Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has taken the gaming world by storm and has depicted the violent 40k universe in all of its glory. Gothic, cathedral-like structures filled with metal skulls float around space in a way that only ships in the Warhammer 40,000 universe can, and the zealous nature of the Space Marines in their fight against the Emperor’s enemies has given players something to get involved with, similar to the propaganda of Helldivers 2. It’s exactly how many imagine the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Space Marine 2 isn’t the first title that has brought Space Marines to the forefront, but it has evolved all aspects from its predecessor. Titus, as well as a few others, make a return, and the improved visuals are on full display with their character models. The combat is tighter too, but there is something almost retro about how Space Marine 2 goes from gameplay to pre-rendered cutscenesand this isn’t the only aspect that Space Marine 2 has taken from its predecessor to evolve and improve upon.
The Space Marine Squadron Is Better In Space Marine 2
Gadriel Is Better Than Leandros
A part of what makes Space Marine 2 so fun is the squads that the Ultramarines put themselves in. For most of the game, Titus leads a squad of three Ultramarines that includes Chairon and Gadriel. While Chairon is savage and unrelentingly loyal to Titus, save for a moment of admittedly very cool bloodlust, Gadriel has his moments of doubt, as he realistically should. Titus doesn’t hold to the Codex Astartes as tightly as many other Ultramarines and there are some places in which he is held under suspicion over his relationship with Chaos.
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Gadriel is the more doubtful member of the squadron, and it is a good contrast to Chairon to give him more personality. When compared to Leandros, who is the by-the-books member of Titus’ squad in Space Marine 1Gadriel has a bit of an arc. It isn’t drastic, but he goes from sticking to the Codex Astartes more heavily and attempting to betray Titus, which he doesn’t seem to mind all too much, to being ride-or-die for his squad leader, even stating that the Codex Astartes doesn’t support their actions, but he’s looking forward to it anyway.
Leandros remains by-the-book from start to finish, and despite being the one to accidentally open a chaos portal in the first game, he still reports Titus after he closes the portal and rectifies his mistake. He gets shot down by Sidonus, a veteran Ultramarine, but reports Titus to the Inquisition anyway, betraying his commanding officer because he can’t look past the Codex Astartes. He’s a static character throughout in the most stubborn way possible, while Gadriel remains more malleable to allow for a character arc.
Gadriel Is The Ride Or Die Marine Everyone Wants
His Suspicion Turns Into Unrelenting Loyalty
Gadriel remains suspicious of Titus throughout most of the story, due to his connection to the Deathwatch Blackshield, but when he discovers that his suspicions are unfounded, he asks his commanding officer for forgiveness. The pair get over Gadriel attempting to kill Titus very quickly, which makes sense given how fast the game’s main campaign moves, only addressing it in Gadriel’s apology. From then on, he becomes stalwartly loyal, with Titus backing his strategy when he brings it up to Calgar, Chapter Master of the Ultramarines.
On the other hand, Leandros becomes stalwartly suspicious of Titus, even after the roughly two hundred years between Space Marine 1 and 2. When he makes an appearance in Space Marine 2 as a Chaplain for the Inquisition, he still hammers Titus with his suspicions. After two hundred years, one would think that Leandros would let this go, but it seems his narrow-minded nature extends beyond just his interpretation of the Codex Astartes, and he is unable to evolve the way that Gadriel was able to.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2‘s predecessor walked so it could runeven if that run took over a decade to come. In general, it’s nice to see characters that are ride-or-die together in a military setting, and it’s even better when that attitude is earned throughout the story. This is the case with Gadriel, who begins obedient, yet suspicious, then turns into a stalwart, loyal figure who many players resonate with. That arc has made him a very likable character that doesn’t get outshone in a strong squad.