When it originally launched back in 2011, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine was one of many games that were looking to follow the cover-based third-person shooter trend set by Gears of War, but it was good enough at what it did to earn itself quite a sizeable and dedicated fanbase. Last year, we were treated yet again to Space Marine’s brutal brand of third-person action with Saber Interactive’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a game that has seen impressive success not only in terms of the acclaim it has garnered from critics and audiences alike, but also the player numbers and sales figures it has seen since its release.
Looking to cash in on that success, Sega has smartly announced with great timing Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition, a remaster of the original 2011 cult classic that’s set to arrive in under a month’s time for Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Game Pass (no word yet on whether we can expect a PS5 version at any point)- and we’re more than a little excited for it. More than anything else, this seems like a really good time to deliver an enhanced version of the original game to an audience that will be craving more Space Marine fresh off of the incredibly high highs of Space Marine 2.
And exactly what kind of a remaster do we have to look forward to? With The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered fresh in our collective memory, some might perhaps have higher expectations of remasters than usual right now, and no, it doesn’t look like Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is going to be anywhere close to being in that arena. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a simple, highly conservative upres, something along the lines of the also freshly released Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny remaster.
No, Space Marine 1’s upcoming re-release is looking instead like something of a middle ground between those two extremes. As a 2011 game, Space Marine obviously does stand in need of modernizations and enhancements, but also as a 2011 game, it’s recent enough that it doesn’t need too much work to get reasonably close to modern standards- at least to the extent where it doesn’t feel too aged to be properly played and enjoyed. And that. unsurprisingly, is exactly the sort of remaster it looks like the Master Crafted Edition is going to be.
Sega has confirmed that the remaster will enhance Space Marine’s visuals to a 4K resolution; update and upgrade its character models, feature remaster audio, textures, and assets; and feature modernized controls and UI tweaks, among other things. Meanwhile, as you would expect, all of the original game’s DLC is also going to be included, adding new maps, weapons, armour sets, and more, while Space Marine’s 8v8 online multiplayer component will be featured in its entirety as well, with cross-play supported as well.
What that means, in a nutshell, that the Master Crafted Edition is going to bring over Space Marine as you remember it, with none of its content or features missing, and at least an expected level of visual and technical enhancements being made to elevate the experience and bring it closer in line to modern games. The footage that we have seen of the remaster in its debut trailer suggests that we’re in for a solid-looking experience, even if it is still looking like a decade-plus old game in several ways (which, fair enough- it is a decade-plus old game, after all).
That, of course, means that audiences should be able to better enjoy Space Marine and its biggest strengths with some of its rough edges removed and a fresh layer of polish applied by the remaster. And there are quite a few strengths to speak of, as fans of the original will happily tell you. It is probably fair to say that 2024’s Space Marine 2 ended up outdoing and overshadowing its predecessor in nearly every way possible, so you absolutely should not be going in expecting something that will exceed last year’s long-awaited sequel (or, honestly, even be on the same level).
What you should still be absolutely expecting, however, is a fantastic third-person shooter in its own right. No frills, linear, shooters with full-fledged single-player and multiplayer components may have been the industry standard back when Space Marine 1 first launched in 2011, but they absolutely aren’t anymore, so the idea of a remastered version of just that kind of an experience releasing for modern platforms is an exciting one. After all, Space Marine 2 proved the immense value of that kind of experience all over again last year, so it’s safe to say that we’re more than ready for a similar ride with the Master Crafted Edition.
From a gameplay perspective, it’s fair to say that not much in the original Space Marine comes close to matching the highest highs of its sequel – such as its incredibly intense large-scale battles against waves upon waves of rampaging foes, above all else – but there should be little doubt nonetheless that the timelessness of the original’s no nonsense design and its fun and immediate third-person action should be able to shine through, especially with the right enhancements propping them up. There is the chance, of course, that things go spectacularly wrong and the Master Crafted Edition ends up completely bungling things, but we’re going to hope that that isn’t what we’re headed for.
There is obviously quite a lot of Space Marine content to look forward to for fans of the series after the decade-plus long gap between the first two entries’ releases. In addition to the Master Crafted Edition, we obviously do still have continued post-launch content and updates to look forward to for Space Marine 2 as well, while, more significantly, the sequel’s developer Saber Interactive is also working on another new entry in the franchise in the form of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3. Given the new lease of life that the franchise has received and the renewed interest that audiences suddenly have in it, it’s no surprise that Sega is looking to strike the iron while it’s hot with a remaster of a cult classic. After all, you’d imagine that demand for such a release is going to be pretty high, as it has been for essentially years at this point.
While it is a little surprising that the Space Marine remaster is choosing to skip the PS5 (or, for that matter, the Switch or Switch 2), even a release that’s initially limited to Xbox and PC should attract a healthy player base, while there’s also every chance that it does end up releasing for other platforms down the line (in fact, we’d be surprised if it doesn’t). It’s safe to say, then, that there’s a ready and willing audience that is waiting for a well-made Space Marine 1 remaster. Let’s just hope, then, that the Master Crafted Edition doesn’t waste this opportunity and is able to deliver a good enough version of the 2011 original. For now, we’re setting our expectations to “cautiously optimistic.”
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
