Warhammer: Boltgun 2 is basically the perfect sequel to one of the best shooters of 2023

More guns, more enemies, more variety and better levels make this game one of the best boomer shooters.

Boltgun 2 Boomer Shooter Impressions Warhammer 40K

A few years ago, Warhammer: Boltgun hit PC and console and won me over with its fast-paced combat, crunchy retro visuals, and dark humor that clearly showed the people who made the game understood the world of W40k. And at first, Boltgun 2 didn't seem like much of an improvement over the last game at the moment. But as I played more, I realized that this new sequel is bigger and better in every way.

Boltgun 2 is set directly after the events of the first game, but you don't need to have played that game to play. In short, you play as a tough space marine focused on one thing: destroying the enemies of the Imperium of Man and doing it as brutally and effectively as possible. It involves a lot of shooting and explosions. Heretics tend to fight.

However, this time around, players can start fighting demons and heretic soldiers as the returning hero Malum Caedo or the new playable character and evil sister Battle Nyla Veyrath. Both are very deadly fighters, but they do things differently. Malum hits harder and moves slower. He also uses weapons from the first game, such as the bolt gun and the very satisfying shotgun. Meanwhile, Naila is more agile and has a different array of firearms, including a flamethrower and a powerful crossbow.

As you complete levels in the main campaign as one character, you can go back and replay them as another character whenever you want. While they didn't mess things up so much that I felt like I had to play every level twice, I enjoyed how they felt different from moment to moment, giving me the chance to be faster or heavier depending on the combat encounters in each level.

Another big improvement in Boltgun 2 is the increase in overall variety. In the first game, it felt like you were exploring the same halls and shooting the same enemies over and over again. In Boltgun 2, there's a lot more variety of both environments to see and enemies to kill. At first, I was fighting armed cultists in a huge, gothic space castle. Then I was killing zombies and toads in a horrible swamp biome. Later I was dodging snipers and red demons in a nightmarish hellscape.

All these different locations to explore make Boltgun 2 feel bigger and more like an epic Warhammer 40k adventure. And I appreciate the improved level design in the sequel.

The first game often forced players to fight large waves of enemies in closed arenas. It was fun, but it could be boring. Boltgun 2 has levels that are clearly lifted from the shooters of the 90s and early 00s, with winding paths and large rooms that connect to smaller areas. Combat offers more varied encounters and overall makes Bolton 2 feel more scattered, but in a good way. And if you ever get lost or backtrack, you can tap a button to create a line on the ground that guides you to your original destination.

The main campaign has been a blast so far, with different levels to choose from as you progress through the game's story. I'm really digging all the new weapons, improved level design, and a bigger roster of monsters and enemies to take down. Boltgun 2 looks like a really great sequel to a great game, and if I'm still enjoying the maps and action by the end of its run, it'll probably be on my best shooters of 2026 list.

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