Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition Review

Nostalgia is a dangerous and fun thing when it hits, and we’ve all seen what happens when old games get a remaster or a remake. They tend to be very hit or miss, mostly because the whole plot changes, or it doesn’t look like anything changed. However, every once in a while, we get a remaster that shows right from the start, serious improvements were made.

One example is the recent remaster of an old fan favorite, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, which was originally released back in 2011 by the one and only Relic Entertainment. Fast-forward to now, Relic Entertainment made the wise decision to revive their old creation with a remaster of note. Granted, they had some serious help from SneakyBox… SneakyBox has been around since 2012, and they mostly specialize in game ports and remasters, a match made in heaven.

After some time and a fair bit of development, we finally have a remaster in the form of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition, which releases on 10 June. Most of us already have a rough idea of what to expect from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, but here’s a little recap. The Forge World Graia is under attack by Xenos, more commonly known as Orks.

While the usual answer to an Ork infestation is the Exterminatus (Total planetary annihilation), it’s not an option in this case since Graia also houses a Warlord Class Titan. There’s a lot of lore to unpack here as to why a Titan is so important, but let’s just say a Titan is one of the much bigger weapons that Space Marines have.

With all that said, you’ll be taking on the role of Captain Titus, a decorated Space Marine of the Ultramarines. Your task is pretty straightforward: secure Graia at all costs. Granted, this is easier said than done because while Orks are already an infestation on their own, the Orks you’ll be going up against are somehow a bit more organized. They’re a lot more dangerous, and you’ve got your work cut out for you; luckily, you’ll be part of a squad to help you.

You’ll be hitting the ground running in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition with just a combat knife and a bolt pistol. It might not seem like much at first, but a melee weapon and a gun that doesn’t run out of ammo are always great in a pinch. You’ll eventually start picking up new guns, though, and this is where things become really interesting.

However, there is a catch with picking up new weapons. You can only carry one of each type of weapon…Before you jump the gun, you can technically carry four guns and a melee weapon, which is plenty. The only real limiting factor is ammo with three of your guns; luckily, there are ammo drops almost everywhere you go.

Although it only gets better from here. As mentioned before, you can swap your weapons around as you find them for different guns and melee weapons. This gives you a constant variety, but it also serves as a hint as to what will work best for what’s ahead.

Aside from the new guns, we have to give some kudos for the reworked UI in this regard. The new weapons radial is a really nice touch, but there is a slight issue with it; it takes up a ton of space, and it takes what feels like forever to go away again. Maybe just making it slightly transparent, reducing the timer on it, or even making it smaller would be a step in the right direction.

Now, no Space Marine is ever really immortal. Part of your usual loadout would be health and shields. Your shields will recharge when you’re out of combat, but health needs a more brutal approach in the form of Execution. If it bleeds, it can die, but if you can stun it, you can use an Execution on it to recover your health in the most badass way possible.

There’s never a dull moment while absolutely destroying an Ork to recover health. Still, you’ll need to choose those moments carefully because you’ll be vulnerable during the process. You will definitely die before you can heal up again. Life in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition just keeps getting better as you go, and your arsenal will change as you progress, but there is always a trump card you can play as a Space Marine.

When the odds are stacked against you, and you need a hell of an edge, there’s always Fury Mode. Unleash your Space Marine rage and bring hell to anybody in your way with increased damage and health regeneration. To sweeten the deal, you can also find purity sigils as you progress that will upgrade Fury Mode, too.

With all that said, the campaign in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition will definitely keep you busy and thoroughly hooked, but there’s a bit more on offer. This is where multiplayer comes in; if you’re in the mood for some team PvP or PvE, this is where you’ll really get to see the real chaos.

Between the customization options for skins and weapons, you can build a decent arsenal while going at it with friends. Reliving some old nostalgia has just become a lot more fun now that online play is possible. Moving on to the visual side of things, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition definitely doesn’t disappoint for a remaster with some remade mechanics. As mentioned earlier, the UI appears to have been rebuilt and improved compared to the original release.

It’s a refreshing update, to say the least; there’s just the problem with the weapons radial being somewhat annoying. However, everything else just looks and feels amazing; the improved textures and visuals make it feel like you’re playing a much more modern game instead of just a remaster.

Unfortunately, there is an absolutely glaring issue that will definitely annoy a significant number of people in the fan base. The gameplay and combat in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition are incredibly smooth, but… The way the game autosaves is what will be painfully damaging to the reception of Space Marine.

It’s almost as if it’s saving the state, which causes everything to freeze and rubber band for about half a second. It seems harmless, but it’s not exactly fun when you’re in the middle of a turn when it saves and then rubber bands you into hell and back. There are so many other ways to handle saving progress, and this was, unfortunately, the worst one to choose.

Looking back at the original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine and comparing it to the remaster, there’s definitely a noticeable difference between the two and their audio quality. Remastering textures is one thing, but audio has always been a mountain on its own to handle, and the devs went above and beyond to bring everything to the future while maintaining the original atmosphere.

Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Master Crafted Edition is more than likely one of the best-remastered games to be released recently. Between the improved UI and visuals, there’s a whole new world to explore and see much more clearly while reliving the old days. Unfortunately, while the weapons radial can be forgiven, the issue with saving might end up being a nail in the coffin for this absolute gem.