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    Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Secrets of the Machine God Preview – A Limited Yet Exciting Update

    Return to Tertium once more.

    Warhammer 40,000 is one of the most beloved media franchises of all time. The series initially started as a tabletop game in the late 80s and was known for its fascinating world-building, being an innovative exploration of the science-fiction genre, and having numerous brilliant adaptations over the years. Of course, one of the most well-known mediums that Warhammer 40k has frequently explored is video games.

    From the recent Doom-inspired titled, Boltgun, to the melee-action game, Vermintide, game developers have frequently explored the universe of Warhammer 40k in several new and exciting ways. However, the most recent game from Fatshark, the developers of Vermintide, has had mixed reception. Titled Darktide, while the gameplay and story are beloved, it has been lauded for numerous missing features, poor optimization, lacking progression, and more. To make up for the issues, Fatshark has released numerous post-launch updates.

    This brings us to Secrets of the Machine God, the latest update for Darktide. The new update will feature new weapon variants, a new mission, a new character, and new approaches to “itemization” and progression that are soon to come. Before the update drops on June 25, I had the opportunity to preview Secrets of the Machine God before it is added to Warhammer 40k: Darktide. While the update features a great new mission and an intriguing new character, I found myself underwhelmed by the limited showing on display.

    An Early Preview at the Future of Warhammer 40k: Darktide, Secrets of the Machine God, and a Discussion With the Developers

    Warhammer 40k: Darktide Secrets of the Machine God Environment

    Before I played Secrets of the Machine God, I had the opportunity to speak to the developers and get a broader understanding of the upcoming update. Speaking to Game Designer Maxime Montera, Producer Juan Martinez, and Team Lead Luigi di Domenico helped to give me a better perspective of both the new update and Darktide itself.

    First, they provided an overview of what to expect from Secrets of the Machine God. We saw footage of a new mission, which takes place in a derelict Mechanicus research station in Atelium Foundryplex Omega V. The new area is a stunning set of snowy ruins that, according to the developers, will be familiar to Warhammer nerds. It’s also a lot more open compared to other missions.

    Swagger Warhammer 40k: Darktide Secrets of the Machine God

    We also got a look at Swagger, the new mission giver for the upcoming update. The developers described Swagger as a mysterious character with ambiguous motivations. They were very coy about whether or not he had good intentions. What we do know is that he appears throughout the update, both in person and in cutscenes. It was intriguing to see him pop up in the most random areas as you traverse the ruins. Additionally, I learned that Swagger is a character they’d been thinking about for a while and one that they actually created in collaboration with the original Warhammer 40k writers.

    Further, the developers also showed us brief footage of the new weapon variants that will finally be added to Darktide. The new weapons include a pickaxe, a shockmaul, a double-barreled shotgun, and the iconic Bolt Pistol. The pickaxe is big and slow but compensated by huge damage. There are three variants, light, medium, and heavy, that you can use depending on your play style. The shockmaul is a melee weapon that adds damage over time through electricity. There are two variants they told us about, one of which is more horde-inspired.

    The double-barreled shotgun was very Doom-inspired and was said to be very close-range. It only has two shells, but the limited ammo is balanced out with faster reload speed and brutal damage. Lastly, there is the Bolt Pistol, an iconic weapon from Warhammer 40k‘s history. The pistol’s rounds explode past five meters, creating a massive area-of-effect blast. Its melee attack also leads to a short combo.

    The developers also talked a bit about their future plans for the game. They talked about itemization, the way by which players interact, fire, and work with weapons. The new adjustments to the feature will give players more agency and the ability to see what is available to them and, by extension, what they will be working towards. The progression, according to the devs, should enhance the feeling of “zero to hero” via equipment choices, class, and customization. They also talked about the new expertise system, which will focus on new options for weapon blessings.

    Fans can expect to see these new features rolled out in the coming months. When talking to the developers, I could really see their passion and how committed they were to continuing to improve Darktide and delivering an experience that players would appreciate. That said, when playing the update itself, I found myself a bit disappointed by how lacking the new mission itself was.

    Playing Secrets of the Machine God

    Warhammer 40k Darktide Secrets of the Machine God Environment

    After creating a new character and playing the tutorial mission, a cutscene triggered the introduction of the new mission giver: Swagger. You are quickly ushered to the derelict Mechanicus research station to restart the station’s old systems and utilize them for the glory of the empire. At first, the mission has a lot of narrow hallways and small spaces where enemies can easily ambush you.

    However, after activating the transportation system, you are taken to the snowy research station. In game, it looks beautiful. The area is filled with old ruins, wreckage, and an aesthetic that most Warhammer 40k fans are sure to appreciate. There are a lot of encounters with monsters that are not too difficult to fight through. I managed to beat the mission while only getting downed once or twice.

    After a little bit, I fought through dozens of enemies in a last push to reactivate the conveyor belt. After that, the mission ends, and Swagger says that he will find his way back on his own. While the mission itself is fun and takes place in a well-designed level, there are a few problems that stood out.

    For one, the mission is way too short. Despite being partnered with bot companions, I completed the Secrets of the Machine God level after just thirty minutes. Furthermore, the level itself is hard to navigate and I often found myself struggling to figure out where to go next. The enemy encounters themselves are also not that interesting. Even the hardest boss in the level, who appears when you first enter the research station, is not that difficult to fight.

    You’re also not going to be getting to use the new weapons unless you grind for more experience. Not even Swagger makes too much of an appearance beyond the mission I played. It’s a shame, too, because it would have been cool if you got to interact with him more at your main hub, but perhaps that will come in the next major update.

    As a result of the short mission and limited access to the new features that come with the update, Secrets of the Machine God is lacking in a lot of quality-of-life adjustments that would make it more exciting for long-time players.

    A Lacking Experience

    Warhammer 40k Darktide Secrets of the Machine God Gameplay

    As a whole, unless you’ve been putting a lot of hours into Darktide, you’re not going to notice too many major changes. It’ll take a while to unlock the new and long-anticipated weapons, and there aren’t any new classes, races, or modes. There isn’t a single-player mode if you don’t want to play with bots. The optimization, too, could be better. I briefly experimented with playing the game on the Steam Deck, and while I managed to get it to run at a consistent frame rate, it still took a lot of adjustments.

    As I mentioned previously, if you’re a die-hard Darktide fan, you will likely find some enjoyment in it. However, if you’ve found yourself frustrated with the game’s state for the past two years, Secrets of the Machine God is not going to improve that. That being said, the itemization and mastery updates are looking promising. It might be worth waiting a little bit longer for those new features.

    Only time will tell if Darktide will eventually live up to the expectations of fans. As more updates for the game are released, though, Fatshark will hopefully continue to adjust the experience according to the expectations of fans.

    Saras Rajpal
    Saras Rajpal
    Saras is a passionate creative writer, with a love for immersive sims, superhero games, and Persona. He is currently writing a thesis about Persona 5 and is pursuing a career as a full-time writer.

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