Warhammer 40 000 Mechanicus II Offers a Deep Asymmetrical Tactical RPG Experience with Distinct Necron and Adeptus Mechanicus Campaigns on Hecatus IV
The first Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, when it came out, offered a solid tactical base along with a great atmosphere. Now, Bulwark Studios has released an anticipated sequel. This new game not only makes the universe bigger but also improves almost every main system from the first one. Whether you are very familiar with the series or completely new to the grimdark world, Mechanicus II provides a very deep tactical RPG experience where you can play from two different sides.
This sequel takes place on Hecatus IV, a planet where battles constantly happen. Its ancient inhabitants called it Kivrokh. The game removes the frustrating arbitrary countdown timers. Instead, it really focuses on tough tactical fights, two big campaigns, and how well units work together.
A key part of this new game is a campaign split evenly between two sides. Rather than just playing as the human Adeptus Mechanicus fighting against endless robot skeletons, players now get to see things from two different viewpoints. You can lead the Tech Priests, who are cybernetic and worship technology, as they try to build Forge Cities. Or, you can control the ancient, immortal Necrons, who are waking up to take back their tomb worlds. The stories blend together smoothly, showing you different sides of the same war on the planet.
What is really interesting is that these aren't just different skins for the same faction; they feel like two completely different games to play.
Playing as the Tech Priests means you need to be very strategic and flexible. You get resources by managing and defending your Forge Cities across the whole map. In combat, they use a system called Cognition. Unlike the previous game, units get Cognition in very specific ways. For example, a sniper might earn points by shooting from a distance, while a basic Servitor gets it by taking damage. Your commanders then spend these points to use powerful buffs, control enemies, and heal units.
Additionally, the Adeptus Mechanicus army building phase relies on some random chance, like in roguelike games. When you unlock units at the Shrine of Knowledge, it affects what troops you might have for a mission. This makes you change your strategy during the game based on which groups of units are randomly available.
On the flip side, the Necron campaign gives you an experience all about raw power. Instead of spending resources to get troops, Necron Lords have set Courts of units. When you level up a Lord, they unlock their specific units in a set, predictable way. This makes it easier to get into, but still gives you a very satisfying feeling of power.
Their special combat system is called Dominion. Instead of you having to manage action points, Dominion builds up on its own as your units deal damage. Reaching higher Dominion levels automatically gives you big buffs and new effects for your attacks. If a Necron unit is defeated in battle, they don't die right away. They go into a downed state and can revive, which really reinforces their image as an unstoppable, undying army.
One big difference from the first game is how missions are set up. The developers got rid of the choose your own path dungeon exploration map entirely. Missions are now completely linear. You go straight to your objective, and sometimes story pop ups appear that make you choose something. These choices might boost your squad, hurt them, or increase the Vigilance meter. This is a simple system where a full bar means more enemies will show up in the next fight.
While some might miss exploring tombs, this simpler approach cuts out extra stuff and gets you into the tactical grid battles much quicker.
The game really shines when you're fighting on the combat grid. A big improvement lets you pick which of your units act first during your turn, instead of being stuck with a set order. However, the enemies' turn order is set on the timeline. This creates a clever tactical challenge: if you concentrate your fire and take out the enemies who are supposed to attack next, their turn disappears. This lets your squad take actions one after another.
Another great new feature is the detailed animation speed sliders. You can change the movement and combat speed separately for your units, your allies, and the enemies. This is extremely helpful in later parts of the game when many abilities are being used at once.
If there is one major flaw to be found in Mechanicus II, it is the difficulty or rather, the lack thereof. Veteran tacticians will likely find the game surprisingly easy, even on the higher difficulty settings.
The core issue lies in the game's economy. In the late game, resource generation snowballs out of control, allowing you to field your absolute best, most expensive units with zero financial strain. Furthermore, the game utilizes a strict Protect the King mechanic: if your main Commander falls, you instantly fail the mission. As a result, the optimal strategy naturally devolves into hiding your overpowered leader in the backline while your endlessly replaceable grunts effortlessly wipe the map.
Boss encounters suffer from this balance issue as well. Because they take multiple turns in a round, they are incredibly susceptible to damage over time effects like radiation. Fights against massive, lore heavy threats can often be trivialized and won in a single turn through concentrated burst damage.
Visually, the game is a masterclass in Warhammer 40k aesthetics. The metallic, glowing architecture of the Necron tombs clashes beautifully with the industrial, incense clouded tech of the Mechanicus. The story execution is top notch, featuring fantastic voice acting for the human faction. The dialogue perfectly captures the trademark boisterous machismo and theological techno babble of the setting, creating moments of brilliant verbal sparring between characters.
However, the narrative presentation does have a few quirks. The Necron Lords remain completely silent, stripping away some potential character depth. Furthermore, the Leagues of Votann make a brief cameo, but their inclusion feels like a forgettable afterthought rather than a meaningful third act.
As for the audio, the thumping, industrial church organ soundtrack is just as legendary as it was in the first game. (Note: At the time of playing, there were some minor audio mixing bugs where explosion sound effects were far too loud and occasionally tied to the wrong volume slider, but these are minor technical hiccups in an otherwise stellar soundscape.)
Pc Version Tested.
Disclosure: We received a free review copy of this product from Devs
