Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s latest patch feels like the game’s 2.0
The meat and potatoes of Warhammer 40,000: Oil Spill have always been solid. It’s great 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 absolutely brilliant and I love the discussions between each class of characters. But the game struggled to maintain momentum post-launch due to systems out of each match, such as weapon upgrades, character progression, and end-game variety.
The oil spillThe most recent patch, released on October 3, could change all that. I’ve been digging into the depths of Tertium, putting a spin on each class, and I’m impressed by how dynamic each character feels. The four classes each get major new tools – for example, the psyker can be a long-range thrower. glass cannon who bursts special enemies with a brain blast, a protective friend who raises shields around his allies, or a Sith Lord with all manner of deadly projectiles who shreds groups of enemies.
Add depth to The oil spill
To compensate after putting all these exciting new tools in players’ hands, Fatshark has also buffed enemies. Snipers, Trappers, and Chaos Ogryn have always been considered a threat, and they’re even nastier now. Even humble baddies that previously served as road bumps now have a little more punch, like the Scab Shotgunner. The end result is that matches feel harder and more dangerous, especially on higher difficulties. The cards and music are the same, but the strategy is more nuanced; the game now looks like The oil spill 2.0.
Here’s how the changes work in practice: Each character has a grenade, a class ability, and an aura. For example, the Ogryn has the choice between throwing a stone, throwing a box of small grenades or throwing a large grenade. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages; one may be effective at taking out a large, specific target, while the other options are effective at taking out small groups of specialists or a giant horde of smallpoxes.
Each class can choose between three new class abilities, including one that is an improved and much more powerful version of its original ability. The other two drastically change the way the class plays out in the game. The veteran can use his ability to highlight enemy specialists and fire volleys from a distance, or he can choose the option that allows him to hide and hide. Finally, auras give the rest of your party a boost with a valuable stat like stamina or cooldown reduction.
These abilities are linked in a network of talent trees; big main choices come with small boosts to stats and utility abilities. My big criticism of the new system is that the entire talent tree structure is overwhelming. Choice paralysis sets in quickly, especially as a player with multiple level 30 characters. It would be nice if Fatshark more emphasized the choices that matter most and clarified the intent of each talent path a little more. Once I got over my uncertainty and started making some decisions, I had a lot of fun experimenting with all the fun new toys in the closet.
A new coat of paint
This update does The oil spillThe class list seems much larger. There have always been variations within each class, but now each archetype seems to have three distinct varieties. The veteran is now a sniper, squad leader, or close-range shooter who uses stealth. The Ogryn can be a big boy with a mini-gun, a shield-wielding tank with AOE taunt, or a brute force brawler.
The changes go further than just talent tree improvements: there are new cutscenes around Mourningstar’s quest hub that are a huge improvement over the few story cutscenes players were able to unlock at launch.
Some plot threads seemed abandoned, but this patch picks them up. There is a villain in the tutorial who taunts the player and then disappears. In this update, he returns to harass rejects via communication. As for the traitor the player helps uncover by leveling up to 30, it turns out he’s still on the Mourningstar…as a lobotomized minion seller. Very sinister and dark!
The oil spill has always had some of the best dialogue and barking on the field, and there are tons of new interactions that play out during matches. While playing over the past few days, I’ve experienced several matches with exclusively new dialogue added from this patch. Even though I know every map like the back of my hand, everything still feels new, and the added dialogue is a big part of that newness.
I was excited for The oil spill when it first released in 2022, but Fatshark has since taken the time to respond to fan feedback and go back to the drawing board. Things have been quiet for a while, but this new update shows that the Fatshark update hiatus was justified. The oil spill is deeper, and it asserts its place as one of the best Warhammer 40K games currently on the market.
The oil spill is now available on Xbox Series X; the game is also unmarked on Steamwhere it’s currently on sale for 35% off.