Darktide is getting a new extraction-esque mode where you go outside and try not to die from radiation poisoning: 'If time runs out and you die, you get nothing'

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Darktide sure is a dark game. That's both because it's set in the dreariest of dreary sci-fi settings, the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and because missions mostly take place in shadowy, industrial environments familiar to anyone well-versed in the tabletop game's lore or numerous videogame adaptations. If it's a bit too shadowy and claustrophobic for you, rejoice, as it's about to lighten up—though it's no less grimdark.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Beyond the Hive Update | Reveal Trailer - YouTube Warhammer 40,000: Darktide - Beyond the Hive Update | Reveal Trailer - YouTube
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It should still be plenty dangerous, though. Roaming patrols of enemies in a wide-open map will require a different approach to hordes fought at close quarters, and the blog post notes "radiation and pollution means you can’t stay there for too long." To succeed, you can either reach the end of a mission alive or decide to call it early; "if time runs out and you die, you get nothing. It’s a high risk, high reward."

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There's a degree of randomization, too. While the blog post states the new expeditions are "not truly procedurally generated," they are "very randomized" and "should feel quite unique every time you go for a new run." The game will also spawn additional enemies if you get into scraps too much, so it seems like a tactical approach might just triumph over mindlessly squashing every heretic in sight.

It sounds like a nifty twist on the extraction formula, and if you're chomping at the bit to try it, you can do so when the update releases March 17.

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Justin first became enamored with PC gaming when World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights 2 rewired his brain as a wide-eyed kid. As time has passed, he's amassed a hefty backlog of retro shooters, CRPGs, and janky '90s esoterica. Whether he's extolling the virtues of Shenmue or troubleshooting some fiddly old MMO, it's hard to get his mind off games with more ambition than scruples. When he's not at his keyboard, he's probably birdwatching or daydreaming about a glorious comeback for real-time with pause combat. Any day now...

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