Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Review (in Progress) – GOTY Contender, but Play It Elsewhere for Now

This in-depth review explores Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 across both Steam Deck and PS5, leveraging cross-progression and online multiplayer testing. The author's experience, spanning 22 hours of gameplay, offers a comprehensive look at the game's performance, visuals, and features.

The review is currently a work in progress due to ongoing testing of cross-platform multiplayer and public servers, as well as anticipated official Steam Deck support by year's end. The author highlights both positive and negative aspects of the Steam Deck experience, promising a complete review upon the game's full release and further testing.

Gameplay on both platforms is described as "superb," praising the visceral melee combat and satisfying weapon mechanics. Co-op is lauded as a highlight, reminiscent of classic co-op shooters, while defense missions receive less enthusiastic feedback.

The PS5 version's 4K visuals are stunning, showcasing detailed environments and impressive enemy swarms. The author is particularly impressed with the game's overall presentation, including voice acting, customization options, and a robust photo mode (though noting some issues with the photo mode on Steam Deck using FSR 2). The audio design, while lacking a personal favorite soundtrack, is considered top-tier due to the excellent voice acting and sound effects.

The PC port features extensive graphical options, including DLSS and FSR 2 support (with FSR 3 planned), but currently lacks full 16:10 support. Controller support is comprehensive, including adaptive trigger functionality on the DualSense controller, even wirelessly on PC.

Steam Deck performance, however, is a significant concern. Even with low settings and FSR 2.0, maintaining a stable 30fps proves challenging, with frequent frame rate drops. The author suggests the game is currently too demanding for the Steam Deck. Online multiplayer functionality on Steam Deck is confirmed to work well, although further testing is pending.

The PS5 experience is largely positive, featuring fast load times, PS5 Activity Card support, and excellent performance (though not consistently locked at 60fps). Cross-save progression between Steam and PS5 is highlighted, albeit with a two-day cooldown period.

The review concludes by expressing anticipation for future updates and patches, specifically requesting HDR support and haptic feedback for the DualSense controller. While a final score is pending, the author considers the game a strong contender for Game of the Year, recommending it highly for PS5 but not yet for Steam Deck due to performance limitations.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Steam Deck Review Score: TBA