The Left 4 Dead formula didn’t exactly take the world by storm in the 2010s, as it’s so hard to get right. Developers Fatshark found the winning combination when they released Warhammer 40K: Vermintide, placing the player directly into the Warhammer universe and pitting them against the perturbing rats that they’re forced to purge. After a successful sequel, the team has moved on to Darktide, tasking players to cooperate against the psychotic Chaos horde. Did Fatshark have another winner on their hands in this title?

One of the best parts about the Warhammer franchise is undoubtedly its painstakingly-perfect worldbuilding, not just on tabletops, but within its games like Vermintide and Space Marine. In Darktide, you have full say over the background of your character. This includes what planet they originated from, what events transpired, and what crime you’re faced with. Additionally, this is all separate from the character creator. It feels like bringing a character sheet to life, and I’m glad Darktide lets you start with up to 5 characters, as I got to experience each class that way.

In Warhammer 40K: Darktide, you can choose from four unique classes: the Human Veteran, the Zealot, the Psyker, or the Ogryn. Veterans can shoot from afar, zealots have ample survivability/maneuverability, Psykers can be ferocious in expert hands, and Ogryns can tank in even the toughest situations. I found myself favoring the Ogryn, as I craved the frontline damage mitigation and being able to bail out friends in a pinch. All playstyles have their own quirks that can feel worthwhile to explore, even if you tread the same levels you’ve played several times already.

Levels in Warhammer 40K: Darktide, much like Vermintide, are exceptionally-long affairs. There are several tasks, some bosses and mini-bosses, and depth to wade through. Point A is quite a distance from Point B, and despite it being quite linear, there’s plenty of scenery to admire as Tertium is magnificently-realized with best-in-class visuals. This does come at the price of performance, as even the beefiest PC builds are struggling to max the game out with an acceptable framerate.

The gameplay loop within Warhammer 40K: Darktide is as addictive as ever. Finding a match is a breeze, and it is always quicker than loading in. Be sure to save space on your SSD for Darktide, as the load screens are unbearable otherwise. When you’re immersed and blasting away countless enemies with the click of a mouse, you truly feel like you’re serving the God-Emperor even if you’re not quite into the Warhammer universe. It’s a tense game that demands cooperation, rewards prioritization, and leaves you satisfied when you exfiltrate.

Anyone that’s enjoyed Warhammer 40K: Vermintide and Vermintide 2 would be doing themselves a disservice by not picking up Darktide. In addition, for anyone that had fun with Left 4 Dead back in the day and was adverse to Vermintide not having guns, Darktide has them in droves. The game does need some polish to fire on all cylinders, but Fatshark seems intent on fine-tuning this title to make the most of the dedicated Warhammer fanbase.

A PC review copy of Warhammer 40K: Darktide was provided by Fatshark for this review.

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Warhammer 40K: Darktide

39.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Unreal Environments/Visuals
• Outstanding Voice Acting
• Stellar Gameplay Loop

Cons

• Performance Woes
• Rough Lag
• Long Load Times