My fascination with the occult, the dark, and the demonic has long drawn me to tabletop RPGs like Vampire: The Masquerade, Call of Cthulhu, and Candela Obscura. These games excel at challenging morality and delivering thrilling narratives. Yet, even in these dark worlds, a semblance of ‘good’ often exists, a character who stands slightly above the rest.
Warhammer 40,000, however, obliterates that clear distinction between hero and villain. While it grants players the exhilarating power fantasy of colossal armor and devastating weaponry, it offers no illusion of true ‘goodness.’ Unlike most settings where characters resist darker impulses, Warhammer 40k demands you embrace them, performing questionable acts in the name of a twisted justice. This moral tightrope was touched upon in Owlcat’s Rogue Trader, and it’s a core concept players will confront again in their ambitious new CRPG: Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy.
Where Rogue Trader placed players at the heart of a grand space opera, clearly in command, Dark Heresy shifts the focus dramatically. Here, you embody an Inquisitor – an operative tasked with uncompromising missions. In this role, there’s no room for moral ambiguity; only the Emperor’s will and the absolute eradication of heresy. This stark, binary approach—despite the myriad ways blood might be spilled—defines the singular, unquestionable objective.
Executive producer Anatoly Shestov elaborates on this profound moral landscape: ‘Traditional stories define good and evil for you, and the world reacts accordingly. But in Warhammer, those concepts are so deeply intertwined that no one truly comprehends what’s good or bad. We’re crafting a narrative where players aren’t just choosing between pre-defined alignments; they’re actively deciding what constitutes good and evil. Perhaps sacrificing innocents is necessary in a given moment, or punishing a seemingly wicked individual could prevent a far greater catastrophe caused by those very innocents.’ It’s a truly compelling premise.
[Embedded Video: Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy Gameplay Preview]
During a playthrough of an early game section, the mechanics instantly recall its spiritual predecessor, but the sheer scale of Dark Heresy feels significantly grander. Environments and animations have received a striking visual upgrade; haunting drawings of missing persons in a settlement deeply immerse you in the world’s grim reality. Caverns boast impressive verticality for combat and feature destructible elements, often concealing unseen horrors. A major distinction from Rogue Trader is the heightened emphasis on detective work. Players will meticulously gather clues from crime scenes to compile reports for their Imperial superiors. However, as Shestov aptly puts it, you’ll be more ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger than Sherlock Holmes,’ requiring you to actively break things to uncover crucial details – a delightful prospect for any fan of narrative investigation.
Shestov clarifies that the detective gameplay isn’t a forced mechanic but emerges organically from the narrative. ‘We recognized that incorporating a strong detective element would allow us to engage players on a deeper level,’ he explains. ‘It’s not merely about presenting facts you could find in an encyclopedia, or personal sentiments conveyed through dialogue. Instead, it weaves a distinct, meaningful story that players actively uncover.’
[Image: A group of Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy characters inspecting a corpse on a metal grate, bathed in green light from robotic sources.]
However, a significant portion of the game will involve ‘smashing’ things, as Shestov succinctly puts it. At its heart, Warhammer 40k is a saga of destruction, and combat is paramount. Dark Heresy evolves the traditional turn-based systems seen in Rogue Trader by introducing a precision targeting mechanic, reminiscent of classic RPGs. Players can now pinpoint specific body parts—arms, legs, head, torso, neck, and even eyes—each with its own hit chance. Disabling an enemy’s arm, for instance, can inflict a major wound, severely hindering their capabilities. This adds a compelling new layer of strategic depth.
Combat scenarios themselves have also seen a significant upgrade, drawing subtle inspiration from acclaimed modern RPGs. For example, when approaching a bar teeming with hardened, heretical gang members, players are presented with diverse tactical choices. Whether opting for a stealthy infiltration or a full-frontal assault, the demo showcased an intriguing strategy: getting the bandits intoxicated before initiating combat, thereby inflicting powerful debuffs. This elevation in tactical freedom deepens the approach to each major skirmish, adding further complexity to already intricate battles.
Although the full battle wasn’t shown, the flow of combat remains familiar to Rogue Trader, featuring turn-based actions where party members leverage their unique abilities. The robust cover system persists, but the overall combat experience feels undeniably enhanced. While a bar brawl offers its own chaotic charm, the true excitement lies in anticipating the grander, more cinematic boss encounters – where the opportunity to utterly annihilate these upgraded heretics awaits.
[Image: A massive Ogryn character from Warhammer 40k engaged in combat with smaller, goblin-like foes in a rocky environment.]
Shestov proudly hails Dark Heresy as ‘the fruit of Owlcat’s passion and labor,’ a sentiment that powerfully resonates even after just an hour of watching the gameplay. It stands as a demonstrably larger, bolder, and more intricate experience than its predecessor, and notably, it’s the only CRPG in the post-release landscape of critically acclaimed RPGs that appears capable of genuinely rivaling their immense scope and quality. While its Warhammer setting might not appeal to everyone, for fans of deep, narrative-driven experiences and morally challenging choices, Dark Heresy promises to be an essential journey.
With a knowing smile, Shestov asserts, ‘We’re still incredibly ambitious and a bit crazy, driven to create the game we personally want to play.’ The anticipation to experience Dark Heresy firsthand is immense. In the interim, a return to Rogue Trader’s recent DLC seems appropriate. Embracing the Inquisitor’s mindset, perhaps it’s time to heed that inner voice—for in the grim darkness of the far future, the Emperor’s word is, indeed, law. Who are we to question it?