The Warhammer franchise, as well as its incredibly successful 40,000 cousin franchise, has been an influential and sturdy staple of nerdy franchises. The over-the-top nature of both the fantasy and sci-fi worlds has engaged fans through the tabletop, the books, and of course, the video games.
With the sheer amount of video games announced next year for Warhammer, there’s no better time to give all the games from yesteryear a play-through. For players who have yet to play some of the best that Games Workshop’s star franchise has to offer, these games are sure to bring some chaos-killing fun.
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor (2018) – 71
Inquisitor is an action RPG developed by Neocore games and follows the dreaded Inquisition of the Imperium. Here, they are tasked with rooting out the Caligari Sector, a place riddled with warp storms, xenos, and chaos hordes, of these unwanted visitors. However, the sector has far more terrifying things than a few abominations.
Although the game had a rocky launch, it has since fixed a lot of issues that gamers had with its initial release. The game isn’t quite as complex as other ARPGs, but it does lean into that by having some fun builds that reward brave players. Overall, a solid Diablo clone set in the 40k universe.
Warhammer: Chaosbane (2019) – 73
Set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe, Chaosbane is an isometric action RPG developed by Eko Software. The game is set 200 years before the rule of Karl Franz, and the Empire struggles to fight off a new chaos horde amassing at their gate. Only heroes can save the Empire now.
The game is pretty much Diablo but set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. For fans of that loot n slash genre, Chaosbane is a very fun time and has great replay value thanks to the four playable characters. With all the controversies surrounding Diablo Immortalgamers might as well play a game that won’t squeeze them for every penny.
Warhammer 40k: Carnage (2014) – 75
Carnage is a side-scrolling action-shooter RPG developed by Roadhouse Interactive for iOS and Android. The game lets you take control of a variety of Space Marines from four Chapters as they shoot and slash their way through xenos and chaos hordes alike.
While it may seem like mindless carnage at first, the game is quite a strategic one. The short bursts of high-octane combat are always preceded by picking the right build and stat spread. The carnage is far from mindless, but it is still just as bloody.
Warhammer 40k: Space Marine (2011) – 76
Space Marine is a third-person action game developed by Relic Entertainment. Unlike many of its predecessors, Space Marine escapes the usual strategy affairs of the Warhammer franchise and goes straight into over-the-top bloody violent gameplay that suits 40K just fine.
Space Marine takes the focus to a singular squad of Space Marines, and showcases just how powerful they are. In addition, the players get a ground view of what it feels like to be ground forces against the innumerable masses of monsters humanity faces.
Blood Bowl 2 (2015) – 76
Blood Bowl 2 is the second adaptation of the wacky Blood Bowl board game. The game is essentially fantasy football, except the teams aren’t just limited to puny humans. Massive Ork warbands, Norscan chaos hordes, and big, fat ogres are potential recruits in this violent variant of an American pastime.
It’s no secret that most Warhammer games are tactical, but none of them ever get quite as absurd as Blood Bowl. It is a sharp contrast to the usual grimdark fantasy of the setting, and the clash is both hilarious and addictive to play. Blood Bowl 3 is set for release sometime this year, so now’s a great time to catch up.
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War III (2017) – 77
Dawn of War III is the third entry into the beloved Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War franchise. On the planet of Acheron, a powerful artifact known as the “Spear of Khaine” causes three forces to clash. The Blood Ravens, The Eldar of Bie-Tan, and the Ork Bad Moonz are three of the races the player gets to control.
Critics and fans were unfortunately split on the game’s return to base-building and new Hero units. Many critics pointed out that it felt bloated, but fans of the game liked the new mechanics and the more intimate setting of Acheron. Still, the future of the Dawn of War The franchise is up in the air.
Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus (2018) – 78
Mechanicus is a turn-based tactical game developed by Bulwark Studios. The game has the player take control of the Ark Mechanicus Starship known as the “Caestus Metalican” after it discovers the Tomb World of Silva Tenebris. As expected, the Necrons awaken, and the player must fight them off to survive.
The gameplay of Mechanicus is quite similar to the likes of the tactical XCOM. It’s a tactical game that doesn’t scale out like Dawn of War or Total War does. Instead, it opts for a tightly designed dungeon-based campaign, which makes for a fun and quirky experience.
Vermintide (2015) – 79
Vermintide is a cooperative first-person action shooter game developed by Fatshark. The game is set in the Skaven-infested city of Ubersreik, where players can choose one out of five ragtag misfits to fight off the rat hordes with magic, arrows, and steel sword in hand.
Vermintide is essentially a Warhammer Fantasy version of the Valve classic Left 4 Dead. The game is also beloved for its loveably quirky cast of characters. The constant snarks and banter help give the endless violence a charmingly fun side.
Vermintide 2 (2018) – 83
Vermintide 2 is the sequel to the highly praised first game and expands on what made the first game so beloved with a new setting, different styles of gameplay for each character, as well as a focus on a new threat: the chaos forces of the pestilence god Nurgle .
Careers do not just change how a character fights, but also their stories. For example, Viktor Saltzpyre could be a Witch Hunter Captain, a freelance Bounty Hunter, an unhinged Zealot, or a Warrior-Priest of Sigmar himself. That variety is a great way to keep both new and old players engaged.
Total War: Warhammer Trilogy (2016) – 87 (Average)
Total War and Warhammer Fantasy are a match made in heaven, and so many fans fell in love with the announcement that there would be a connected trilogy. Although there are three entries in the franchise (developed by Creative Assembly), each game is essentially an “expansion” of the game before it. This is best seen in the “Immortal Empires” campaign of the Total War: Warhammer III.
Like “Mortal Empires” before it, the game requires you to own all three games to access the grandest campaign of the franchise. It combines all the races from each game in a massive campaign on a map far larger than any game before it. It was recently announced in the last Warhammer announcement live stream, and fans can not wait to play.
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