Compare Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 vs Planted!

Movement and shooting feel responsive on both mouse and controller. Remapping helps the default layout fit individual preferences.

Several accounts describe loose or imprecise inputs that struggle to support fast reactions. Demanding obstacles and busy fights make those shortcomings harder to ignore.

The weapon wheel makes a large arsenal easier to manage. Cycling weapons with the D-pad can still feel awkward on Steam Deck.

An unskippable arena-selection countdown adds needless waiting when arranging an incomplete group. The lobby flow lacks the convenience expected of a quick party game.

Checkpoints generally limit lost progress and make retries feel fair rather than frustrating.

Some campaign mistakes force players to repeat large sections of a challenge. That recovery structure compounds frustration with the imprecise jumps.

One PC and ROG Ally playthrough completed without crashes or other stability problems.

Repeated PS5 crashes can block campaign progress. An Xbox account reports earlier crashes resolved by updates and a later complete campaign run without a crash, so results vary by build and platform.

Nyra’s slide and aerial movement are frequent highlights, while Malum delivers a heavier sense of momentum. Some find the speed slippery or difficult to control near hazards.

Slippery movement and jumps that travel farther than expected make accurate positioning difficult. Campaign obstacles expose these problems especially clearly.

Several players find the sequel polished and well refined, though minor technical blemishes remain.

Rigid lobby behavior, mechanical roughness, and serious technical failures weaken the finish. Multiple accounts see a promising concept that needed more refinement.

Invulnerability, ammo assists, visual comfort settings, and flexible controls make it easier to tailor the action to different needs.

Controller remapping is missing in one account, leaving an awkward layout difficult to fix. Another finds the campaign challenge cannot be adjusted, limiting ways to make it more manageable.

The relentless carnage makes this a poor fit for childhood play.

A playful cartoon tone and simple social competition make it appealing for family game nights in the positive Xbox account. This praise centers on shared fun rather than a detailed content assessment.

The arsenal is widely praised for satisfying impact and varied roles. Nyra’s overlapping fire weapons, the crossbow, and the simplified damage system attract mixed reactions.

Turrets can dominate particular routes and effectively lock opponents out of scoring. The reported island encounter makes this defensive advantage feel excessive.

For players wanting a solo power fantasy, the campaign delivers focused and satisfying combat.

Solo play is a frequent weak point, with aggressive AI, repetition, and uneven challenges limiting enjoyment. Serious crashes or save problems worsen the experience in some tested versions.

Most accounts see a confident, entertaining sequel with stronger variety and presentation. Its most skeptical critics find the expanded content too repetitive to feel like a major advance.

The overall recommendation is divided between an entertaining social battler and an unfinished, frustrating package. Controls, campaign difficulty, and technical reliability account for the strongest reservations.

The sequel expands and refines its foundation rather than radically changing it. That safe approach leaves some wishing for a more adventurous follow-up.

Turning gardening into hectic competition is a clever adaptation of the party-game formula. The concept fits naturally even where execution receives a more qualified response.

Bugs range from minor visual and collision problems to stuck enemies and arena exits that fail to open. Some playthroughs are largely trouble-free.

The PS5 account describes pervasive glitches and bugs that repeatedly disrupt play. Technical trouble becomes a major obstacle to enjoying the underlying game.

Brisk pacing keeps the action moving, yet relentless combat and occasional drawn-out stages can become exhausting. Others find the balance consistently engaging.

Holding a button to harvest interrupts the intended snap of matches, while extended teaching slows the campaign introduction. At the other extreme, the busiest rounds could benefit from a slower pace.

Most accounts describe cathartic, highly enjoyable shooting. Repetition limits that enjoyment for some despite the immediate thrill of combat.

Human multiplayer can be funny, lively, and mischievous. Aggressive AI, overwhelming chaos, repetitive tasks, and technical trouble make enjoyment much less consistent across the full game.

The irreverent Servo-skull writing adds personality and well-timed comic relief amid the carnage.

The campaign story is repeatedly criticized for thin substance and weak motivation. Silly dialogue is a brighter spot, adding charm even when the broader narrative fails to engage.

Platforming is divisive, with some enjoying the air control and others finding precise jumps awkward or slippery.

Platforming asks for accurate jumps and rapid reactions that the movement frequently fails to support. Small overshoots and repeated hazards turn some courses into frustrating tests of patience.

Difficulty draws sharply different reactions: Medium can feel too easy, while Hard can produce abrupt damage spikes. Adjustable settings help, and some find the challenge fair and rewarding.

Computer opponents repeatedly feel too strong, including at low settings in several accounts. Precise demands, overlapping tasks, and unreliable controls can make the challenge feel punishing rather than fair.

The opening gives the initial melee tools room to make sense before introducing shooting, helping the combat click into place.

First-time entry is divisive: one friend joined quickly with little explanation, while other accounts found essential teaching buried in a long campaign. Jumping directly into multiplayer can leave important mechanics unclear.

Crowded arenas, bright effects, poison attacks, and large flames can obscure threats. Some find the spectacle readable, but others find it exhausting or difficult to parse.

Readability depends on the account: Xbox action remains easy to follow in one test, while another flags crowded four-player scenes as a potential problem. Busy projectiles and power-ups are the dividing factor.

New weapons and enemy introductions create a clear sense of progress. Persistent character growth remains a missed opportunity for players wanting deeper development.

Being allowed to finish levels after losing challenges prevents complete blockage. It also weakens the satisfaction of succeeding and makes campaign progression feel inconsistent.

Starting with melee before introducing the gun helps teach the combat tools naturally.

The campaign can teach useful farming and defensive skills, but its instruction often drags on. Some challenges expect near mastery before players have enough practice.

Skull-strewn industrial spaces, enormous structures, and detailed scenery convey the scale and oppressive character of the setting.

Different environments have enough personality to keep the scenery fresh and distinguish the arenas. Visual variation helps support the campaign and competitive matches.

Gunfire lands with exceptional weight, and the improved melee keeps fights visceral. A minority find the encounters too shallow or mindless despite that impact.

Hurling vegetables and disrupting rivals produces lively slapstick battles. Inconsistent throws and unreliable interruptions can make combat frustrating in the less favorable accounts.

Planet hopping brings welcome visual variety, from corrupted jungles to industrial and frozen facilities. Changing scenery does not always disguise familiar objectives.

Distinct arenas and power-ups bring welcome variety, with some accounts enthusiastic about the selection. Others find eight biomes insufficient for repeated sessions.

The thin story usually serves as a quick excuse for combat. Some welcome that restraint, while others miss context, character motivation, and a satisfying narrative payoff.

The campaign premise has some personality, but the story itself is thin and rarely compelling. It mainly serves to connect instructional challenges.

Sharp pixel art, expressive enemies, and varied environments create striking visuals despite the deliberately old appearance.

Vibrant colors and expressive produce make the game attractive and cheerful. One account finds the presentation less impressive over longer play despite that immediate appeal.

Ammo, health, and useful power-ups generally keep combat flowing. Small pickup radii, limited specialist ammo, and poorly timed discoveries can create friction.

Changing delivery bonuses and harvest choices encourage adaptation rather than one fixed growing routine. The best moments turn crop value and time allocation into useful tactical decisions.

Simple behavior, idle enemies, and foes trapped in terrain undermine some fights. The AI is one of the more consistent technical complaints.

Computer opponents are repeatedly criticized for excessive precision, speed, and aggression. Several accounts find even early encounters or easy bots frustratingly one-sided.

Precise aiming can take adjustment: default mouse sensitivity feels high to one player, while another struggles to connect shots while strafing.

Throwing is often hard to judge, with inaccurate trajectories and no clear distance indicator. Practice helps establish timing, but precision remains a recurring complaint.

Removing visible strength and toughness numbers leaves some players missing useful combat information.

Crop-demand notifications can get lost in the chaos. More prominent signals would make it easier to recognize which vegetable currently earns the bonus.

Single-run length estimates vary considerably with route and playstyle. Alternate paths and the second hero extend the package, though some still find the campaigns short.

Campaign-length impressions differ: one account calls it substantial, while another finds each biome quick to finish. Its size alone is not a dependable reason to buy.

Trains, rising hazards, and other set pieces keep many missions distinctive. Several accounts still find too many objectives built around keys and locked doors.

Extra challenges, performance medals, and coin goals offer useful breaks from routine gardening. They add reasons to revisit stages even when the broader campaign remains repetitive.

Chunky sprites, gothic scale, and vivid palettes make the retro art direction a standout strength. The style captures grimdark excess with considerable personality.

Bright cartoon styling is one of the most consistent strengths. Exaggerated gardeners and oversized vegetables suit the playful competitive premise.

The shooting can sustain a satisfying flow state, but repeated key hunts and arena purges divide opinion. Longer sessions expose the routine for some players.

Sow, grow, and throw is a clear, appealing foundation. Repeated routines and constant interruptions can drain its momentum, particularly in the campaign.

The Servo-skull’s dry observations and the heroes’ taunts add genuine laughs without abandoning the grimdark tone.

Oversized vegetables, silly dialogue, and unpredictable sabotage create effective slapstick. The comic personality is a strength even in otherwise critical accounts.

Gothic scale, oppressive scenery, and energetic character barks create a convincing Warhammer atmosphere.

Cheerful environments and exaggerated cartoon styling keep the mood playful. That charm softens the tone of all the stealing and sabotage.

Grenade time slowing, charges, and sword attacks add satisfying ways to fight. Some miss the tactical detail removed from the original.

Changing crop requests, power-ups, and sabotage give gardening an inventive competitive twist. These systems can also feel repetitive or too crowded to manage comfortably.

Simplified combat rules can make the action more intuitive, though the opening mechanics may take a little time to understand.

The basic loop is intuitive, and some newcomers grasp the controls quickly. Throw timing and demanding early challenges can still create a steep adjustment period.

A modern twist on nostalgic shooting gives the presentation a charming identity.

Competitive gardening gives the game a recognizable identity beyond familiar party-game activities. The unusual mix of crops, territory, and sabotage is regularly praised.

Players wanting to purge together are disappointed by the lack of co-op.

Teaming up does not necessarily make computer matches enjoyable. One account finds a human team unable to keep pace even against the lowest-level bots.

Dry companion remarks and combat dialogue add levity and personality without slowing the action.

Silly character exchanges give the game charm and personality. The dialogue helps make its exaggerated gardening world enjoyable to spend time in.

Memorable set pieces and clearer objectives strengthen missions, though repetitive key hunts can make their underlying structure feel familiar.

Some obstacle courses demand too much precision and punish mistakes with extensive repetition. Recovering can feel almost as harsh as the original error.

The absence of multiplayer feels like a missed opportunity for a game with two protagonists.

Competitive multiplayer is usually the main attraction, especially when human rivals create unpredictable sabotage. Opinions still range from enthusiastic praise to disappointment with repetition and awkward lobby design.

Locations steeped in Warhammer history give the campaign a strong sense of place.

World-building impressions differ: one account finds little beyond the federation premise, while another likes the constructive contrast of restoring community gardens. The setting has charm but limited narrative substance.

Heavy footsteps, crunchy impacts, and distinctive weapon reports make the sound design one of the game’s clearest strengths.

Vegetable impacts and action effects reinforce the slapstick and provide useful feedback. Reactions range from perfect comic accompaniment to competent sound that rarely stands out.

Distinctive locations, shortcuts, verticality, and environmental set pieces are widely praised improvements. Restrictive corridors and repeated layouts still disappoint some players.

Distinct biomes bring varied hazards, layouts, and delivery goals, making the arenas a recurring strength. Ambitious multi-part stages can also wipe out hard work or punish recovery too severely.

Small dialogue and mission-briefing text is difficult to read on Steam Deck, with no font scaling to help.

Changing crop requests are not communicated prominently enough in one account. Important updates can disappear amid the action and leave players pursuing the wrong harvest.

Two heroes, branching routes, hidden rewards, and difficulty options give the campaign substantial replay appeal. Some regard the shared missions and locked routes as padding or restrictions.

Medals, rivalries, and tactical choices give some players reasons to return. Others find the repeated farming loop and limited arena selection lose their appeal quickly, especially alone.

The metal and industrial score ranges from a major highlight to forgettable background music. The climactic guest-composed track attracts especially strong praise.

Upbeat music generally fits the energetic cartoon action. Some praise its energy, while others find it pleasant but unmemorable.

Most tested systems run the game smoothly. Steam Deck accounts report some traversal or heavy-combat slowdowns despite generally good performance.

The Xbox Series X|S test reports solid performance during busy action. Colorful arenas remain manageable even as power-ups and projectiles fill the screen.

The growing and scoring premise is easy to understand, and some groups can join quickly. That initial simplicity does not always translate into comfortable play at the game’s busiest pace.

Separate hero completions and accessible difficulty assists make the achievement list approachable while adding replay goals.

Distinctive enemy gestures and violent animations add personality to the pixelated models.

Both protagonists lack the development and narrative presence some players hoped a two-hero sequel would provide.

The second protagonist adds a meaningful alternative for many players, though others find the heroes too similar. Being unable to switch freely during a campaign is a recurring frustration.

Branching routes offer appealing location choices and replay opportunities, but have little effect on the story. Some find the lockouts restrictive or the choices superficial.

The heroes have distinct strengths, but opinions differ sharply on their balance. Nyra’s mobility and armor regeneration help some players, while others favor Malum’s weapons and durability.

Well-hidden seals and useful secret power-ups give careful searching a payoff, sometimes requiring keen observation or clever platforming.

Allied soldiers can provide breathing room and a sense of company, but their weak survival instincts sometimes turn them into accidental casualties.

Theft, randomness, and powerful defensive positions can undermine balanced competition. Computer advantages make the sense of unfairness especially pronounced in some accounts.

The lack of local co-op disappoints players who wanted to share the campaign with a friend.

Illustrated storyboards and expressive character cut-outs give brief story scenes attractive cartoon personality. The simple presentation is more appealing than the thin narrative itself.

Cathartic combat, humor, and a powerful nostalgic pull can make the action absorbing and emotionally energizing.

Forces from all four Chaos gods broaden the bestiary and keep many fights fresh. Some feel the expanded roster still behaves too similarly.

Hidden power-ups and seals reward careful exploration. Some wish the larger-looking environments offered more open routes.

Weapons, faction designs, environmental scale, and small details convincingly translate the tabletop universe into a retro shooter.

Growing oversized vegetables creates an approachable foundation with useful harvest decisions. Repeated routines and stolen crops can also make tending a garden feel stale or unrewarding.

Desktop and console reports often describe stable high frame rates. Steam Deck can dip into the 30–40 fps range during traversal or crowded fights.

Adjustable presentation options let players tune the look from chunky retro pixels toward a cleaner appearance.

Steam Deck and ROG Ally play can work very well, but small text, occasional frame dips, and awkward weapon cycling introduce compromises.

Controller vibration reinforces the weight and power of the protagonists.

Optional objective guidance provides a welcome way back to the action when a route becomes unclear.

Some thrown objects appear to hit opponents without interrupting them. That inconsistency makes defensive attacks hard to trust.

Strong combat flow, evocative art, and detailed sound can draw players deeply into the grimdark setting.

The setting offers dense franchise flavor, but little new lore. Heavy jargon can make the narrative harder to follow without background knowledge.

Quick Play produced empty lobbies throughout the reported test period. Public matchmaking may offer little value when there are no available opponents.

Mini-games offer some enjoyable, silly diversions. Their quality is inconsistent when awkward controls and harsh challenge design get in the way.

Private online sessions work smoothly in the Xbox test, with a friend able to join quickly. This positive result concerns arranged matches rather than populated public matchmaking.

There is room to favor different weapons and approaches, but locking a campaign to one hero limits experimentation for some players.

The Servo-skull brings an irreverent personality and comic relief that make the companion more memorable.

Private lobbies are easy to organize with simple join codes. Inviting a friend works quickly and avoids a cumbersome setup process.

Split-screen contributes useful flexibility to the multiplayer package. It supports the social appeal of playing and reacting together on the sofa.

Growing valuable crops while deciding when to steal, defend, or disrupt can create satisfying tactical choices. The busiest rounds can overwhelm planning and leave little room for strategy.

Weapon blessings deliver enjoyable temporary boosts, including distinctive upgrades such as dual pistols. Some would prefer lasting upgrades between levels.

Exaggerated pixelated gore is enjoyed as part of the weapon feedback and cathartic combat spectacle.

Lighting, explosions, and meaty impact effects help sell the spectacle and weapon power.

Breakable ice, collapsing structures, and exploitable hazards add tactical opportunities and make battlefields feel more active.

Maintaining 60 fps can cost more battery in demanding Steam Deck areas, but the added smoothness is considered worthwhile.

The carnage is considered too much for a young child by one account, reinforcing its mature appeal.

Nyra is an energetic, appealing addition for many, often becoming the preferred protagonist. Others remain unconvinced that she matches Malum’s appeal.

Forceful taunts and committed lead performances earn substantial praise. A few dislike Nyra’s delivery, repeated lines, or the lack of voiced companion dialogue.

Bosses divide opinion: elaborate multi-stage fights impress some players, while others find them conventional or underwhelming. The finale receives both praise and criticism.

Button-layout reactions vary sharply: some find the controls accessible, while others struggle with unfamiliar jump placement and separate pickup and throw inputs. The awkward arrangement can add friction during frantic action.

Distinctive Chaos designs and varied attacks are frequent highlights. Some critics find too many foes interchangeable, overly durable, or insufficiently demanding.

Guidance tools, an automap, clearer routes, and shortcuts reduce navigation frustration. Small interface complaints and occasional disorientation remain.

Small puzzles and traversal challenges provide welcome reasons to think beyond shooting, including switches, environmental routes, and exploration rewards.

Cross-play is viewed as a practical advantage for arranging games with friends on different platforms. It broadens the ways a group can play together.

Responsive support and frequent stability updates improved the Xbox review experience substantially. A later campaign run completed without the crashes seen in the early build.

The lack of Xbox Play Anywhere support disappoints players hoping to carry the experience onto an Xbox handheld.

One account loses an entire campaign session, while another reports lost progress during repeated crashes. Saving and recovery are serious concerns in those tested versions.

The roughly $25 asking price is generally considered good value, especially when alternate routes and a second hero encourage replay.