Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide

Though the sci-fi tinted Warhammer 40,000 universe has received a fair amount of attention over the last decade through Relic Entertainment’s Dawn of War series, its more traditional fantasy counterpart has been relatively quiet. Since 2008’s Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, the setting’s most notable games are a canceled MOBA and the resurrected Blood Bowl franchise.

Swedish developer Fatshark, best known for War of The Roses, has set its sights on changing that with Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide. Set amid the turmoil of the current End Times arc from the Warhammer fiction, Vermintide puts players in the role of one of five characters, and tasks them with completing missions in the occupied city of Ubersreik, with the hopes of freeing it from the clutches of the rat-like Skaven.

The mission we see plays out a lot like Left 4 Dead, as a player and three other characters take on a massive, A.I. directed enemy force while working their way across Ubersreik. Space is tight in the graveyard map Fatshark shows off in the demo, and as in Valve’s classic co-op shooter, the enemies in Vermintide are adept at cutting players off. 

Two characters take center stage for the demo, the witch hunter and the bright wizard – though Fatshark has plans to add three more. The witch hunter, Saltzpyre, offers a blend of melee and ranged attacks. Saltzpyre’s gun isn’t a force to be reckoned with; even the weapon’s more powerful alternate fire option doesn’t beat back the agile, frontline Skaven Clan Rats in the same way an assault rifle handles zombies in Left 4 Dead. The Clan Rats also possess the ability to scamper up buildings, allowing them unexpectedly close ground on players and force melee encounters. 

Along with a more agile fodder enemy, Vermintide introduces the idea of a class-based system to the co-op mission structure. Sienna Fuegonasus, a bright wizard who specializes in fire magic, is the best example of how the system mechanically affects the game. Focused primarily on ranged attacks, Fuegonasus also features a cooldown that governs how much she can use her spells. Instead of simply running out of ammo, the bright wizard takes damage if she casts her magic too often.

In addition to class-specific skills and playstyles, Vermintide features individual loot and loadouts. Instead of picking up weapons from a pool of options in a safe house, players receive them as drops while playing. During our demo, we see Saltzpyre switch from his speedy rapier to a large bearded axe. 

Don’t expect to rush through missions thanks to powerful spells or loot. Fatshark injects a number of hurdles for players who get too far ahead of themselves. The ratling Gunner, a large gatling-gun-wielding Skaven, singles out a player and forces the rest of the team to stop and help out. Players who get ahead of their group are also likely to get snatched and dragged away by a Packmaster and his hook, or run across one of the deadly Stormvermin patrols that are best avoided if possible.

While the focus of the game is online co-op, players can tackle missions with bots as well. Character slots are limited in the sense that only one player can choose the bright wizard or witch hunter, but with five different characters to pick from and a variety of loadouts and styles layered on top, it’s not the end of the world if your favorite class gets snagged before the match begins.

Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide is scheduled to release this year on current-gen consoles and PC.