Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a first-person action video game developed and published by Fatshark. It is the sequel to 2015's Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide. Vermintide 2 was released for Windows on 8 March 2018. It was released for Xbox One on 11 July 2018, free for members of the Xbox Game Pass. It was released for the PlayStation 4 on 18 December 2018.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Developer(s)Fatshark
Publisher(s)Fatshark
Director(s)Anders De Geer
Producer(s)
  • Erika S. Kling
  • Robert Bäckström
Designer(s)Joakim Setterberg
Programmer(s)
  • Peter Nilsson
  • Joakim Wahlström
  • Robin Hagblom
Artist(s)Arvid Nilsson
Writer(s)
  • Matt Ward
  • Magnus Liljedahl
Composer(s)Jesper Kyd
SeriesWarhammer Fantasy
EngineAutodesk Stingray
Platform(s)
Release
  • Microsoft Windows
  • 8 March 2018
  • Xbox One
  • 11 July 2018
  • PlayStation 4
  • 18 December 2018
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Multiplayer

Gameplay

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a co-op-focused action game experienced from a first-person perspective.[1] Set in the Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, players battle cooperatively against the Chaos army and a race of rat-men known as the Skaven.[1][2] The game features five different characters to play as. These characters are divided into 15 different careers, each with a unique set of skills and abilities.[3] After players complete missions, they receive rewards through a randomised loot system.[4][3]

The base game comes with 13 missions,[5] with two extra missions available through purchase of the "Shadows over Bögenhafen" DLC.[6] There are four difficulties to choose from when selecting missions: Recruit, Veteran, Champion and Legend.[7] A second DLC titled "Return To Ubersreik" which re-creates maps from the first game has been released. [8]

A third DLC, the game's first expansion[9] titled "The Winds of Magic" released in 2019 for PC; though was delayed for consoles. The expansion brought with it the introduction of a new caste of enemies, the Beastmen, who are in search of an artifact known as the 'Herdstone'. The new expansion also introduced several new weapons, a challenge mode known as Weaves, a new difficulty by the name of Cataclysm and a new map. The expansion received mixed reviews due to lackluster reception to the new Weaves mode as well as balancing changes that were introduced with the expansion. The second season of the expansion, originally planned for December 2019, was pushed back to 2020 in order to assure quality testing. This second season introduces 'Lohner's Emporium of Wonders', which is a cosmetic shop that allows players to purchase cosmetics using a new in-game currency known as Shillings; which is earned from doing content in the game. The second season also introduces a quick play mode for Weaves as well as balance changes to the mode, and three new maps revisiting the Drachenfels, the first DLC from the original game, for free for Winds of Magic owners. This announcement also announced that Winds of Magic would be ideally releasing for consoles before 2019, with developer feedback stating at the latest it would be released within January 2020. [10]

Plot

The game is set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe during the early days of the End Times. The game follows the Heroes of Ubersreik from the first game against the Skaven hordes of Clan Fester and their new allies, the Rotbloods (a Chaos Warband dedicated to Nurgle, the Chaos God of Disease and Decay). The expansion, "Winds of Magic", also introduced the Beastmen, a herd of Chaos mutated humanoids, in search of an object known as the 'Herdstone'.

Story

Following the events of the first game, Grey Seer Rasknitt (antagonist of the first game who was presumed dead and leader of Clan Fester) has successfully captured the five Heroes of Ubersreik. Without the interference of the heroes, the city of Ubersreik fell to the forces of Clan Fester. Rasknitt has since ordered the construction of a massive portal known as the Skittergate, which will allow the Chaos Champion Bödvarr Ribspreader and his Rotblood army easy access to the border-city of Helmgart. However, the Skittergate intermittently fails, preventing Bödvarr from summoning his entire army. When the Skittergate disastrously fails to activate again, the resulting destruction frees one of the heroes, Markus Kruber, from captivity. He fights his way through the Skaven lair and reunites with the rest of the heroes: Victor Saltzpyre, Bardin Goreksson, Sienna Fuegonasus and Kerillian.

They escape the lair and are transported to a ruined keep where they meet up with the rest of their allies: Franz Lohner (a former innkeeper who directs the heroes' missions) and Olesya Pimenova (a witch who creates the bridge of shadows, the heroes' main method of transportation). Reunited, the heroes and their allies work together to stop the combined forces of Skaven and Chaos. They first slay the sorcerer lord Burblespue Halescourge, who attempted to enact a ritual to unleash a massive plague upon Helmgart. Next, they defeat skaven warlord Skarrik Spinemanglr, who had set up a base in a fallen Dwarf hold. Enraged by the heroes' continuous interference, Bödvarr sends the majority of his forces to discover the heroes' keep and eliminate them. However, this leaves his war camp lightly defended. The heroes attack Bödvarr's war camp and slay him in an arena.

With Rasknitt's allies dead and his forces depleted, Lohner states that the time is now to destroy the Skittergate and Rasknitt once and for all. He informs them that they need to activate the Helmgart Skittergate and travel through it to Norsca, where the other part of the gate is located. Once there, the heroes proceed to destroy the Norscan Skittergate and return to Helmgart. Rasknitt appears and summons his Stormfiend, Deathrattler, and combats the heroes. After a vicious fight, Rasknitt is at last slain. The lair and the Skittergate collapse, whilst the heroes escape back to the keep.

Development and release

Vermintide 2 was developed by Swedish video game studio Fatshark.[4] Vermintide 2 was announced in August 2017. The game's worldwide reveal occurred on 17 October 2017.[11] The game was released for Windows on 8 March 2018.[12] The game was released for the Xbox One on 11 July 2018 and is available at no cost to Xbox Game Pass subscribers.[13] The game was released on the PlayStation 4 on 18 December 2018.[3]

Reception

The game received generally positive reviews from critics according to review aggregator Metacritic.[14] Tom Marks, writing from IGN, wrote positively about the game, comically praising it on the creative forms of dismemberment that the players can participate in against the "ratmen", one of the primary antagonists of the game, and lack of microtransactions, which he compares favorably against Star Wars: Battlefront II.[18] PC Gamer declared the title the best cooperative game of 2018.[20] Destructoid called it "an improvement over its predecessor" and praised the "beautifully designed sprawling levels, more varied enemy types, an addictive loot system, and a whole lot of character skills to try out"[21]

The game sold over 500,000 copies in four days after the initial PC release.[22] It had sold over 1,000,000 copies four weeks after the PC release.[23]

Accolades
YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2018 Golden Joystick Awards Best Co-operative Game Nominated [24]
PC Game of the Year Nominated
Xbox Game of the Year Nominated
Titanium Awards Best Action Game Nominated [25]

References
  1. O'Connor, Alice (30 August 2017). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 bringing more co-op action". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  2. Chalk, Andy (17 October 2017). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 gameplay trailer showcases the new Chaos Army". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  3. Hallam, Chris (18 October 2017). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 won't have any paid loot boxes". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  4. Chalk, Andy (18 October 2017). "Vermintide 2 will not sell loot boxes, developer confirms". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  5. "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is tense, dramatic, and frustratingly hard". pcgamer. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  6. "Shadows over Bögenhafen - Vermintide 2". Vermintide 2. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  7. "Starting Missions in Warhammer Vermintide 2 - Warhammer Vermintide 2 Game Guide". Game Guides. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  8. "Ubersreik". Warhammer: Vermintide 2. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  9. "Winds of Magic - Vermintide 2". Vermintide 2. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  10. "Season 2 - A letter to the community". Vermintide 2. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  11. Senior, Tom (30 August 2017). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 announced, full reveal due in October". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  12. Sirana, Jordan (14 February 2018). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 Released Data Announced". IGN. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  13. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-06-21-warhammer-vermintide-2-gets-imminent-xbox-one-release-date-and-open-beta
  14. "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  15. "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  16. "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  17. Meister, Rich (15 March 2018). "Review: Warhammer: Vermintide 2". Destructoid. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  18. Marks, Tom (15 March 2018). "Warhammer Vermintide 2 Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  19. Messner, Steven (11 March 2018). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 review". PC Gamer. Future plc. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. "Best Co-op Game 2018: Warhammer: Vermintide 2". PC Gamer. Future plc. 22 December 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  21. Meister, Rich (15 March 2018). "Review: Warhammer: Vermintide 2". Destructoid. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  22. Purchese, Robert (12 March 2018). "Warhammer: Vermintide 2 sells 500,000 copies in under a week". Eurogamer. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  23. Bailey, Dustin (13 March 2018). "Vermintide 2 sells a million copies on PC". PCGamesN. Network N. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  24. Hoggins, Tom (24 September 2018). "Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  25. "Titanium Awards 2018". Fun & Serious Game Festival. 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
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