The new action RPG Warhammer: Chaosbane is playable for pre-order customers starting now. Some players have already shared their first impressions. We were also able to play a bit beforehand. Read here for the experiences.
Who can play Chaosbane already? Today, on May 31, 2019, early access started for Warhammer: Chaosbane. Those who pre-ordered can play starting today, including:
- the Digital Deluxe Edition for €54.99 or
- the Magnus Edition for €69.99
Anyone who pre-ordered. This applies to all available platforms on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Players with the Standard Edition for €49.99 will have to wait a little longer. The actual release of Chaosbane is on Tuesday, June 4. Chaosbane is available for purchase on the official website.
How good is Chaosbane
These are the first reviews: Although the game has only been playable since 10 AM our time, some users on Steam have already submitted reviews. Currently, the game has 72% positive reviews on Steam (as of May 31 at 2:00 PM).
This is praised: What most players and testers have praised so far are the combat system and the gameplay. Chaosbane offers a multitude of different enemies, some of which die easily and some attack with abilities that require a bit of skill so that players do not end up dying.
According to the review by RockPaperShotgun, the focus of fights lies more on the abilities than on the loot. The tactical abilities of the four available characters change the dynamics of each fight. For example, the wizard can steer the direction of his spells. Thus, the constant slaughter is always exciting.
The mentioned loot is also well received. The items you can find often provide improvements, but they will not immediately make you an overpowered Chaos Slayer. You will gradually get better, and the selection and upgrade options are easily understandable.
Another major plus is the multiplayer, which runs well and smoothly. Chaosbane also offers couch co-op for players who want to play with their friends on a console.
Frequently praised features also include the graphics, the UI, and the sound. The environment fits the typically dark Warhammer, while still keeping the details – especially the UI – clearly visible and readable. Sound effects are varied, and the death of different chaos followers sounds quite satisfying.
A video from IGN highlights some of the advantages in moving images:
This is criticized: Although Chaosbane is currently receiving a lot of praise, some things are also criticized. Especially some mechanics disturb the players.
In a thread on reddit, user ualac reports his first experiences with the finished game. What bothers him the most is the lack of variety, which likely also stems from the rather flat story criticized elsewhere.
One of his biggest criticisms, however, is that changing passive abilities comes at the cost of certain fragments. It doesn’t feel easy to just try something new, as it feels like a punishment if one has skilled something “wrong”.
Additionally, Chaosbane still has some smaller bugs. IGN criticizes that the wood elf Elyssa sometimes has spoken lines that were delivered by a male voice. Her entire voice acting sounds rather poor compared to other heroes, as if she was adjusted last minute.
This is our impression from the beta
MeinMMO author Benedict had the opportunity to test Chaosbane in the beta a little. Although only a few hours were logged, these at least provide a solid first impression.
Benedict says: I generally agree with the reviews that have been published so far. The battles in Chaosbane are varied and exciting; it is simply fun to slay through hordes of enemies and bring on the red tide.
I largely agree on the criticism points as well. Some minor issues like display errors in the inventory or incorrectly selected equipment are annoying but not major obstacles. Only on the story do I disagree. As a Warhammer fan, I find the story sufficient to even quite good.
If you have already played Chaosbane: What is your impression? If not: Will you get it?
For those who prefer to look further in the ARPG market, there is plenty of choice in 2019:
