Hands on with Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s new class overhaul update

What is the meat and potato of Warhammer 40,000: DarktideThey have been solid. It’s a blast to delve into the Hive City of Tertium as a psyker, veteran, zealot, or ogryn. The game’s combat is brutal, visceral, and deeply satisfying; the soundtrack is an absolute banger and I love the chats between each character class. However, the system issues made the game unable to sustain its momentum after the launch. outsideEach match includes weapons, character progressions, late-game variations, etc.

Darktide’s most recent patch, which was released Oct. 3, could change all of that. I’ve been digging through the depths of Tertium, giving each class a spin, and I’m impressed with how much more dynamic each character feels. The four classes each have new major tools – for instance, the psyker can be a long-ranged glass cannon who pops special enemies with a brain burst, a protective friend who throws up shields around their allies, or a Sith Lord with all sorts of deadly projectiles who shreds groups of foes.

Adding depth to Darktide

In order to compensate after putting all these exciting new tools in players’ hands, Fatshark has buffed up the enemies too. Snipers, Trappers, and Chaos Ogryn have always felt like a threat, and they’re even meaner now. Scab shotgunner is a good example of a humble villain who used to be a minor roadblock. The end result is that matches feel more fraught and dangerous — especially on higher difficulties. Although the maps, music and strategy are unchanged, the game has a more sophisticated feel. Darktide 2.0.

Here’s how the changes work in practice: Each character has a grenade, a class ability, and an aura. For example, an ogryn can choose to throw a large grenade, a small box of grenades or a single rock. The pros and cons of each option are different. One might be good for eliminating large targets, while another is great to eliminate small groups or an horde if swarming poxwalkers.

Each class can choose between three new class abilities, including one that’s a much stronger, upgraded version of their original ability. Other two changes the game play of the class. They can either use this ability to highlight the enemy’s specialists, and then volley their fire at a distance. Or they could choose an option which allows them to hide in stealth. The auras also give your entire party an extra boost to a useful stat, such as toughness and cooldown reduction.

The abilities of the talent tree are interconnected. Along with stat bonuses and utility skills, there are smaller abilities that are also linked. I find the talent tree to be overwhelming. The choice paralysis sets in quickly, particularly if you have multiple characters at level 30. It’d be nice for Fatshark to further emphasize which choices matter most, and to clarify the intent of each talent path a little more. After I overcame my indecision and made some choices, I enjoyed experimenting with the new fun toys.

Fresh paint

The update is now available. Darktide’s class roster feel much bigger. Each class had always been different, but each archetype now feels as if it comes in three varieties. Veteran is now either a stealthy short-range shotgunner, a team leader or a marksman. The ogryn is a big man with a small gun, a shielded tank that uses an AOE taunt or a brute strength brawler.

There are more changes than the upgrades to the talent trees. The Mourningstar hub has new cinematic cutscenes that offer a vast improvement on the limited story cinematics available at launch.

The patch now picks up some of the plot threads that were abandoned. There’s a bad guy in the tutorial who taunts the player, then vanishes – in this update, he shows back up to harass the rejects over comms. As for the traitor who the player helps uncover by leveling to 30, it turns out they’re still on the Mourningstar … as a lobotomized servitor vendor. Dark and grim.

DarktideThere are so many new things to do in matches. While playing over the last couple of days, I’ve experienced several matches with exclusively new dialogue added from this patch. My favorite maps are still new to me, even though they’re familiar. Adding dialogue adds a lot of novelty.

The excitement I felt for DarktideFatshark took the time to listen to feedback from fans and to go back to drawing boards. Things have been quiet for a while, but this new update shows that Fatshark’s update hiatus was for good purpose. DarktideThe depth of this game is impressive, and it confirms its place as one the best Warhammer 40KThere are many games available on the market today.

Darktide is now available on Xbox Series X; the game is also marked down on Steam, where it’s currently on sale at 35% off.