Rejects Rising: A Gritty Melee in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Warhammer fans and horde-shooter enthusiasts take note, the grimdark city of Tertium begs for redemption—or perhaps just a chainsword to the gut.
last updated Jan 16, 2024
For every bolt shell discharged and every chainsword revved, there's a beefy, satisfying sound accompanying it.
A Dance of Swords and Bullets
Slashing through Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is akin to attending a murderous ballet where chainswords are waltzing with the entrails of heretics. The brutality of the combat system is a cathartic exercise in visceral satisfaction, bolstered by smooth gunplay, except if you’re toying with the decidedly masochistic choice of a psyker. Leveling feels like a journey of repetitive bliss up to the ethereal level 30 summit, after which the only spice of life is welcoming underleveled companions to the dance floor of impending doom or replaying Uprising until your eyes bleed piety. And, friends, when the chain sword revs and the bolt gun sings, I can almost hear the distant tingle of the Emperor's approval.
Sonic Hymns to the Emperor
The aural tapestry of Darktide is nothing short of a heretic's worst nightmare and an audiophile’s feverish dream. For every bolt shell discharged and every chainsword revved, there's a beefy, satisfying sound accompanying it. The music is a bombastic ode to the veritable bloodbath, especially commendable when the choir kicks in just as you're about to engage in holy genocide. However, these intense moments of aural bliss are as fleeting as the lifespan of a cultist under your wrath, leaving me yearning for more music-driven gameplay moments. Regardless, the music slaps harder than an Inquisitor's reprimand.
Visions of Dystopia
From resinous spires to decrepit slums, the city of Tertium revels in its own atmospheric decay. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide excels in visual storytelling, plunging players into a gorgeously bleak world that's crafted with an eye that only a true devotee of the grimdark universe could appreciate. Be it the ominous lighting that carves through the fog or the blood splatters that decorate your visor, Darktide is eye-candy for the apocalypse enthusiast. Performance has seen a slew of blessings from the developers since launch, smoothing out the once-bumpy ride to an experience that can now claim to be as liquid smooth as its gameplay—granted your machine is as robust as a Space Marine.
Challenges Amidst Glory
It’s not all prayers and praises in Darktide; while it strives for heretical annihilation, there are whispers of discontent. Annoyances crept in with reports of stability issues, particularly detrimental to those eager to solo the horrors of Tertium. The load times—oh, by the God-Emperor—the load times! They can be as oppressive as the regime players are fighting to uphold. Coupled with occasionally persistent connection hiccups and trembling servers, it's clear there is still some polish needed before Tertium can claim true salvation.
STEAM RATING
Developer & Publisher
Fatshark
Release Date
November 30, 2022
Verdict: The Grimdark Grind
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a visceral co-op slaughterfest soaked in the rich lore of the 40K universe. Its combat is impressively visceral and satisfying, while both audio and visuals authentically represent the dystopian grimdark of Warhammer. Performance improvements have made strides, but there are still blemishes to be ironed out, such as long load times and occasional stability issues. For fans of horde shooters with a grimdark twist, Darktide promises intense action—with the potential for future greatness, should the developers continue their sacred quest of refinement.
