As one of my favorite games of all time, Left 4 Dead‘s premise and success has never truly been recaptured by another title since its surge in popularity at the turn of the previous decade. With guerrilla survival executed with intense, visceral moments occurring in every playthrough, with enough polish to appeal to millions upon millions of gamers, there really was nothing else quite like it for several years.

That was, until Warhammer: End Times Vermintide came out in 2015 and took the unique gameplay to the Warhammer universe. With most of the franchise’s games existing in a real-time strategy format, this was out of left field and threw a lot of people off. Opting away from zombies and instead to slay Skaven, a rat-like humanoid, it caught wildfire and sparked enough interest for a sequel to be released in 2018.

With no experience concerning the lore of the universe and having not played the first game, I can safely say that this game is still accessible for a player like me, thanks to being well-versed in the gameplay of the aforementioned Left 4 Dead. Stylistically, the game isn’t necessarily a carbon-copy, as it adds enough to the levels to stand on its own, but if you’ve had time with L4D, you’ll know what’s in store.

My time with Vermintide 2 was spent with two friends, as we all stuck to our designated classes. I opted for the dwarf, Bardin Goreksson, whose initial weapon set favors a crossbow and blunt weaponry. I feel like raw stopping power when the bow at my disposal manages to one-shot most enemies, including the special Skaven that can really be a nuisance and stop player progression in their tracks. There were several times I was pushed to the edge, even with two other weathered FPS gamers.

This time around, the Skaven have teamed up with savage barbarian enemies, the Rotblood. The menacing hordes of enemies are just as imposing of a threat as the aforementioned Skaven that are a step above. Some can stop players and drain their health bars swiftly, demanding players to stick together and punishing players that can’t stay together. All it takes is a few seconds of moving in opposite directions to get into sticky situations.

The big thing that separates Vermintide 2 from Left 4 Dead is the loot system. There is a modicum of weapons for each Hero of Ubersreik to equip and a more-than-fair loot box system that presents plenty of boxes for each session. All playstyles are accommodated, as I saw myself enjoying the powerful crossbow over the flame-powered pistols, so I fully respect the variety at play. Multiplayer games like Payday 2 and Mass Effect Andromeda have been great in this regard.

I’m early into my time with Warhammer: Vermintide 2, but I’m already aching for more. Snagging this game in the Steam daily deal bundled with Payday 2 (which I already owned but wanted the discount on this title) was a steal. This is a game with replayability, intensity, and it’s a joy to come back to. I foresee myself playing dozens of more hours and potentially even purchasing the DLC once I exhaust the main quests. While the solo experience isn’t as fun, it’s a fantastic game to explore with friends, one that comes highly recommended from me.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

$29.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Visceral Difficulty
• Lots to Unlock, Fairly
• Plenty of Content For Asking Price

Cons

• Not as Fun Alone
• Lore/Story isn't For Everyone