Let’s address the elephant in the room. Firstly, imitation is the best form of flattery; don’t call it a knock off. Yes, Vermintide absolutely shares major similarities to the Left4Dead franchise, and you know what? That’s just fine.
Game Play
The main concern regarding this title has already been addressed. Left4Dead-y or not, Vermintide stands on its own with its game play. Take the role of one of five playable characters. Choose from the Dwarf Ranger, the Empire Soldier, the Bright Wizard or the Wood Elf Waywatcher. Each class has a balance of melee and ranged combat. Vermintide manages to make both styles of combat equally fun and useful. For the most part, the heroes have special abilities and gear that is catered to their play style. You travel from point A to point B with three other companions who are either controlled by other players or by AI.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNy_oj5lWOQ[/youtube]
Unlike other games in the objective-based genre, Vermintide has added a crafting system. At the end of each round won, players “roll” dice to obtain loot that is either an upgrade to the stock weapons/armor, or can be scrapped and used to craft even better items. The higher your roll, the better your outcome. Players may increase their odds of getting better loot by picking up modifiers (for this game’s purposes, “tomes”) throughout the level. This is a feature seen in many role playing games, and is absolutely welcomed here, adding replayability to the game. The forge where this crafting occurs is located in one of the most standout feature at the game’s world hub; a cozy tavern setting to which the characters always return, where players may craft gear or change their class. This adds a nice aesthetic and it’s a feature I didn’t realize I wanted.
Vermintide creates a sense of urgency and chaos with special enemy types that randomly join in the scuffle and shake up combat and pose all sorts of new challenges. Having said that, I have noticed some suddenly waxing and waning spikes in difficultly which create an unnatural progression throughout the levels. It is somewhat frustrating, and leaves a sense of unevenness once a match is won or lost. On certain missions, tiresome and unfulfilling tasks are repeated ad nauseam, hindering fun game play. Thus, I recommend playing with human players rather relying on the game’s AI, since in many of these cases strategy and timing is key.
Story
Set during the Endtimes of the Warhammer Fantasy universe, Vermintide really sets the stage for the universe. The city of Ubersreik is under attack by the Skaven, a humanoid rodent race whose presence threatens all life in the city. The game’s actual story unfolds over the course of 13 missions and the banter between the party members. The heroes are given the task to exterminate the hordes of Skaven. Unfortunately, some of the less intuitive and more frustrating mechanics utilized in some of the maps overshadow the story completely, making it lost to the players who seek to simply struggle though completing tasks rather than picking up on the nuances of the world.
Graphics
Vermintide manages to turn filth into beauty; the streets feel moist and unclean, and, contrary to how that might sound, it looks wonderful. Not all of the game is sewers and alleyways; it features vibrant forests and humble countrysides. A personal favorite is the Wizard’s tower, which evoked a feeling of a cross between a Disney castle and Dungeons and Dragons. The grotesque dismembering the Skaven with your personal arsenal is visceral and satisfying as you watch heads tumble off and tails go flying. Combat animations combine a sense of weight and fluidity, which is hard to do and successfully pull off, and Fatshark nails it.
Sound
The game’s overall soundtrack helps to add more life to the levels. It’s not distracting, rather it adds some flavor to your adventure. And unlike a lot of other fantasy games, the rhythmic, almost heavy metal tone to the music gives the player a sense of urgency and assists in adding pressure to the pace with which players must press forward. The voice acting is engaging, playful banter from the party members adding needed empathy to the game and the plight of its heroes and heroines. The overall sound design of Vermintide adds great atmospheric tone to match the environments and the chaos of combat metal on metal and black powder guns.
Final Thoughts
I found Vermintide to be inviting for those who have never otherwise engaged with the Warhammer franchise, as well as a nice gift for those who call the fandom home. I have some minor gripes that I feel can be worked out later on through minor patches and eventual polishing of the overall game. Nothing truly holds Vermintide back. I highly recommend it for those who love Warhammer, in addition to players who just want to have a fun and still challenging cooperative experience with friends.
A copy of Warhammer: End Times -Vermintide was provided by Plan of Attack on behalf of Fatshark.