Info about Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters:

Official game description:
Grand Master Edition
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Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters - Grand Master Edition contains the acclaimed base game, Execution Force Pack, Duty Eternal Pack, and Castellan Champion Upgrade Pack.
Castellan Champion Edition
==========================
The Castellan Champion Edition includes Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, the unique playable character Castellan Garran Crowe\*, and the Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters Original Soundtrack.  
\*Unlocked through a timeline event in the main story campaign.
About the Game
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Lead humanity’s greatest weapon, the _Grey Knights_, against the corrupting forces of _Chaos_ in this brutal and fast-paced turn-based tactical RPG. Root out and put a stop to an insidious plot to infect the galaxy with _the Bloom_, an intergalactic cosmic plague capable of rotting worlds into oblivion.  
Armoured in faith, shielded by devotion, the _Grey Knights_’ very existence is rooted in mystery, enforced with mind-wipes and executions. Experience life in the 41st millennium and follow the journey of these elite warriors in a narrative penned by acclaimed Black Library author, _Aaron Dembski-Bowden_.
SHAPE THE FATE OF THE GALAXY
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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 Bloom_ corrupts without prejudice; your choices will affect which planets succumb… and survive.
FORGE YOUR CHAMPIONS
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Command your own, personalised squad of _Grey Knights_; learn a range of diverse skills and psychic abilities, unlock powerful equipment and specialise your champions into four unique standard and advanced classes. Each of your warriors can be customised with voice, armour and facial options to make them your own.
PRECISION TARGETING
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_Grey Knights_ are an elite chapter of _Space Marines_ and are not in the business of making mistakes or missing their shots. The Precision Targeting system puts you in control of your tactical decisions, allowing you to plan your strategy with confidence, whether by taking shots from afar with sure-fire accuracy, or dismembering and dismantling a foe in brutal melee combat!
MUTATING MONSTROSITIES AND THEIR MINIONS
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As _the Bloom_ corrupts worlds, environments will evolve and erupt with deadly hazards and minions, cultists and the infamous _Death Guard Chaos Space Marines_ will mutate with pestilent boons and blessings, giving them new attacks and abilities. Adapt your tried and tested strategies to overcome unsurmountable odds against towering foes and their servants.
CINEMATIC SLAUGHTER
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Charge headlong into fast-paced tactical combat. Eviscerate and execute enemies up close in gory displays of prowess, or strike from afar with blessed bullets and powerful psychic energies. Use the dynamically destructible environment to your advantage by tearing down pillars or slamming vehicles into unsuspecting enemies.

Release date: 5 May, 2022

Categories: Tactical RPG, Turn-based Combat, Squad Management, Character Customization, Character Progression, Base Building, Resource Management, Environmental Combat


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent Tactical Gameplay (weight 0.93): Players overwhelmingly praise the game's tactical combat, often comparing it favorably to XCOM while noting its unique aggressive playstyle and lack of frustrating RNG. The core gameplay loop, strategic depth, and satisfying combat mechanics are frequently highlighted as major strengths.
- Faithful Warhammer 40K Experience (weight 0.48): The game is highly lauded for its authentic and immersive portrayal of the Warhammer 40K universe. Reviewers appreciate the grimdark atmosphere, lore accuracy, visual aesthetics, and how well it captures the essence of the Grey Knights and Nurgle's forces.
- Rewarding Difficulty and Balance (weight 0.29): The game offers a challenging yet fair difficulty curve, with many appreciating the absence of frustrating random misses common in similar titles. Players find the difficulty manageable and rewarding, encouraging strategic thinking and replayability on higher settings.
- Engaging Story and Presentation (weight 0.27): The narrative is consistently described as good, interesting, and engaging, with many players enjoying the plot twists and character development. High-quality voice acting, impressive cutscenes, and fitting music further enhance the immersive storytelling.
- Deep Customization and Progression (weight 0.16): Reviewers enjoy the extensive customization options for their Grey Knights, including armor, weapons, and skills. The ability to create diverse builds and specialized units, along with a satisfying progression system, adds significant depth and replayability.
- Valuable DLC Content (weight 0.11): The game's DLCs are highly recommended, with players noting they add significant value, variety, and new characters (like Assassins and Dreadnoughts) that enhance the core gameplay experience and extend replayability.
- Strong Visuals and Art Style (weight 0.08): The game receives praise for its appealing graphics, detailed character models, and effective art direction. The visuals are noted for capturing the Warhammer 40K aesthetic well, contributing to the overall immersive experience.
- Satisfying Combat Feedback (weight 0.06): Players find the combat to be crunchy, impactful, and visually satisfying, with cool kill animations and a precision damage system. Boss battles are highlighted as impressive and varied, contributing to a dynamic and addictive battlefield experience.
- Diverse Enemies and Missions (weight 0.06): The game features a plentiful and varied bestiary, with new enemies appearing even in later missions. This diversity, combined with enemy mutations and changing makeups, keeps combat fresh and prevents missions from feeling repetitive.

Common complaints:
- Unfair & Unbalanced Difficulty (weight 0.97): The game's difficulty is frequently described as unfair, unbalanced, and inconsistent, with significant spikes even on easy or normal modes. Players feel overwhelmed by tanky enemies, excessive reinforcements, and punishing mechanics, leading to frustration and a lack of tactical enjoyment. The inability to change difficulty mid-campaign further compounds this issue.
- Repetitive & Tedious Gameplay (weight 0.89): Players consistently report that missions and overall gameplay become highly repetitive and monotonous, especially in the mid to late game. This is exacerbated by long, unskippable animations, slow pacing, and a lack of mission variety, making the experience feel like a chore rather than fun.
- Critical Bugs & Save Issues (weight 0.88): Numerous players report game-breaking bugs, frequent crashes, and a severely flawed save system. The single autosave slot, accidental overwrites, and corrupted saves lead to significant loss of progress and force restarts, making the game unplayable for many.
- Slow & Tedious Combat Animations (weight 0.72): Combat is significantly slowed down by long, unskippable animations for actions and enemy turns, even with speed-up options. This contributes to the overall tedium and disrespects player time, making battles feel like a drag.
- Weak Grey Knight Portrayal (weight 0.28): Players are disappointed by the depiction of Grey Knights, who feel weak, fragile, and easily defeated by common enemies, contradicting their established lore as elite warriors. This undermines the power fantasy and immersion, making the experience less enjoyable for fans of the Warhammer 40K universe.
- Inferior XCOM Comparison (weight 0.24): Many players compare the game unfavorably to XCOM, citing it as a 'shittier' or 'generic' clone that copies frustrating mechanics without improving upon them. The game is seen as lacking the depth, polish, and quality-of-life features found in other turn-based tactical games.
- Poor UI & Unclear Mechanics (weight 0.19): The user interface is widely criticized as clunky, cluttered, and unintuitive, requiring excessive clicks and lacking critical information. Additionally, core game mechanics, buffs, and debuffs are poorly explained or hidden, forcing players to rely on external resources and hindering their ability to make informed tactical decisions.
- Lack of Grimdark Aesthetic (weight 0.1): The game's visual style is described as too cartoonish, bright, and colorful, failing to capture the grimdark atmosphere expected from a Warhammer 40K title. This detracts from immersion and makes it difficult for some players to take the game seriously.
- Limited Class & Build Variety (weight 0.07): The game suffers from unbalanced classes and limited build options, with only a few viable strategies dominating gameplay. This discourages experimentation and forces players into rigid 'meta' builds, reducing replayability and strategic depth.
- Unsatisfying Dreadnought DLC (weight 0.07): The Dreadnought DLC is criticized for its limited implementation, as Dreadnoughts are only usable in specific missions and often appear too late in the campaign. This, combined with increased difficulty in DLC missions, makes the content feel underwhelming and poorly integrated.

Gameplay feedback:
- High and Variable Difficulty (weight 0.22): Players frequently highlight the game's significant difficulty, even on lower settings, with a steep learning curve and punishing moments. While difficulty can be adjusted, many found 'Normal' mode challenging, requiring strategic mastery and patience. The difficulty often spikes after initial hours and with DLCs.
- Grey Knights Focus (weight 0.17): The game centers entirely on the Grey Knights, an elite Space Marine chapter, allowing players to control and customize a squad of up to four. Their unique abilities, psychic powers, and lore are central to the gameplay, with character progression and customization being key aspects.
- No Hit Chance RNG (weight 0.12): A significant departure from XCOM, the game eliminates traditional hit chance percentages; attacks always connect if an enemy is in range. Instead, randomness is shifted to critical hits, damage penalties from cover/range, and various strategic layer events like Warp Surges and mission rewards.
- Mission Structure and Progression (weight 0.1): Missions are typically short, tactical raids focused on objectives, with rewards influencing strategic layer upgrades. While progression through leveling and gear is satisfying, some players noted a lack of mission variety and potential pacing issues in the mid-game.
- Squad and Class Customization (weight 0.1): The game offers robust customization for Grey Knights, including armor, weapons, abilities, and skill trees. There are multiple unique classes (e.g., Interceptor, Justicar, Apothecary, Librarian) that synergize, allowing players to build diverse squads tailored to missions and playstyles.
- Aggressive Tactical Combat (weight 0.09): The game strongly encourages an aggressive playstyle, emphasizing quick enemy kills, melee combat, and efficient action point management. Players are often overwhelmed by reinforcements if they play defensively, making proactive engagement and objective rushing crucial for success.
- Core Mechanics and Destructible Environments (weight 0.09): The game features solid core mechanics, including a unique stun/execution system and strategic depth. It makes excellent use of destructible environments, which can be leveraged tactically against enemies, adding another layer to combat encounters.
- Action Point and Execution System (weight 0.08): Combat revolves around an action point (AP) system, typically 3 AP per unit, which refreshes upon engaging new enemies. A key mechanic is 'executions' on stunned enemies, which grant bonus AP to the entire squad, promoting strategic stunning and chaining kills.
- Warp Surge Mechanic (weight 0.06): A core mechanic, the Warp Surge meter, fills over time or with psychic ability use, triggering random negative effects like enemy reinforcements, mutations, or squad debuffs when it reaches 100%. This mechanic adds tension and encourages aggressive, fast-paced mission completion.
- Limited Squad Size (weight 0.04): Players consistently control a small squad of typically four Grey Knights per mission. This limited unit count against numerous enemies emphasizes the power and individual abilities of each Grey Knight, requiring careful tactical deployment.

Performance notes:
- Significant Performance Issues (weight 0.14): Many players report frequent crashes, freezes, and severe FPS drops, even on high-end systems. These issues often occur randomly, during enemy turns, or when using explosives, making the game unstable and frustrating to play.
- Mixed Steam Deck Performance (weight 0.05): While some users report the game runs well on Steam Deck, especially the OLED model, others note the necessity of reducing graphics settings and capping framerates to achieve playable performance, indicating inconsistent optimization for the platform.
- Good Graphics and Sound (weight 0.02): Despite performance issues, many players praise the game's visual quality and sound design, describing them as stellar, good, and robust. This indicates a strong artistic and audio presentation.
- Autosave Mitigates Crash Impact (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the frequent autosave feature, which minimizes progress loss when the game inevitably crashes or freezes. This helps alleviate some frustration caused by the game's instability.
- Denuvo Anti-Tamper Suspected (weight 0.01): A few players suspect that the Denuvo anti-tamper software might be contributing to the game's performance issues, based on past experiences with other titles. This is a speculative but recurring concern.
- Other Games Run Better (weight 0.01): Players note that other, more demanding games, including other Warhammer 40k titles, run without issues on their systems, highlighting the specific performance problems of this game.
- Engine Comparison to XCOM (weight 0.01): Some players compare the game's engine favorably to Firaxis' XCOM, noting it feels better or is less buggy, despite the game's own technical issues. This suggests a solid foundation, albeit one with current problems.
- Loading Time Issues (weight 0.01): One player mentioned experiencing loading time issues, though this was not a widespread complaint. (Based on limited feedback).

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended for Genre Fans (weight 0.6): The game is widely recommended, especially for fans of turn-based tactical games (like XCOM) and the Warhammer 40K universe. Many reviewers consider it a must-play within these niches, often praising its compelling blend of tactical combat and narrative immersion. However, some suggest it's not for everyone, particularly casual players or those unfamiliar with the genre/lore.
- Difficulty and Learning Curve (weight 0.49): The game is noted for its challenging nature, with many reviewers suggesting new players start on easier difficulties (Easy, Very Easy, or Normal) to learn mechanics. Some find the difficulty frustrating, while others appreciate the brutal challenge, especially on higher settings. It's often described as unforgiving and requiring patience.
- Purchase on Sale Advised (weight 0.45): A significant number of players recommend purchasing the game, and its DLCs, primarily when they are on sale. While many believe it's worth the money, especially for fans, the full price is often seen as a barrier or not fully justified, leading to advice to wait for discounts.
- DLC Recommendations Vary (weight 0.41): Opinions on DLCs are mixed. While some highly recommend specific DLCs, particularly the 'Execution Force' (Assassin) DLC, others advise against certain ones like 'Duty Eternal' (Dreadnought) or suggest playing the base game first before considering expansions. There's a general consensus to buy DLCs on sale.
- Mixed Feelings and Refunds (weight 0.11): Despite many recommendations, a notable portion of players express regret over their purchase, with some requesting refunds or uninstalling the game due to various issues. These negative sentiments often stem from frustration with difficulty, bugs, or a general lack of enjoyment, suggesting the game isn't universally appealing.
- Comparison to Other Games (weight 0.05): The game is frequently compared to other turn-based tactical games, most notably XCOM, often being recommended as a good alternative or a '40K XCOM'. However, some reviewers suggest other titles like 'Mechanicus' or 'Gears Tactics' might offer a better experience, especially for those less invested in the Warhammer 40K lore.

Other player notes:
- Story Quality Varies (weight 0.12): The game's story receives mixed feedback. Some find it good, with interesting twists and characters, while others consider it ordinary, basic, or merely a pretext for battles. Despite this, it generally serves its purpose within the Warhammer universe.
- Average Audio and Overall Polish (weight 0.11): The game's audio, particularly the music, is described as decent but not exceptional or memorable. Overall, the game is often considered 'alright' or 'average' in terms of polish, meeting basic standards without outstanding elements.
- Desire for Sequels and DLC (weight 0.08): Many players express a strong desire for a sequel, hoping for continuous improvements, a larger scope, and the inclusion of other Warhammer chapters. There's also interest in future DLCs, indicating a positive overall experience and a wish for more content.
- Mixed Visuals and Art Style (weight 0.08): Player opinions on the game's graphics and art style are divided. Some appreciate the dark gothic aesthetic and stylized realism, while others find certain elements, like character faces or animations, to be cartoonish, outdated, or less refined.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.28): Players found satisfaction in the game's well-crafted tactical combat, strategic depth, and effective difficulty balance. The game's adherence to Warhammer 40K lore, particularly the Grey Knights, and its successful adaptation of the XCOM-style gameplay formula were also significant sources of enjoyment and fulfillment.
- Frustration (weight 0.23): Frustration stemmed primarily from the game's high and inconsistent difficulty, often leading to overwhelming enemy numbers and unfair mechanics. Frequent bugs, crashes, and a problematic save system that caused loss of progress were major sources of player annoyance. Repetitive missions and slow, unskippable animations also contributed to a tedious experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Players expressed disappointment when the game failed to meet expectations, particularly regarding lore accuracy, character power fantasy, and overall polish. Repetitive missions, a bland story, and technical issues contributed to a feeling of mediocrity and a lack of replayability. The game's art style and perceived lack of innovation also led to a sense of unfulfilled potential.
- Excitement (weight 0.07): Excitement was generated by the game's engaging tactical gameplay, challenging difficulty, and strong Warhammer 40K atmosphere, especially for fans of the Grey Knights. The potential for future sequels and the game's ability to deliver an epic, XCOM-like experience in the grimdark universe were also key drivers of enthusiasm.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Players found enjoyment in the game's challenging and fun tactical combat, engaging story, and effective customization options. The game's successful integration of the Warhammer 40K universe with XCOM-like mechanics, along with satisfying progression and character development, contributed to an overall positive gameplay experience.
- Anger (weight 0.04): Anger arose from severe game-breaking bugs, frequent crashes, and a flawed autosave system that led to significant loss of progress. Players were also angered by perceived poor design choices, unfair difficulty spikes, and the portrayal of Grey Knights as weak against minor enemies, which felt like a betrayal of the lore.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom was primarily caused by the game's repetitive missions, lack of enemy variety, and a dragging, monotonous late-game experience. Slow animations, unskippable content, and a tedious grind also contributed to players losing interest quickly.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy was experienced through satisfying combat moments, such as crit dismemberments and defeating major bosses, as well as the overall fun derived from the gameplay. The game's enjoyable story, character development, and the immersive Warhammer 40K setting also brought happiness to players.
- Challenge (weight 0.01): The game's high and brutal difficulty, steep learning curve, and constant need for strategic adaptation were the main causes of the challenge emotion. Players found the early game particularly demanding, requiring careful tactical planning to overcome overwhelming enemy forces.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance stemmed from frustrating game mechanics, such as the inability to speed up enemy turns, random negative events, and unclear ability usage. Bugs, repetitive missions, and a mismatch between lore and gameplay regarding Grey Knight survivability also contributed to player irritation.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players expressed love for the game's overall experience, its art design, and the deep customization options. The game's faithful portrayal of the Warhammer 40K universe, especially the Grey Knights, and the power fantasy of commanding Astartes were significant factors.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Engagement was driven by the game's gripping story, immersive visuals, and strategic depth. The compelling lore, character customization, and the challenge of managing resources and fighting battles kept players deeply invested in the game's world and outcomes.
- Regret (weight 0.01): Regret was primarily associated with purchasing the game, especially when players felt they had wasted money and time due to game-breaking bugs, unfulfilling gameplay, or an inability to enjoy the experience. Not getting DLC or not buying the game sooner were also mentioned, though less frequently.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arose from unexpected gameplay elements, such as Space Marines taking critical damage from normal soldiers, and difficulty understanding how to survive levels. Unfitting art style, conflicting tone, and unclear game mechanics also contributed to player bewilderment.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Players appreciated the game's detailed models, unique mechanics, and the developers' efforts, especially for a smaller studio. The game's visuals, atmosphere, and its authentic portrayal of Nurgle and other Warhammer factions were also highly valued.
- Amusement (weight 0): Amusement was found in humorous descriptions of game mechanics, funny voice lines, and character dynamics, particularly involving Vakir. Cheesy dialogue and comedic coincidences also contributed to lighthearted moments.
- Hope (weight 0): Hope was expressed for future updates, new factions, game modes, and potential sequels. Players desired more content, developer support, and improved game optimization, indicating a belief in the game's future potential.
- Caution (weight 0): Caution was advised regarding the game's poor autosave system, potential bugs, and high difficulty. Players warned others to be prepared for a challenging and unforgiving experience, recommending frequent manual saves.
- Surprise (weight 0): Players were surprised by the game's unexpected quality, especially those not typically fans of turn-based games. The significant difficulty spike after a few hours and the game exceeding expectations as an XCOM clone were also sources of pleasant surprise.
- Exhaustion (weight 0): Exhaustion was caused by the game's repetitive grind, long and tedious missions, and the grueling final mission. The chore-like gameplay and constant save-loading also contributed to players feeling worn out.}