Introduction

As much as I’d love to claim full nerd credentials across the board, I’ll be the first to admit I’ve missed out on some bigger corners of geek culture. Warhammer 40,000 is a prime example. Yes, I’ve played several of the video games and read a few of the books — but I’ve never gotten around to the tabletop, never painted the miniature figurines, and never truly deep-dived into the lore. Even so, the franchise has consistently produced quality titles, which is exactly why I was more than willing to review Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II when a review code landed here at SunsetNerdVerse. Developed by Bulwark Studios and published by Kasedo Games, Mechanicus II is a sequel to the 2018 turn-based tactics title that was met with mixed reviews. Bulwark Studios stood their ground and pushed forward with a second attempt — but is this newest entry worthy of the Warhammer 40,000 legacy, or should they have stopped after their first missed dice roll? We find out in our Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II review for PC! Big thanks to the developers and publishers for the review copy!

Gameplay

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is a turn-based strategy game in which players take control of one of two distinct factions — the Necrons or the Adeptus Mechanicus. Both sides play out somewhat differently — more on that in a moment — but the core gameplay loop is straightforward. You’re placed on a grid-based map and must maneuver your troops to victory. Rather than commanding massive armies as in many Warhammer 40,000 titles, you’re typically working with a small, focused squad — lose too many and you’re in trouble, but if your main leader falls, it’s game over.

After a decently sized prologue introducing both sides, you choose one faction to carry through the full campaign. The Necrons operate like necromancers — fittingly enough — with the ability to resurrect fallen units or bring them back after a set number of turns, provided they aren’t completely destroyed. The Adeptus Mechanicus, meanwhile, are powerful machine-like entities capable of hitting harder and utilizing more effective attacks, at the cost of having no recovery options when things go sideways.

For my review playthrough — I didn’t have time to complete both campaigns — I went with the Adeptus Mechanicus, whose playstyle appealed to me more. That said, I genuinely appreciate that Mechanicus II offers two meaningfully distinct factions, each varied enough to justify a second playthrough.

Outside of faction differences, the overall structure remains consistent. Turn-based combat typically asks you to eliminate all enemies or designated targets on a given map. On the map screen, your leader travels a linear path punctuated by decision points — investigate an area and risk finding only enemies, or push past the battle entirely. These choices were a welcome break from the gameplay loop and kept things from feeling entirely repetitive. Between missions, a robust skill tree lets you upgrade your faction and boost unit and leader stats — though the game smartly warns you early that careless choices can come back to haunt you in later levels.

Where Mechanicus II stumbles is in its lack of long-term variety. Even after the prologue and several hours of the main campaign, you’ve essentially seen everything the game has to offer. Battles trend toward the simple side, and the real challenge lies not in complex strategy but in whether you move your units carefully or get them obliterated by one bad call too many. Playing it safe and keeping your team together was often enough to win most engagements. There is strategy to be found here, but similar turn-based titles have done this gameplay considerably better.

Graphics

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is a mixed bag visually. On one hand, the still character artwork and the miniature unit designs are genuinely impressive — detailed, atmospheric, and very much in keeping with the franchise’s aesthetic. On the other hand, calling Mechanicus II a visually impressive game overall would be a stretch. Environments are fairly simple in design — dark, tomb-like corridors, sci-fi alien landscapes, strange spacecraft interiors — and the cutscenes, while occasionally striking, feel dated more often than not. Visually functional but not remarkable is probably the fairest summary here.

Sound

If you enjoy creepy sci-fi tones and unsettling atmospheric music, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II has you covered — the OST leans fully into a sci-fi horror sensibility from start to finish. I personally wished for some bigger, more epic scores to punctuate the larger moments, but the alien-tinged tones and ambient noises do set the mood effectively enough. Voice acting is similarly mixed — certain faction performances show real talent, while others feel flat and phoned in. Not a dealbreaker, but noticeable.

Story

I’d be dishonest if I claimed to have fully understood everything Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II put in front of me, story-wise. Despite having played several Warhammer games, my knowledge of the franchise’s deep lore remains limited — and Mechanicus II firmly assumes you’re already a fan, offering very little in the way of historical context or onboarding for newcomers. From what I could piece together, the two factions are locked in conflict over an ancient power buried deep within a Necron tomb — the Adeptus Mechanicus seeking to claim it, the Necrons determined to protect their undead domain from all who dare disturb it. It’s a strange but curious tale, and despite my lore gaps, the game did enough to keep me invested in seeing how each campaign concluded. That said, I strongly recommend having played the first Mechanicus or having some familiarity with Warhammer 40,000 lore going in — it will meaningfully improve your enjoyment of the story presented here.

Overall Impression

Simple but effective is probably the fairest way to sum up Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II. This isn’t the high-end strategy experience the Warhammer 40,000 franchise is capable of producing, and the relatively surface-level turn-based gameplay won’t wow those accustomed to deeper titles in the genre. Still, Mechanicus II is fun, reasonably challenging, and offers two distinct factions and campaigns that give it enough replay value to justify the time investment for the right kind of player.

Conclusion

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II very much feels like a game made for franchise faithful rather than the general masses. I picked it up, found moments to enjoy, but never felt driven to dig deeper into either the gameplay or the lore beyond what was necessary to understand the two factions in front of me. Those looking for a solid turn-based strategy fix won’t be completely let down — but I’d encourage some caution going in. Die-hard Warhammer 40,000 fans will either find real enjoyment here or hold it to a very high standard. For everyone else, Mechanicus II is a perfectly adequate but unremarkable entry in one of gaming’s most expansive franchises — not a bad game, just not one that does enough to truly stand out.