Inside the Melee Mayhem of Vermintide: A Developer’s Journey

Taking the Plunge into Melee Combat

Hey there, fellow gamers! Let’s talk about melee combat, shall we? Remember Dark Messiah of Might & Magic? That game was full of epic moments, like booting an orc off a cliff. But let’s be honest, there are way more games where swinging your weapon feels like trying to tickle a brick wall than there are games that nail it. Yet, when Fatshark was cooking up Vermintide over a decade ago, they were so deep in the melee rabbit hole that they didn’t even realize they were stepping into a minefield.

Anders De Geer, the Chief Creative Officer, shared a little peek into their obliviousness. “We were all about those hit effects and how satisfying it felt to land a hit. One minute we were engrossed in talks about chopping heads with axes, and the next I noticed everyone was looking at us like we were a bunch of wild animals. Turns out we hadn’t read the room at all!” Who knew lunch discussions about decapitating foes could be so enlightening?

The Good, the Bad, and the Melee

Now, here’s a plot twist! Martin Wahlund, the CEO of Fatshark, found himself sweating bullets after a heart-to-heart with a co-founder of 10 Chambers. This guy was like, “Man, you guys are brave for diving into first-person melee. Every time I tried, my company turned into a ghost town!” Naturally, Martin sprinted back to Anders, panicking, “Maybe we should switch to ranged combat?” But the team stuck to their blades—thank goodness for that!

Sure, there are characters who’ve got guns—because what’s a game without a little fireworks, right? But the heart of Vermintide is all about getting up close and personal with the enemies. Remember that epic moment in the Lord of the Rings, where Sauron’s swinging his big ol’ weapon and sending people flying? Yeah, that’s the vibe they were going for!

Wahlund recalls their weapon development journey fondly. “We started off with a two-handed hammer, just smashing away to see how it felt. That was our gold standard! We wanted every swing to be a thrill. I mean, who doesn’t want to unleash chaos on some skaven?” And boy, did they nail that feeling! My first playthrough of Vermintide had me trying various characters, but let me tell you, once I got my hands on Saltzpyre and his zweihander, I became a force of nature, sending skaven packing like I was Sauron himself!

Their secret sauce? One weapon at a time. They poured their heart and soul into perfecting each one, a true labor of love woven into every pixel. So yeah, it’s a lot of hard work, but hey, someone’s gotta keep the melee torch burning bright!