Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide tells the tale of Warhammer’s end of days

The last days are dawning for the Warhammer universe, and the Skaven are rising in Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide.

Kind of different for Warhammer, Vermintide from developer Fatshark is an apocalypse story set in Games Workshop’s medieval dark-fantasy world. Usually Warhammer titles (40k or fantasy) are focused on massive wars and centered around pure action or strategy. This one has an element of not only horror, but survival to it, which could be pretty cool.

It’s also a first-person shooter/melee combat game, which I think is a definite first for the Warhammer theme. It also immediately calls up some memories of Hexen/Heretic, which is in no way a bad thing. Also not bad (sounding) is the story behind the events of Vermintide.

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.

Set to arrive for the PC, Xbox One, and PS4, Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide will hit sometime later this year.