Space Marine 2 Team Wanted To Make “Perfect Sequel” By Recapturing The Gameplay’s Original Feel

We’ve highlighted quite a bit recently that numerous problems are occurring within the gaming industry. Easily one of the most prominent ones is that developers and publishers are almost “compelled” to make the biggest and most robust games and worlds possible because “that’s what gamers want.” Except, that’s not what they want. Instead, they want video games that are quality, regardless of the length of time it takes to play them. They want meaningful experiences that they find themselves invested in, not slogs through boring worlds and universes. Thankfully, the recently released Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 scratched an itch for which many were grateful.

The sequel to the Xbox 360 hit has already been met with positive reviews and sales. It’s the best-selling game in its franchise, and Saber Interactive are proud of that. In an interview with GamesRadar+, game director Dmitriy Grigorenko noted that when Saber Interactive was developing the game, they weren’t trying to make a “superior sequel that did everything bigger.” They just wanted to make a “perfect sequel” that would embody everything that went right with the first game:

“The ‘perfect sequel’ implies it’s the exact same game – a 360 game with a story campaign, some PvP, and a horde mode to accompany it. We wanted to make a classic experience.”

That might sound odd, given more recent game development practices, but you need to remember that the original entry came out a decade ago, so people wanted something “older and familiar,” and creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick was happy to bring such an experience to gamers:

“I recently went to an old friend’s house, and we used to play all of those Gears of War games. I’d go around on a Friday night, and we’d play until we finished the campaign – you could finish the campaign in one evening. We’d drink, eat, and play. I went back to his house last weekend, and we played Space Marine 2 from start to finish. It was just this amazing flashback experience!” 

Based on the love the game is getting for its simple yet fun nature and style, it’s clear that Saber went in the right direction here. When it launched, over 2 million players tried it out, and hundreds of thousands played online at the same time! The team is already planning things like DLC or even a third game, and it’s hard to deny them that right.

When you make a quality game, people will react positively to it.