Having absolutely zero experience in the Warhammer world, I wasn’t quite sure what I was about to get myself into with Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground by veteran developers at Gasket Games and publisher Focus Home Interactive. I expected some kind of virtual board game or card game; and I was perhaps half right. Doing some research after playing a little while, I had learned that this game is a bit of a departure from previous Warhammer titles. For a “newb” like myself, I figured this may be the right place to get into the franchise then. Wasn’t too long later that I quickly learned my previous sentence may have been a bit naïve.
Developer Gasket Games takes this franchise in a very different direction. It still has many elements of a board game; but this installment also adds a rogue-lite element. If you’re not familiar with the term, the gist is there is procedurally-generated game content (such as levels and enemy placement), as well as when you die, you start right back at the beginning. I got my first reality check of this soul crushing game genre last month while playing Housemarque’s “Returnal.” I must admit, they are not really for me. I wasn’t that great at that game, and unfortunately, I’m not too great at this game either. Having said that, I can go into a game unbiased and respect it for what it is, even if I don’t necessarily jive with it.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, while I know nothing about it, I went online and learned it is a big deal with fans. As a spectator, looking in, I can easily see the appeal of this world. Like many fantasy games, it has very unique types of characters, creatures, races, and classes. There are three campaigns in this game about different factions; Stormcast Eternals, Nighthaunts, and Maggotkin. While each campaign has its own story, the gameplay is still the same. For someone struggling to get good at this game, it was a tough to not notice that a big flaw in this game is relatively repetitive. Not in just the case that I suck and kept playing similar stages over and over again, but when I finally did progress, it was still very much more of the same.
I should add that when I played my review copy, the game had crashed on me at least four times. One of the times it even corrupted my save. For a game where I restart from the beginning over and over, I figured maybe that wasn’t the worst loss. Until a burst of reality hit me – I have lost all my experience points, upgrades, and loot. All of which was slowly helping me get through the levels. So, I can’t help but be a little harsh or upset with my personal experience playing this title. Although, since release, it does seem I am in a very small minority that this happened to. Perhaps it was because I played the game on a PlayStation 5? Who knows, but a good piece of advice that’s always worth taking into account: Back up your saves!
So yeah, I’ve been harsh on Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground, but despite all that, I can see this game very much clicking with many of its players, especially the already established fans. The dialogue is a little over dramatic and serious, the levels are a bit basic and small, but none of that really bothered me playing it. It’s fantasy! It’s strategic! I respect franchises that take so much effort building lore into their world and playing with genres. This game isn’t perfect, but Gasket Games tried something new here and ultimately it was a risk worth taking to keep things fresh for their fans. If this genre and game-type appeal to you at all, I say go for it.
6.5/10
Check Out the Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground Launch Trailer:
For more information, please visit: https://www.focus-home.com/en-us
Related: Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground Releases Behind the Realmgate Trailer
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Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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