Introduction
Do you like Vampire Survivor but thought that you wanted Space Marines and aliens instead of Vampires and Demons? I have excellent news for you. Auroch Digital developed and published a new entry in the Warhammer series, Warhammer Survivors. Auroch Digital made this game in collaboration with Vampire Survivors developer Poncle. Warhammer Survivors released on November 10th, and you can purchase it on the Nintendo eShop for $7.99. On behalf of the Handheld Gaming Community I would like to thank Auroch Digital for the review code.
Overview
I will be honest and say I don’t know anything about the Warhammer franchise. I was pleasantly surprised when I started playing and felt like I was playing Vampire Survivors but with Space Marines and other high fantasy theme characters. If you are unfamiliar with Vampire Survivors, it is a game where you start off as a hero with a fairly underpowered weapon. You have to fight off all manner of witches, ghouls, and skeletons. Then as you gain experience you can upgrade and add abilities.
Gameplay
Warhammer Survivors operates in the very same way as Vampire Survivors. The game offers two styles of Warhammer. The first is the Warhammer 40k universe with all of its Space Marine Sci-Fi goodness. The other is the Warhammer Age of Sigmar. This is the high fantasy Warhammer. In either universe the gameplay is the same just different skins.
In each section you can choose from a number of characters. On your first run you will only have one. As you progress and get coins, you can unlock other characters with different abilities. Some characters require you to rescue them from the level you are playing. Once you pick your character, it is time to begin the fight. You will see a timer at the top of your screen and that measures how long you have survived. This plus other factors will help you complete objectives.
You will only have one life when you begin playing Warhammer Survivors, so play accordingly. Later on once you have amassed large amounts of coins you can purchase abilities that will allow you to redeploy. Thankfully you can destroy structures in both styles of Warhammer to get coins and healing items.
Graphics and Performance
Warhammer Survivors features a retro pixel art style, and despite having tons of enemies on the screen at once the Nintendo Switch 2 runs it with no great effort. Fans of Vampire Survivors will recognize the art style.
Sound
The sound design in Warhammer Survivors is pretty subtle. The background music for the first area is one continuous track, much like Vampire Survivors. I like the sound effects in the game. Something about hearing that Chainsword rip to life is very satisfying. Both the background music and sound effects work for what the game is going for. If you want a more dynamic suite of sounds then the Survivors series isn’t going to be for you.
Value
You can buy Warhammer Survivors for 7.99 on the Nintendo eShop. Because of this price, I think this is well worth the money. Especially if you like Vampire Survivors, and are a fan of the Warhammer universes. If you are new to the Vampire Survivors like games, this is still a solid introduction to the series. You may not think too much of the game by looking at it, but once you start playing Warhammer Survivors you won’t be able to stop. Also if you are not familiar with the Warhammer universe, this is a great way to learn more about the different styles of Warhammer.
Conclusion
If you have watched YouTube videos of people playing either Warhammer Survivors or Vampire Survivors, you may wonder what the fuss is all about. It is truly a genre of game that you have to play for yourself. After playing the game, you will be mystified how Warhammer Survivors and Vampire Survivors are so inexpensive. Especially given how much time you will spend playing them. It wouldn’t surprise me if Warhammer and Vampire Survivors rack up a lot of gameplay by the end of the year. I think Warhammer Survivors is a great spinoff of Vampire Survivors, and well worth your $7.99. You can purchase it on the Nintendo eShop. On behalf of the Handheld Gaming Community I would like to thank Auroch Digital for the review code.
