Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters -- One (Inter)Stellar Game!

A Dark Space Adventure to Defeat a Galaxy-Threatening Plague

Painted Miniatures Come to Life

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters is a tactical turn-based RPG that brings a little of everything to the table. The complex PC game inspired by the classic miniatures wargame Warhammer 40,000 features aspects of strategy, resource management, combat, politics, and drama, to name a few.

Daemonhunters was developed by Complex Games and published by Frontier Foundry, and they certainly didn't skimp on packing the game full of engaging content. Sometimes, it feels more like you're watching a compelling space opera unfold than playing an RPG, yet you won't be complaining—you'll get glued to your monitor immediately.

Become the Leader of the Grey Knights

In Daemonhunters, you take over leadership of a squad of elite Space Marines called the Grey Knights, and you must put a stop to a fast-spreading plague that's putting the entire galaxy at risk. The plague is known as the Bloom, and it's infesting one planet after another at an alarming rate. The game takes place in the gothic sci-fi world of Warhammer 40,000, which has deep lore that you'll learn much about as you play.

However, Daemonhunters is about far more than just saving the galaxy from the Bloom, though everything does tie into that ultimate goal. As you play, you'll be upgrading your base of operations, training and customizing your squad of Grey Knights, battling foes in several contexts, and much more.

Concept Rating: 5/5

A Cinematic Experience

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters is an excellent-looking game. The graphics are very detailed and look plenty realistic. The various settings you encounter throughout the campaign are impressive; even when no action is happening, there's always some motion on the map, whether it's a torch's leaping flames or debris floating through the battlefield.

The game's animation is at its best during the many cutscenes, which have a distinctly cinematic, epic feel. Sometimes, you want to kick your feet up, lean back, and watch the drama unfold. However, if you don't have your settings optimized or a fast enough PC, the visuals can be laggy or choppy.

Daemonhunters features a slow, ominous soundtrack that works well with the dark, dramatic events happening in the game. As for the gameplay sound effects, they're frequent, powerful, and increase engagement.

Graphics & Audio Rating: 4/5

Putting a Stop to the Bloom

The primary plot device in Daemonhunters is the Bloom, and the game does an excellent job of making it feel like a real threat. So much so that you'll probably be frustrated early on in the gameplay; no matter how hard you try, you won't be able to respond promptly every time a new planet reports an outbreak; it just spreads too quickly. Even when you're on a mission actively fighting the Bloom, it will continue to spread across the environment.

The Bloom corrupts without prejudice; your choices will affect which planets succumb… and survive.

Speaking of missions -- you and your Grey Knights will go on quite a few. When the Bloom infects a planet, it will be up to you to take your squad there and handle it. Doing so requires turn-based battle and strategy, and time is of the essence; the more the Bloom spreads, the more frightening effects and mutations it will have on the physical environment.

Tactical Battles

In Daemonhunters, each mission and battle will require different tactics. Sometimes, going with an all-out assault to take down your foes in an explosion of gore is the prudent move. Other times, doing your damage with special long-range weapons and abilities is wiser. You have to recognize the needs of a specific situation and choose the right path.

Upgrade your base of operations, build new facilities, conduct research into arcane mysteries, and engage in combat missions across multiple worlds to purge the spread.

The various settings in the game are inherently destructive, and you can use that to your advantage. In some cases, knocking down a pillar onto your enemies or hurling a boulder at them may be all it takes to turn the tide of a fight.

Training Your Grey Knights

Your squad of Grey Knights may already be the best-trained killers the galaxy has to offer, but that doesn't mean there's no room to improve. For one thing, your squad is entirely customizable. You can change up their voices, armor, and appearances to your liking and specialize them into four distinct classes.

More importantly, you can turn them into more effective fighters. You can unlock special new weapons for them, and your Knights can learn several new valuable skills and abilities, giving them a far better chance at putting an end to the Bloom.

Defeating Fearsome Enemies

The more the Bloom spreads and corrupts worlds, the more environmental hazards and evil minions those worlds will produce. As you fight to keep the plague at bay, you'll have to face off against mutated monsters, deranged cultists, and the infamous Death Guard Chaos Space Marines, who will only continue to get more powerful.

As your enemies evolve, gain power, and add to their numbers, it will become necessary for you to adapt your strategies and strengthen your squad. This aspect not only makes the game more challenging but also keeps it fresh and exciting. While something may be working for you during the first half of the campaign, there's no guarantee that it will continue to breed success later on.

Gameplay Rating: 5/5

Getting Your Hands on Daemonhunters

After much anticipation, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters was fully released on May 5th, 2022. The turn-based tactical RPG is available for $44.99 on Steam, and with the amount of depth and complexity it offers, the price is beyond fair. If you want to splurge, you can order the special Castellan Champion edition for an extra $10, and you'll receive a unique playable character and the entire original soundtrack.

A Complete Game With Wide Appeal

Daemonhunters has a lot to offer, and the diversity of its gameplay lends it far-reaching appeal. While you may not love all the aspects of the strategy and combat or the cinematic cutscenes, you'll almost certainly love at least one or two.

The game is visually impressive, consistently engaging, and challenging without feeling impossible or overly frustrating. It also has a compelling storyline, deep lore, and intense action. Overall, there's a whole lot to like here.

Replay Value Rating: 4/5

The Pros

• Impressive graphics.
• Engaging gameplay.
• Dramatic and compelling storyline.
• Many diverse gameplay aspects.

The Cons

• Occasional lag/choppiness.
• A bit too dark for some people.
• Occasionally unclear mission objectives.

TL;DR

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters is a challenging strategy game featuring powerful drama and a variety of engaging RPG elements.