Another day, another Warhammer game pops up - this time it’s Warhammer: The End Times - Vermintide, a Left 4 Dead-inspired co-operative action game that sees four players take on the disease-ridden hordes of the Skaven, Warhammer Fantasy’s vile ratmen. It’s being developed Fatshark, the team behind for War of the Roses.
UPDATE: You can now view the first announcement trailer here.
In Vermintide, the city of Ubersreik is under siege as players select from a band of five heroes with different play-styles and abilities, all equipped with unique gear and personalities. Working together cooperatively, players must use their individual attributes to survive an apocalyptic invasion from hordes of relentless, power hungry Skaven, across a range of environments stretching from the top of the Magnus Tower to the bowels of the Under Empire.
“Combining gritty combat with cooperative multiplayer action, Vermintide will provide the player with a completely new perspective of the Warhammer Fantasy universe, through the eyes of the heroes they play,” said Martin Wahlund, CEO of Fatshark. “Staying true to the fantasy lore, with familiar foes and locations, we look forward to winning the hearts of enthusiasts and newcomers with this new take on the Warhammer story”.
Which would make sense, considering the game’s focus on first-person melee combat. Here’s what we know about Vermintide from snippets of info translated from the Pelaaja piece;
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The game features four-player “multiplayer Skaven slaughter in Left 4 Dead style”, and takes pace in the city of Ubersreik, overrun by Skaven during the apocalyptic event known as the ‘End Times’ (also the name of a big shake-up for the tabletop game that’s currently ongoing).
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Skaven were chosen because of their tendency to gang up in huge swarms, and because the franchise’s lovable orks have been covered pretty extensively before.
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There are five playable classes, including the Witch Hunter, a specialist in melee duels, and the Fire Mage, who unsurprisingly is going at burning things. Each character has their own story and background, though there won’t be cutscenes in the traditional sense.
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There are multiple Skaven enemy types, and the game uses an AI system similiar to Left 4 Dead’s ‘Director’ in order to switch up enemy placements and tactics and keep you on your toes. Apparently the developers are aiming for a very challenging experience.
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There’s a hub tavern where you can pick up quests, here the latest rumours and check on your achievements and stats. Vermintide also has a loot system of sorts.[/br]
Sounds like it could be very cool. The rat’s rather out of the bag now, so expect more information on Vermintide to pop up soon. Keep an eye on the game’s teaser website in the meantime.
