We are proud to continue the tradition of each Warhammer game that requires minimum three games. Warhammer 40,000 Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters is more than an XCOM-style game featuring space marines. It’s a frequently brutal and deceivingly deep battle against the vile enemies from Nurgle with an ever-changing strategic map, as well as combat that is intense and turn-based. There are times that it can go between a satisfying challenge and sheer frustration, thanks to the over reinforcement swarms, and some pretty inventive failure spirals that are built-in. However, you’re aware of what they say about the gloomy night of the 41st Millennium.
There have been several 40K games in the last 10 years so the idea of having a brand new one makes me squirm as a long-time lover of the world. But I was happy to learn that Daemonhunters could be one of the top games since the 2009’s Dawn of War II. The epic action-horror adventure is focused on one of the Grey Knights, a uniquely dangerous chapter that is comprised of Space Marines who are recruited exclusively from people who possess psychic abilities. And I can tell that the developers did their homework, since even the simplest aspects in the system of combat is designed around the characteristics that make these guys unique.
Each Knight has a willpower reserve which can be used for powerful psychic abilities such as enhancing damage to weapons or healing fellow knights. However, using them is an additional cost since it can also build up an a Warp meter. This is because psychic abilities in 40K are likely to draw the attention of demons from the Immaterium. These can result in a hefty turn-to turn decision that go beyond giving away your ammo or magic points. Filling the meter may trigger further enemy reinforcements or even cause your entire team to being afflicted by a terrifying epidemic. Sometimes , it’s best to trust in good old steel and lead instead of experimenting using Jedi mind tricks and take on the dangers of warp.
The majority of the time I was playing Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters, I was having a time figuring out how I could make a difference in an almost impossible fight with my trusted squad of experienced psychic space paladins linking exactly the right actions in the perfect order. However there were times where it set the odds too high when it tried to pack more enemies on an already crowded screen that was extremely frustrated, and I wished it had come up with cleverer and less irritating methods to test me instead. However, that intricate, often overly punishing game is boosted by a charmingly gothic, over-the-top bridge guards and a tale that never stops finding new ways to slam your plans. Daemonhunters is among the top XCOM-likes available. If there were a hall of honor for games set in 40K that truly comprehended the setting and did something that was thematically correct and thrilling to go along with the setting, Daemonhunters would certainly belong there.