The new year is quickly approaching, and 2019 is looking like it’s going to be a very good year in gaming. Throughout the rest of 2018, we’re going to be talking about some of the games that are scheduled for release at some point in 2019 that we here at Vortainment are eagerly anticipating.
It should be noted that the order in which these posts are published does not indicate the level of anticipation that we have for a game. Nothing here is ranked necessarily. It looks like next year will feature a lot of good games, but we’re not going to cover all of them, just the ones that we are “most anticipating.” These posts will come in both solo thoughts, such as this one, and joint efforts.
To start the feature series off, one of the games I’m most anticipating in 2019 is the hack and slash Action-RPG set in the Old World of Warhammer fantasy universe, Warhammer: Chaosbane from French developers Eko Software.
Earlier this year, NeoCore Games released the tactical Action-RPG, Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr. I like ARPG’s a ton, especially the “Diablo style” ones. I’m not a Warhammer lore/universe guy, so I don’t see “Warhammer” and get excited. I will say that the setting, the far future, and the characters combined with the “tactics” turned me off of Inquisitor – Martyr.
But my interest was fully peaked when I heard about Eko’s Warhammer ARPG, Chaosbane. The old world fantasy is, for me personally, much more interesting than a far future setting. More importantly than the setting however, Chaosbane looks much closer to Diablo 3 (which I enjoy a great deal) in terms of its gameplay and aesthetic. I vastly prefer old world fantasy and swords over modern/future filled with guns. Plus, that hack and slash gameplay is so much more satisfying.
For the record, I’m in no way comparing Choasbane with Inquisitor – Martyr. The only thing the two games have in common is that they’re both ARPG’s that take place in a Warhammer universe (again, I’m not a lore guy so I don’t even know if Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40K are in the same universe or not). One appeals to me, one doesn’t. Plenty of people will enjoy both, again they are distinctively different in every way.
We still don’t know a ton about of Chaosbane. We’ve seen “a lot” of the warrior, or Empire Solider, Konrad Vollen (sweet video above), and we’ve seen a little bit of a High Elf Mage character (video down below). We haven’t yet seen anything of the other two classes, the Dwarf Slayer or the Wood Elf Waywatcher.
We don’t know what type of end-game there will be, how good the loot system will be, or how customizable the classes will be in terms of appearance and more importantly distinct builds. Will there be seasons or events? We don’t know yet.
Now I know what you’re likely thinking, if you know so little about it, how can you be so excited for it?
For starters, it’s not coming out anytime soon so not knowing a lot of this stuff isn’t a big deal yet. It is a work in progress, not a game getting ready to ship.
I of course like the looks of it. It looks great, and it looks like it will play well from the videos we’ve seen. This is gameplay that I like, hack and slash isometric ARPG goodness that’s coming to the system that I play (PS4) that doesn’t have many options in this genre. That alone is enough to make me excited.
Past what we’ve seen, which admittedly is very little though I’ve liked all of it, I get excited about the potential. There’s a lot that could be done here.
We know there’s four player co-op, online and local, and that’s great. These kind of games NEED multiplayer, and the addition of “couch co-op” is very nice because not many folks include it these days but it has been fairly popular on the console versions of Diablo 3.
My hope is that Eko Software leans this title more towards hardcore play and less towards casual play. That doesn’t mean casual players not welcome or make a game that you can’t enjoy if you only play a couple of hours a week. But in order for a game to thrive, players have be able to really sink their teeth into it.
There needs to be distinct builds, loot worth chasing that isn’t handed out like candy, and a endgame loop that keeps players playing. ARPG’s like this thrive on communities, and that requires high customization and replayability worth doing. That means something for content creators to sink their teeth into for more than a couple of weeks. It means the really hardcore have theory crafting to do and builds to perfect.
Of course seasons, in-game events, and leaderboards are all also essential to keeping an active playerbase or at least keeping folks coming back routinely.
There’s a lot of interesting lore that can be explored, and that means hopefully regular content updates provided the game is built to sustain an active community and not just be a one-and-done.
Chaosbane seems to be on a good path right now, based on the limited footage we’ve seen of it. The developers seem to be listening to feedback and I’ve no doubt they are all working extremely hard to make a game that ARPG fans will enjoy and that will do the Warhammer name justice.
If are a fan of Diablo style ARPG’s, and especially a console player where we’re really lacking in this genre, Chaosbane has to have you excited at this stage. If it can strike a balance somewhere in between Diablo 3, which some view as too simplistic or “casual,” and Path of Exile, which some see as too complex or requires too much of a time commitment to fully learn, then I think Chaosbane can find a lot of success and an eager playerbase that a thriving community can form around.
Warhammer: Chaosbane isn’t the biggest name we’re anticipating in 2019; there are some heavy hitters coming from big name studios. And it’s because of that and the potential the game has, that we’re awarding Warhammer: Chaosbane the Editor’s One To Watch in 2019.
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