As befitting a game that takes place in Games Workshop’s ultra-grim fantasy universe, Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide contains a multitude of ways to mutilate your opponent, in this case the swarming Skaven ratfolk.
In a new developer diary video, Fatshark’s associate producer Liam O’Neil and designer Victor Magnuson takes us through some of the options. Would sire prefer a colossal hammer that sends rats flying like plague-ridden confetti, or a pair of daggers to slice them into pieces?
Joking aside, the melee combat shown off here looks great. There’s areal sense of impact to every hit, and the animations avoid the floatiness that often plagues first-person melee. Each class will get specific weapon loot, to avoid having an elf run around with a dwarven shield and axe combo, and you’ll be able to quickly switch from a close-combat weapon to your ranged option, whether that’s a bow, firearm or magical staff.
“We want you to be really agile,” says Magnusson. “We want you to be able to react to any situation. The combination of all these systems allows us to take melee combat to the next level.”
And to cap it all off, there’s a lovely shot of a dwarf in full armour, complete with horned helmet, hacking his way through the enemy ranks. Lovely stuff. Vermintide’s looking like a nice spin on the Left 4 Dead formula. One to keep an eye on as it gears up for release later this year.
