DarkSwarm Preview: Can You Stop the Swarm?

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This entity is relentless, insatiable, and growing stronger each day – it’s more than just an ordinary adversary. We’re talking about the Swarm, the primary antagonist that players encounter in Bitfire Game’s strategic horror shooter, DarkSwarm. In every mission of this game, which features procedurally generated levels, players collaborate to accomplish various objectives while defending against the Swarm. Facing off against the unstoppable power of the Dark Swarm as a bio-printed mercenary seems like an impossible task. However, one must do whatever they can in such dire circumstances.

Under the leadership of Jonas Raagard and Hans Oxmond from Bitfire Games, I had an exhilarating playthrough of the game DarkSwarm, which offers a gritty, high-speed shooting experience. While my teammates might have appreciated some additional support from me, I still found myself fully immersed in this game. One aspect that truly shines in DarkSwarm is its diverse objectives, cooperative features, and let’s not forget the Swarm – an integral part of the game.

Your Mission Objectives Are Multiple And Varied

To kick things off in DarkSwarm, players have the exciting opportunity to pick from four distinct classes. I opted for the Assault class, drawn to its impressive firepower capabilities – even getting my hands on a flamethrower once I’d progressed a few levels. The other choices include Infiltrator, stealth-focused, Engineer, tech-savvy with various effects, and Support, who offers healing and supplies.

The variety of classes in this game is one of its standout features – while Assault was straightforward and beginner-friendly, Support, for instance, requires strategic thinking to manage resources like ammo wisely and determine the optimal moments to activate their health-restoring aura. I can’t wait to explore each class further!

Upon embarking on a mission, you’re given your main task along with additional tasks that are not essential but offer extra rewards such as experience points at the end of the mission or temporary perks like a short-term shield during the mission. For instance, in my first mission within a space station, the primary goal was to reach a specific room and fix damaged equipment, while secondary objectives included activating a reactor and eliminating alien “Hivebrains.” The second mission, located on a planet, featured more intricate tasks such as transporting items across the map to designated spots and accessing an area that required the activation and repair of multiple bridges.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, I was hooked by the diverse objectives and challenging difficulty levels that made each optional objective a nail-biting “risk vs. reward” choice. In our debut mission, we swiftly opted for the reactor due to the overwhelming hordes of low-level aliens we were battling. The temporary shield it offered proved invaluable in the heat of the fight. However, when we stumbled upon those Hivebrains guarded by instantaneous attack aliens, I instinctively knew that the risk wasn’t worth the reward and moved on to our primary objective.

Collaboration Is Consistently Required

One aspect I’ve always appreciated about DarkSwarm is that teamwork is absolutely essential for survival. Unlike some multiplayer games where you can play individually and still emerge victorious, this isn’t the case with DarkSwarm. In fact, every class ability – shielding, scouting, healing – has been designed to benefit the entire squad. When you deposit an ammunition crate, you can only personally collect one round of ammo, making it pointless unless your whole team is present. Furthermore, many mission objectives necessitate the presence of the entire party, like having a player stationed at four distinct buttons scattered throughout a room to activate machinery.

Your team really cannot survive unless you work together.

The collaborative essence of DarkSwarm really stands out when it comes to surviving and assisting teammates in navigating an alien-infested vessel or planet. Players should be vigilant, watching for opportunities to revive each other, or rescue a comrade from the dreadful, webby trap resembling a spider’s flesh that aims to assimilate anything human into the Swarm. Just beware, friendly fire is indeed a factor – I must confess, some of my teammates met their demise due to less-than-judicious flamethrower usage on my part.

In summary, for a mission to be deemed successful in this game, it’s only necessary for one player to make it through. Initially, I was taken aback by this shift in focus from collaboration, but upon reflection, I grew to appreciate it. The storyline of DarkSwarm suggests that the players are bio-printed mercenaries manufactured by a firm named Death on Demand, which explains why the company’s interests lie solely in the completion of missions rather than the survival of any specific player.

The Terrifying, Gory, Brilliant Heart of DarkSwarm

In DarkSwarm, the gameplay is enjoyable, missions are entertaining, an array of guns and unique weapons, including the flamethrower, are top-notch, but what truly shines is the Swarm itself, the title character. Far from being just a mindless horde of aliens, this Swarm is intelligent and adaptive. As you advance through each mission, you’ll increasingly encounter more formidable aliens like the Elites, and even those left alive will remember your moves and tactics. In my second mission, I underestimated a small spider-like alien, thinking it would tire eventually, but to my surprise, it doggedly pursued me all the way back to the transporter, ready to pounce if I paused for even a moment.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, the craftsmanship of the diverse DarkSwarm creatures is nothing short of impressive. The body horror reminiscent of ‘The Thing’ is omnipresent, with spiders that resemble human hands, shuffling humanoids, and pulsating brains being just a few examples. Not to mention the occasional giant centipedes and monstrous worms. In this swarm, I feel an urgent need to eradicate these horrors as swiftly as possible. Each type of foe seems to be a once-human victim of this terrifying infection, making their presence all the more chilling.

Beating the horde offers a thrilling experience, filled with intense action, gore, and body parts flying in all directions. Successfully completing a mission, especially when you manage to make it out alive, provides a cathartic relief, along with rapid progression, gaining ranks, and unlocking fresh content. The game features diverse mission settings such as an icy planet, a lush jungle, and a desert landscape that resembles Dune’s Arrakis. Bitfire Games has expressed intentions to continually support the game, potentially introducing new missions, classes, and I can’t wait to see what exciting updates are coming!

At this moment, the game titled “DarkSwarm” is being playtested, and it’s scheduled to debut in Early Access by early 2026. If you’re keen on playing, you can add “DarkSwarm” to your wishlist on Steam. For those seeking an adrenaline-pumping tactical shooter with a chilling atmosphere and innovative alien enemies, I strongly suggest checking out “DarkSwarm” once it’s released.

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2025-09-05 13:08