‘Warhammer: Vermintide 2’ Review (PC)
If there is one game that people would love to see debut on current-gen consoles (other than Half-Life 3) it is Left 4 Dead 3. While this seems to be a dream that will never come true, Warhammer have stepped into the breach (and the same “horde-like” genre) with Warhammer: Vermintide 2. I will warn you though… just be ready for a game with an almost sadistic level of challenge to it, especially if you try it as a solo player!
In Warhammer: Vermintide 2 you have a choice of characters at your disposal, to fit into a team of four. You can be a Bright Wizard, Waywatcher, Witch Hunter, Dwarf Ranger or Empire Soldier. Each comes with their own fighting style and character skins. You can upgrade the characters to bring new abilities, and there are plenty of new weapons that are unlocked in the loot box system after each mission.
Each mission that you can select comes with a basic story, which really doesn’t matter much. What you can expect is a level that is fun to explore, with a huge horde of enemies to fight. What I’ve found personally is that this is a game that is very good for people looking for stress relief. While there are some strategies that can be used to fight the enemy, most of the time it is simply bash, slash or shoot whatever comes at you into oblivion.
When it comes to the loot system in the game, there is a feel that you are getting weapons and trinkets that do more damage than the previous ones, but other than the increase in statistics for the weapons it doesn’t really feel like much is gained. This is a system though that can be improved on in time, and the hunt for the perfect weapon is still there. In a way this is a good mechanic though as it adds to a balance when upgrading your weapons.
Much like Left 4 Dead the horde of creatures trying to kill you vary from the easy to kill Skaven and Rotbloods, to the more menacing and huge enemies like Chaos Spawns and Bile Trolls. There are different variations to the enemies to add more interest, but for the most part the constant stream of easy to kill enemies is enough to satisfy your lust for bashing anything that moves with a huge hammer.
While you are enjoying the killing of enemies, it is always worth your time to take notice of the beautiful design of the levels too. There are moments that you can take a breath and do this, and it is well worth it. With thirteen missions each with their own unique locations there is plenty of detail in the world of Warhammer: Vermintide 2 to take in and enjoy.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a game that improves on the original, while still keeping what it did best. A fun experience with friends, but still playable in single player mode, sometimes the challenge can be a little too much. With the developers willing to balance the challenge to players though, this is a game worthy of the time not only for fans of four player co-operative games, but for anybody looking for a good stress relieving monsterfest.
**** 4/5
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is available for PC now, with Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releases coming soon.