Warhammer Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters Launches; First Reviews

Today marks the release of Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, a tactical RPG based on the license of the popular tabletop battle game by Games Workshop. The game will be unlocked on Steam, Epic Games Store and GOG.com at 7 am PT. Will the PC debut of Complex Games go well, or will it be another average or even weak title set in the universe of the 41st millennium?

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters - selected reviews

1. PC Gamer - 87/100
2. GameStar.de - 83/100
3. GameWatcher - 8/10
4. Multiplayer.it - 8/10
5. TheSixthAxis - 8/10
6. Wccftech - 8/10
7. CGMagazine - 7.5/10

So far, not too many reviews have appeared, but the few texts indicate that Daemonhunters is a good game and not just a carbon copy of the XCOM series. Yes, the title undoubtedly evokes associations with Firaxis Games' series - after all, we are talking about the same genre. Fans of tactical turn-based games should feel at home.

However, the team at Complex Games made sure that Daemonhunters stands out from the crowd. A well-written story and distinct, contrasting personalities of the squad members do their part. It's hard to avoid frictions in the team, when it includes an inquisitor eager for knowledge, a veteran of the Grey Knights who values loyalty above all else, and a techpriestess more interested in ships than in people.

An astartes, an inquisitor and a techpriest walk into a bar...

What's important, these conflicts will not be just a background for clashes with the demonic legions of Chaos god "papa" Nurgl. Our subordinates will try to force us - for example - to take a closer look at the Bloom (a plague devouring successive star systems) or to spend a few days on meditation. Each decision will have its consequences, affecting the outcome of missions and relationships with characters.

These choices will transcend the battlefield. Tardiness in fighting the Bloom will make subsequent missions on a given planet more difficult and the plague will have a greater chance to spred to other worlds. Moreover, we constantly report to the Grand Master of the Grey Knights (played by Andy Serkis). It depends on him whether we receive the equipment which will enable us to cope with the hordes of Chaos. And they will not give up without a fight.

Glory to the first man to die!

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters is a demanding game. Bosses can be quite a challenge even on the normal difficulty. Common opponents sometimes fare worse (mainly due to the occasionally disappointing AI), but we have to pay attention to the elements of the environment. The enemy will gladly take advantage of a new passage opened by a column we toppled a moment ago or a hastily triggered explosion.

Daemonhunters is also a race against time, so to speak. The Bloom gradually spreads to new worlds, and if it takes over too many of them - we lose. Also during the skirmishes the clock is ticking. The longer we wait, the stronger mutations and reinforcements the forces of Chaos will receive.

So it is better to plan your crusade - and take into account the random events (fortunately the infamous RNG will not show up here too much in the battles themselves). Another thing is that - according to some journalists - Daemonhunters will not be free from "broken" options, which will enable the Grey Knights to gain a significant advantage over the forces of Chaos.

Taint of Chaos

As for the flaws, they certainly do not include the audiovisuals. The reviewers' only complaint in this regard was that the environments were too similar, although this can be explained more by the degree of their chaos warping than by the developers' laziness.

1. We have already mentioned the unreliable AI, through which - according to some reviewers - the clashes with Chaos hordes are not overly complicated.
2. There's also the issue of characters. While the main characters can not be accused of much bad (aside from moral issues - after all, this is Warhammer 40,000), the supporting actors are mediocre at best (quoting one of the reviewers: "like in a bad B-grade movie").
3. Some texts also complain about the general refinement. One journalist had a problem with performance on his hardware, even after repeated changes to the graphic settings, which points to faulty optimization. Some also point to bugs, although it should be added that mentions of this topic appear quite rarely.

For the Emperor!

To sum up: Complex Games has delivered a great game with character that will appeal to fans of both Warhammer 40,000 and XCOM and tactical RPGs in general. At least according to reviewers. The players will be able to form their own opinion in just a few hours. Nevertheless, it seems that in terms of quality at least it will not be another "worthy" successor to Fire Warrior.