Developer: Fatshark
Publisher: Fatshark
Genre: FPS, Co-op, Online
Price: $39.99
Where to buy: Steam, Microsoft
Fatshark in good graces seem to have nailed the FPS genre for the Warhammer series without trying in terms of fun to play, can that be said for Darktide? You play the role of a customizable reject of the city of Tertium. You start off inside of a prison set to die within the God Emperor’s prison system. It paces itself so you can get used to the game much like how Vermintide 2’s intro escaping from a prison. You play as one of 4 classes. Each offering their own skill trees, with perks over the other classes. Ether way you pick seems to all pack a nice punch or have their uses against the mutant hordes. For this review I went with one class personally while my co-pilot picked her own, with the Veteran: Sharpshooter. I personally picked out the Zealot Preacher. In total there are over four playable classes, which really all default play the same with a few exception to how you should perhaps play them. The other two classes are: Ogryn: Brute. Then there is the magic user the Psyker: Psykinetic. If you want a break down of every class in great detail, I can just do it in simpler terms so it is a quicker read: Veteran = Ranged DPS, Zealot = Close Ranged DPS, Psyker = Ranged all around magic caster, and Ogryn = Tank. There, haha!
There are four different classes to choose from in Warhammer 40,000: Darktide thanks to the attention to detail that Fatshark paid to the mythology. Players can test each class at some point, but eventually they’ll want to stick with one of them. I found myself just using the Preacher, as it was a type of class I just like, which is a berserker. The lower HP I had the more damage melee I could do. I found myself running out of ammo faster with the class then anything else, so I just humbled whatever was in front of me. As I was used to smacking things around in Vermintide or Left 4 Dead. My lovely fellow writer – (ReadysetIndieGames) played with the Veteran as she preferred to stick at a distance from enemies and pop off whomever was around us. Providing good cover fire as we progressed through missions. Which all were set up in a real time live hud. I did a few rounds with her, then ran a few pubs, with some mixed results. Always completing the mission alive, however usually with Bots. Overtime it became lonesome and a bummer some missions you will find running with the ai vs real players. Which to the credit to the ai are pretty good. Getting things done, and mowing down enemies. So it is one of those trade offs, failing a mission due to bad ai, or completing it while sipping a iced tea. I found my self chugging more iced tea then having that charm to not knowing if you will succeed with real players or not. Times success matching up in lobbies.
Quality of life is something I see this game having some massive benefit from. Now the game was built to be a next generation game. Respectfully so, developers push forward as apposed to sticking to older tech forever. A few things I feel would actually help the game in the long run, and give it some stronger support from community members with modest PCs, even to rocket-ships with a keyboard and mouse goes a mile here:
– Adding support for lower end PCs at some point. Via Vulcan, or any other software that allows the game to run smoother. I can not tell you how much fun I do have with the game, however my CPU having a slight choke up at points with the game, it is awesome video cards just under the 970 series can play ball to. However, it can be defeating feeling the game not also comparing to CPUs of the era to the video cards. I run the Intel i5-4570 cpu, which can impressively run many games on the modern market. With some games having a exception. I usually tweak down games a little bit at times to get the most out of a game or two. With Darktide I should just have to lower the resolution to see better speeds and framerates.
– More weapons and weapon tweaks and adjustments. Some of the auto-rifles feel like a kicking mule, while the shotguns feel like I am handling a sleeping cat.
With that feedback in mind, I can still play the game, to my CPU’s disagreement. With lobbies usually running fine. I seen some light graphic bugs here and there, but nothing that can not be fixed within a few weeks time. Given with my personal positive feedback for their previous two Warhammer games as addicting, fun and full of character, Darktide has that spark, it just needs some correcting. As well as some trimming down to the fine details. They got the lore, world, and characters down beautifully. Just that Gameplay element here that needs the deep rooted tweak. With performance fixes, and some care in mind older(kinda) PCs want to play to!
In Closing: I feel that Warhammer 40K: Darktide even past its rocky launch is still something to keep a eye on, it balances out fun levels, which are usually quick, and right to the point. You can pick out, and purchase loot that suits your play style in the lobby. As well as hang out with other players in the lobby or with your friends up to 4 players. At the moment the game has some server issues so bare that in mind and play with a open mind. Guns need a bit of a buff or tweak here and there. Pricing for outfits could be lower. As per usual bugs to could be lessen, but that comes with online gaming now-a-days, right?
However it is worth the price of admission to play if you enjoyed Vermintide, or played a lot of Left 4 Dead.
