Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy Alpha Preview: A Very Intriguing Basis

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is the brand new CRPG from Owlcat Games, the creators of several 40k games like Rogue Trader. It's a new kind of adventure that's very reminiscent of the older games as well. While Dark Heresy draws heavily from previous incarnations, it has some traits that truly set it apart from the originals.

CRPGs as a whole have never been very popular until the rise of Baldur's Gate 3, but that hasn't stopped the team over at Owlcat from refining the setups they'd had in place already. Dark Heresy seeks to offer players a new way to interact with the Grimdark world and put a lot of power in the hands of players.

Every choice made, every report given, and every person spoken to will help to unveil the truth of the mysteries presented in the world as a whole. This is just an alpha, so everything covered is going to be very broad strokes. There are some bugs and some annoying facets, but beyond that, the game has a very intriguing basis.

Another Warhammer CRPG

If you're hoping for something more in the vein of BG3, you won't be finding it here. While it is similar in several ways, like turn-based combat and outcomes based on dice rolls, there really aren't any big-time cinematics or face-to-face interactions with NPCs. Just like in Rogue Trader, virtually everything is handled through a text box with no animations for NPCs while you talk.

This may come as a surprise to some, but to those well-versed in Owlcat's previous titles, it will be mostly what they expected, more Warhammer 40K CRPG gameplay. While it is still in alpha and some things can change, it is unlikely that Dark Heresy will lean into other kinds of NPC interaction beyond what is already there.

If you've enjoyed previous titles or simply enjoy the world of Warhammer 40K, it'll be a very enjoyable time. If you aren't very well-versed, you may still enjoy the story aspects as you go around and learn more about the people and hierarchy developed in this new place. Luckily, even if you aren't super into Warhammer 40K, you can get a good sense of everything in the game by asking questions.

A World of Questions

In Dark Heresy, players will take on the role of an Acolyte of the Inquisition, meaning you'll be investigating things that more important people don't have time for. They'll offer you some direction and give you some clues as to what you should probably do, but whether you do it is entirely optional.

One of the coolest aspects of this sort of dynamic is that, thanks to the Warhammer 40K setting, you can just say whatever you want. Don't feel like doing any actual investigating? Just accuse some filthy xenos and claim you think it's them. After all, no one will question a member of the Inquisition.

This was a fascinating way to give players agency over how they complete a quest. There are a ton of options for both major investigations currently, and you can pick whatever you want with virtually no consequences. However, the choices made do have an impact on both the world and the companions you can bring with you.

An Improvement to a Practiced Formula

While most of the basics are still the same for Dark Heresy, there are some notable improvements to the overall UI and some much deeper choice systems in place. For some people, it'll be like riding a new, suped-up bike with all the bells and whistles. The real draw is the simplified UI, which takes up less space and provides a much easier look at things at a glance.

But really, the investigation menus and choice systems built into the game are pretty neat. They start relatively simple, but start to snowball rapidly as you uncover more information. While you can usually gather information through various means, the choice system makes every choice feel weighty and like it has an impact, which makes it more stressful but also more fun.

Without too many spoilers, there is a hostage situation with some citizens that you need to talk to. You can just start combat, or you can attempt to talk to the enemy, or even get them what they're asking for. Each choice will have something slightly different happening, which makes for a wildly interesting way to make each playthrough different.

And of course, it wouldn't be a grimdark fantasy game without being able to do all manner of unspeakable things and betray whoever you'd like to get what you want. You can try to play the hero, but often this means a significant amount of work in addition to the work you're already doing, trying to solve the case.

Every Action has a Reaction

One of the best parts about Dark Heresy, and CRPGs in general, is how responsive the world is to your choices. This game takes it a step further by giving lore reasons for you to do as you please. While choices that lead to combat have some choices to get advantages or disadvantages that remain mostly the same outcome-wise, your decisions can determine whether characters live or die in a lot of cases.

It's really awesome to feel so powerful in a narrative sense. You can choose to kill off characters once you think they've outlived their use, but there's always a chance you're missing information from that source. It meant that even with smaller things, you could really kneecap yourself information-wise, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to get the right answer.

Detective-style games usually suffer from issues where you need all the information to make a correct conclusion. For one of the investigations, you can technically pick the correct conclusion without getting all the information. Although you won't have any basis, no one will question your authority.

The worst part about this is definitely that there can be a bit of choice paralysis, especially if you desperately want to get the actual answer. There are literally so many avenues to take that it can be a bit debilitating to choose correctly, but in a way that's part of the fun. You'll constantly be checking your in-game notes as well as any real-life notes you might want to take.

Let Off the Leash

Games that hold your hand less and less seem to be getting more popular, and Dark Heresy really takes it to an extreme. You're given the freedom to do as you please, and with that freedom comes a very limited amount of information. There aren't really any quest markers or anything of the sort, so you've really got to pay attention to any hints NPCs give.

You can also just go wherever you like for the most part. You don't have to stay in one spot looking for something; you can just walk off and do something else entirely. There is the consideration that NPCs will notice that, and more importantly, it means you can fail quests. It's not a tremendous deal if you fail a quest either, although completing them is usually better.

You can still get plenty of XP from using your skills or opening locked containers and such. Dark Heresy feels significantly more focused on giving players the freedom they enjoy, but through the lens of the Warhammer world, everyone knows and loves. That freedom can be a bit of a detriment, though.

You can sort of soft-lock yourself out of some things by doing things in a wonky order, but that's part of the alpha experience for now. Hopefully, Owlcat will have enough players to do crazy things so they're able to plan for the full release. Although there isn't much in terms of places to go yet, they've already got a nice ten hours or so of gameplay, which is pretty replayable thanks to all that freedom of choice.