The hunt for heretics will be hot! What is known about Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, the new game by Owlcat Games

The developers at Owlcat Games made a strong impression on fans with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Before even wrapping up support for their first game, they announced a new project set in the grimdark universe. Find out what to expect from Dark Heresy in this article.

Unlimited power! Almost...

The information provided in the trailer and screenshots makes it clear that the galaxy is in danger, and loyal servants of the Imperium are surrounded on all sides – business as usual by the standards of the grim universe. The Inquisitor Lord leaves the problem solving to a loyal acolyte and their team, whom the player will lead to victory. Working for the Holy Inquisition grants authority and boundless resources, but the responsibility for one’s actions is equally immense. 

Given the title of the game, the protagonist most likely belongs to the “Ordo Hereticus”. This Ordo of “witch hunters” specializes in tracking down psykers. The hunters also deal with threats posed by heretics, mutants, and rebels. There is a chance that the Ordo Malleus, which purges worlds of daemons and Chaos cults, has stepped into the fray. But that does not mean you will be able to ignore the other pests teeming across the galaxy. 

We were also shown that one of the main threats will be the Night Lords — ruthless Chaos Space Marines who were once the VIII Legion in the service of the Imperium. Their primary tactic is terror and intimidation, and to that end, they adorn their armor with various symbols of death. Their emblem is a skull with bat wings.

The protagonist is an acolyte. While not yet a full-fledged Inquisitor, even at this stage of their career, their authority and resources are vast. This by no means implies that the player will get everything they want at the snap of a finger – an overconfident fledgling can easily be put in their place by Space Marines, Rogue Traders, Tech-Priests, or even seasoned Imperial Guard officers. And playing games with fellow colleagues is ill-advised! To successfully complete a mission, you will more often need to rely on diplomacy rather than brute force and intimidation. 

The origins

Just like Rogue Trader, the new game Dark Heresy is based on the tabletop role-playing game of the same name. In it, players stepped into the boots of acolytes and completed diverse missions involving infiltration and neutralizing enemies.   

Interestingly, co-op has already been announced for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, even though details about the game remain sparse. Friends will be able to assume the roles of agents serving the Inquisition and purge heresy and other undesirable elements together — and one hopes it will be implemented better than in Rogue Trader. Only then will it truly feel like a tabletop session. 

In fact, virtually anyone can become an Inquisitorial agent under the player’s command — in the universe of eternal war, particularly radical Inquisitors even employ heretics to achieve their ends. For instance, Inquisitor Amberley Vail of the Ordo Xenos famously requisitioned the services of the legendary Commissar Ciaphas Cain – the protagonist of Sandy Mitchell’s novels. Let us hope that players will be able to undertake missions requiring them to infiltrate a heretic cult or an enemy cell of the Imperium and dismantle it from within. 

For obvious reasons, it will be impossible to play as every sapient race across the galaxy in a video game. Just like in the tabletop game, players will have to choose a career for their chosen acolyte:

• Adepts, Arbitrators, and Scum specialize in interrogations, investigations, and gathering valuable intel on the enemy;
• Assassins and Imperial Guardsmen serve as sturdy combat units – each tailored to their specific roles;
• Psykers and Tech-Priests act as specialists. While a Tech-Priest is indispensable when handling machinery, a psyker can detect sorcery or burst enemy heads with mind power alone;
• Clerics and Adepta Sororitas (Sisters of Battle) will bolster morale and safeguard spiritual purity. 

There is a possibility that players might be given control of a Grey Knight – a member of the most elite Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes. However, it is hard to imagine how such an absolute combat powerhouse could be properly balanced alongside the rest of the squad — leading to fears that Grey Knights might end up on the cutting room floor in Dark Heresy.

The gameplay of Rogue Trader boiled down to constant skirmishes, negotiations, puzzle-solving, and looting anything not nailed down. There is no reason to believe that the combat system and exploration mechanics in Dark Heresy will differ drastically.

A new squad – pros and cons

In Rogue Trader, the privileges of a Rogue Trader allowed you to recruit almost anyone into your retinue – within reasonable bounds. You could employ zealots of faith, criminal elements, and even xenos (aliens). Keeping this unruly bunch from slaughtering each other was quite the task, as their mutual hatred was only slightly less intense than their hatred for the enemy. 

In Dark Heresy, the situation is even more complicated.

Kroot

Kroot are a humanoid xenos race allied with the T'au Empire (space communists). They are savage warriors capable of altering their genetic code by consuming defeated foes. In doing so, they build muscle mass, gain new traits, and hone their reflexes and senses. The most accomplished hunters can best Space Marines in close combat. However, their ranged weaponry leaves much to be desired during firefights. 

Most often, the Kroot fight alongside the T'au. Yet some mercenaries do not shy away from working for other species – apparently, one such mercenary has entered the acolyte’s service.

• Pro: a skilled melee fighter capable of picking off enemies at medium range reasonably well. If game mechanics allow, their progression could be the most varied.
• Contra: this savage might decide to start devouring fallen enemies or allies on his own initiative – behavior few will appreciate!

Farseer

In Rogue Trader, players could recruit an Aeldari (space elf) named Yrliet, who filled the sniper role in the party. If recruited, she would seize every opportunity throughout the game to point out the shortcomings of mon-keigh (inferior non-Aeldari species). The irony is that Yrliet is one of the kindest and most understanding members of her race – the rest are even more insufferable. 

By all appearances, one of the acolyte’s companions will be an Aeldari walking the Path of the Seer. This is an extraordinarily powerful psyker capable of tearing enemies apart using pure mind power. Their abilities are advanced enough to foresee the future – though one must keep in mind that prophecies do not always come to pass. 

• Pro: a powerful psyker on the team.
• Contra: you will have to deal with Aeldari diplomacy all over again.

Catachan Jungle Fighter

A red bandana, bare muscular arms, and a chiseled jawline – telltale signs that one of the acolyte’s companions hails from Catachan. He might not be quite as massive as typical Jungle Fighters, and his knife looks a bit small for one. Yet underestimating him would be a mistake – his homeworld chewed up a full-scale Chaos invasion, and Catachans continue to survive and thrive on it. 

• Pro: a specialist in melee combat and stealth. Furthermore, he excels with heavy weaponry. 
• Contra: Catachans are fiercely independent at a genetic level and despise taking orders from superiors – especially superiors not born on Catachan.

Ogryn

Players got to know Ogryns well in the online co-op shooter Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. These brutes are massive, loyal, dim-witted, durable, and exceptionally strong. If a commander ever needs something smashed, an Ogryn is the perfect candidate for the job. 

• Pro: a loyal meat shield.
• Contra: Ogryns are notorious for claustrophobia and bursts of uncontrollable rage.

Woman with cybernetics

It is hard to say much about the final companion, as she appears to be an unremarkable Black woman. The only thing that sets her apart are the unusual devices on her arms, which are likely designed for healing and squad support. 

It is also worth noting that the design of these devices strongly resembles xenos tech, and had she not been an Inquisitorial agent, she would have long since faced the Emperor’s wrath for dabbling in tech-heresy.

Analysis

The material shown by Owlcat Games leaves a positive impression. The fact that the protagonist is an agent of the Holy Inquisition suggests that players will dive into an investigative mystery – complete with infiltration deep into enemy territory. Meanwhile, the volatile mix of the acolyte’s squad will force players to put in serious effort to keep their subordinates in line.     

Given Owlcat Games’ habit of releasing unpolished products, players will likely have to wait a year before the game is brought into proper shape.

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