Dive into Darkness: Warhammer 40K: Dark Heresy Unveiled – Become the Ultimate Inquisitor
Prepare to delve into the grim darkness of the far future with Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, the upcoming CRPG from Owlcat Games, the acclaimed developers behind Rogue Trader. Announced at the Warhammer Skulls event, Dark Heresy promises a gritty, party-based adventure where you embody an Imperial inquisitor tasked with uncovering heresies and conspiracies on a war-torn world. Get ready to intimidate your enemies until they surrender!
Unlike Rogue Trader's expansive space sector, Dark Heresy focuses on a single planet with diverse biomes, offering a more contained but equally immersive experience. Think Knights of the Old Republic's Ebon Hawk, but with a distinctly Warhammer 40K twist.
According to Owlcat producer Anatoly Shestov, Dark Heresy will feature a significant graphics overhaul and a revamped RPG system, a much bigger leap than the one seen between Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous. One of the most intriguing additions is a morale/intimidation system, allowing you to tailor character builds around scaring enemies into submission. Imagine a character so terrifying that opponents simply surrender!
But it's not all about brute force. Dark Heresy emphasizes detective work and investigation. Shestov highlights: "You will be actually gaining clues, you will be analyzing them. You will be making deductions." This investigative element draws inspiration from games like Pentiment, where there are no "right" answers, and your choices have dire consequences.
"Because this is an Inquisition game, you won't ever know," Shestov explained. "You can just name any person… and there will be dire consequences." The game won't hold your hand; you can blame an innocent person, but there will be reactions to your judgments.
Fans of Owlcat's previous games will be pleased to know that the tactical, turn-based combat is still a core element of the gameplay. Expect romanceable companions, flexible character building, and challenging fights. However, expect some welcome changes:
- Reworked cover system
- Reworked line of sight
- New character abilities and attributes
- Removal of Rogue Trader's momentum system
- The addition of a morale system
Shestov said: "Any unit can lose their grip in combat, start to panic, even shooting their own [teammates] or fleeing from combat. We decided that when you're playing as Inquisitor, you need to frighten your opponent. So you've got an option to not just kill everyone or talk."
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG). While a release date hasn't been announced, you can wishlist it on Steam now. In the meantime, Owlcat Games is continuing to support Rogue Trader, with more expansions on the horizon.
Will Dark Heresy stick its landing? Only the Emperor knows, but the potential for a truly immersive and morally ambiguous Inquisitorial experience is undeniably exciting.
What do you think about the new morale system? What kind of inquisitor will you be? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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