Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun 2 picks up right where the first game left off. The influence of the Chaos forces continues to spread through the Imperium, and once again we are thrown straight into a war where subtlety is as rare as peace in the 41st millennium. The campaign is now branching, and instead of the strictly linear structure that characterized the first game, the player now gets to choose their path through various missions and worlds. We can now also play as two different characters, either the super-brutal Ultramarine Malum Caedo or Nyra Veyrath, a Sister of Battle.

A tribute to retro FPS

When Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun was released on May 23, 2023, developer Auroch Digital succeeded with something few licensed games manage: satisfying both hardcore fans and attracting the retro FPS audience at the same time. The game was praised for its uncompromising “boomer shooter” design, its high pace, and its accurate interpretation of the Warhammer 40K universe. Personally, I missed the retro version but liked Warhammer 40.000: Space Marine II when I tried it a couple of years ago.

Pixel-perfect nostalgia

Retro is truly in vogue right now, and some genres work better than others. First-person shooters in particular are something that works exceptionally well in a retro guise. Especially when it’s this well-made and fun. The flow is perfect, and the graphics are just as you remember them on your old computer that struggled to maintain a decent level of FPS it could cough up.

What’s extra fun is that you can choose between different versions of the retro graphics. I used the standard setting, simply called Retro. Here it is gloriously pixelated just as you remember it. You can also adjust the colors for the right feel.

Then you have the Ultraretro mode, where it becomes even more pixelated, and I immediately remember how we used to turn down the resolution to get better performance in games. The Ruined mode takes it a step further and is almost unplayable in terms of pixelation, but somehow it still triggers sweet memories of how you had to struggle to get new computer components to keep up with developments.

The final mode is Off, and then it’s not pixelated at all. To me, it felt like the most boring mode. The game also features the classic two-dimensional enemies that spin when they lie dead on the ground. The Doom vibe is complete.

Two characters and more choices

The two playable characters are more than just different skins to look at. Malum Caedo feels like a walking armored vehicle that just plows straight through the opposition, while Nyra Veyrath is significantly faster and more agile. It actually makes the game feel a bit different depending on who you choose. The same goes for the branching campaign. It might not fundamentally change the game, but it still contributes to providing a bit more variety and ensures there’s a reason to return once the credits have rolled.

Shoot first, never ask

As I mentioned above, there is a sort of story, and you can choose which world you want to visit and in what order. You can also play as two different characters, but at the end of the day, this is a fairly brainless shooter where pixelated blood flies in all directions. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but regardless, it eventually becomes a bit repetitive. Because no matter how many different weapons there are or how many enemies you face, it never gets more advanced than shooting everything that moves.

Stable on Xbox Series X

I tested Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun 2 on Xbox Series X, and that console is significantly over-specced for this game. Consequently, I experienced no performance issues whatsoever while playing it. The game is locked at 60 FPS on console, but the PC version is reportedly playable at higher frame rates. I haven’t tested it myself. Personally, I like that it’s not too smooth, because the whole point is for it to feel like an old game.

Modern sound in a retro package

What doesn’t feel old, however, is the sound design, which instead feels very modern with surround sound and really good music and sound effects. I think this is a good approach, because even if you’re nostalgic about the graphics, nineties sound becomes irritating quite quickly.

In summary, I really like Warhammer 40.000: Boltgun 2, primarily because it evokes a lot of memories from the past and because it’s a well-made and fun game. If you grew up with Doom, Quake, and other classic FPS games, there is a lot to appreciate here. It is fast, brutal, and manages to capture the feel of that era in an impressive way. On the other hand, I think players who prefer deeper stories, more advanced game mechanics, or greater mission variety might tire of it quite quickly. For them, the game risks feeling rather repetitive after a few hours.

For the rest of us, however, it is a very entertaining return to a time when there was really only one question: How many enemies can you shoot before they shoot you?

Auroch Digital sent a review code for this test. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests.