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Back in 2024, I took a look at a relatively new CRPG made by Owlcat Games, called Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, because I saw many great things about it in my former colleague, Samuel Tolbert's review, where he awarded it 4/5 stars, saying "Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a fun RPG with stellar writing that truly captures the dark future of eternal war."
Boy, was he right, because Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader was absolutely fantastic both as a CRPG in its own right and as a Warhammer 40,000 game. Its storylines and character writing were engaging; the combat system was gloriously violent and complex; character-building diversity was rich; and it had near-infinite replay value from its multitude of story-altering dialogue options.
Now, Owlcat is looking to recapture its success with Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, another upcoming CRPG set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, where you are tasked with solving murder mysteries and conspiracies while stopping the Ruinous Powers of Chaos from destroying humanity from within.
I already had Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy on my wishlist after having fun with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, and was prepared to wait for its full release on PC, especially when I have Rogue Trader's exciting 3rd DLC expansion to keep me busy.
However, Owlcat Games has given me a code to access Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's closed beta test on PC via Steam so I can have a sneak preview of the murder mysteries we'll unravel and how its gameplay plans to set itself apart from its predecessor, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.
Does it have the potential to be another hit for Owlcat Games? Let's find out.
This preview was made for a game that's currently in development, so any gameplay or story elements I describe here are prone to change in the final product when Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy fully releases on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
What is Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy about?
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy has you play as an acolyte of the Inquisition, a secret police force tasked with rooting out heretics, aliens, and the daemonic forces of Chaos threatening to destroy the galaxy-spanning empire known as the Imperium of Man.
Recently, the Calixis Sector has fallen into bedlam as crime has skyrocketed, civilians have been disappearing without a trace, high-ranking officials of the Imperium are being assassinated left and right, and an ominous entity known as the Tyrant Star has suddenly appeared and started causing widespread madness and daemonic corruption.
Your goal is to go to the Calixis Sector and use your Inquisitorial skills to root out the criminal element plaguing it, rescue its missing civilians, and solve the mysteries of the Tyrant Star by any means necessary, no matter how extreme they may be.
Along the way, you will meet companions who can help aid your investigations, battle enemies who want nothing more than to silence you forever for poking your nose in where it doesn't belong, and make complex decisions that will shape the fate of the Calixis Sector forever.
Unlike Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, which was essentially a galaxy-faring pirate adventure story, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy plays out like a detective crime drama but with that signature, twisted Warhammer lens where story and character tropes are taken to ridiculously dark extremes.
From what I've seen from the beta test, and without spoilers, the story and characters have me thoroughly invested thus far. The storylines are filled with all kinds of unique scenarios, complex world-building, and shocking twists that will make you go "What on earth just happened!?" in a good way.
Most of the party member Companion characters I have encountered have endearing yet warped personalities, wonderfully written dialogue, and interesting backstories I'm curious to learn more about. The story-critical NPCs are equally as fascinating while being exceptionally devious to keep you guessing whether they should be trusted or not during your investigations.
Will you strive to uphold the law, or cover-up the truth for your own ambitions?
Speaking of which, let's begin talking about Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's gameplay, starting with the Investigation system, as that's a major component of this game.
Throughout the beta test, I was tasked with solving cases involving missing people, locating a missing Inquisitor, and uncovering an assassination plot. These cases had me exploring the environment for clues, questioning people for information, and solving puzzles to unlock critical pieces of evidence.
Every lead and clue I found was compiled into the Inquisitor Journal, where they could be cross-examined to see if they could provide genuine leads that could help in my Investigations or if they ended up being false leads that contradict one another.
I've never experienced anything like this before in-game, and it's certainly interesting to engage in. Collecting evidence and putting it all together on a digital chalkboard littered with connections and deduction theories about who the culprit could be made me feel like a crazy conspiracy theorist.
The best part, however, comes at the end of each Investigation, where you have to file your report to the Inquisition because it opens up for a ton of role-playing immersion.
Even without any evidence, you can choose how you conclude your cases anyway you want.
As an acolyte of the Inquisition, which has so much political and legal power in the Imperium that they can get away with condemning anybody they want, even without any evidence, you can choose how you conclude your cases anyway you want.
Some of these conclusions include, but are not limited to, arresting people who are genuine culprits based on incriminating evidence, framing characters for crimes they didn't commit, or even saying that certain people died in a tragic accident and that no murder was involved at all.
What I like about this part of the Investigation system is that it ties into Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's complex alignment system that offers a ton of role-playing options for what kind of Inquisitor you want to be.
You can be an honest Inquisitor that strives to uphold the Imperium of Man's laws and tell the truth, shoot first and ask questions later, or lie to win favor with or protect certain factions you've made dealings with behind the Inquisition's back if it gets the job done faster than the traditional way.
You can also steal certain key items that can be used to blackmail certain characters to aid your investigations or even enslave the powers of Chaos for your personal ambitions; just be prepared to deal with the consequences of your decisions.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's combat is not to be underestimated
However, your Investigations will eventually lead to conflict with enemies who don't like you asking too many questions, and if you can't talk your way out, you will be forced to fight them in turn-based battles.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy's combat system is very similar to Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader's. It's an XCOM-like, tactical system where you take turns positioning characters on a grid, taking cover to avoid enemy fire, and using your party's devastating melee and ranged abilities and weapons to destroy the opposition.
However, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy has made a ton of changes to the combat system to catch people coming in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader off guard.
For example, every character and enemy now has a Morale meter that can be used to trigger their ultimate ability when full or severely cripple them when it's in the negative.
Another major new mechanic is the Precision Attack, which allows certain weapons to target an enemy's body parts, similar to Fallout's VATS system. Precision Attacks can inflict status effects, deal extra damage, interrupt an enemy charging an attack, or delay an enemy's turn
You will need to master all these abilities and mechanics quickly because battles in Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, judging from this beta test, are far more challenging than in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.
This is mainly because enemies hit like trucks when they get their Morale high, and many battles will have optional objectives like preserving certain characters alive or holding back on damaging enemies that wield extra rewards or new leads to your investigations if you complete them.
I admit I had difficulty getting through these battles at first. But once I understood how the new mechanics worked, learned how all my party's abilities functioned, and used crowd control tactics to stun enemies or lower their morale rather than use brute force, I was able to overcome these challenges and reap satisfying rewards for my efforts.
I can't wait to dispose justice while stealing loot behind the Inquisitions' back
Overall, I've enjoyed this small taste of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, and I can't wait to play the full version. The graphics and art design are nailing the gothic, grimdark, sci-fi aesthetic of Warhammer 40,000, and its characters and story have me invested and yearning for more.
Its combat system and Investigation systems can feel overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, they can be pretty fun to engage in.
If Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy sticks the landing when the full version comes out on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 at a later date, then Owlcat Games may have another smash hit on its hands that could earn a spot among the best Warhammer 40,000 games.
Are you excited to play Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy? If so, what platform will you be playing it on?
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