'Warhammer 40000: Space Marine 2' review: A beautiful, gory mess of a sequel

When Relic Entertainment dropped Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine back in 2011, it quickly carved out a niche as one of those solid, under-the-radar action games of the sixth-gen era. Sure, it wasn’t the most mind-blowing title on the shelf—more of a straightforward, linear hack-and-slash—but that didn’t stop it from being a perfect gateway drug into the chaotic, sprawling universe of Warhammer 40K.

Over the years, Space Marine developed a cult following, particularly among 40K fans hungry...