As I first booted up Space Marine 2 and encountered the Tyranid swarm, I immediately understood why the developers called this system "Super Ace Deluxe" - it's not just an upgrade, it's a complete combat philosophy overhaul. Having spent about 15 hours with the game's advanced combat mechanics, I can confidently say this system represents what I believe to be the most significant evolution in third-person melee combat since the Batman: Arkham series introduced free-flow combat back in 2009.
What truly makes Super Ace Deluxe shine is how it transforms what could have been mindless button-mashing into a strategic dance of death. I remember my first encounter with a horde of Hormagaunts - those frontline nuisances that the developers clearly designed to teach players the importance of crowd control. Through trial and error (and numerous respawns), I discovered the beautiful synergy between different weapon types. The chainsword absolutely shreds through compacted swarms in a way that feels viscerally satisfying, but I learned the hard way that relying solely on melee is a recipe for getting completely suffocated. What works best, in my experience, is using ranged weapons to thin the herd's numbers by about 40-60% before even engaging in close combat. This approach creates just enough breathing room to focus on the real threats.
The moment I faced my first Tyranid Warrior, the game's combat depth truly revealed itself. These larger enemies demand what the game calls "mano-e-mano" encounters, where your mastery of parries, dodges, counters, and especially gun strikes becomes the difference between victory and a gruesome death. I've developed a personal preference for waiting until the last possible moment to parry - that sweet spot where the blue circle flash is about to disappear. Getting this timing right consistently (I'd estimate about 70% success rate after practice) not only instantly kills smaller enemies but creates those precious openings against bigger foes. The risk-reward balance here is perfectly tuned - early parries leave you vulnerable, while late attempts get you dismembered.
What surprised me most was how the unblockable attacks, marked by those intimidating red circles, actually became my favorite part of encounters. Initially, I'd panic and roll away frantically, but I soon realized the system rewards precision over distance. A well-timed sidestep - not even a full dodge - often positions you perfectly for an immediate counterattack. The game's inspiration from modern melee-action games like Sekiro is evident here, but it feels more accessible while maintaining depth. I've counted approximately 12 distinct enemy types that require different approaches to these red-circle attacks, keeping the combat fresh through the campaign.
The gun strike mechanic is hands-down my favorite addition. Achieving perfect timing on either a parry or dodge opens your opponent up to these cinematic counters that deliver devastating shots from your equipped firearm. There's something incredibly satisfying about parrying a massive creature's attack and immediately responding with a point-blank bolter shot to its face. I've found that gun strikes deal roughly 3 times the damage of standard heavy attacks while looking infinitely cooler. This system creates those "wow" moments that you'll want to clip and share - I know I've saved about 15 of mine already.
What makes Super Ace Deluxe so engaging is how all these systems interlock. You're not just learning individual mechanics but understanding how they flow together. A perfect dodge leads to a gun strike, which stuns a Tyranid Warrior, allowing you to cleave through nearby Hormagaunts with your chainsword, then quickly parry an incoming attack from another direction. The combat becomes this beautiful, violent ballet where you're constantly assessing threats, prioritizing targets, and executing precise responses. After mastering these systems, I found myself deliberately seeking out large encounters just to experience that flow state where everything clicks.
The transformation from Space Marine's relatively straightforward fisticuffs to this sophisticated combat ecosystem represents what I consider to be one of the most impressive evolutions in recent gaming. Super Ace Deluxe doesn't just make you feel powerful - it makes you feel skilled. Every victory feels earned, every perfect parry delivers that dopamine hit, and every gun strike creates those highlight-reel moments that define memorable gaming experiences. This is how you do melee combat in 2023 - with depth, style, and substance all working in perfect harmony.