You can talk to any Warhammer fan out there, and most of them will share one thing in common: their hate toward Skaven. I don’t blame them; facing them in Total War is a herculean task, especially for newcomers or casuals. So, imagine my surprise when I learned Old Skull Games and Dotemu would be placing this faction in the protagonist spot. And you know what? It was a fantastic idea. Beyond making me care for this ruthless and, at times, annoying faction, the studio has also done a fantastic job of bringing back the stealth genre in a creative and stylish way.
It’s All About Sneak-Sneak
I’ve been a fan of stealth-oriented games ever since the Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell days, which is why Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster is a huge deal for me.
Instead of bringing one of the iconic Warhammer factions for a ride, the Skaven are the ones in the spotlight, mainly our protagonist Vihneek, who becomes part of the Clan Eshin. Right off the bat, this is something that Warhammer lore aficionados will love, as the game truly does justice to the Skaven universe, or at least that’s what I interpreted from the short demo I played.
In this preview, I only got to see Vihneek’s beginnings as an assassin, as he learns the ropes from another clan member and sets off into a dark adventure in the Gnaw.
The one thing that impressed me immediately was the care the studio put into creating a tense, approachable, and unique stealth system. Since you’re an assassin, don’t expect to go face-to-face against some enemies. Your best friends are the shadows, and you’ll have to be looking out for those to avoid the dangerous patrols inside the Gnaw.
To get out of everyone’s field of view, Vihneek can climb walls, hide behind conveniently placed bushes, and create distractions by throwing skulls, meat, and even corpses. In a way, it reminded me a lot of how Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun worked, where it rewarded patience and smooth stealth tactics to escape instead of attacking enemies.
Beyond the aforementioned abilities, I also got to see a few extra skills, such as a grappling hook, which I unlocked, and also glimpsed a few more, such as killing enemies from above. While I didn’t get to experience all of them, I like the promise of turning my fragile Vihneek into a fully-fledged rat assassin.
Lastly, I was also a big fan of how the stealth worked perfectly with some platforming elements, such as evading enemies by climbing chains, sneaking behind patrols to lower a bridge, or reaching a high spot to drop a trap on enemies. These are all staples of a great stealth-oriented experience, and I can already see the potential in Deathmaster to become a solid 2D platformer with strong stealth systems.
Enter Skaven
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster left a strong early impression on me. Its art style, stealth systems, platforming segments, and unlockable abilities are the right ingredients to create a unique experience. And while we may have to wait a bit longer to see how the studio executes all of these ideas, I’m hopeful and excited. Furthermore, this might be the first game that makes me feel proud to play as a Skaven, and one that I hope continues to place this faction in the protagonist seat more often.
