‘Warhammer’ Mixes In ‘Left 4 Dead’ For PS4, Xbox One, And PC In ‘The End Times – Vermintide’

If you’re fond of the Left 4 Dead series and wonder when it might return for a PlayStation 4 and Xbox One release, you may want to turn your attention to Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide. Independent developer Fatshark announced the new title this past Thursday, The game pits you and three friends against a horde of rat-men in an apocalyptic fantasy setting.

Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide takes place in the city of Ubersreik where players will be able to choose from five heroes to battle hordes of Skaven, the anthropomorphic race of rat-men from the Warhammer universe.

“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 in a press release. “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.”

Some details about the game have leaked from a Finnish gaming magazine, via NeoGAF. The Skaven were chosen in the game because they are one of the races from Warhammer that rely on numbers and thus, gives the players plenty of enemies to kill.

Additionally, the game utilizes some of the gameplay elements from the Left 4 Dead series such as every play-through being different because enemies will spawn in random spots throughout the map. There are also different types of Skaven with special abilities such as one that will drag the player into a horde of enemies. There’s also Skaven that have gatling guns to contend with.

On the hero side, each of the five hero classes comes with their own unique abilities. Only the human male Witch Hunter has been confirmed along with a female Bright Wizard (aka fire mage). Character silhouettes on the official website suggest that a Dwarf of some kind, along with an Empire soldier of some kind will also be included. Meanwhile, the fifth and final silhouette is more mysterious as it looks possibly like a Wood Elf or some other non-human class.

Vermintide‘s gameplay will be a mix of ranged and melee combat with players picking up missions from local taverns. There will also be plenty of loot in the game so that players can pick up different weapons and items to help them out.

On the Warhammer: The End Times forums, Fatshark explained that it went with five classes in the four-player co-op game because it wanted players to “have at last two to choose from even if they join a game last.” Sadly, support for local co-op seems to be out at the moment as it has not been mentioned by the developer anywhere.

Here’s the official description of Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide that helps explain what the “End Times” actually means.

“The time of mortals is ending, and the reign of Chaos draws ever closer. The Dark Gods are at last united in a singular purpose, loosing their madness across the world as never before. In the Empire of Sigmar, Karl Franz’s gaze is focused on the incursion of the savage northmen, but it is not the only threat. As the Chaos moon Morrslieb waxes full, shrill voices echo through tunnels gnawed far beneath the Empire’s cities, and a Skaven host swarms towards the surface. It emerges first in the city of Ubersreik, a screeching mass that consumes all before it. Soon Ubersreik is a charnel-town, drowning beneath the malevolent shadow of the Horned Rat.

“Yet even in the darkest times, there are always champions to light the way. As Ubersreik cowers, five heroes, united by capricious fate, carry the fight to the rat-men. It remains to be seen whether they have the strength to survive, let alone work together long enough to thwart the invaders. One truth, however, is beyond all doubt: should these five fall, then Ubersreik will fall with them.”

Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide will be released in the second half of 2015. Are you interested? Sound off in the comments below.

[Images via Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide]