Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Preview – Another Owlcat cRPG Hit!

Johnny HurricaneJune 11, 2026

Getting their feet wet with Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, the cRPG wizards at Owlcat Games are returning to the Warhammer 40K universe with Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy.

See what awaits acolytes with our preview…

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Preview – Another Owlcat cRPG Hit!

Kicking off with a mission gone bad, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy throws players in front of a tribunal where almost everyone agrees you should be put to death.

No pressure, right?

However, the only vote that matters comes from High Inquisitor – the voice of The Emperor. As it turns out, he isn’t quite so willing to throw away such a vital asset to the cause.

He instead chooses to spare you, making you his Acolyte and granting you the authority of the Inquisitor.

With one’s leader dying on the mission, players will finish what he started and start from zero.

As it turns out, the Tyrant Star has appeared in the sector, which makes both things and people act a bit funky. A threat to the Empire of Mankind, it has to be dealt with – one way or another.

True to Owlcat RPGs, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy features a wealth of character creation options that can be overwhelming to newcomers.

For newcomers, it’s best to go to the classes, pick one that sounds good, and go from there.

Playing as a mage-like Psykey, I was able to easily allies. That being said, one can also off oneself if you don’t know what you are doing.

Beyond that, Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy lets players choose a buff class, soldiers for melee or ranged, and a sneaky/sniper class.

While one may need to re-roll Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy will no doubt feature a class you favor.

Combat in Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is turn-based, though it was limited during the beta period.

Combat starts with players partying up, then having initiatives totaled before the fight begins. Depending on the class, there are different options to choose from. However, for the most part, it’s best to do damage or help allies do damage.

While it’ll no doubt get deeper when leveling and getting more skills, turns during Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy’s beta period went pretty quickly.

Surprisingly, much of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy’s gameplay involved investigating and chatting to the locals about my mission.

This proved to be tricky, as I had crazy high awareness and found things others might have missed. If I were more of a soldier, I could have just busted dudes to get the info I needed in lieu of searching. That being said, exploration is encouraged – because there is a lot to see.

During Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy’s investigation periods, I found hidden loot, new side quests and shops, and even random NPCs living their lives.

Despite being the voice of the Inquisitor, one is broke to start – looting everything one sees is an absolute necessary.

Besides, who’s going to stop you?

Since you represent the Inquisitor, it doesn’t hurt to also help select folks with their quests.

Reviewed on the PC, there were no crashes or frame drops during the Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy beta. While not game-breaking, minor bugs like floating items did occur on occasion.

They say it's not that easy to become an Inquisitor. Let's see.
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— Owlcat Games (@OwlcatGames) June 5, 2026