Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 - All Difficulties Explored

A character in Space Marine 2
Credit: Saber Interactive

A character in Space Marine 2
Credit: Saber Interactive

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 provides a third-person action-packed experience where you embark on a skirmish-filled journey against the Tyranid threat. The game features several difficulty levels to challenge your skills further or tailor the game to your playstyle.

Whether you are looking for a story-driven experience or a hardcore tactical shooter, these difficulty levels ensure that you experience a drastic change in gameplay according to your preferred challenge. For the complete beginner or a seasoned player, there is a level of difficulty that suits your skill level.

Campaign Difficulty Settings

Campaign difficulty settings in Space Marine 2
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The campaign mode in Space Marine 2 features four difficulty levels: easy, normal, veteran, and angel of death.

Easy

Easy mode is perfect for those who prefer to pay more attention to the storyline without any need to deal with tough battles. Enemies are less aggressive, and you have ample Health and Armor.

Additionally, there is an abundance of ammo and health packs, allowing you to complete missions with minimal concern. This difficulty is perfect for newcomers to action games or those seeking a more relaxed experience with the game and its story.

Normal

Normal mode offers a balanced combination of fighting and gathering resources with moderate difficulty. It is harder than Easy mode, as enemies are more aggressive in this mode, but not too hard.

You still have a decent amount of Health and Armor in this setting, but you'll need to manage your resources more carefully, especially during long missions.

Veteran

Veteran difficulty is tailored for hardcore gamers seeking a real challenge. In this mode, enemies are highly aggressive and deal significant damage, requiring you to manage resources carefully and master abilities like parrying and executing.

Boss fights, in particular, will test your skills and stamina. This difficulty is ideal for players who are experienced with action games and are looking for a more demanding experience.

Angel of Death

Angel of Death is the most challenging mode in the campaign and is designed for the most skilled players. In this mode, enemies are extremely aggressive and inflict heavy damage, making it nearly impossible to overcome without top-notch fighting skills.

Health and Armor are significantly decreased, and resources are limited, making survival nearly impossible. This difficulty is ideal for those who have gone through the game and are seeking a challenge where every battle is do or die.

Operations Mode Difficulty Settings

Operations difficulty settings in space marine 2
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Like campaign mode, operation mode has four different difficulty levels, each offering its own challenges.

Threat: Minimal

The minimum threat level is suitable for beginners or those who wish to experiment with strategies. The enemies are not as hostile, and Health and ammo are abundant in this setting. Even if you are knocked out, it still does not count for failure. This mode is advisable for practicing or just having fun with friends.

Threat: Average

The average threat is a balanced difficulty level that is moderate and suitable for most players. Opponents are stronger than Minimal mode, and you should be more cautious with your resources like health and ammunition, as they can be hard to spot. Additionally, health regeneration is also less effective.

Threat: Substantial

Substantial Threat takes the difficulty up a notch. Enemies become more aggressive and tougher to defeat, and resources are scarce. Even your first incapacitation could result in Mortal Wounds, making recovery challenging. Medical Stims are less effective, so you must be precise regarding tactics and focus on teamwork to succeed.

Threat: Ruthless

Ruthless is the ultimate challenge intended for players at least level 15. Medical Stimming is nearly ineffective in this mode, and getting knocked down results in Mortal Wounds that could even lead to death. It's the most challenging setting that offers 165 Armory Data for completing missions, making it a high-risk and high-reward endeavor for seasoned players.

Which Difficulty You Should Choose?

For most players, starting with the Normal level is the right decision for their first time playing this game. It is not too difficult, but it is not dull either. If you are more of a story person or are new to action games, Easy mode is the best because it allows you to play it without much pressure.

Veteran difficulty is excellent for those who wish to play the game with a reasonable level of challenge, while Angel of Death is for those who want the game to be as challenging as possible.

In Operations mode, newcomers should set the threat level to Minimal or Average to understand the game mechanics. If they are experienced enough, players can choose Substantial or Ruthless difficulty levels for a more challenging and cooperative experience.