Warhammer: Chaosbane Magnus Edition Review (XB1)

Written by Alexander O. Cuaycong and Anthony L. Cuaycong

Title: Warhammer: Chaosbane Magnus Edition
Developer: Eko Software
Publisher: Bigben Interactive
Genre: Action, Adventure
Price: $79.99
Also Available On: PS4, Steam

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Even casual gamers will recognize Warhammer not just from its immensely successful tabletop simulation. The sheer number of good-quality titles the franchise has churned out, particularly of late, has made it ubiquitous. From Fathshark's coop-horde-and-hero-offering of Vermintide 2 to Creative Assembly's turn-based grand strategy release of Warhammer Total War, the Warhammer fantasy behemoth has continually put its best foot forward. Warhammer: Chaosbane continues to propel the momentum, albeit in its own way — bringing forth its distinct spin on the action RPG genre while still retaining the best parts of what made the Warhammer setting stand strong.

In Warhammer: Chaosbane, gamers take control of one of four characters — a human, a dwarf, a high elf, and a wood elf — as they seek to undo a curse that has befallen Magnus, leader of the Empire. Only by their chosen hero's hand can the curse be undone, through a journey to unravel the plot behind the Emperor's life. They set out to battle monsters and demons, cleave foes in half, learn new and better skills, and thwart those that stand in their way. Derivative? Perhaps. Those familiar with the franchise’s overarching narrative will no doubt find the story of its latest offering somewhat generic. Yet again is the world thrust into mortal peril, and yet again must fate rely on a handful of brave adventurers to face the darkness.

The beauty of the Warhammer: Chaosbane, though, isn't in the composition so much as it is in the rendition. The series’ greatest strengths have never emanated from how finely tuned and intricate its plots are. Rather, they come from how well it is able to convey the bleakness of its setting. In this regard, Warhammer: Chaosbane does so beautifully, and longtime fans will no doubt tell just how much effort went into making the characters come to life on screen. Through all the locations and even all the enemies, it manages to prove true to its roots and retain its classic look, as if taken straight out of one of the tabletop rulebooks.

In Warhammer: Chaosbane, gamers are compelled to travel from ruined cities to dilapidated sewers and dark forests — all familiar settings that it presents quite well. En route, they rely on their chosen character's abilities to bring them victory. Compared to more traditional role-playing games laced with action, Warhammer: Chaosbane is much more similar in design to such notables as Torchlight and Diablo, with whole sections of gameplay devoted to mowing down hordes and hordes of enemies with spells, weapons, and abilities. While this does make enemies feel like cannon fodder, it does so with the intention of making the experience fluid, fast, and responsive. Warhammer: Chaosbane continuously wants players to watch their positioning during combat, leading to a frantic but enjoyable romp through level after level as they press forward.

To be sure, Warhammer: Chaosbane isn’t perfect by any means. While its setting and atmosphere are on point, it finds itself taxed with one encounter too many, with the horde-rush bent coming off as spammy and ultimately flat. Combat is pretty fun at the start, when new abilities pop up and new weapons and armor sets make their mark. When the same waves of enemies seemingly keep pouring out of every crevice in the map, however, it conveys the impression that fights are just blended together. There are no buildups, no really big set pieces to go through, and, aside from the main chapter bosses, no really threatening enemies to overcome. Amid all the engagements, gamers invariably ask: What does the world really have to fear when the swarms of monsters are easily defeated?

In the final analysis, it’s probably what brings Warhammer: Chaosbane down the most. The general ease at which gamers can tear through it leaves a lot to be desired. After all, why engage in smart play when simply smashing into most enemies proves just as effective? Why go for superior positioning or use complex spells when brute force meets the same objective? And when every encounter feels decidedly nonthreatening, it loses the impact and sense of urgency the Warhammer setting is best known for, and exposes it as a fairly mediocre ARPG experience with a very nice Warhammer skin.

Make no mistake, Warhammer: Chaosbane is extremely fun. At its core, it's easily one of the more interesting ARPG games to date, brimming with atmosphere and character that only the Warhammer universe can bring. Because it asks so little of its players, however, it tends to make the game feel far worse. At best, it comes off as a pretty good way to acquaint new players to the Warhammer universe. It introduces the setting's important concepts and characters while providing plenty of bang. It could have been something more, true, but it’s still a Warhammer title, and it’s still pretty good.

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THE GOOD

• Great art and character design
• Pretty fun and fast-paced combat
• Really brings out the grim tone of the Warhammer universe

THE BAD

• Pretty repetitive combat past the early stages
• Voice acting leaves much to be desired
• Decidedly average gameplay past the first few hours

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RATING: 7.5/10

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