《战锤40,000：Boltgun 2》上手体验：更精炼且可重玩的复古射击游戏

2023’s Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun was a nice surprise and proof that Auroch Digital was a retro-inspired indie developer to watch out for. Still, there was plenty of room for improvement with a sequel. Thankfully, Boltgun 2 hasn’t taken too long to arrive, and it’s a clear level-up based on my hands-on time with it so far.

The main “upgrade” is that Ultramarine Malum Caedo (voiced by Rahul Kohli) is joined by Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath (Alanah Pearce). This essentially gives players two different approaches to tackle the same single-player campaign, which is defined by branching routes this time around too. Oddly enough, co-op isn’t an option, and the game remains squarely focused on solo play targeting a higher replay value. It essentially is “more and better”, but let’s dig a bit deeper…

WH40K: Boltgun 2 Knows There’s Power in Simplicity

In the age of sequels of all sizes trying to rewrite the rules and surprise, Boltgun 2 is one of those game that feel refreshing thanks to their unsophistication. The plot remains as paper-thin as in the original, barely an excuse to visit a number of WH40K locales and murder all sorts of xenos and heretics until the missions are over or your eyes are bloodshot. Even retro-inspired shooters all over are attempting to add more weight with lore dumps and overwritten mission briefings. The Boltgun games have none of that.

Chaos is infecting different worlds, and it’s up to Malum Caedo or Nyra Veyrath to purge and cleanse them. In Boltgun 2, however, they’re often supported by allied Imperial troops. Whereas the first game stuck closer to Doom and Quake’s structure of a lone mighty soldier running through different levels, there’s a bigger sense of scale to the sequel that feels like a continuation of Auroch’s work on Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War! earlier this year, even if the maps are more traditional instead of open.

Levels also tend to be shorter and more inventive in their design. Boost pads make an appearance, working exactly as they did in Quake and Doom games, for example. The verticality is greater, and less of Boltgun 2 boils down to “corridors that lead to other corridors” and box-y rooms with no distinct features. Despite the original’s positive reception, FPS veterans were quick to point out its shortcomings on that front, and Auroch has answered our prayers.

The overarching design of the entire package remains tight, but it’s also more playful and confident, at least when it comes to the moment-to-moment experience. The core has always worked, so the areas of possible improvement were clear. Guns have a kick to them and sound crunchy; the enemies aren’t as one note-y; and WH40K’s delightful grimdark aesthetic is preserved in pixelated form even when you mess up the final image quality with more aggressive retro filters.

Two Playstyles That Deserved More

Nyra Veyrath is instantly differentiated from Malum Caedo; she’s faster and has access to a different set of weapons. The contrast ends there, though. In spite of giving us the ability to replay the campaign as a different character and tackle another set of levels, there isn’t a substantial enough change to how WH40K: Boltgun 2 actually plays with each of them. There’s a limit to what Auroch could realistically do, but the extra punch of a basic co-op mode could’ve helped here, if only to present a more interesting use of the two characters.

Players are essentially asked to pick between strength or agility, but both characters can tear through the hordes of enemies in ways that are ultimately a bit too similar. There’s this feeling the “character selection” gimmick is retro to a fault, reminding me of how the tie-in video games of my childhood handled unlockable characters that were barely different. Nyra has a crossbow, bigger grenades (which take too damn long to explode), and a sword that can cut down several foes at once. She also can run faster (to the point it becomes a problem in certain sections). But that’s it.

Don’t get me wrong; it’s good to have a different flavour of Imperial killer available. But chances are most players’ second playthrough won’t feel very different. The branching missions are the actual standout element in Boltgun 2 if you ask me. Leaving the cold metal hallways behind, cursed jungles await, and there’s some lovely geometry work done on the environments. It’s enough to carry this breezy and bloody affair forward even if there isn’t much going on when it comes to progression or gameplay twists.

Overall, Auroch’s second Warhammer 40,000 rodeo succeeds thanks to its iterative nature. Fans and casual FPS players are getting more of the same in more polished, better measured fashion. That’s enough to convince, especially since it doesn’t appear to overstay its welcome, but don’t expect a bold new step for chunky boomer shooters here. I’m of the opinion Auroch’s developers actually have the chops for a more daring FPS, but for now, it seems they’re perfectly content establishing themselves as reliable artisans.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is now available on PC (Steam), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.