DarkSwarm: Everything We Know

Top-down tactical shooters offer players to be very precise with their decision-making in very tense situations. It is within these situations that players’ skills will be tested. This makes for a fantastic gameplay loop and nerve-racking moments. DarkSwarm is an upcoming title in this genre that appears to be very promising, to say the least. This genre asks for players to rack their brains and make the best decisions possible truly. All of this must be done in a limited amount of time. Players will be able to engage with local and online co-op. This means that they can bring friends along with them to make this journey a tad bit easier. Seeing as communication will be paramount to success in this game, enjoy DarkSwarm: Everything We Know.

What is DarkSwarm?

Starting off, DarkSwarm is a top-down tactical shooter. This is a rather niche genre, with the appeal being the command that players have over their virtual armies or, more often than not, small teams. This places the emphasis of the game on the decisions that the player chooses to make for their team. This strikes a delicate balance between easy-to-learn and hard-to-master. This is due to the fact that while the actions of the game’s characters are under the player’s control, there is a multitude of variables to consider.

For example, in DarkSwarm, players will have to move through individual rooms full of enemies. Due to the close-quarter nature of these engagements, a lot can go wrong. This makes it imperative that the player thinks out their moves ahead of time and makes the best choice possible for the team. As a result, there are quite a few ways that the game varies its gameplay as well. These ways include up to four classes for the player to choose from, as well as different gameplay styles to embrace.

Story

The story for DarkSwarm appears to be rather dark in the way it is presented. The game is teeming with sci-fi elements. This is aided by the fact that players have to face off against hordes of alien enemies. This is done in order to survive through the game. However, players will have the ability to make it out with loot if they are lucky enough to defend themselves against the waves of enemies that are attacking them. This is great, as it allows players to have more incentive to make it out with as much loot as possible. So while the story itself may not be the most riveting, players will be able to play as synthetically engineered mercenaries, which is sure to bring up quite a few possible story routes the game can choose to follow. So definitely be on the lookout for this title.

Gameplay

Now comes what is most likely, the player’s core reason for being interested in this title, the gameplay. The gameplay for DarkSwarm appears to innovate on genre standards in quite a few ways. For example, players being able to loot their enemies and escape with said loot is great. This makes it quite different from other top-down tactical shooters, which are usually devoid of loot systems themselves. The game also appears to have a class system, which is sure to be interesting when the game is released. This will open the player up to many options regarding their character customization and identity. There will also be local and online co-op which is a very welcome inclusion and is sure to help the game stand out among its competitors. All in all, the gameplay for DarkSwarm appears to be taking a bold approach to the genre standard.

Development

The developers behind this game are Bitfire Games, a tiny but far from an insignificant collective of game Danish game developers. The studio itself was created in 2022, so they are relatively new to the industry but hope to make waves through their cooperative games. They are currently based out of Denmark. And the studio itself appears to be placing a ton of emphasis on cooperative games. This is great and shows a clear sense of vision when it comes to creative development. DarkSwarm seems to be their flagship title and one that they have poured a lot of attention and love into. So in closing, development for this title seems to be on the verge of something great, which is fantastic for the studio itself. So if you, like us, are watching the development of this title, it appears to be going along smoothly.

Trailer

The trailer released for this game is quite revealing in regard to the main gameplay loop. Players will be able to fight off hordes of aliens in combat that appear to be both rich and in-depth. The class-based mechanics of this game appear to lend themselves quite well to the gameplay itself, which is always a great sign. It is hoped that through the success of publisher Ghost Ship Games, this game will attract a ton of attention. For those who don’t know, Ghost Ship Games is the developer of such games as Deep Rock Galactic and more. So having their support throughout the development of DarkSwarm is great to see. So short, if the trailer is any indication about the direction of this title, then the future definitely looks promising.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Now for our last section of information, we have perhaps one of the most valuable pieces of information about DarkSwarm. Speaking of course of its potential release date, the platforms it will be on, as well as editions of the game. While there is little information regarding the game itself so far, we know that the game will at least be coming to the PC through Steam at some point. Regarding editions, the game appears not to have any special editions at this point. Perhaps more will be developed in the future. Regardless of this fact, we highly anticipate the release of DarkSwarm as soon as the developers announce a release.

So, what’s your take on DarkSwarm: Everything We Know? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.