I’ll give the PlayStation 5 credit; it has a pretty impressive line-up of launch titles that cater to just about anyone’s tastes. Enjoy sport sims? Play NBA 2K21. Enjoy epic adventures with a superhero? Spider-Man: Miles Morales, it is. Enjoy platforming escapades? You can’t go wrong with Astro’s Playroom. Wanna do some off-road racing? Get muddy in Dirt 5. See, there’s something for everyone. What about those who enjoy dungeon-crawling, I hear you ask? Well, that’s where Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition comes in, with the new edition of the 2019 release bringing with it all previously released DLC as well as a fancy visual upgrade for the new console. It makes for a pretty enjoyable adventure too, even if it doesn’t do anything that really pushes the genre forward.
Since the game has been out for a while already, this review will focus on the additions included in the Slayer Edition as well as how the game feels to play on the PlayStation 5.
Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition offers a dungeon-crawling adventure set in the iconic Warhammer world, with the player able to join up to three additional players as they scour through dangerous locales, collect loot, and obliterate any fearsome enemies in their path. Basically, think of something like Diablo but with a neat Warhammer twist.
There’s a roster of six different characters to play as in Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition that are spread across different classes, with each bringing something unique to the party. You’ve got the Empire Soldier, the High Elf Mage, the Dwarf Slayer, the Wood Elf Waywatcher, the Dwarf Engineer, and the Witch Hunter, with each bringing unique stats and abilities that make them feel different to play. In fairness, there’s a decent levelling up system in place too, meaning you can fine-tune their abilities as you progress and cater them further for your playstyle… it’s good stuff.
The Witch Hunter is actually new to the Slayer Edition, so those who have played the game before have something new to tinker with if they’re giving it another go on the PlayStation 5. He’s a decent little character too, with his combination of pistols and a sword making him feel like Dante from Devil May Cry – this is a dungeon-crawler though, so you shouldn’t expect to pull off stylish combos here.
Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition was already a meaty game when it originally launched, but players have all of the DLC to dive into here that adds a few additional hours onto the experience. Some of these are just cosmetic extras to make your characters look a bit cooler (everyone loves new helmets, right?), though the ‘Tomb Kings’ expansion offers a whole new area to explore as well as extra equipment. If you haven’t played the game already, you might not necessarily realise this was an expansion, though the Egyptian-inspired tombs you explore still offer a neat change of scenery.
It helps that Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition is enjoyable to play anyway, with the dungeon-crawling proving competent throughout. It’s satisfying to gather loot and level up your abilities, whilst the encounters with enemies bring with them plenty of thrills as you avoid incoming hazards as you battle to take them out – it’s even better when played in multiplayer, where the extra aspects of teamwork add an almost strategic element to the game. Don’t get me wrong, you can get away with button-mashing to hack and slash your way through enemies if you prefer, but the versatility of the classes on offer also means that you can work together and co-ordinate your abilities to make the most of them.
Whilst fun though, Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition doesn’t do anything you wouldn’t have seen before. This isn’t a revolutionary game by any stretch of the imagination, with it even looking like almost every other dungeon-crawler out there. It plays things safe throughout, with little shown in the way of creativity to make it a ‘must play’ over any other dungeon-crawler available. It means you can expect repetition to kick in here and there, especially when grinding through some dungeons and facing the same enemies over and over. It’s never a BAD game by any means, but it does play things a little too safe.
As far as the visual boost is concerned on the PlayStation 5, it’s hard not to be impressed by Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition. Sure, it wasn’t the most graphically intensive game to begin with, but the sharp 4K resolution and silky smooth 60fps frame rate ensures that it manages to look pretty throughout. There is some screen tearing that occurs during action-heavy moments, but overall it has clearly seen a big improvement over its PlayStation 4 counterpart. Oh, and the loading times? Almost non-existent. Man, I love the fancy hard drives of these new consoles…
I played Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition on the PlayStation 5 so I was hoping for some fancy DualSense features, but unfortunately it hasn’t embraced the controller as well as other games have. Sure, you’ll get some nice little rumbles in the midst of the action, but you won’t feel the force of your weaponry as much as you’d hope to. Maybe it’s something the developer can patch in sometime in the future if enough people ask for it?
Summary
Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition’s dungeon-crawling action is enjoyable on the PlayStation 5, even if it doesn’t do anything you wouldn’t have seen before. Playing it in 4K at a slick 60fps never stopped feeling impressive though, whilst the wealth of content to play through will keep players hooked in for some time – especially if they got some buddies to play it with.
It’s not perfect, especially with the repetitive gameplay mechanics and the occasional screen tearing, but Warhammer: Chaosbane – Slayer Edition still manages to offer a fun dungeon-crawling romp for next-gen gamers to sink their teeth into.
Developer: Eko Software
Publisher: Nacon
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S
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