s little challenge to be found in these sections, which is a shame because the game shines when it puts you in difficult situations. I have fought the distinguished battle since my work against a horde of hundreds of smallpox who ran towards me while I was defending the ship’s landing zone. The enemies themselves began to restrict the playing space, which was a smart way to choke off the cavernous area of ​​the map.

I can only hope that the levels in the preview design were chosen to showcase Boltgun 2’s visual direction, and that there’s a better balance between vast battlefields and claustrophobic corridors in the full release. If Auroch Digital continues to deliver creative levels to fight the pox, that would address my design concerns.

Space Marine? Battle sister? What’s the difference?

Going into the preview event, it appears that the biggest new feature in Boltgun 2 is the second playable character: the Sister of Battle with access to weapons and abilities separate from the tried and true Space Marine.

Members of the press have been told that Malum Caedo, the Ultramaine protagonist from the first game, is a walking tank with access to a familiar array of firearms. On the other hand, battle sister Neera Virath comes with a new set of weapons and she deftly maneuvers on the battlefield.

These well-defined characters seemed like a perfect answer to the latest entries in the Doom franchise. Caedo’s gameplay loop seemed to borrow cues from the slower, heavier Doom: The Dark Ages, while playing as the faster, weaker, more aggressive Veyrath would bring the game closer to Doom Eternal.

Unfortunately, after playing the preview copy, I felt that the biggest impact of either character on gameplay was likely to be their sarcastic voice lines. Although Caedo and Veyrath have different dashes, grenades, and passive abilities, these differences appear to be mostly cosmetic. Their unique arsenals provide a more noticeable change, but the weapons available to each character fulfill largely the same roles.

Caedo gets an honorary Boltgun that removes impurities while Veyrath finds a smaller, heavy-duty Boltgun that deals more damage but has to be reloaded more frequently. Caedo uses his trusty rifle to take out larger targets while Veyrath sticks to a crossbow and… well, does the same thing.

These weapons do feel Quite different to use – Sister of Battle’s high-damage weapons are bulky and satisfying – but they don’t encourage players to change their playstyle in any noticeable way, which feels like a missed opportunity. It’s possible that the full release of Boltgun 2 will further differentiate Ultramarine and Sister of Battle, but my experience with the preview was almost identical.

The basics are still there (and they’re strong)

Even if certain aspects of the Boltgun 2 preview seemed a little underwhelming to me, Auroch Digital has fixed many of the biggest issues I had with the first game.

Levels are no longer confusing to navigate, and weapon power and enemy toughness levels have been completely stripped down, making the entire firearms arsenal feel a lot more worthwhile, especially when facing bigger and badder enemies.

Melee weapons now feel like an effective way to close the distance and take down easier enemies. In the original game, wielding the chain sword was a good way to turn into a Swiss cheese when the enemy you attacked attacks you at close range, but now it feels like a viable option.

The original Boltgun also featured one of the worst and weakest guns you’ve ever used in a video game – a cardinal sin for a shooter. However, the sequel makes amends, as Caedo’s boomerang now does a respectable job of turning bad guys into puddles on the floor.

Enemies are generally less squishy than bullets this time around, making weapons feel more powerful while better presenting the fantasy of innate naval power and avoiding the frustration of overly long battles.

Boltgun 2 is simply a smoother, more polished version of what came before it. Despite the introduction of new weapons and a nicer set of levels, I left the preview with the realization that this game would likely be a high-octane “Doom clone” rather than an experience that pushes shooters forward in the same way as games like Ultrakill, Selaku and Turbo is overkill He does.

But retreading old ground isn’t so painful when it’s littered with demon bodies and shell casings, and getting into the boots of one of Warhammer’s living tanks is still a novelty. If you’re craving another heavy metal FPS campaign, I think Boltgun 2 could be one of the best games of its kind in 2026.