I'm gonna put a Tl;DR right here: As of release, this game is NOT FINISHED.
It should be an Early Access title or still be in Beta. For that reason alone, I can't recommend this game right now.

Which is a pity, because I was hype for this game since its announcement.


== THE GOOD ==

- Weapon, Enemy, and Environment Aesthetics.
The maps seamlessly transition from cramped, dirty tunnels to massive cityscapes, with a ceiling of yet more hive above even the largest open spaces. On the hive outskirts map, sand collects in every crevice as the outside world invades the steel jungle of Tertium.
The weapons also look and sound excellent. A two-handed hammer feels like it has weight, chain weapons roar with malicious intent, hell they even made the LASGUN a fun weapon to use.
Enemies, while varied, are still clearly identifiable. The game has a lot of special enemies, but not once do you have the Back 4 Blood problem of trying to identify them. Every enemy has a unique look and sound, from mutants, to the heretic Guardsmen of the 6th, to the pox-stricken civilians driven mad by Nurgle's touch.

- The Core Gameplay Loop
At it's core, Darktide is much the same game as the Vermintide games that preceded it. Kit out a character, carve a path through hordes of enemies, complete an objective, and escape. Not much has changed, but not much needs to change.

- Combat (mostly)
The combat has its problems, especially with dodging, some weapons having bizarre handicaps, and general jank. Despite this, it is still *fun*. A lot of fun. While balance is still out of whack, every weapon has its strength and all of them are still enjoyable to use and effective when used right.

== THE BAD ==

- It's Incomplete
Features are missing, weapons are missing, you can't create a private lobby or game, the game has no story outside of the 1st act, cosmetics you don't have to pay for are severely limited, there are only four maps. While the content available is fun, it's very limited an could get old real fast.

- Performance, Stability and Jank
You'd best have this installed on an SSD or be prepared for agonisingly-long load times, which isn't helped by the general instability and disconnect-happy nature of the game.

- Real Money Shop
I hate these. At least in Vermintide 2 the 'premium' cosmetics could be earned by completing Okri's challenges, but in Darktide it's all real cash. Made especially egregious by the introduction of a rotating stock, because apparently the game needed FOMO as well.

- Crafting Materials, Currency, Equipment, and Dailies are all Character-specific
A separate level for individual characters is acceptable, even expected, but having every aspect of progression unique to each character is insulting and painful. You're entirely at the mercy of the randomized shop, and have no way of crafting equipment pieces, only upgrading them.

== SHOULD YOU GET WH40k DARKTIDE? ==

Right now, unless you're really into both WH40k and -Tide games, no.

The game is an unfinished, buggy, janky mess. It's fun, but that doesn't make it acceptable. It's especially egregious that this is a full-release game, not something in beta or Early Access.

That said, I've already got it, and I'm not going to stop playing it.

I'm gonna put a Tl;DR right here: As of release, this game is NOT FINISHED. It should be an Early Access title or still be in Beta. For that reason alone, I can't recommend this game right now. Which is a pity, because I was hype for this game since its announcement. == THE GOOD == - Weapon, Enemy, and Environment Aesthetics. The maps seamlessly transition from cramped, dirty tunnels to massive cityscapes, with a ceiling of yet more hive above even the largest open spaces. On the hive outskirts map, sand collects in every crevice as the outside world invades the steel jungle of Tertium. The weapons also look and sound excellent. A two-handed hammer feels like it has weight, chain weapons roar with malicious intent, hell they even made the LASGUN a fun weapon to use. Enemies, while varied, are still clearly identifiable. The game has a lot of special enemies, but not once do you have the Back 4 Blood problem of trying to identify them. Every enemy has a unique look and sound, from mutants, to the heretic Guardsmen of the 6th, to the pox-stricken civilians driven mad by Nurgle's touch. - The Core Gameplay Loop At it's core, Darktide is much the same game as the Vermintide games that preceded it. Kit out a character, carve a path through hordes of enemies, complete an objective, and escape. Not much has changed, but not much needs to change. - Combat (mostly) The combat has its problems, especially with dodging, some weapons having bizarre handicaps, and general jank. Despite this, it is still *fun*. A lot of fun. While balance is still out of whack, every weapon has its strength and all of them are still enjoyable to use and effective when used right. == THE BAD == - It's Incomplete Features are missing, weapons are missing, you can't create a private lobby or game, the game has no story outside of the 1st act, cosmetics you don't have to pay for are severely limited, there are only four maps. While the content available is fun, it's very limited an could get old real fast. - Performance, Stability and Jank You'd best have this installed on an SSD or be prepared for agonisingly-long load times, which isn't helped by the general instability and disconnect-happy nature of the game. - Real Money Shop I hate these. At least in Vermintide 2 the 'premium' cosmetics could be earned by completing Okri's challenges, but in Darktide it's all real cash. Made especially egregious by the introduction of a rotating stock, because apparently the game needed FOMO as well. - Crafting Materials, Currency, Equipment, and Dailies are all Character-specific A separate level for individual characters is acceptable, even expected, but having every aspect of progression unique to each character is insulting and painful. You're entirely at the mercy of the randomized shop, and have no way of crafting equipment pieces, only upgrading them. == SHOULD YOU GET WH40k DARKTIDE? == Right now, unless you're really into both WH40k and -Tide games, no. The game is an unfinished, buggy, janky mess. It's fun, but that doesn't make it acceptable. It's especially egregious that this is a full-release game, not something in beta or Early Access. That said, I've already got it, and I'm not going to stop playing it.