Xbox Game Pass's free Vampire Survivors alternative stole 20 hours of my life in two days
Last week I had some much-needed time off, and what better way to spend it than with early-access to one of my most-anticipated games of the year. I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with it though.
After the colossal success of Vampire Survivors loads of developers have tried to capitalise off the auto-battler’s success, but few have come close to the OG.
Warhammer Survivors is a different story however. It’s just as good, and I’m not just saying that because I’m a Warhammer fan.
Once installed, my intention was to play for around an hour before sorting out some errands around the house. Five hours later I was still playing.
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You’re given the choice between two popular Warhammer settings. The first is Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, which is ideal for fantasy fans, but not really my cup of tea.
My bread and butter is Warhammer 40,000, and experiencing that universe in Vampire Survivors-style was more moreish than I’d ever expected.
The first round starred Ultramarine Malum Caedo, a popular character from the Warhammer 40,000 Boltgun games.
A few scrappy Tyranids quickly fell to my chainsaw, with their numbers slowly growing like the satisfaction I felt cleaving through them.
Each level-up grants you a new ability, weapon, or upgrade and I’ve had so much fun unlocking them. I’ve still got plenty left as well, as most are locked behind secret characters.
However it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows. The reason this game has devoured so much of my free time isn’t just because it’s fun, because it is, it’s also because it infuriates me unlike any other game I’ve played this year.
There’s nothing inherently hard about Warhammer Survivors. All you do is move around, pick-up upgrades, and try to ensure our attacks are going into the bulk of the enemy’s forces to thin them down.
Like an actual game of Warhammer 40,000 though, luck is a huge factor. At the drop of a hat or the roll of a dice the game can be over in seconds as you didn’t manage to collect the upgrades needed for your build.
If you’re not regularly acquiring what you need to keep the momentum going, you’ll quickly be overwhelmed. You’ll have at least amassed coins for permanent upgrades though.
Nearly 20 hours in, the main thing that kept me going was the indomitable human spirit. The reluctance to yield to Tyranids, Chaos Space Marines, Orks and everything else the game wanted to throw at me.
What should have been a few on-and-off play sessions turned into a never-ending battle I just couldn’t walk away from, and as negative as that sounds let me assure if I still loved every minute.
If you’re a Warhammer fan it’s a must-play. It’s got such a wide-range of characters, weapons and abilities that are all nods to popular Warhammer lore and tabletop products.
However, I’d also highly-recommend it to those who’ve never touched the Warhammer IP before, as at the end of the day it’s a Vampire Survivors-like game. If the OG was your jam you’ll love this just as much.
Warhammer Survivors is out now for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC and mobile devices. It’s also on Xbox Game Pass, so you can try it at no additional cost depending on your subscription.
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Topics: Warhammer, Xbox, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation 5, PC
