Warhammer Vermintide 2 Review

"Back to Ratfest"

Campaign

I found the first entry to be fantastic, I played it on the console and loved the style of gameplay. It's very similar to Left 4 Dead, but achieves the addicting cooperative aspect in a different way. Warhammer Vermintide 2 is based on Warhammer's fantasy side of things as you battle a raging rat plague. There's more to it than just that, but you'll need to discover it along the way. This second release carries forward the heroes of the first while giving them an upgrade in the transition. The background narrative is there and it just builds upon the strong foundations set previously.

The story takes place over a series of acts from which you battle across a variety of environments and situations. Things are always slightly different as you play and it's easy to just jump into any mission. It's designed for replay though you can move through it regularly as one cohesive tale if you'd like. The objectives are greatly varied per level as you always have missions to do while you work through an open, yet linear path. You may need to get things moving, destroy objects or take on larger bosses that get in the way.

Gameplay

Visually I was really impressed with Warhammer Vermintide 2, it greatly improves upon an excellent previous release. It amps up the quality here and it's a gorgeous game. There are many unique settings to visit and gruesome visceral action as you deal with rats or other creatures throughout your journey. It's mostly meant to be played online with others in a cooperative setup, but you can work with the very competent and helpful AI.

As you play with mostly melee based weapons you'll need to collect supplies such as ammo. Other items include health packs or potions for a boost in particular situations. There's a lobby area as well in the game where you can customize your character, upgrade items and roll for new tools. You'd probably be surprised by the amount of character depth considering the style of the game when you initially jump in.

The Conclusion

Warhammer Vermintide 2 is a grand improvement over End Times expanding upon every aspect of the experience. Battle through larger areas, face off in a series of challenging acts and most of all work together in a cooperative setting. It's a gorgeous game providing compelling visuals and awesome visceral combat. It feels weighted as you slash through hordes as a squad or fire away at anything running at you. It's best as a multiplayer title, yet the AI does work fine if you'd like to work with them. This is a great package providing hours of gameplay and lots of content to work through. The rats have returned, in greater numbers and we need to mow them all down. Well, them and anyone else that has joined they mystically dark alliance.

Read our Warhammer: End Times Review
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Warhammer Vermintide 2 Review on PC
Review Code Provided by Fatshark

Rating Overall: 9.0