[h1]Left 4 Dead Meets Warhammer[/h1]
[i]Vermintide is an epic co-operative action combat adventure set in the End Times of the iconic Warhammer Fantasy world.[/i]
[h2]Story[/h2]
The game takes place in the city of Ubersreik, which is under siege by a massive horde of Skaven - a race of malevolent, humanoid rat-creatures that dwell beneath the surface of the Warhammer world. These Skaven are exploiting the chaos of the End Times to rise from the shadows and claim the world above. The story is dark and gritty.
[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide is a first-person cooperative action game that combines melee combat, ranged shooting, and team-based survival mechanics. Playable with up to 4 players or bots. It combines fast-paced shooting and melee combat with teamwork, strategy, and dynamic AI for unpredictable playthroughs. Enemy and item spawns vary each game, keeping the experience fresh. Teamwork is critical; if a player is incapacitated, others must help. It has clearly taken inspiration from Left 4 Dead, as it is very similar. Like Left 4 Dead in a fantasy world, with a stronger focus on melee combat. The melee combat consists of light/heavy attacks, blocking, dodging, stamina management, and crowd control with sweeping weapons. You can dismember and knock back enemies with satisfying impact physics. Ammunition is limited, so you must balance melee and ranged attacks.
[b][u]Heroes[/u][/b]
The game features five playable heroes, each with unique weapons, combat styles, and abilities. Victor Saltzpyre, the Witch Hunter, wields pistols and rapiers, excelling in agility and precision. Sienna Fuegonasus, the Wizard, uses fire magic for devastating area damage but risks overheating and exploding if overused. Bardin Goreksson, the Dwarf Ranger, relies on axes, hammers, and shields as a durable frontline tank. Kerillian, the Wood Elf Waywatcher, specializes in bows and dual blades, favoring stealth and speed. Finally, Markus Kruber, the Empire Soldier, is a versatile fighter with swords, halberds, and heavy weapons.
[b][u]Loot & Progression[/u][/b]
Unlike Left 4 Dead, there is loot in this game, which is a plus. Completing missions rewards you with loot chests. They might contain weapons, trinkets, and cosmetic items of varying rarities. You can craft, upgrade, or salvage gear between missions. Missions contain hidden Tomes and Grimoires, which are optional pickups that increase reward but reduce health.
[b][u]Game Modes[/u][/b]
The game features two game modes:
[list][*][b]Campaign Missions[/b] — Story-driven levels with increasing difficulty.
[*][b]Last Stand[/b] — A horde/survival mode where you fight endless waves of Skaven.[/list]
Several DLC packs are available, adding new missions and survival maps. You don’t need to own them to play—you can join someone who does.
[h2]Enemies & Bosses[/h2]
The enemies are called Skaven that come in different varieties:
[list][*][b]Clanrats[/b] — Standard Skaven soldiers. Die easily but attack in groups.
[*][b]Slaves[/b] — Even weaker Skaven. Used for padding out hordes.
[*][b]Packmaster[/b] — Grabs a player with a hook and drags them away. Like the Smoker in L4D.
[*][b]Gutter Runner[/b] — Assassin-type. Leaps onto a player and incapacitates them. Fast and stealthy. Like the Hunter in L4D.
[*][b]Poison Wind Globadier[/b] — Throws poison globes that create noxious clouds. Controls areas.
[*][b]Rattling Gunner[/b] — Ranged Skaven with a rapid-fire gatling gun. Suppresses and damages at range.
[*][b]Sack Rat[/b] — Tries to flee. Kill it for randomized loot.
[*][b]Stormvermin[/b] — Armored Skaven with halberds. Require heavy attacks or armor-piercing weapons.
[*][b]Rat Ogre[/b] — Massive beast. Charges players, smashes everything, and soaks damage. Like the Tank in L4D.[/list]
[h2]Environment[/h2]
The game is set in the doomed city of Ubersreik and its surrounding regions, creating a strong sense of imminent apocalypse. The environment is diverse, offering a variety of locations to explore and fight through.
The maps include city streets and districts, where you navigate burning buildings, alleys, and barricaded streets, often moving through the city to reach or activate objectives. Sewers and underground tunnels are claustrophobic, dimly lit, and maze-like, frequently featuring hazards such as toxic gas or flooding. Outskirts and wilderness areas include farmland, forests, and riverbanks outside Ubersreik, with objectives like destroying Skaven war machines or clearing paths. Keeps, towers, and strongholds are defensible yet labyrinthine, typically focusing on defense objectives. Finally, docks and industrial zones are large, open areas filled with cargo, ships, and machinery, often requiring players to hold positions, gather barrels, or destroy supplies.
[h2]Visual Design & Sound Design[/h2]
I wouldn’t say that this is a colorful game. The visuals are dark, gritty medieval fantasy. Overrun urban areas, ruined fortresses, haunted sewers, heavy use of fog, fires, corpses, decay, and cluttered battlefields creates a tense and cataclysmic mood. The Skaven are grotesque and look diseased and filthy.
The UI is clean and minimal, focused on health bars, ammo, and ability cooldowns. Loot and pickups have a distinct glow, making them easy to see.
Sound design plays a crucial role in the game. It’s important to hear when Special Skaven is nearby so you can prepare, and they all have their own distinct sounds. When hordes are imminent you’ll hear a war horn or an overwhelming mass of chittering and screaming. The music is dramatic and orchestral, making you feel you’re in a larger war.
[h2]Constructive Criticism[/h2]
Very limited content at launch, but got a few updates later that added more content, but it still lacked content in my opinion.
Playing either solo or co-op with bots can be annoying. The bot AI was not very good as they had poor pathfinding and often got stuck or failed to save you, just like in L4D.
Only a few Special Skaven types. While well-designed, they become predictable over time.
It’s a plus that this game has a loot system, but it heavily relies on RNG, which can become frustrating for some. After completing a mission, you roll dice to determine rewards, which can result in low-quality or duplicate items. Grimoires and tomes increase loot chance but make the mission harder, and I would say you almost HAVE to get the tomes and grimoires to even have a chance at something good.
[h2]The Verdict[/h2]
This is a good and fun co-op game, no questions about it. If you have played Left 4 Dead and want a similar game, then this is a game for you. I recommend you play it with other friends or players though.
[h2]Rating: 8/10[/h2]
