Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide Review (PC)

One of my best moments in Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide came during a run through Supply and Demand when I decided to carry the bags of food myself, playing as the Dwarf, rather than run escort for my teammates.

That's when I managed to carry two loads almost unmolested before being surrounded while moving a third, having to drop it before I used my shield bash to create some space and then systematically killed every Skaven around me.

Unfortunately, I got leashed by one of the pack leaders, and only quick thinking from a Bight Wizard and some solid shots from his staff saved me in time to allow me to deal with one of the armored opponents before once again picking up my load and carry it to the transport.

We finally managed to achieve the core objective, all low on health and harassed by a number of enemies, and we even made it to the getaway carriage, despite the fact that I spotted an Ogre hunting us down.

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide can offer some superb team-powered combat moments, and the team at developer Fatshark has also done an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere universe in which the action takes place.

Story

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide takes place in the fantasy version of the universe created by Games Workshop, allowing players to take part in the end of the world of humans, which is being brought about by the Skaven.

There are 13 levels to move through, and the development team at Fatshark has created a story that connects them, asking the player to become one of five heroes and then find a way to stop the coming horde of rat men in order to save the city of Ubersreik.

The narrative of Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide is not too engrossing, but the focus is on the action and the great battle moments that the title can deliver and not on the evolution of the characters or the fate of the wider world.

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide character look

The five heroes, Empire soldier, Dwarf, Bright Wizard, elf Wayatcher and Witch Hunter, each have a clear personality, the pre-mission briefings can often be entertaining, and a lot of lore is integrated into the levels and the design of the city and the Skaven enemies.

The Warhammer fantasy universe is rarely used for video games projects, although the launch of a Total War title next year will change that, and it's great that Fatshark delivers a title that integrates its doom-filled atmosphere and manages to make the player feel a mix of happiness for stopping the rat men and sorrow as the Old World crumbles around him.

Gameplay

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide is a cooperative title that mixes melee and shooter elements and asks gamers to carefully combine their skills and abilities to fulfill objectives and reach the end of levels without getting killed by the Skaven.

The city of Ubersreik is under attack and the only ones who can stop the assaulting monsters are five archetypes, with four of them taking the field for each of the included levels.

Each class has a very different playstyle, from the smash heavy approach of the Empire soldier to the long-range, powerful strikes favored by the Bright Wizard, with gamers given the option to try all out before they settle on a favorite.

Play Video

Regardless of the chosen character, gamers get a close quarters combat option, which includes a parry move and both light and strong attacks, alongside a range one, which can be either designed for careful snipping or to deal with massed enemies.

The Empire soldier and the dwarf tend to be mostly focused on melee and can tank for the group while the elf Waywatcher and the Bright Wizard offer long-range capabilities to a group, with the Witch Hunter, the most balanced of the bunch.

Once a level starts, gamers will have to move through mostly linear areas to their goal, trying to take out as many Skaven in the process without staying in one place for too long.

The enemy forces range from weak and plentiful cannon fodder to the stronger Stormvermin and the more specialized Gutter Runners and Pack Masters, who can incapacitate a player who strays too far from his comrades.

“The most potent threat that Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide can throw in the path of a group is the Ogre, who can quickly take out players who are not ready to move fast out of his way and attack from the flanks and the back.”

A final battle takes place, which has either a horde structure or asks teams to collect items, and gamers can then escape from the area via carriage, with loot offered based on a dice roll that can be improved by getting tomes and other special items from the level.

On Normal, the game feels well balanced, with gamers asked to be constantly aware and to carefully preserve health during combat, with one false move being enough to incapacitate a character, which means his squad mates need to move in and revive him.

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide is clearly designed for gamers who do not want to just complete a level but are determined to get through it on all difficulties and with all the included classes, to get as many rewards as possible.

On the top two difficulty levels, friendly fire is enabled and makes solid cooperation between gamers more important than ever, especially for those who want to use area of effect attacks, and an extra layer of tension is added to every battle.

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide sometimes feels a little repetitive and limited in terms of mechanics, but the combat itself and the loot system offer enough quality to keep players engaged in the long-term.

Graphics and audio

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide can deliver moments of beauty, mostly when the team has a chance to breathe and take a look at the city of Ubersreick and at the way developer Fatashask has managed to make it feel like a living place that's invaded by a monstrous force.

The fact that gamers will mostly be occupied taking out the Skaven and moving fast to reach their objectives works in favor of the title because it tends to mask the limited detail on some of the enemies.

Weapons, effects, and animations mean that combat remains fluid and often spectacular, especially when tens of enemies are coming in at the same time and at least some of them are ready to deploy their special powers.

The sound of Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide is also well crafted, with gamers able to get a sense of what threats they are facing by listening to the enemy as it comes in, and the ambient sounds underline the gothic nature of the universe in which the action takes place.

Multiplayer

Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide is a cooperative game that needs to be played with other human players in order to be appreciated fully, and the development team at Fatshark has managed to deliver a robust matchmaking system and matches that are only rarely affected by connection problems.

Gamers need to be prepared to be delivered right in the middle of a match, and it's also a good idea to master at least two if not three of the characters in order to get a chance to contribute to the progress of the team regardless of the choices that other players made.

Communication is necessary in Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide and an effective team needs to play together for a while and to develop simple and quick ways of talking about threats and tactics in the middle of the carnage.

The Good

The Bad

Conclusion