Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2

The problem with a lot of sequels, be it in movies or games, is their tendency to do little more than ride the wave of the original without bringing much new to the table. That's far from the case with Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, the sequel to the popular 2016 real-time strategy game of space warfare. There's no light packing for this return trip to the far reaches of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, as the game is bursting at the seams with content. Three complete single-player story campaigns, 12 total playable factions, and multiplayer skirmishes that support both ranked and casual play for up to four players all come in this densely packed sequel. For fans of either the previous Armada game or the tabletop Battlefleet Gothic experience, this is almost a dream come true. Of course, when making a game for fans, it's a little too easy to leave newcomers behind.

Although Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is packed with content, the game also presumes that players are already intimately familiar with the franchise. The three story campaigns toss players right into the thick of battle as one of three factions: Imperium, Necron, or the newly added Tyranid. Each of these stories are presented as sort of "What if?" scenarios, though there's no real context given to understand the impact. Also, while all 12 factions are represented in the multiplayer skirmishes, there's not much explanation regarding the strengths and weakness of each. If you've ever played the tabletop game, you'll already be familiar with how each faction plays, but newcomers are forced to learn through trial and error. There's a lot to take in before players can really start to feel effective, especially when playing online. Still, with patience and practice, the game opens itself up to a slew of strategic options. In the end, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 is a deep and exhilarating space combat experience, but the overall satisfaction depends solely on the time and effort you're willing to commit.