Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Skitarii Class Review Summary

The new class is fun with a flexible skill tree and satisfying unique weapons, though it's the weakest class, melee weapons feel underpowered, and frequent crashes mar the experience.

Class is fun to play: Players consistently report that the class is enjoyable, fun, and engaging to play, with many expressing a strong desire to continue playing it. The class is described as awesome, wonderful, and well-rounded, indicating high overall satisfaction.

Skill tree is flexible and cool: The skill tree is praised for its unique layout, flexibility, and ability to support multiple playstyles and builds. Players appreciate the freedom to skip branches and the variety of options it provides.

Unique weapons feel satisfying: The class's unique weapons are praised for their satisfying feel, powerful damage, and nuanced mechanics. Players enjoy the thought required to use them effectively, contributing to overall fun.

Chordclaw ability is amazing: The Chordclaw ability is highlighted as a standout feature, offering satisfying melee combat, high damage, and unique mechanics. Players find it powerful and enjoyable, often considering it the coolest ability in the game.

Servo skull provides great utility: The servo skull companion is valued for its utility, including auto-hacking, reviving teammates, and acting as a sentry. Players find it handy and effective, making it a meta choice for many.

New class is weakest: The new class is widely regarded as the weakest and least survivable, with poor performance even against small enemies. This is a common and specific complaint across many reviews.

Melee weapons are weak: Players consistently report that melee weapons are ineffective, unsatisfying, and lack armor-breaking ability. Ranged weapons are also considered mediocre, making the entire arsenal feel underpowered.

Servo skulls underperform: The servo skull companion, especially the flamer variant, is considered underpowered, gimmicky, and unreliable. Its mechanics are poorly integrated, using grenade ammo and lacking effectiveness.

DLC is overpriced: The class DLC is considered expensive and not worth its price, especially given the class's weak performance. Players question the value of the paid content.

Abilities are bugged: Most class abilities are bugged or not working as intended, with two of three abilities often non-functional. This severely impacts gameplay and class viability.

Diverse exclusive weapons: The class has access to a wide array of unique weapons, including arc rifles, power swords, and transonic blades. These weapons have distinct mechanics and are exclusive to the class.

Servo skulls provide support: The class features servo skulls that can revive teammates, hack objectives, and act as grenades. These abilities enhance team support and crowd control.

Unique circular talent tree: The class has a non-linear, circular talent tree with multiple branching paths and keystones, allowing for highly customizable builds. This design differs from other classes and offers freedom in specialization.

Hybrid melee and ranged: The class supports both melee and ranged combat styles, with builds that can focus on either or combine both. This versatility makes it a flexible choice for various playstyles.

Claw abilities and weapons: The class includes claw-based abilities and weapons, such as the Chordclaw, which can be charged for powerful attacks. These add a unique melee option to the class's arsenal.

Game crashes frequently: Multiple players report crashes on startup, after matches, and during general use, indicating a widespread stability issue.

Performance issues persist: Performance remains problematic and has not improved since the last DLC, suggesting ongoing optimization concerns.

Mixed recommendations for DLC: Reviews are split between strong recommendations and warnings. Some players advise against buying the DLC unless highly skilled, while others recommend it for fans of Darktide.

Class has mixed reception: Opinions on the new class are divided. Some reviewers strongly recommend it, while others advise against purchasing it, citing awkward gameplay and balance issues.

Worth the price for fans: Many reviewers find the DLC worth its cost, especially for dedicated Darktide players. They describe it as a good value addition to the game.

Wait for a sale: A significant number of reviewers suggest waiting for a discount before purchasing. They feel the DLC is not worth the full price but is acceptable on sale.

Recommended for AdMech fans: The DLC is highly recommended for fans of the Adeptus Mechanicus faction. Reviewers note that enjoyment heavily depends on interest in the lore and aesthetics.

Community fair range: $8.00 - $10.00.

Story completion: 6.0h.

The Skitarii class is widely reported as boring and weak, with no point where it becomes enjoyable; players cite forced tutorials, slow leveling, and repetitive dialogue as persistent friction.

Friction: forced tutorial; slow and boring start; repetitive dialogue; weak and boring weapons; boring skill tree; tedious penances.

Buildcrafter: Adaptable, switching between ranged, melee, and support roles based on the chosen build. Motivation: To experiment with diverse builds and discover unique synergies that match their playstyle. Stance: buy.

Balance Critic: Optimizes for meta builds and compares performance metrics, often favoring classes that deliver consistent, high-impact results. Motivation: To have a class that is as effective as existing alternatives and to avoid feeling underpowered in high-level content. Stance: no buy.

Lore Enthusiast: Plays for fun and immersion, often favoring thematic choices over optimal performance, and enjoys the class's unique identity. Motivation: To experience the fantasy of being a Skitarii and enjoy the lore, atmosphere, and roleplay elements. Stance: buy.

Based on the provided snippets, both hardware cohorts report no performance issues, indicating the game runs well on these systems.

Windows 12-15GB VRAM: positive. No performance complaints in the provided snippets; the only negative review criticizes class design, not technical performance.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. The single provided snippet is positive and does not mention any performance problems.

Steam Deck: The Steam Deck experience is severely hampered by launcher startup delays, frequent crashes, inaccessible UI elements, and a character creation bug. While some gameplay aspects are praised, the technical barriers make the game effectively broken on the device.

Monetization: The reviews reveal a monetization model that includes a paid DLC class granting a statistical advantage (pay-to-win) and a cosmetic shop where all unique items are microtransactions. Players express strong frustration over the predatory nature of these systems, with multiple direct accusations of pay-to-win and exploitative pricing.

External guides: The user feedback centers on the Skitarii class being versatile but not excelling in any specific role, leading to a perception of mediocrity. There is no mention of needing external data for resource grinding, inventory valuation, system learning, or navigation, indicating minimal Wiki Tax dependency.

DLC class pricing criticized: The Skitarii class is sold as a paid DLC, which many reviewers find expensive for a single class. The price is a point of contention, especially since some expected it to be free.

Class compared to Arbites and Hive Scum: Reviewers frequently compare the Skitarii to the Arbites and Hive Scum classes, noting similarities in design and gameplay. Some feel it has more content than these previous DLC classes, while others see it as only slightly better.

DLC content positively received: Some reviewers are very happy with the DLC, calling it solid and noting that Fatshark did not break the game with this release. The new class and arsenal are seen as good additions.

Story integration lacking: Reviewers note that the developers put little effort into weaving the class into the game's story. This makes the class feel disconnected from the narrative.

Bugs fixed in recent update: A recent update fixed several bugs affecting the class, and most problems have been resolved. This improves the overall experience for players.