Concept Overview
Everyone has been calling Vermintide 2 a fantasy-medieval Left 4 Dead, and I think this comparison holds true. The gameplay and level design is very similar. You and a team of three other players must fight your way across a map littered with a variety of systematically spawning enemies. Where Vermintide differs is that players may choose a profession and their weapons before the match begins. Each of the five characters has three professions, resulting in a total of fifteen professions, each with unique abilities, passives, and weapons that they can use. On your way you'll pick up potions to buff yourself and maintain your health. The enemies are very similar to that of Left 4 Dead, with special enemies often disabling the player to force other players to help you, preventing any one play from wandering off alone. Reviving players works in the same way as well. When a player is downed, a teammate must come revive them before it is too late. Get downed too many times, and you'll have to wait to be rescued at a later location.
The combat system has reasonable depth, and consists of weak and strong attacks, dodges, and blocks. Every player brings both a melee weapon and a ranged weapon to each match, and you can chose to equip yourself with any weapon that your profession that suits your playstyle. Every weapon has a different feel, with different speeds, range, and damage.
The progression system is important to distinguishing Vermintide from Left 4 Dead. When completing levels, the character you chose to play as gains experience and loot, allowing you to unlock new passives and professions. Loot is collected to increase your character's power, and unwanted weapons can be disassembled and crafted into new weapons.
Artstyle & Sound | Beautifully Designed
The artstyle goes a more realistic looking fantasy appearance. The game's graphics are beautiful and very detailed, with all enemies looking sinister and varied. The enemy design of the Northerners looks fantastic, and while the Ratmen look a bit less cool, this can be attributed to the fact that they are rats and rats are ugly. All of the professions have a unique and interesting look that characterizes their specialty.
The sound effects are top notch as you would expect, and the sound of cutting through your enemies or the sound of your hammer causing blunt trauma to your enemy's face is very satisfying. No complaints here.
The music can sometimes be annoying. The soundtrack is nothing special, and very intense music will play at inappropriate times. Most noticeably, battle music may continue to play for minutes after the fight has ended, or extremely loud and fast paced music start as you fight a single stray enemy and then continues to play on for far too long.
Playability | Some Frustrations
Though combat takes a moment to get used to, it feels great and challenging. The game has a delay between when you click and when the strike executes that depends on your weapon's speed, resulting in a more realistic action experience that requires a great sense of timing. Each of your attacks feels as if it carries significant weight behind it, rather than simply clicking your way through enemies. The UI has few problems, though the crafting and inventory system can be a bit strange to look at for the first time.
Some professions are certainly better than others. A few professions are weak enough that there is no reason to play them, while a select few seem to be picked every game.
Many people also complain that in the game's current state, the "spawn director" that determines when and where enemies are spawned, can be unfair. It is certainly true that when facing a boss or mini boss, it may decide to spawn a significant number of stormvermin to make fighting the boss impossible. This can be frustrating rather than exciting and "fresh," and the spawn director certainly could use some work.
But is it Fun? | Yes
The game is certainly fun; carried by the satisfying combat and fun cooperative nature. However, like many games that have a progression system similar to this, character progression can take over the fun. It can begin to feel like a chore, as you grind your character to higher levels and search for better loot. Alternatively, it can feel like a waste to play a character that is already at the highest level, as the experience you would have earned is lost. Unlike in Left 4 Dead, where every match I’ve played I played solely for fun, in Vermintide I feel driven to play for progressing instead of pure fun. While this can be considered a negative, it also has the effect of me playing far more hours of Vermintide, while only playing Left 4 Dead occasionally when my friends and I remember it’s existence.
While the maps are beautiful, they can leave something to be desired. There are not that many interesting places to fight the hordes of enemies. Sometimes you'll get a cool fight on a narrow bridge, or on winding stairs, but in most cases you will find yourself fighting in a fairly wide area or a straight hallway. Much of each map feels like you’re progressing down a very linear road. More interesting areas to fight often only have you fighting a few enemies instead of a full on horde. Left 4 Dead includes many more interesting places to fight hordes due to a more varied level structure, making the game feel less grindy and repetitive.
As much as I don't want to continue to refer back Left 4 Dead, the comparison is extremely blatant as you play the game. Many of the special enemies are almost identical to that of Left 4 Dead, and even the inclusion of bombs and heath packs feels the same. It’s no secret that Vermintide draws heavily from Left 4 Dead, and that lack of originality may bother some. This does not lower my enjoyment for the game, and is not reflected in the score I've given. It simply should must be addressed.
Replay Value | High
Replay value is very important this type of game which is designed to be played for hundreds of hours. I've put it at high, though as noted before, the enjoyment in replaying missions can be hindered by the grindy feel, and as you reach the highest level and the best gear, you may find that you have no real motivation to play anymore.
Conclusion | Try it
This game is a great time for anyone who enjoys this sort of medieval combat and has a few friends that are willing to partake with them. While you could of course play alone with strangers through matchmaking, games focused on cooperation are always more fun with friends! Consider this game if you enjoy games such as Medieval, Left 4 Dead, or Killing Floor. I had a blast playing this game even after my friends stopped playing it.
