Warhammer Survivors Hits Xbox Game Pass as Polygon Says It Trails Vampire Survivors
Warhammer Survivors is out now on Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass. Polygon calls it good but no Vampire Survivors replacement, while Steam players are mostly positive.
What happened
Warhammer Survivors, an officially licensed bullet-heaven game, has launched on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox Game Pass.
The game comes from Auroch Digital, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. It was made in partnership with Warhammer and poncle, the team behind Vampire Survivors. It mixes the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar settings.
Does it beat Vampire Survivors?
The sources don't back a split among critics. They contain one critical take and one set of player reviews, and neither says it beats the original.
Polygon's headline says the game "isn't good enough to be a Vampire Survivors replacement." Its writer still calls Warhammer Survivors "a good one" and says Vampire Survivors is a great game.
The main complaint is the early game. Some early weapons, such as the Boltgun, fire in the direction the player faces instead of auto-aiming. Polygon says that meant shooting away from the horde while dodging enemies, so it took too long to find the fun.
Polygon says that once the writer unlocked better weapons and found the characters and weapons they enjoyed, the game was as good as Vampire Survivors or similar games. The writer says it just isn't as instantly captivating. Polygon also says diehard Warhammer fans who haven't played Vampire Survivors or the games it inspired will have a fantastic time.
Polygon describes a follower feature as the most unique gimmick. Some characters can save or summon another character who uses a different weapon. Polygon says this adds a layer to a choice players were already making.
On Steam, 73% of 676 user reviews are positive. The sources give no review scores from other outlets.
What's in the game
According to the Steam page, the game offers:
- More than 40 playable characters from both Warhammer universes, including Malum Caedo from Boltgun.
- More than 75 weapons, including the Boltgun, the Astartes Chainsword and Whirlwind Axes. There is also a pot of Nuln Oil.
- Multiple stages and modes, from the plains of Aqshy to an abandoned Space Hulk.
- Bosses such as the Great Unclean One and Ghazghkull Thraka.
- Gold earned during runs that makes characters stronger in later attempts, plus Warhammer paint pots that unlock new character forms.
To mark the launch, Xbox Wire published a guide to the Gloomspite Gitz faction. It covers enemies such as Moonclan Stabbas, Squig Hoppers, Mangler Squigs and Rockgut Troggoths. The boss Trugg the Troggoth King is an "Extremis"-level threat with a weakness players must discover. The guide recommends Maleneth's Poisoned Daggers against the regenerating troggoths.
What it means for you
If you have Game Pass, you can try Warhammer Survivors on Xbox Series X|S as part of your subscription. Polygon found the earliest weapons to be some of the worst, so the game takes a while to get going.
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Quick answers
Is Warhammer Survivors on Game Pass?
Yes. Xbox Wire says it is out now on Xbox Series X|S and available on Xbox Game Pass.
Who made Warhammer Survivors?
Auroch Digital, the studio behind Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, developed it with Warhammer and poncle, the creators of Vampire Survivors.
What is the main criticism?
Polygon says some early weapons don't auto-aim, so the game takes a while to become fun. It says the game is as good as its peers once the player gets past that point.
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