Warhammer 40,000: Darktide could be examined in a handful of different ways, and while I plan on going into most of them in this review, there is one that I will not. As someone who could not give a damn about the Warhammer 40,000 IP, world, board game, lore, etc. if I tried, I can not speak to how this game utilizes any of those elements. I will be discussing how Darktide functions as both a game and a piece of software, and anything else will be swiftly ignored.
Darktide is a class-based horde killing game from the same developers as Vermintide I & II. If you have played those games, you will know the vague idea of what you are getting into, but if you do not, I shall explain.
Darktide is, if you wanted to oversimplify it, Vermintide but with guns. If you wanted to be WRONG, you would just call that description Left4Dead. Darktide takes inspiration from Left4Dead, yes, in a lot of ways, while also adding its own spin on game systems and mechanics. The ways in which it's similar to L4D are pretty apparent:
- You proceed through linear levels, with hordes of enemies to slash, bludgeon, shoot, and stab your way through. often to accomplish a certain task that varies per level.
- There is your typical variety of trash mob, with a surprisingly large amount of specialist and elite enemies to diversify your opposition, with a lot of overlap from L4D (Spitter = Pox Flamer, Witch = Demonhost, Charger = Mutant, etc).
- Witty Banter between player characters to add levity.
While this is all well and good, the ways in which it differs from other games in a similar genre is where the game truly shines, in my opinion. First and foremost is the fact that there is a class system. This means that each of the playable characters (4 base game, 3 purchasable DLC at present) have their own pool of exclusive weapons, skill-tree, and "role" in a team composition. There are numerous ways to build a character, and several niches that a player can fit into, depending on their playstyle and equipped weapon(s). I will give a brief overview on each of the 4 base game classes, with their strengths, weaknesses, and overall role here:
Veteran is your prototypical soldier class, with heavy emphasis on having your ranged weapon out and firing. On the surface, there isn't really a lot "special" about them, owing to their status as a pretty cookie-cutter dime-a-dozen soldier class, however they have a lot of hidden potential as a ranged cover-fire specialist and a support role in disguise. Ammo economy is a pretty big deal in Darktide, as you are stuck with the weapons you bring into the mission and maintaining your bullets and grenades is huge. Veteran has access to ammo-refund for laser weapons, auto-refilling grenades, a perk to allow your teammates to get grenades back from ammo crates, and a lot more.
Zealot is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades class, and you never really know what you're going to get if paired with one. They could be invested heavily in one-shotting high-priority targets and dealing half-damage to bosses with their melee weapons. They could be specced into having a more support role with their Chorus ability, refilling the team's Toughness (Shield HP). They could be built as a pseudo-tank with Martyrdom and additional wound segments. They could be focused on trash clear with their signature flamethrower weapon and throwing knives. There are a lot of options with Zealot, and they are one of the most versatile classes in Darktide.
Psyker is the mage class, plain and simple. They are also the hardest class to play in the base game, owing to the way in which they use their psychic abilities and staffs. Any ability or weapon that uses their magic powers adds a percentage to their Peril meter, and if it gets to 100% full and you use a power after that, you go down and need to be revived. You can quell peril by holding the reload button, and it goes down slowly over time, and thus the push and pull of the class. High skill ceiling, high potential, high risk, high reward.
Ogryn is... hard to talk about. As the first class that I played, I have a soft spot in my heart for the slab, but if we are being honest, Ogryn is the worst DESIGNED classes in the game, base or DLC. It teaches new players a lot of bad habits, has a noticeable lack of weapon and build variety, and Slab's role in the team is, more often than not, just a one-note tank that doesn't have an X factor. Ogryn has two shotguns, one break action and one auto, two grenade launchers, two machine guns, and an assortment of sticks, some sharp, some blunt. There is a lot of redundancy in these offerings, both in their gameplay role, and in their "feel" as weapons. I have a lot of fun with Ogryn, but it is IN SPITE of the class and not BECAUSE of it. If you, like me, LOVE the "Big Man with Big Stick Do Big Damage" archetype, you will enjoy yourself, but do not be surprised if you run into trouble at some point in your playtime.
As a game, that's about as far as I will get into in this review. Now, as a piece of software, Darktide has its own set of issues. As someone who (sadly) is on Intel/Nvidia, I have not had any real issues out of the ordinary, however I have heard that on AMD, this game's performance is atrociously awful. Like, inexcusably so. There have been forum posts, discord threads, steam discussions all about it, and I would be doing this review a disservice if I didn't at least mention it. Piece of advice if you are on AMD would be to pick it up on sale, play a mission, and if your rig can't handle it, refund it. As much as I hate that that is how Steam's refund window is being used, it's about as good as you will get if you have AMD hardware.
There are a lot of other details I could go into, but for the sake of brevity I will not. As a game, Darktide is quite a bit of fun, owing to its many builds and playstyles. Is it perfect? Far from. Is it more fun with friends? Yes, but so is everything else. Can it be frustrating? Sure, especially if the game keeps throwing Vanguards and Poxbursters at you until you Alt-F4. But there's something here for everyone, and is why I am recommending it.
