Warhammer 40,000: Darktide PS5 Review – One of the Best Co-op Shooters Out There

Co-op shooter Warhammer 40,000: Darktide has been out for quite some time, having originally come out on PC, and then eventually making its way onto the Xbox Series X/S. The game has now essentially completed its release plans and is available on all current-gen consoles capable of running it with its PS5 release, and we decided that this would be the perfect time to revisit the shooter.

Calling the original release of Darktide underbaked would be quite a bit of an understatement, considering the fact that the game only had a few missions, very limited progression systems that seldom provided players with any real options for how their character would play, and even an underbaked loot system with limited ways of changing up how your equipment might work through crafting. In the two years since its release, however, Darktide has gone through quite a few drastic changes, and in its current incarnation feels closer than ever before to fulfilling its potential.

As its name might imply, Darktide is set in the grim dark Warhammer 40,000 universe. Rather than putting players in the shoes of empowered badasses like Space Marine 2 from earlier this year did, however, Darktide instead has players take on the roles of death row convicts that, because of a timely invasion by the forces of Chaos, have been more or less conscripted into service in the never-ending war against them.

Darktide classes, while offering quite a bit of freedom in overall play style, generally tend to do a couple of things really well. Gameplay for the Veteran, for example, primarily revolves around using firearms to take out threats from a distance. Ogryn, on the other hand, tend to make use of weapons and special abilities that have them stick closer to the hordes of enemies they’ll fight, while the Psyker makes use of magical powers to set the hordes of chaos on fire.

"Darktide classes, while offering quite a bit of freedom in overall play style, generally tend to do a couple of things really well."

Each class has their own bespoke talent tree, offering more customisation and refinement on their play style. The Ogryn, for example, can choose to either focus on close-range firearms and help buff up their allies’ damage, or instead decide to throw rocks around to crush the smaller enemies, occasionally charging into larger hordes and bashing their heads in with a shovel. There are enough options between all classes that any player is bound to find their preferred first-person action play style between them.

Up to four players can then team up on various missions throughout the Hive City of Tertium on the planet Atoma Prime which has been beset by the forces of the enemy. Players that might have experience with developer Fatshark’s previous titles, like Vermintide 2, will feel right at home, since the game follows a similar gameplay loop of diving into missions to procure levels, crafting materials, and loot, which in turn can then allow players to take on the missions at higher difficulties. Raising the difficulty doesn’t simply raise enemy HP. Instead, it introduces entirely new challenges, including new enemy types, tougher boss fights, and even unique modifiers, like having little in the way of light for the duration of an entire mission.

The PS5 release of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is ideally played on the Performance mode. While the Quality mode is downright gorgeous, the sacrifices made in frame rate never really feel worth it, especially since things can get hectic incredibly fast in the game, and split-second decisions often have to be made. The Performance mode doesn’t really make the game look ugly by any stretch of the imagination, and thanks to the expert art direction on the game, players can end up seeing some downright gorgeous vistas sullied only by the blood splatters and corpses they left in their wake.

"The Performance mode doesn’t really make the game look ugly by any stretch of the imagination."

The control scheme is also quite sensible, with a helpful level of aim assistance that never really feels overbearing, and good use of just about every button on the DualSense controller. Since it is a shooter, however, console players will undoubtedly find themselves at a bit of a disadvantage when playing classes that require more accuracy, like a sniping-based Veteran, for example.

Considering its generally strong gameplay and co-op action, the only real low point in Darktide is how it handles its narrative. Quite possibly a remnant of development trouble in the past, the main setting in the game feels incredibly half-baked, told through incredibly forgettable cutscenes every time you hit a new level threshold. This can be a real shame, since the setting tends to be ripe for interesting tales of grim combatants fighting impossible odds, which is essentially what the players are doing every time they take on a mission anyway.

A high point of the writing, however, is that the banter that can take place between the playable characters can be quite entertaining, be it Psyker’s borderline insanity, to the Ogryn just being there and having a good time. The character writing is incredibly strong, and even some of the side characters tend to get some great lines every now and then.

"The only real low point in Darktide is how it handles its narrative."

It would also be a mistake to not mention the fantastic soundtrack composed by Jesper Kyd, who manages to capture all of the frantic chaos of combat, as well as the general level of grandeur and absurd scale that Warhammer 40,000 is famous for. The music largely features a combination of bass heavy beats along with some electronic music. Special mention has to go out to the tracks Disposal Unit – Imperium Mix and Nightsider, which perfectly capture the general vibes of the game.

Despite its rocky first year, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide has ultimately grown into a fantastic title that potentially features hundreds of hours of playtime for any group of friends. Its first-person combat is nearly perfect, and just about every system in the game has been improved through continuous updates and development by Fatshark. In its current incarnation, Darktide also features a comprehensive weapon-based progression system, a crafting system that’s fun to tinker with, and expansive talent trees for all classes, allowing for plenty of customisation.

Despite its generally disappointing main setting, Darktide also has a lot of fun moments in between the frantic combat against hordes of enemies. Combine that with a great PS5 port that plays well and looks great, as well as cross-platform multiplayer, and this could easily be considered the best form the game has taken ever since its 2022 release.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.