Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster makes quite the first impression. The demo for the upcoming stealth-action platformer from Old Skull Games and Dotemu began with your character crawling out of a giant pile of bodies. What followed was a brutal and bloody, albeit quick, trip through the opening of the game. Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster looks like it could be a great new entry in the Warhammer universe, while also offering an accessible, brutal way for new fans to experience the world.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster lets you play as Vihneek, a Skaven, a first in Warhammer history. The rat-man protagonist crawls out of a giant pile of bodies, hands bound. The first thing you do is break your constraints against a rock, beginning a sneaky segment as you avoid patrols of the controlling Skaven. Vihneek is quick and agile, climbing walls with ease. When you run up against a wall, Vihneek begins crawling, skulking around quietly. You can even crawl on ceilings, making the entire area a possible hiding spot or way past guards.
Vihneek crawls past guard after guard until a giant brute breaks out of their confines and starts chasing him. You’re saved by an unknown but incredibly terrifying Skaven, who enlists you as part of their gang. He saved you; therefore, he owns you, trading one pair of shackles for another as you’re brought back to their hideout. Here, you can upgrade Vihneek, with the first one being a grappling hook that lets you latch on to rings for quick escapes and positioning. Your new captor sends you into the Gnaw to infiltrate their enemies.
Jumping down into the Gnaw is where Vihneek’s mission really begins. The following section is full of brutal murder, decapitations, and stealthy assassinations. Equipped with a dagger, you need to watch the guards and plan accordingly to take them out. Looking at their field of vision, walking routes, nearby sources of light – all of this coalesces into fun stealth gameplay. If you’re caught, you have a precious few seconds to escape, but if you can’t, Vihneek meets a quick death. The checkpointing here is great so far, taking you back to the beginning of that encounter to plan and try again.
The assassination animations are awesome, flashy and bloody, with quick hits as Vihneek cuts down whoever stands in his way. You can pick up skulls and other items off the ground to toss and redirect guards’ attention to have a better approach, or sneak around them entirely. The preview ends as you make your way past a handful of enemies, requiring multiple distractions, alternate routes, and quick, quiet kills.
Based on the demo, I’m really excited to see how Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster develops over the full experience. So far, it’s fast and fluid, with multiple options through any encounter. The stealth sections were appropriately simple for the beginning of the game, but you can already see the depth and planning the full title might require from the player. The art style and animations are gross, in a good way- dark and bloody, which fits the tone of the narrative and characters. I’ve never really been a Warhammer person, but Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster has me interested in jumping into the Gnaw and turning Vihneek into the ultimate Deathmaster.
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Deathmaster is out in 2027 on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and PC.
