In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. Thankfully, Fatshark, the team behind Warhammer 40,000 Darktide, is aiming to make surviving easier with its newly added class, Hive Scum. For those unaware of what they are, in short, they are people who live in compact worlds (Hive Worlds). They are usually part of powerful gangs in the area, and often reliable in a fight. The latest DLC adds a lot of replayability and reasons to jump back in and fight the forces of Chaos in the name of the God Emperor himself.
Before jumping further into the story, there is one thing worth mentioning first. The build I played in the preview didn’t include the cinematic cutscene that explains why the local Hive cartels have decided to team up with the Imperium. Despite not knowing a key story beat, I was still able to jump into the game and enjoy a lot of what the Hive Scum class had to offer, and to be perfectly honest, it only got me more excited to see why they teamed up with the Imperium once it is fully released.
Glass Cannons With Teeth: How Hive Scum Play
Even before jumping into the game, I was surprised by the available customization. Unlike all the other classes, a lot of your origins are tied to Atoma Prime (the planet on which the game takes place) and the Hive Cities within it. If you’re someone like me who loves to get Warhammer lore, a lot of the character options provide good insight into what life on a Hive World is really like. Depending on how far you want to roleplay your character, you can even pick between specific clothes and tattoos that are tied to the cartel you align yourself with. All of this really adds to the game’s immersion and makes your character seem more relatable in one way or another.
The one thing I immediately noticed while playing as the Hive Scum is how their playstyle differs from the others. In a lot of ways, they’re glass cannons. Meaning that they can dish out a lot of damage, but the trade-off is that they can’t take a lot of damage. So, because of this, you have to play them a bit smart, and thankfully, their Combat and Blitz abilities make this a bit easier to manage whenever you find yourself in the middle of a Nurgle sandwich.
Depending on your playstyle, some might sound more appealing than others, but on the Combat side of things, they can select Deseprado, which makes you immune to ranged attack, increases your speed, and lets you shoot without spending ammo. You can also pick Rampage, which gives you a melee buff and encourages you to get up close and personal. Or you can pick Stimm Supply, which creates a small buff whenever you or a buddy is in the area.
The Blitz abilities, of course, only complement Combat perks. There’s Binder/Blackout, which is built around throwing grenades to close the gap between you and enemies. Boom Bringer (my personal favorite) is a giant missile launcher, and Chem Grenade allows you to throw toxic chemicals that’ll eventually explode on enemies.
The vast amount of playstyles doesn’t end at the skill tree either. The upcoming DLC also introduces a new mechanic exclusively tied to the Hive Scum class called Stimm Labs. In short, this is another skill tree that gives you buffs depending on the route you pick. But the trade-off is that if you decide to craft your own stim, you won’t be able to use any other stims found throughout the missions. Doing this only adds the depth of gameplay that comes with being a Hive Scum.
Since a lot of Hive Scum is built around picking up scraps or whatever you can to survive, it’d only make sense that their weapons would be something you’d find in an alley or tucked away somewhere safe. Thankfully, that is the case because the newly introduced melee weapons consist of dual-wielding Shivs that you can throw, Crowbars with two types of attacks based on how you’re holding it, and a Bonesaw. While on the melee side of things, you can now use Dual Stub pistols and Needle Pistols that shoot toxins. Each of these brings a unique brutality to the game, amplifying how dangerous they can be.
Another thing I really enjoyed about the upcoming DLC is the free update that accompanied it, which introduces a new chain of missions called “The Road To No Man’s Land.” One thing worth pointing out is that “The Road To No Man’s Land” consists of three missions: the first two are recycled levels, while the third, “No Man’s Land,” is the new one. This was arguably Fatsharks’ most cinematic mission to date. I say this for a couple of different reasons. The first is that, unlike all the levels, this one takes place on the top side of the Hive World, and it’s one of the few time we as players get to see the sky and the world outside the iron jungle of Atoma Prime. As well as the fact that they took direct inspiration from Warhammer 40,000’s tabletop counterpart when it came to designing the buildings you see and walk through.
The other is because it feels like a genuine Astra Militarum faction mission. You’re dropped off in the trenches of an active battlezone, and your goal is to help an officer and his forces get to a building. The mission is extremely fast-paced, with you running down narrow hallways and killing everything that crosses your path. A lot of the time, it really feels as if you’re in an active battlezone because you’re constantly hearing bullets and missiles flying all around. Walking through wartorn buildings or a battlefield filled with destroyed tanks and dead bodies only elevates this feeling.
A Stylish, Scrappy Addition to Darktide
The Hive Scum DLC adds a lot of flavor that I didn’t know I needed in Warhammer 40,000 Darktide. It’s a nice change of pace to play as someone without a traditional military background, because it often leads to fun interactions. Seeing how they usually choose style over substance is always fun to watch because it tends to work out in their favor. Hearing how they interact with the rest of the Rejects is always funny because they’re so drastically different from the rest of the bunch. Having a class that’s centered around criminals released after the Arbites DLC, who are essentially space cops, feels like a natural way to expand the game’s ever-growing story. If you needed a reason to jump back into or try out Darktide, the latest DLC is a great reason to do so. The Hive Scum DLC is scheduled to release on December 2 and will cost $11.99.
