WARHAMMER: VERMINTIDE II
There’s a rat in my kingdom
Warhammer, like Twitter, is one of those things you either dedicate an unhealthy amount of time to, or ignore completely. Also like Twitter, it’s a universe with an endless supply of odious creatures where the good guys have to stick together in order to survive. A four-player co-op game such as this, therefore, makes perfect sense.
Don’t worry if you haven’t played the first game, or if you have little to no interest in the tabletop roots. The paper-thin story works fine on its own, and Vermintide II will appeal to anybody who likes the idea of a first-person action game set in a fantasy world. Especially if they like tongue-in-cheek presentation, ratlike enemies, 1 and seeing foes having body parts lopped off.
All five available characters have ranged weapons, but only the Battle Wizard is a viable choice for fighting at a distance (she doesn’t rely on ammo, but will inconveniently spontaneously combust if you don’t let her fiery powers cool off). The experience mostly leans on melee combat, therefore, which is handled in a most impressive manner here. Sure, you can flail your arms about as though you’re being chased by a bee, but you don’t have to.
With just 13 (visually interesting and welldesigned) levels, the long-term appeal lies in loot grinding; earning chests for better weapons2 and accessories, while levelling up each character individually. Otherwise, it’ll only last you about five hours. Bot AI and server activity can support this approach, though whether your tolerance for playing the same levels again and again can is another matter.