- [T.J.] Holy crap, there have been
a lot of Warhammer games lately
but few have been as good as Warhammer: Chaosbane.
This action RPG has it where it counts
with fun classes, good boss fights, decent loot,
and some terrible voice acting.
But the feel of Games Workshop's
dark fantasy universe is done right.
(electronic music)
The moment to moment combat in Chaosbane is some of the best
I've gotten my bloodstained hands on in recent times.
Whether you're using a controller or a mouse and keyboard
moving, slashing, casting spells,
and leaping through hordes of cultists
to fire off a barrage of arrows
all feel precise and impactful.
Encounters have a satisfying flow
with a good variety of enemies,
though there aren't a lot of elites
with memorable or dangerous abilities
you have to watch out for
on the difficulties available at the start.
They do show up when you unlock the higher levels though
and the bosses are great on all settings.
(roars)
Taking on these hordes is a bloody, chaotic pleasure
thanks to a choice of four very distinct
and well-designed classes.
Three of them are absolutely excellent,
to the point that I had a really hard time
picking a favorite.
Elessa the Wood Elf Scout nimbly leaps from place to place,
always staying on the move
and benefiting from an energy recovery mechanic
that encourages you to find and tag
your wandering spirit friend every time he lights up.
Bragi the Dwarf Slayer is the archetypical berserker.
He builds up stacks of Fury the longer he stays in combat
to boost his energy regeneration
as he rips through crowds of baddies.
And Elontir, oh Elontir, this High Elf Mage
may be the most fun I've had with a magic user in an ARPG
given his ability to take direct control of his spells
using the space bar or the left stick.
This trick is extremely powerful if you master it,
but it's a real mental exercise to maintain positioning
of both the spell and yourself during a hectic brawl,
which is, you know,
how playing as a damn sorcerer should feel.
Then there's a guy with a sword, I mean, he's okay.
He's just not anywhere near as fun
as the other three classes, especially in solo play
where his defensive and taunt abilities
slow you down more than they help out like they do in co-op.
Sorry, Vollen.
(electronic music)
The all important itemization is pretty well done,
though not anything close to revolutionary.
I didn't come across a lot of gear
that totally opened up new playstyles
or gave me that feeling of going
immediately from zero to hero.
But the stat choices I got to make were interesting
without being overwhelming and the clean, readable UI
makes it very easy to compare different pieces.
There may well be more game changers available
beyond my 25 or so hours of play
on the harder unlockable difficulties
where Heroic quality items
really start to pop up more often.
The story is, well, it's Warhammer.
Set about 200 years before
Karl Franz and co. take the stage.
Things are quite bad as the forces of Chaos
are mounting one of their greatest invasions ever.
You'll get to interact with some cool figures from the lore,
like Prince Teclis and Emperor Magnus the Pious
which is neat if you know who they are.
You'll journey from the burning streets of Praag
to the frozen wastes of Norsca
where each map is full of personality accentuated
by effective art, music, and sound design.
There are some interesting twist
and memorable side characters too.
Someone is probably going to try to sell you out
to a demon lord at some point.
It was mostly what I would expect.
Not enough to keep me invested
if the combat hadn't been as fun as it is
but it didn't get in the way of my enjoyment either.
In the long run, I'll probably spend more of my time
in the post story modes
like Randomized Expeditions and Boss Rush,
so a less than spectacular story can be forgiven.
Presentation however can be Chaosbane's bane at times.
The voice acting in particular is inconsistent at best
and actively painful in places.
And not in the campy, scenery chewing sort of way
that a lot of Warhammer games
have successfully embraced in the past,
I'm talking so bad that I feel embarrassed
on behalf of the actors.
- [Elessa] You are Waldo Erlanger.
I have come for looking for you because Klemt said--
- [T.J.] Elessa stood out,
as she's supposed to be a young rebellious Wood Elf wanderer
but sounds like a tutting, reedy, middle-aged British woman
you would get stuck behind in line at the store
because she needs to speak to a manager immediately.
And I think I might've figured out why.
- [Elessa] She is with Skraeling at the old Elven temple,
I need a way to get inside.
- [T.J.] Did her voice just change to a guy there?
One that sounds more like
how I'd expect this type of character to talk?
It seems like she was recast at the last second
when they decided to make the character a woman
and some of the old male lines were left in by accident.
And while I appreciate the attempt
to not have the character select screen
be a complete sausage fest it seems rushed.
All of the other player characters sound much more polished.
- [Bragi] I'd have done the same if that damned sorceress
hadn't blasted me off my feet!
- [Teclis] They've been gone too long, Bragi.
Either they've gotten lost in the tunnels...
- [T.J.] Warhammer: Chaosbane can start proudly
alongside some of the best games
that have used the foreboding gothic old world as a setting.
Action RPGs like this live and die
based on fun combat and well designed classes
and developer Echo Software really hit it out of the park
on both of those counts.
I look forward to hacking, blasting, and sniping my way
through the demonic masses
with three of my favorite warriors whenever I get the urge.
And maybe I'll give Vollen another shot at some point, too.
You know, he seems like a good kid.
For more Warhammer check out our reviews
of Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr,
Warhammer: Vermintide 2, and Total War: Warhammer II.
And for everything else, stick with IGN.
(electronic music)