➤ Warhammer: Vermintide 2, the review 🎮

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 has landed a few days ago PlayStation 4, after the success of the version PC and the important decision to debut the game on Xbox One within the catalog of Xbox Game Pass, so as to maximize the user base and avoid unpleasant situations in which lobbies struggle to find participants, a real cross for a product completely based on cooperative multiplayer. It took a while for the title of Fatshark to also arrive on the Sony console, but after trying it we can say that it is the case to look at the proverbial glass half full: the time spent so far has allowed the developers to file a whole series of uncertainties and more or less serious problems that plagued the experience at the beginning, as well as to improve some technical aspects.

One of the things that stand out the most is the lack of ragdoll effects with regard to the corpses of the enemies, but also a marked improvement in the visual rendering of the fire. The technical sector, in general, is good: the maps they develop both horizontally and vertically, suggestive views and fascinating solutions are noted, in combination with a well-implemented lighting system and a more prudent use of assets than in the past, which maintains the convincing design and avoids falling into the generic. Unfortunately, there is no specific optimization for For PS4 that allows you to choose between resolution and performance in order to aim for 60 frames per second: you have to settle for a frame rate variable, but the 1440p guarantees at least an excellent level of definition on Ultra HD screens.

Characters and classes

The protagonists of Warhammer: Vermintide 2 are the same heroes we met in the first chapter: the mercenary Markus Kruber, the dwarf ranger Bardin Goreksson, the witch hunter Victor Saltzpyre, the fire mage Sienna Fuegonasus and the elf Kerillian. Breaking free in the tutorial from the captivity they were forced into at the end of Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide, they find a new base and regroup to face the terrible oil spill that threatens to expand after the assault on Ubersreik. Also this time we will be able to go into battle within a group of four components, whether they are real players or bots (the system manages the transitions in a very effective and transparent way), but there are several innovations that concern the characters.

Their progression in fact allows you to unlock two classes extras for everyone, which involve a transformation not only aesthetic but which extends to skills,equipment and, in general, the approach to combat. To this is added a much more immediate and understandable management of the interface, still nebulous in some situations (see the creation of resources and weapons) but much faster when we simply want to change the tools in our avatar and see them increase. the power. The degrees of difficulty of the missions, which become accessible only when the hero has a minimum level of skill. In short, we are talking about a very solid and multifaceted system, which draws the appropriate lessons from the experience gained with the first episode and introduces undoubted improvements.

PlayStation 4 Trophies

The Ultimate Edition of Warhammer: Vermintide 2 includes a whopping 71 Trophies. Many of them are unlocked by simply completing the campaign missions at various difficulty levels, others depend on the level of experience reached by the characters, as well as on our familiarity with crafting and loot. There are also several achievements linked to particular actions, such as killing a Life Drain before it inflicts damage on one of our companions, shooting an Alley Rat in mid-air or eliminating Warp Flamethrower before it opens fire.

Missions and gameplay

We were able to try the Ultimate Edition of Warhammer: Vermintide 2, which in addition to the base game also includes the two DLC: the first offers two extra missions set in the unedited city of Bogenhafen, while the second takes us back to the streets of Ubersreik with three new assignments. The standard edition is limited to the thirteen missions that we had already tried on PC and Xbox One, organized in the perspective of four acts that become accessible in a progressive manner. The particular attention paid by the developers to this aspect of the experience translates into a high degree of involvement, which accompanies us from expedition to expedition in search of loot, hidden objects, new equipment and experience points that allow us not only to unlock classes extras for the characters, but also the higher difficulty levels, which present a substantially more consistent challenge than the starting one, with much tougher opponents that give life to challenging and interesting duels.

The combat system, solid but sometimes chaotic, includes parries and lateral discards to be alternated with lunges that have a different effectiveness depending on the weapon equipped, as well as the abundant use of guns, rifles, arrows (and spells, in the case of Sienna) for long range attacks. The five characters are very well balanced, as well as the random and powerful waves are interesting and varied boss, which change timing and appearance points from time to time, making each game unique. Sui enemies an excellent job has been done: although their artificial intelligence is limited, in a manner consistent with the nature of the opponents, they have a rich set of animations and react differently depending on the hit.

Comment

Digital Delivery PlayStation Store Price 29,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

8.2

Readers (14)

8.2

Your vote

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 took a long time to arrive on PlayStation 4 as well, but the developers took advantage of the timing to further improve the experience and make it even more convincing. The cooperative formula developed by Fatshark, clearly inspired by that of the classic Left 4 Dead, works damn well and is supported by a fascinating setting, full of much more numerous and varied enemies than in the past, including bosses. The excellent progression system that regulates character growth, unlocking classes, equipment and the missions themselves, always keeps interest alive, supported by a robust online structure. The result is an engaging, well-crafted co-op action game that's perfect for playing with friends.