Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition Review: For the Fans

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition on PC

In a universe beset by war and conflict, the fact that you can always count on the overwhelming power of the Ultramarines to even the odds against numbers brings much comfort. We have already seen just how exhilarating that can feel in 2024’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and with a sequel coming along, the arrival of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition feels perfectly timed as the best way to take players back to the origins.

Developed by SneakyBox and SEGA, this is a remaster of the creation brought to life by Relic Entertainment back in 2011. That means plenty of visual improvements, modernised controls, the complete content package, and smoother performance, but gameplay remains largely intact.

That means getting used to the constant cycle of violence that only the Ultramarines can deliver. As Captain Demetrian Titus, it is up to you and your team to push back the suddenly organised and invading Orks, and to unravel the actual reason behind their audacious campaign. Your arsenal is robust, featuring melee weapons, ranged firearms, and grenades to combat the greenskins.

The Orks are relentless, and their numbers are many. That allows players to truly lean into the power of the titular super soldiers. Boltguns hit with impact as the blood splatters, the chainsword revs with power and cuts through enemies like butter, and it is always gratifying to stun and finish off enemies with execution moves to restore health.

You are going to get hurt, but the enemy will sacrifice many just to be able to start giving you cause for worry. Does it need to be complicated and more involved? Perhaps not, but that is the formula of the series, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition sticks to it religiously. Melee combat feels heavy and slow compared to contemporary titles, and it may be challenging for some to adjust to this style.

Ranged combat, however, certainly feels tighter and more satisfying. Popping off headshots with the various weapons never gets old, and more often than not, fighting from afar is the better option for this origin story. At about 8-10 hours long, the pacing is just about right considering that there isn’t as much variety of things to do compared to its successor. It’s all about facing up to hordes of enemies and decimating them for even daring to try, with the occasional jumpjet fun.

And as promised, the game has gone up a notch in terms of visuals and performance. But that is not to say that it even comes close to the fidelity of Space Marine 2. Visually, it is still evident that this is an old game, albeit in 4K resolution, with new models and enhanced textures. Yes, it looks better, and more so when taken in isolation. What I do appreciate is the remastered audio. The sounds of the battlefields add a layer of immersion that wasn’t always there in the original, and new voice lines for the Orks will only encourage you to satiate that bloodlust and deliver the Emperor’s justice.

As for the interface and controls, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is a much better experience. The HUD is now clearer and more informative, and playing both on keyboard and gamepad offers the same excellent feel, except when switching ranged weapons, which requires some finagling to get to your chosen firearm.

Multiplayer will also support cross-platform play, which is always a welcome feature. Sadly, there were not enough opportunities to test it out, but this issue should be resolved at launch, even without the PlayStation ecosystem being part of the festivities.

For fans who have thoroughly enjoyed Space Marine 2, the opportunity to relive Captain Titus’ prior adventures is one that will be hard to pass up. However, it also means that comparisons are inevitable. The way the sequel improved on everything means that this remaster is starting at a disadvantage and will likely only appeal to hardcore players who want to relive the trials and tribulations of our heroes. New players will have more to be fussy about, and you cannot really blame them.

Looking forward is an inevitable part of progress, and with the Space Marine franchise going from strength to strength, it is still nice to see where it all began with Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition. Despite its limited longevity and stiff gameplay, there is still a generation of players who never had the fortune of witnessing Titus’ journey. Now they can, in the best of ways, just don’t look too closely beneath the armour.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is launching on June 10 for PC and Xbox Series X|S.