The Cognition system in Warhammer 40,000 Mechanicus 2, which has been redesigned, is incredibly clever and bridges the gap between wargame veterans and tactic fans.

I was a little worried at the beginning of a brief Warhammer 40k Mechanicus 2 Preview I attended last week at Gamescom. I'm not a gamer, I have never painted a mini, and I use my tape measure only when I need to install a shelf.

I was a little worried that I would be lost in the darkness, despite my familiarity with TTRPG systems. But, I was relieved that, even when watching a developer playing it second-hand and a cleverly refurbished mechanic, which helped me read between lines of code, I was able to pick up on what the game was putting out quite quickly.

Warhammer 40k Mechanicus 2 has two main campaigns: one that follows the Necrons (robo-skeletons) who have been sleeping for millions of year, and another that follows the Adeptus Mechanicus. This is a cult in the Imperium of Man which worships the machine god with as many mechanical augmentations as you would expect. There are some notable upgrades compared to the original game, including a wider variety of environments, a new cover system, and a less obfuscated storyline.

I can't comment on the exact importance of these improvements, or how they fit into the overall picture, as the turn-based tactic genre needs time to stew and brew in my head before I can form a critical opinion. This is not possible with a quick, hands-off preview at a busy convention. You can only talk so much about a new paint job on a car until you actually get behind the wheel.

's revamped Cognition System was what caught my attention. It is smart and simple enough to grab my attention, just like the beauty of an old machine.

In context, Cognition is a resource that you can use in the first Mechanicus to fire certain weapons, activate abilities, or extend your movement. This was usually gathered by interacting on the map or sending your servo skulls to gather intel.

In Mechanicus 2 however, each unit has a unique method of collecting Cognition. For example, your Servitor (beefy drones created by stuffing a lot of tech into a beef puppet) will give you Cognition every time you use them to absorb damage. Other units will give you cognition if they complete similar objectives, like shooting enemies beyond a certain distance.

This is a brilliant piece of game design because it bridges the gap between those who are unfamiliar with the series, like me, and veterans of Warhammer 40k, who know the general role of each unit like the backs of their cybernetic hands. It's like a mini-tutorial that's baked into the core mechanics of each unit. The Necrons use a different mechanic called Dominion. It has different effects, but achieves the same result.

Mechanicus 2 is as complex as the original, but it's also less intimidating to newcomers.