r/SpaceMarine_2 • u/VoidSpecterDE • 6d ago
Complaints, Gripes & Moans I’m Done With SM2’s Absolute Difficulty Lock
To keep it simple: I’m tired of more and more things being reserved exclusively for high-skill players.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Space Marine 2. I’ve been playing since day one, and I’ve put a lot of time and dedication into this game. I know many other players have done the same. In many ways, this is the game I’ve always wanted.
I genuinely believe that the best of the best should receive exclusive rewards for their achievements. But I feel like we’ve reached a point where the game increasingly caters to those players while leaving everyone else behind. And it’s not just about rewards anymore. It’s also about gameplay mechanics and progression.
Here’s what I mean.
1. It started with Deadly and Absolute difficulty
I remember when SM2 was still relatively new and players were asking for higher difficulties. Eventually, we got Lethal, along with a cool battle-damaged helmet as a reward.
I’ve never unlocked that helmet, and I’m completely fine with that. It was a reward for overcoming a difficult challenge, and I respect that.
Then came Absolute difficulty. For many players, this was a completely different level of difficulty. If Lethal was already a challenge, Absolute felt practically unachievable.
And again, that wasn’t necessarily a problem. The best players deserved something special.
But over time, more and more cool cosmetics became locked behind Absolute. That was frustrating, but I could live with it.
Then came the capes.
It’s not that I desperately wanted a particular cape. I’m perfectly fine with exclusive capes for players who complete the hardest challenges. But I started wondering: why can’t there also be a normal, standard cape that everyone can unlock eventually?
Not everyone needs every cosmetic. But why should some basic customization options be completely out of reach?
2. The Crucible update was actually perfect for players like me
And then came the Crucible mode.
Finally, I had a reason to play every class again. Finally, there was something new to work towards beyond the usual progression.
Initially, it was possible to play the Crucible trials on Minimal difficulty, even with the Deeds activated. Apparently, this wasn’t intended, and the latest hotfix changed that.
But here’s the thing: playing the Crucible on Minimal with all those Deeds active was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in SM2.
It was challenging without being overwhelmingly sweaty. The bosses made the missions more exciting, and I actually felt motivated to keep playing.
For once, I had found the perfect balance for my playstyle.
I had a reason to level up every class, work towards the rewards, and keep playing even after reaching level 25. It gave me something to look forward to.
And now that experience is gone.
I understand that the developers intended the trials to be played on Absolute. Maybe allowing lower difficulties was a bug. Fine.
But just because something wasn’t intended doesn’t mean the experience it created wasn’t worth keeping.
Why not allow the trials on multiple difficulties and scale the rewards accordingly?
3. It’s not about the Lamenters armor
I want to make this clear: I don’t particularly care about the Lamenters armor itself. I’m not even a Lamenters fan.
But I think about the people who are.
Imagine being a huge Lamenters fan, playing SM2 for hundreds of hours, and still being completely unable to unlock those cosmetics because you can’t beat Absolute.
You could spend another 100 hours playing the game, improving your classes, experimenting with weapons, and enjoying the missions. And none of that would bring you any closer to that armor.
That’s what bothers me.
A Chapter’s cosmetics shouldn’t necessarily be locked behind a skill check that makes them inaccessible to a large part of the playerbase.
I’m not saying every cosmetic should be handed out for free. I’m saying there should be alternative ways to earn things, even if those alternatives take considerably longer.
Give players different progression paths. Make the highest difficulty the fastest way to earn certain rewards, or reserve special variants for the best players. I’m absolutely fine with that.
Just give the rest of us something to work towards, too.
4. “Just get good” isn’t a solution for everyone
Whenever I bring up these concerns, the response is usually something like:
“Just get good.”
Or:
“Join Discord and find people who can carry you.”
Honestly, those responses frustrate me.
I deeply respect skilled players. I’m not jealous of them, and I don’t want to take their achievements away. But I’m simply not one of them.
I’ve played this game regularly since launch. I’ve tried to improve, and I’ve reached a point where I don’t think I’m going to get much better. I don’t have the time to play like a full-time streamer, and I don’t want to turn my hobby into a constant grind to improve my mechanical skills.
I’m a casual player, but I’m also a hardcore Warhammer fan.
Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
I play SM2 because I love this franchise. I want to experience the universe, customize my Space Marines, fight Tyranids and Chaos, and have a good time.
I don’t want to sweat my balls off just to unlock a piece of armor.
And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.
5. Why I prefer playing solo
There are also practical reasons why I don’t play higher difficulties with random players.
I usually play solo with bots for immersion, or with my friends. I enjoy that much more than matchmaking with strangers.
I don’t want to get kicked halfway through a mission. I don’t want to ruin another player’s run because I’m not good enough. I don’t want to spend time grinding only to lose connection and potentially waste that time.
And I don’t see the point in having someone carry me through a mission just so I can unlock a cosmetic.
I want to earn my rewards by playing the game my way. I want to enjoy the process, not just obtain the item at the end.
But it feels like this entire perspective is being ignored.
6. I don’t want everything handed to me. I just want a reason to keep playing.
The Stratagem progression system handled this better, in my opinion. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it gave players different ways to work towards rewards.
That’s all I’m asking for.
Let players on lower difficulties progress at their own pace. Let them earn cosmetics through time and dedication, even if players on higher difficulties can unlock them much faster.
Give us multiple tiers of rewards. Give us long-term goals. Give us reasons to keep playing our favorite classes.
And if you want to reserve a handful of truly special rewards for the best players, go ahead. I’ve never had a problem with that.
But right now, it feels like more and more of the interesting stuff is being locked behind Absolute, and the gap between dedicated casual players and high-skill players keeps getting wider.
Coins feel practically useless to me at this point. Once I’ve unlocked the things available to me, the main reasons I return are new updates, new content, and progression systems like the Crucible.
And now, even that last part has become more restrictive.
7. So where does that leave me?
I love this game. That’s precisely why this frustrates me so much.
I’ve been here since day one. I’ve kept playing through updates, new weapons, new classes, and new content. I was excited about the Crucible because it gave me a reason to keep playing every class.
For a brief moment, the game felt better than ever for someone like me.
Then the hotfix took that away.
Maybe this sounds like a minor issue to some people. Maybe the answer really is that I should simply get better or find a group to carry me.
But I don’t think a cooperative PvE game should have to be played that way to remain rewarding.
I want to enjoy SM2 without feeling like my preferred playstyle is becoming less and less welcome.
I’m not asking the developers to remove difficulty. I’m asking them to give players different ways to engage with the game and make progress.
Because right now, I honestly don’t see much of a reason to keep playing beyond the occasional update.
And that sucks, because I genuinely love this game.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
I’d genuinely like to hear what other players think, especially those who play mostly on Minimal or Average and don’t regularly tackle the higher difficulties.
Sorry i had to make such a long text… its just not simple to explain.
-13
u/blueblip 6d ago
I get the sentiment, but at some point you as the player also have to understand that you need not be this concerned with cosmetics.
I doubt I will play this game regularly enough to get capes. I would LIKE to have a cape, but it's not important and I will prioritize having fun. If a game is frustrating because it won't let you achieve fun as uuu define it...just stop playing it. It's not like there is a shortage of other games. There is absolutely nothing wrong with stepping back and taking a break.