Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition – Everything You Need to Know

Space Marine fans had to suffer through a long and tortured hiatus but the series has suddenly come back alive. Hot on the heels of last year’s excellence Space Marine 2, the original 2011 title is also now coming back with a remaster in the form of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition. With its launch not far away, here, we’re going to go over a few key details that you should know about the remaster, as well as the original game itself and what new and returning players can look forward to.

4K VISUALS

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Let’s start with the basics- as you’d expect from a remaster, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is of course going to make the sort of fundamental technical enhancements that you would expect. That means the game will run at a 4K resolution (on hardware that’s capable of running it, that is), while 60 FPS performance is also confirmed.

MORE TECHNICAL ENHANCEMENTS

In addition to a bump to the resolution and confirmed 60 FPS support, Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition will have other visual and technical enhancements as well. The developer have confirmed that the remaster will also boast higher fidelity textures, improved character models, and remastered audio.

NEW CONTROLS AND UI

On the gameplay side of things, Space Marine’s remaster isn’t making too many drastic changes, as you would expect from a game that is really not that old, though you can expect a couple of improvements nonetheless. For instance, it’s been confirmed that the Master Crafted Edition will feature an overhauled user interface, as well as modernized controls to make the game a smoother experience for current audiences.

ALL DLC INCLUDED

In addition to the base Space Marine experience, the upcoming Master Crafted Edition is also going to include all the DLC that was released for the original title. That means you can expect additional weapons, maps, armour sets, and more all included with the base experience right out the gate.

MULTIPLAYER

In addition to the single player campaign (which is likely going to be the primary attraction for many), Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition will also include the multiplayer component. Players will be able to compete in 8v8 competitive multiplayer, with three playable classes available, as well as a full suit of progression and customization systems. Meanwhile, it’s also confirmed that the multiplayer will support cross-play across all platforms.

PLATFORMS

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is due out soon, but surprisingly, it’s not going to be available on all platforms. The remaster will be available for Xbox Series X/S and on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, which means PS5 players won’t get to dive in. Whether the game will eventually release for PlayStation or perhaps the Switch or Switch 2 remains to be seen, but nothing has been announced on that front.

PC REQUIREMENTS

As you’d expect from a remaster of a 14 year old game, Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition’s system requirements on PC aren’t terribly demanding. On minimum settings, to run the game at 1080p and 3o FPS, you’ll need either an i5-6400 or a Ryzen 5 3600, as well as either a GeForce GTX 970 or a Radeon R9 290X, and 8 GB of RAM. Meanwhile, on recommended settings, you’ll require either an i5-12400F or a Ryzen 5 5600x, along with either a GeForce RTX 2060 or a Radeon RX 6600, and 16 GB of RAM. On either setting, you’ll also need about 45 GB of free storage space.

PRICE

Unsurprisingly, Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is also not going to be a full priced release. When it launches for PC and Xbox Series X/S on June 10, the remaster will be available for a price of $39.99.

GAME PASS

Upon its launch, the Space Marine remaster will also be available to Game Pass subscribers on PC and Xbox, which means subscribers will be able to dive in without having to purchase the game.

STORY

We’ve covered plenty of key details for the upcoming Space Marine remaster, but what about the base experience itself? For instance, what can newcomers who will be playing the game for the first time expect from its story? The game follows protagonist Demetrian Titus, an eponymous Space Marine, an elite soldier who fights for the Imperium against alien forces and enemies. Joined by two fellow Ultramarines, Titus fights against an invasion of Ork forces on Forge World Graia, a planet that produces weapons for the Imperium.

COMBAT 

The original Space Marine came out at the peak of linear action titles, and that is exactly what you can expect from the shooter- same as its sequel last year, but of course, less elaborate and less technically impressive. Space Marine primarily takes the form of an over the shoulder third person shooter with combat taking cues from the Gears of War franchise, with several usable weapons included. That’ll include the likes of a bolt gun, the plasma gun, the stalker bolter, and the sticky grenade firing Vengeance Launcher.

MELEE COMBAT

High octane third person shooter combat is obviously Space Marine’s bread and butter on the gameplay front, but the action game does also place a little bit of emphasis on melee combat, same as its sequel. Throughout the campaign (as well as in multiplayer, of course), players will be able to use a variety of different melee weapons, each bringing their own unique play styles, strengths, and attributes. Some of the weapons you will be able to use will include the likes of the combat knife, the chainsaw-like chainsword, the chain axe, the power sword, the daemon maul, and many others.

MORE COMBAT DETAILS

Every now and then in the middle of combat, Titus will also be able to unleash a fury mode, which becomes available when a meter is filled up. When fury mode is activated, not only do you get stronger melee attacks, you also get access to regenerating health, making you an even deadlier soldier on the battlefield. With upgrades, fury mode also enhances your ranged capabilities. Meanwhile, once you’re deeper into the campaign, you’ll also be able to use a jetpack for short periods, adding a layer of verticality to the combat.

MULTIPLAYER CLASSES

Space Marine 1’s multiplayer is a pretty diverse and engaging experience, even if it obviously isn’t quite as full-featured as its sequel’s multiplayer component. Three different classes are available to players, each bringing their own strengths and weaknesses. There’s the Assault class, which comes equipped with a jetpack and touts expertise with melee weapons, but can only use a limited range of ranged weapons. Then there’s the Devastator, a slow moving tank that has access to the deadliest ranged weaponry but can’t do too much on the melee front. Finally, there’s Tactical, which is an all-rounder class that can make use of both ranged and melee abilities and weapons to certain degrees.

LENGTH

Space Marine isn’t a terribly long game, with a campaign that, true to the era that it came out in, knows exactly when it wants to end. As per HLTB, the shooter’s main story should take roughly between 7-10 hours to see through to completion, depending on how you choose to engage with the game. Of course, with replays and with the multiplayer component included, there’s plenty more that you can get out of the game.