izigame.me

After this many hours with the game, I thought I might as well write up a short review for it.

I do recommend this game, with a few caveats.

The DLC policy and pricing isn't the best. A lot of weapon and class DLCs come uncomfortably close to pay-to-win. Though in the case of paid classes, Fatshark have shown to eventually dial down the obviously OP stuff.

Same goes for weapons, though not as bad in my opinion. Those DLCs also come coupled with "new" maps, which are a really just maps ported over from the first game for the most part.

What's also egregious is Fatshark selling DLC classes and cosmetics for those classes separately. And not only are cosmetics separate, they also have to be earned through in-game challenges after you've paid real money for them, so it's like you're paying just for the opportunity to earn the cosmetics.

As for actual big, in-game issues, to me the game doesn't have many at this point. I think the power system coupled with the loot system isn't that great and is needlessly restrictive for newer players. I think the DLC enemy faction is still badly balanced and is still pretty buggy, which can lead to a lot of frustration. But I don't think those issues overshadow what is honestly a banger of a game. This is Fatshark's best game, and I reckon it'll keep that title for a while.

The combat is fantastic. It's a cliche, but "easy to grasp, tough to master" applies here. The process of "getting good" through both playing and buildcrafting is very rewarding. The balance of fighting hordes and killing disablers/disruptors is struck rather well, too. It's not Left 4 Dead, of course, but what is?

The selection of classes and subclasses makes it so no matter your playstyle, you can find something fun and rewarding for yourself. Though some classes do get the short end of the stick, with frankly useless perks in some places. But overall, it's a pretty strong aspect of the game. As someone that likes experimenting with the combinations of classes, perks, and weapons, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of this game, and there's still things I've not tried.

The aesthetics are also very pleasing. Every map is distinct both in its visuals and design. The music is great, and the sound effects complement the combat perfectly.

The characters are also a massive part of why this game is fun. Five distinct personalities that are all a match for each other, with memorable side characters as well. The friendly (and not so friendly) banter breaks up the monotony quite well. The lines do tend to repeat after a while, of course, but even that just becomes endearing.

There's a certain level of comfort and familiarity in coming back to the game and knowing that Saltzpyre is the same grumpy zealot, Sienna is the same loving pyromaniac grandma, Bardin is the same friendly neighbourhood dwarf, Kruber is the same gigachad, and Kerillian is the same condescending bint.

Vermintide 2 is a game I come back to over and over again, because there's just nothing like it. Darktide is but a pale imitation. When it comes to melee, co-op horde games, this is pretty much the best there is.