Warhammer: Chaosbane has released details for both its endgame and future content in its Season Pass.
For those not familiar with the upcoming title, Warhammer: Chaosbane feels like a polished mix between Diablo 3 and Grim Dawn, set within the brutal Warhammer universe. Early reviews describe it as close to the lore but also appealing generally to anyone who enjoys Action RPGs.
The developers at Eko Software have laid out the plans for the post-launch of the game, beginning in the summer with the addition of Difficulty level 11 and new elements in the form of rings. These new difficulties are likely similar to other ARPGs where enemies scale in health, power, and loot by exponential levels.
In late summer, Difficulty 12 will launch with new Heroic Sets and a Permadeath mode. Autumn shallvbring further difficulty increases, new loot elements in necklaces, and late autumn will release a Level Cap increase with new skills.
Meanwhile, the Season Pass will provide several cosmetic items as well as pertinent additions that change how the game is played. Emotes are planned for release, as well as companion pets that follow your character into combat. There will also be a new “God Skill Tree” to be released with both new skills and character builds.
The final part of the season pass is touted as offering a new story, enemies, and locations to engage in combat.
While the gameplay and visuals look perfectly adequate for a game of this type, the real question lies in seeing what exactly the endgame has to offer. The details offered above offer a glimpse into what the developers are going for, which is an upwards scaling difficulty that requires the farming or creation new, more powerful gear, but to what end?
The four playable characters feel as though they are taken straight out of Gauntlet: Slayer Edition from 2015. This is not a criticism, as most dungeon-crawling ARPGs do need those stereotypical roles filled with a tank, a wizard, a brawler, and a ranged bow and arrow user.
That the game looks and feels like other ARPGs is not meant to be criticism either, rather it is a caveat to keep at the forefront of thought when examining this game in its long-term playability. As polished as it may look and as enjoyable as it may be from a lore perspective for fans, today’s market for ARPGs is saturated with excellent alternatives that shine in their endgame. What will Warhammer: Chaosbane do to stand out among these other games?
Warhammer: Chaosbane will launch June 4 on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam.