Control and Defend matches in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 are tremendous
How's it going gamers? I hope you're all having a great time and playing a lot, as always. This time I'm bringing you my review on the "Control and Defend" matches within the Eternal War mode of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. This mode belongs to the PvP side of Eternal War, and just like the name suggests, we have to control a zone and defend it until time runs out in order to rack up points and win the match.
Control and defend
Like the name literally says, we have to take control of a zone that starts out neutral, and once it's under control, we need to hold that position for a bit more than a minute, 90 seconds is how long each zone stays active on the map. New zones keep appearing throughout the match, which has a hard limit of 20 minutes, though in practice it'll almost always end way earlier than that, since teams tend to hit the point cap before the time limit ever becomes an issue.
What I like about this mode is how it keeps you moving. It's not like a static point you just camp on forever, since the zone shifts around the map as the match progresses, so you constantly have to reposition, regroup with your team, and figure out where the next fight is going to break out. That constant movement keeps things tense in a good way, there's never really a moment where you can just relax, because the next zone could pop up right where you least expect it.
The Tactical class will be one of the useful ones
As I keep exploring the different classes, I'm starting to notice which ones work better for each game mode. We haven't gotten into a full breakdown of just the classes yet, but in this particular mode, the Tactical class turns out to be really useful, and that's thanks to its radar ability that reveals enemy positions. This ends up being a huge help when you're trying to secure a zone, since you can spot enemies coming before they even show up on your screen.
Having that kind of early warning changes how you approach holding a point. Instead of just standing there hoping nobody flanks you, you actually get a heads up on where the pressure is coming from, which lets you and your team reposition or reinforce before things go bad. In a mode where holding ground for even those 90 seconds can decide the whole match, that little edge in information makes a real difference.
An endless matchmaking queue
Something interesting I noticed during my matches is that if you select quick match and the game drops you into a Control and Defend match first, for example, you'll stay queued into that same game mode with the same pool of players across the next few matchmaking rounds. I actually find this pretty useful in a way, because it skips having to reshuffle the whole player queue and go through a brand new matchmaking search for the mode every single time. So it works out well if you want to keep playing that same style for a while. If you want to switch up the queue, all you have to do is back out and re-enter matchmaking.
It's a small detail, but it saves a decent chunk of downtime between matches, which pairs really well with how short these rounds already are. You basically get to chain match after match of the same mode without sitting through long waiting screens in between, and honestly, that's exactly what you want when you're trying to get a feel for a specific mode like this one.
A medium difficulty with small scenarios
Well, like every online game, there's a difficulty curve when it comes to competing against other players, so playing online ends up feeling pretty different, something I already mentioned in my last post, like how much damage weapons deal and how quickly you can die compared to the campaign. So it's something you just have to get used to as you spend more time playing online.
The other thing worth mentioning is the maps themselves. I think the development team made a really smart call here by not getting carried away trying to recreate the massive, sprawling scenarios you see in the campaign for this kind of match. Instead, they built small, contained sections of those worlds specifically for this style of play, and that decision really pays off. It keeps the action and the activity concentrated, which makes everything flow a lot faster and a lot better. There's no wasted space, no long empty walks between fights, just straight into the action almost immediately after you spawn.
So, gamers, I'll see you in a next post, and I hope you enjoyed my review of the Control and Defend mode in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2.
Enjoy the complet match in the 3Speak video.