Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 54 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 51 out of 54
  2. Negative: 0 out of 54
  1. Apr 9, 2018
    95
    FatShark has done a fantastic job of taking their first game and improving on every single aspect. The recurring theme of offering players a variety of tools, characters and enemies to face leads to a crescendo of unique moments that are all entirely player driven. While the difficulty spikes can be frustrating, part of the fun in Vermintide 2 is being against the odds and prevailing.
  2. Mar 14, 2018
    93
    Whether it’s Franz Lohner telling you about Karl Franz’s crude sense of humour, or Saltzpyre and Sienna arguing with each other, Vermintide 2 is unequivocally Warhammer.
  3. Apr 25, 2018
    92
    Warhammer: Vermintide II is a sequel done right and then some. Improved in all its aspects, it will challenge seasoned and new players alike with its difficulty and demands of tactical planning. Definitely worth checking it out.
  4. Apr 27, 2018
    90
    Vermintide 2 does everything better than its predecessor. With its overhauled loot system, varied locations, new enemies and steep difficulty, Vermintide 2 is a right step forward for the franchise and the genre.
  5. Apr 24, 2018
    90
    Greater, more predatory, more brutal, more dynamic, more sophisticated, richer. Simply better. A game that shows how a good-looking sequel should look like. An excellent base of gameplay has reached almost perfection from last time and creators also worked on support mechanisms and systems where they were needed. The result is a splendid, blood-filled entertainment.
  6. Apr 19, 2018
    90
    It's undoubtedly a game that will be tweaked and expanded upon over its lifetime, but Warhammer: Vermintide 2 already feels like a formidable co-op package.
  7. Mar 30, 2018
    90
    Hop into a match, lop off a few heads, gain experience and gear, and next time, lop off stouter heads while carrying a couple of grims. Vermintide 2 is exemplary of what the genre can become, and it's an especially great reason to grab some friends, sit down, and slay a few thousand foes.
  8. 90
    Vermintide II feels like a predictable step in a fantastic direction.
  9. Mar 16, 2018
    90
    Fatshark has managed to improve most of the negative aspects of the first installment with Warhammer: Vermintide 2. The Warriors of Chaos join forces with the Skaven in one of the best cooperatives in this generation.
  10. 90
    Vermintide 2 delights in its violence, a state of constant balance that makes the player feel overwhelmed but in control. With a myriad of classes to choose from and an excellent variety of loot, it shines in ways that have yet to be explored by others in the genre.
  11. Games Master UK
    Apr 19, 2018
    89
    When it comes to co-op action, Warhammer: Vermintide II stands out from the pack. [May 2018, p.64]
  12. May 8, 2018
    88
    Vermintide 2 evolved far beyond a Left 4 Dead imitation. Using familiar concepts, Fatshark lovingly crafted one of the best cooperative action games in recent years.
  13. Mar 21, 2018
    85
    In the end, if you fancy going for better loot, fight more powerful enemies, and unlock all kinds of cool items, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 seems like a dream come true. Even with the bugs and the slightly unbalanced system, it’s a game that still tricks me somehow into playing just one more map.
  14. Mar 14, 2018
    85
    Even though Warhammer: Vermintide II has some issues with its progression system and matchmaking, it is one of the best cooperative games ever created thanks to its gameplay. Fatshark has polished all the issues that its predecessor had and delivers an amazing game.
  15. Mar 16, 2018
    84
    Vermintide 2 outclasses its predecessor thanks to its improved character system and more satisfying loot, while the amazing combat, relentless difficulty and lack of variety remain largely the same.
  16. Mar 19, 2018
    83
    If you liked the first title or the Warhammer universe, you're going to enjoy this. It pretty much evolves and improves everything from its predecessor to create a great experience.
  17. Mar 14, 2018
    83
    Ingenious fights, well-done missions and the motivating class system make up for the somewhat shallow game mechanics.
  18. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is one of the best co-op games I've played since Left 4 Dead 2. It has remarkable graphics and fun gameplay.
  19. Apr 16, 2018
    82
    This is Left 4 Rats 2: Challenging co-op action with loads of Warhammer charme and a well conceived focus on teamplay, but also some flaws.
  20. Apr 11, 2018
    82
    An interesting coop game that does almost everything ok but doesn't evolves the original games' formula enough to make us feel like playing a complete new game.
  21. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Mar 30, 2018
    82
    Vermintide 2 doesn’t solve the problem that the process is ultimately pointless: you increase the power level of your character just to play the same maps on higher difficulties, with no actual endgoal. In fact, it doesn’t even try to tackle that issue. But it’s still a great game that lets you spend your evenings slaughtering skaven and northmen in the name of Sigmar. [Issue#228, p.40]
  22. Mar 16, 2018
    82
    Warhammer: Vermintide II is a solid sequel to the original game, with several new features including jobs, maps, enemies and design.
  23. Mar 16, 2018
    82
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is an excellent sequel, improving almost everything over the predecessor, and with an art direction true to the Warhammer universe. The gameplay is bound to be a little bit repetitive, and the RPG elements aren't so deep, but the co-op experience is excellent: fighting the hordes of Chaos with three other friends is exciting, and definitely recommended.
  24. Mar 13, 2018
    82
    Warhammer: Vermintide II improves the experience of the original with a better level design and spectacular combat. Warriors of Chaos adds an interesting flavour to the action with its special enemies, and the RPG options are a good addition.
  25. Mar 19, 2018
    81
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 manages to improve on its predecessor in just about every way, resulting in a structurally familiar but highly entertaining co-op experience with a surprising amount of depth and variety in its character and difficulty progression.
  26. Mar 16, 2018
    81
    A good improvement over the first Vermintide and overall a very engaging multiplayer experience.
  27. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 13, 2018
    80
    In all ways better than the first, looks awesome and plays really well. It is a shame that it has occasional and unnecessary bugs and is missing dedicated servers. [Issue#284]
  28. CD-Action
    Jun 5, 2018
    80
    If I were to compare Vermintide II to other titles, I would choose Left 4 Dead and Diablo, with Dark Messiah of Might and Magic coming in a close third place due to how combat feels. The game will eventually wear you down with its repetitiveness, because replaying scenarios is embedded in its design, but before it happens you’ll spend dozens of fun hours with it. [05/2018, p.42]
  29. games(TM)
    Apr 20, 2018
    80
    Fatshark is more than filling the L4D void.
  30. Apr 13, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2 steps on the known Left 4 Dead gameplay tropes and pushes the genre some significant steps further. The melee battle system feels rigid and organic and the various characters/ careers add some significant replay value. It respects its lore heritage, but bear in mind that it is aiming at hardcore players, who are ready to accept recurring failure and equipment/ xp grinding.
  31. Apr 6, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is an engaging, challenging multiplayer game that succeeds in spite of loot and matchmaking issues thanks to clever level design and thrilling combat.
  32. Mar 30, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 knows what made its predecessor an enjoyable time and brings along a sequel with a focus on improving what came before it. It doesn’t go crazy to try reinvent itself or the genre, but smartly delivers a better game with tweaks to the formula that alter areas that were previously weak – improved loot systems, more varied levels and fleshed out character development.
  33. Mar 27, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2’s co-op battling is nice step forward over the original. It’s gruelling at times, and that can sap the fun out when you’re failing missions and not making progress, with the weighty combat, the additional sub-classes and a long and deep progression of difficulty and loot, there’s plenty here for those that want to be in for the long haul.
  34. Mar 26, 2018
    80
    An extremely satisfying coop combat game with a very frustrating balance and loot system.
  35. Mar 21, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 improves many elements of the first episode and is a true postcard from the End Times.
  36. Mar 20, 2018
    80
    The number of missions and environments, to say nothing of the different characters and classes, should provide enough content and customization to keep fans happy for the foreseeable future. As for cutting through the rising and falling ranks of the vicious Vermintide; well, it just feels good.
  37. Mar 20, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2s’s co-op delights are gruesome fun, especially if you have a dedicated group of friends to take on the horde of monsters and level up your characters. The bloody thrills of working with fellow players to shred entire armies of foes into meat makes this grisly battlefield surprisingly fun (if unsettling) place to spend time.
  38. Mar 18, 2018
    80
    While it is in dire need of some balancing, there’s magic in Vermintide 2’s frenetic combat. It’s a real co-op treat that simply has to be played.
  39. Mar 17, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2 is a splendor. Probably the best Warhammer game at the moment, especially because Fatshark studio is talented enough to keep only the best of this universe. With an intelligent loot system, charismatic heroes and many classes, and some great violent action, Vermintide is a must-have if you love cooperative action games.
  40. Mar 16, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2 is a stylish, engrossing avenue into the horror and hilarity of the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Despite some small hiccups which you won’t shake, this game is sure to get you and your friends working as a team to survive the onslaught of the Skaven and Chaos hordes. With a variety of playstyles and in game tactics, this experience proves it is far more than a Left 4 Dead clone, and left me eager to jump back into this game.
  41. Mar 15, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2 is an improvement over its predecessor with more beautifully designed sprawling levels, more varied enemy types, an addictive loot system, and a whole lot of character skills to try out. The sequel is at its best when it's creating tense moments, even if it can quickly get a little bit overwhelming. I also apologize to all of those I left to die in matchmaking.
  42. Mar 15, 2018
    80
    A beautifully dark game, and I’m in love with its hard-hitting, meaty melee weapons. It’s a gorgeous game with tons of fun play styles and customization options to uncover, even if most of the loot you earn for your efforts is a letdown.
  43. Mar 14, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is an extremely intense action game. Surprisingly, it feels linear and diverse at the same time.
  44. Mar 14, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is an excellent evolution of the formula set out by its predecessor and offers up some of the most intense, gory, and fast-paced co-op action you can find in any genre.
  45. Mar 14, 2018
    80
    It looks fantastic, the combat is epic and thrilling, and the sound design and musical score by the insanely prolific Jasper Kyd round out an impressive sequel. Lack of clarity, some brutal difficulty spikes and some core conceptual and mechanical issues with the game's absolute reliance on co-op are the only sour notes in a dark symphony of epic action.
  46. Mar 14, 2018
    80
    Quotation forthcoming.
  47. Mar 13, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 offers a lot of fun action with friends and strangers. The level designs are great and the visuals amazing, but I wish there were some added depth to the gameplay that would spice things up after a certain number of hours other than the Heroic Deeds missions.
  48. Mar 13, 2018
    80
    An improvement, under any point of view, of the already valid predecessor...In the end, when repetitiveness knocks at the door, you will regret not having other levels at hand to use.
  49. Mar 13, 2018
    80
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a game that still largely stands alone. There are few games that offer up this kind of cooperative experience, meaning FatShark has a chance to innovate without worrying about competition. That could lead to a sequel without many improvements, but it's clear the developer wanted to give players more options. Outside of some issues, what's here is very good.
  50. Mar 10, 2018
    80
    Vermintide 2's combat and level design are so feverishly fun that I'll put up with its bad matchmaking and RPG progression if it means chopping more ratmen in half.
  51. Mar 23, 2018
    75
    Warhammer Vermintide 2 plays it safe, but the Left 4 Dead-like gameplay makes it worth your while. The many locations, classes and enemies will keep you busy for a long time. Too bad storytelling is a bit off on this one.
  52. Mar 28, 2018
    70
    Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is good game - nothing more and nothing less. It provides tons of fun and enters the "co-op hall of fame" without looking back. Unfortunately I can't shake off the feeling that the release was a bit rushed; the game arguably feels more like an Early Access version.
  53. Mar 19, 2018
    70
    A great game held back by poor balance decisions and a layer of petty bugs.
  54. Mar 11, 2018
    70
    Even without microtransactions, loot boxes manage to spoil another potentially classic game, although the core combat and co-op atmosphere still shine through.
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  1. Mar 12, 2018
    A highly accomplished sequel that innovates without losing sight of what made the first one great. [Recommended]
  2. Vermintide 2 might be shameless about its inspiration, but, critically, it recreates it really, really well, at a spectacular scale. I can’t speak to whether I’ll still be showering the land with rat legs a few months from now, but I fully expect to happily spend the next few weeks, at least, knee-deep in the rodent dead.
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 342 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 53 out of 342
  1. Apr 2, 2018
    3
    The base mechanics are fine. They're passable. What else could they be when your ripping off an established formula whole hog. Here'sThe base mechanics are fine. They're passable. What else could they be when your ripping off an established formula whole hog. Here's everything about vermintide that sucks.

    -Artificial difficulty. You are a slow, fat, legless slug that must drag your misshapen heap of a body to and fro in blatant defiance of gods will. Your enemies trained their whole lives with cirque du soleil. Each of you can usually one shot the other at higher difficulties, especially if you pick up the books that cut your health by 66%. This game isn't difficult like spinning plates or hitting a three pointer, it's difficult like chewing gravel.

    -Unavoidable damage. Even playing properly you will almost certainly take a lot of damage. This is especially irksome during boss fights.

    -One way no return drops. Don't ever get caught on top of one alone because if you go down because a special spawned on top of you and grabbed you, your team has no way of rezzing you because for some reason you can't crawl in last stand.

    -The playable characters. I mainly play kerillian, and i wan't to rip her sarcastic, quipy little tongue out of her smug **** face. And then I want to do the same with the rest of the reprobates whose skulls I inhabit. There is no way to just mute the characters voices either, because fat shark has nothing but contempt for their players and you're gonna experience every line of dialog every game or you can go **** yourself.

    -Specials. 3/5? specials have the ability to grab the player through guard and pin them, slowly draining health. A special **** you to the assassin which can leap over a hundred metres and often from behind cover. Why not just roll a die every few minutes to decide if the player should continue or restart.

    -Item crafting. The only draw of this game is grinding for 300 gear score, and fat shark knows this, so they dribble and drip items at a slugs pace. After getting up to about 150 or so, don't expect to get any usable gear in any given play session, because you likely won't. Just a small mound of tinder to burn for materials.

    -Tomes. The game doesn't reward individual skill as much as it does meta knowledge about the 5 collectible books on every level, often hidden in obnoxiously difficult to find places. They never move and completing the level without at least 3-4 is almost pointless, so get ready to study a wikia to make sure you arnt pissing up a tree for half an hour.

    -Toxic community. Even though there is no benefit to getting the most kills, kill whoring is rampant, even if it means shooting your own teammates. Even if it means taking damage yourself. I also distinctly remember being called **** retarded for not knowing where all the books were on a level i had played once.

    -Samey levels. If I ever made a game where there are only 16 small maps, I would at least make sure they were highly distinct from one another. This is not the case. Not that there is any story worth getting invested in (or at all), but the writers couldn't come up with 16 different objectives for you to complete, and 4 are already just crappy boss fights. There's like 3 missions that revolve around ringing a bell.

    -Story. It's like a really god awful super friends or something. There's a portal, you **** around for 15 levels, then you break the portal. There's no development, no character arcs, no point. Why is this even a warhammer game? to cynically cash in on an established fan base and make the L4D skin suit you're wearing seem more appealing by stretching it grotesquely around the frame of another established franchise? Maybe all of warhammer is thinly veiled plagiarism covered in slimy dog **** i don't know, I've never seen any of it so maybe it is.

    Bottom line. This game is fun like smoking crack is fun. First you have to blow a guy for 20 dollars, then you have to not get stabbed knocking on your dealers door because he lives in a bad neighborhood, then you have to make a stem out of a nip bottle, then smoking it tastes like battery acid and burns like poison, but after its all done you get high for a few minutes before you have to start over again. That is this game. An indeterminate amount of suffering then a cathartic high when you get to open that golden loot box. For some people that's a game. To me that's a destructive personality trait.
    Full Review »
  2. Mar 9, 2018
    10
    I find this game very amusing, it`s hard and forces you to stay with your team to survive. Graphics are much improved compared to previousI find this game very amusing, it`s hard and forces you to stay with your team to survive. Graphics are much improved compared to previous part and it runs very good on i7 @ 4.2GHz + GeForce 1070 OC with almost maxed out settings. Full Review »
  3. Mar 8, 2018
    3
    Well, I have over 500 hours into Vermintide 1, and pre-ordered the Vermintide 2 because 1 was so good.
    Well, it turns out that the 2nd game
    Well, I have over 500 hours into Vermintide 1, and pre-ordered the Vermintide 2 because 1 was so good.
    Well, it turns out that the 2nd game in the series was very rushed, they put in a very bad anticheat system just days before release, which has not only broken the game for a lot of people (they cant launch the game, it crashes, it plays a map until the end of the map then crashes leaving the player with nothing, no XP, no stones, no dust, nothing at all), but it also introduced severe lag in the game.
    I have a heck of a gaming system (I7 5930k, Titan X 12gb, GTX580 as dedicated Physx card, 16gb ddr4 memory, 2560x1440 144hz monitor), and the game went from 70 to 100fps, all the way down to 30 to 60's fps. It is poorly optimized right now, and never should have been released. Even the developers themselves said they wish they had another 3 months to a year to finish it.
    It is very hard for newcomers, casual players, or even midlevel players to play, as they removed the 'Easy' , 'Normal' and 'Hard' options of the 1st game, and start players out on what is essentially 'Nightmare' from the 1st game, and it gets much harder (3 more levels after the 'Recruit' which ir really 'Nightmare' difficulty).
    If you like dying over and over and over and over and over, and never finishing a map, until you get enough experience to get a loot box that may or may not contain a good weapon, then this is your kind of game!
    Throw in an Anti-Cheat system that is as bad as or worse than Securom, Starforce, and Sony's music DRM, (at the very last minute mind you, mere days before actual release) and you have a recipe for disaster.
    The gameplay is VERY geared towards consoles (but why is it so hard then?), as there iis blur on EVERYTHING, and you cannot turn some of it off (although they do have a great selection of options for everything else, including other viddeo options) compared to the 1st game. The art direction they went with is part Vermintide 1, and part cartoonish look (they reused assets from V1, and the new enemies dont look like the rats, they look more cartoonish).
    The gameplay is a tossup. I personally love Vermintide 1's gameplay, as it is very crisp, the momentum is just about right for the fast pace of the game, and everything just 'fits' with everything else. Vermintide 2, on the other hand, feels laggy, clumsy, and way overhanded with the forward momentum of even just a single handed blade or axe..
    The game is not jump in and play, its jump in and grind and grind and grind until you get enough XP to get a loot box that may have a good weapon or charm in it, until you can win 1 map to get another few loot boxes, until you can then beat the 2nd map, and grind until you get another few loot boxes and grind and grind and grind a single map over and over and over until you can beat the next map, unless you get lucky and the new enemy spawn engine does not spawn much of anything and you just walk to the maps exit, which is not rewarding at all, but welcome if you lose 15 games in a row.
    I think the leveling system in V2 ruined the game that was V1. Instead of building upon what was so successful, they totally changed the gameplay to be very heavy RPG (to a FPS only pplayer). No longer can you play whatever weapon you want. No, now you have to unlock characters as you go along, and guess what? You get to play them from level 1 AGAIN! And grind and grind and grind, just like the 1st time.
    they messed with a great game too much, and made it something I personally dont want to play anymore.
    I will stick with Vermintide 1, and see what they do with Vermintide 3, IF there is ever a Vermintide 3 after this debacle.
    I am sad to write this review, as I love the 1st game.
    But, Vermintide 2 just is not ready to release, and has strayed too far from the formula that made it great to begin with.
    Full Review »