Meeting the origins of Titus through Game Pass
After finishing Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, I got hooked on the universe. As someone who loves Star Wars and epic space fantasy, the sheer scale of the 40K setting hit differently.
Naturally, I got curious. What was the first game like?
I checked Game Pass and found Space Marine 1 Master Crafted Edition sitting right there. Downloaded it without a second thought.
For context — SM2 was added to Game Pass in January 2026. That means you can now play Titus’ entire journey, from beginning to present, with a single Game Pass subscription.
The Story (Quick Overview)
The protagonist is, of course, Captain Titus — already familiar from SM2, which makes him feel like an old friend from the start.
The setting is Forge World Graia, an industrial planet that mass-produces weapons for the Imperium. Warboss Grimskull leads a massive Ork invasion to seize the planet, and Titus drops in alongside two squad members — veteran Sergeant Sidonus and rookie Leandros — to push back.
While fighting the Orks, they follow the lead of a suspicious Inquisitor named Drogan to activate a secret weapon called the Psychic Scourge. Instead of wiping out the Orks, it tears open a Warp rift and unleashes a Chaos invasion. Drogan, it turns out, was a puppet of Chaos Lord Nemeroth all along.
Titus ultimately stops Nemeroth — but his unnatural resistance to Warp energy raises enough suspicion that he’s arrested by the Inquisition on charges of heresy. That’s where SM2 picks up.
The game has no Korean or English subtitle localization for non-English speakers, which makes following the story harder. That said, it’s a linear action game — you move, kill things, move on — so the language barrier isn’t as bad as you’d expect.
The Level Design Feels Completely Different
If you’re used to SM2’s open battlefields, SM1 will feel claustrophobic at first. The game is built around tight indoor corridors and dungeon-like areas.
But later chapters open up into wide outdoor arenas where large-scale fights break out. Where SM2 gives you open space by default, SM1 earns that openness as a reward. After grinding through narrow halls, those big outdoor encounters feel genuinely satisfying.
No Parry System — But the Combat Still Feels Great
SM2 players know that parrying and Gun Strikes are the backbone of combat. SM1 has no parry system at all. Instead, the entire loop is: beat enemies down until they’re stunned, then Execution for the kill.
It sounds simple — and it is — but the impact and weight behind every hit is very much alive. Chainsawing through Orks with a Chainsword scratches a completely different itch than SM2’s technical parry system. Raw, direct, satisfying.
SM1 Has a Wider Weapon Selection
SM2 locks weapons to specific classes. In SM1’s campaign, you freely swap between Bolter, Stalker Bolter, Heavy Bolter, Plasma Gun, Melta Gun, Lascannon, Vengeance Launcher, and more.
Personally, I ran Lascannon for long-range instant kills + Melta Gun for melting enemies up close. The downside is ammo runs out fast — ripping mounted turrets off walls to carry around is a useful workaround.
The Main Enemy Is Orks — A Completely Different Vibe From Tyranids
SM2 pits you against Tyranids and Chaos Space Marines. SM1 is all about Orks.
Where Tyranids feel like a terrifying, overwhelming swarm, Orks are loud, chaotic, and almost comedic — axe-wielding infantry screaming as they charge, missile troops peppering you from range, and even suicide bomber enemies thrown into the mix.
If you don’t deal with the missile enemies first, you’ll be taking constant damage. Priority targeting is key.
Around Chapter 12, Chaos Space Marines appear and the game shifts entirely. Orks charge in — you can bait them into melee. Chaos hangs back and applies brutal ranged pressure. The tactics that worked against Orks simply don’t work here
Playing on Easy — And Dying More Than in SM2
Honestly? I died more in SM1 on Easy than I did in SM2.
The reason is structural. SM2 lets you actively recover health through parries and Executions. SM1 has no such loop — if you keep taking ranged hits, you just lose health with no way to claw it back. Miss your priority targets and you’ll get ground down fast.
No Hub, No Progression System
SM2 sends you back to the Barge of Eternal Crusade between missions to upgrade gear and choose your next operation. It gives you breathing room.
SM1 never stops. Titus runs from Chapter 1 to the end without pause — no hub, no weapon customization, no leveling. Pure 2011-era action game design.
If you’re used to modern games with progression loops, the lack of growth may feel hollow. But flip it around: this is a game that strips away everything except combat. There’s something refreshing about that.
Conclusion: Is It Worth Playing?
If you’re on Game Pass Ultimate — absolutely.
If you enjoyed SM2, SM1 gives you the origin story of Titus firsthand. The systems are simpler and older, but the combat feel and the chaos of fighting Orks deliver a genuinely different kind of fun.
Just don’t go in expecting progression systems or modern convenience. Go in thinking “I want to see where Titus started” — and you’ll have a good time.
About the Master Crafted Edition
What I played isn’t the 2011 original — it’s the Master Crafted Edition, released June 10, 2025.
Key upgrades:
- 4K resolution (Xbox Series X / PC)
- Improved textures and character models
- Fully redesigned UI (replacing the old Flash-based interface)
- Remastered audio + additional Ork voice lines
- Modernized control scheme
- All original DLC included
In short: the gameplay is untouched, the visuals and quality-of-life are modernized. A remaster, not a remake.
The Steam launch reception was rough — many felt the changes were too minimal, and the developer issued refunds in an unusual move. Several patches have since addressed the major issues.
For Game Pass players, none of that really matters. You’re getting a 2011 classic in a modern wrapper, for free with your subscription. That’s a good deal.
Included DLC — What You Can Actually Do
① Exterminatus — 4-player co-op survival mode. You and up to three others hold off waves of Orks as Space Marines. Think SM2’s Operations mode, but leaner. Three classes: Tactical, Devastator, Assault.
② Chaos Unleashed — An Exterminatus expansion with a twist: you play as Chaos Space Marines, fighting both Orks and Imperial forces. Includes 3 new arenas, boss rounds, and Imperial Sanctioned Psykers as enemies.
③ Dreadnought Assault — A multiplayer mode where two teams fight to capture objectives and spawn a player-controlled Dreadnought (a giant walking war machine).
The remaining DLC is all cosmetic — armor sets for Blood Angels, Salamanders, Legion of the Damned, and weapon skins like the Golden Relic Bolter and Power Sword.