Our full review of Warhammer 40k Darktide will have to wait until we spend more time with the latest version of the game (or until the Almighty wants it to), but I've seen a lot in the Horde shooter in the pre-launch beta over the past two weeks. I have destroyed demonic growths in smelters, seized ammunition shipments, and executed bishops in abandoned underground train stations. However, developer Fatshark insisted that we not use this build as the basis for evaluation reviews, so to clarify: my impressions so far are based on an incomplete beta build. Darktide.
Normally, such a disclaimer would have been a wake-up call, but from the looks of it, Fatshark just did exactly what it said and used the pre-launch beta to stress test its multiplayer infrastructure, identify bugs, and incrementally expand content for its latest co-op. games. In this regard, it is important to say right away that I had problems on the technical side.
System Requirements Darktide are pretty high, but the Ryzen 9 3900x and RTX 3080 Ti on my PC should be more than enough to handle any modern game. Unfortunately, it is not. In the two weeks that I spent with Darktide, most of my launches were plagued with constant crashes that often led to a loss of progress.
However, there is hope in the darkness under Tertium. Fatshark released several fixes and opened an experimental branch, which, combined with the collective troubleshooting power of thousands of early access players sharing their tips on the forums, resulted in a much more stable run by the time the beta ended yesterday.
It was very nice, because when the game works correctly, Darktide - it's just an explosion. If you've played Vermintide or Vermintide 2, then you already have an idea of what awaits you, but the transition Darktide to a dark setting, Warhammer 40k contains enough meaningful changes to justify the trip.
You play as one of a horde of "refuseniks" - convicts brought aboard the Imperial Inquisitor's ship, the Morningstar, to carry out Dirty Dozen-style missions in the hive city of Tertium, which is showing signs of being infected by Chaos. The game doesn't have pre-made characters like Vermintide's Ubersreik Five, instead you have to choose a class, customize your appearance and voice, and choose a name. You'll then head to Morningstar, where you'll select missions, buy gear, and eventually complete additional contracts for special rewards.
There are seven types of missions, ranging from repair work to outright kills. However, they all involve fighting in the underground hives, working their way through maintenance tunnels, dank sewers and ancient embankments long covered with new layers of the city.
They are invariably filled with chattering, violent bands of enemies possessed by Chaos. Another difference from Vermintide is that your team of four castaways can be made up of any combination of character classes, all of whom can hold their own in the swarming melee combat that can break out at any moment. You'll also occasionally encounter more challenging mini-bosses, such as Plague Ogryns and Nurgle Beasts, and taking them down will always require teamwork.
Although the line-up is much looser this time around, Darktide maintains his focus on teamwork. If you rush forward - or worse, fall behind - you risk being ambushed by special enemies such as Seekers or Plague Hounds, with no one nearby to save you. Darktide also adds a new incentive to stick together: if you stick together with your teammates, you'll receive a buff called "cohesion" that increases your healing and defense.
All four classes play in completely different ways, but only after you spend enough time developing them. As recruits, they are distinguished primarily by their special abilities, but as you gain a level of trust, you will gain the right to purchase new specialized equipment and the ability to modify your physique with unique buffs. It wasn't until I reached level XNUMX with the psyker psyker that I gained access to my first staff, which fills the ranged weapon slot and allows me to cast powerful bolts of warp energy. It's nice to feel like a class is starting to open up and develop its unique abilities, but getting to that point with each of the four classes can be quite difficult.
I love every new weapon I pick up along the way, from the humble sapper shovel to the incredibly satisfying boltgun. The forces of Chaos still rue the day my Ogryn Skullbreaker requisitioned his first grenade launcher: I will hear the cry of the approaching horde, and I will prepare and land several explosive rounds right in the center, blowing poxwalkers and scum into streams of toxic ichor and larvae. These things never get boring.
I will have something to say about Darktidewhen I spend some time with the new stabilized release build. In the meantime, before you dive into the game, take a look at the technical issues that players encountered during the beta. I hope Fatshark managed to solve most of them, because it's some of the most fun in the 40k universe to date - when it works.
Recommended:
