Platform: Playstation 4
Publisher: Fatshark
Developer: Fatshark
Release Date: December 2018
It takes a special kind of game to get me invested in an online multiplayer game such as this. It’s happened before, most notably with Rainbow 6: siege for a good three months all I did was wake up and play that game until I had actual adult things to do. So now and then a game comes along to snatch my attention from my preferred story games. And boy oh boy Vermintide is now that game. It’s certainly just my naivety when it comes to multiplayer games, but I haven’t seen one quite like this it’s like a mix of Destiny and all the fantasy elements you could ask for.
So let’s start with the setting and story, or lack thereof Vermintide sets up as much as you need to get things started, Ratmen dooms the world, and only you can stop them because there are only so many heroes left in the world. The vistas and maps are good looking and pretty widely varied my favorite to look at is the Farm. Just punched in the face with autumn colors and simple horizons. They don’t look amazing up close, but it’s tough to notice when you’re surrounded by Ratmen trying to claw your face off. Your home base as it were is a large castle where you can stock up, listen to party banter and plan your next adventure, but most importantly you can unlock all the loot you’ve been collecting throughout your travels, about 20 hours into the game I wish the loot had some more variety, even cosmetic variety would be nice. But none the less you get a lot of it. My preferred character to play with is the Wood-elf Kerillian Quick with her daggers and even quicker with her bow. All of the characters as you’d expect have some pros and cons but finding the right one for you can take some time.
Gameplay is somewhat simple. You venture through each map with your friends or bots killing everything in your way, once you reach certain places an objective or a bigger monster will appear. The goals are relatively simple but coordinating them with friends and mountains of Ratmen can be difficult. And each character controls as you’d expect with the triggers for attacking and the various potions you collect take up the D-pad. Unlocking perks and traits takes some time once you reach a certain level you can alter certain aspects of your character’s ability, you can also change them at any time which is nice.
The enemies can become overwhelming especially if your friends are dicking around somewhere else. I was trapped in a confined area, without any arrows. I got too far ahead of my party and was stuck with no way to escape at least 15 or so Ratmen, and as I comically ran in circles to try and bide my time until my party was closer to me, I ended up dying with a horde of Ratmen just stabbing my lifeless body. Thankfully right before my meter ran down my party saved me.
Moments like that make each new adventure a bit more exciting. The limited amount of maps leaves a lot of fun to be pulled from interactions with other players. That being said the number of maps isn’t any less than other online games. One other tiny complaint is that it is pretty easy to get lost in certain maps. Especially since the outline that appears when your party is behind a wall or far away isn’t always there. Again small thing that doesn’t affect enjoyment just a warning to stay attentive.
The loop of mowing down enemies and collecting loot is a satisfying one, Indeed, One that has been used in games forever and instead of reinventing the wheel Vermintide 2 doubles down on what people enjoy with progression and hordes of enemies ready willing and able to be cut down. If you’re looking for a game to fill that Overwatch or Destiny sized hole in your heart, you and your friends should give Vermintide a try. I have no prior knowledge of Warhammer or Vermintide 1, I mean I do now that I enjoy the game so much, but it’s something that you can jump into easily which can’t always be said for Warhammer games.
