Warhaven, a multiplayer medieval warfare video game, is out now on Early Access! Read on to learn about the game along with whether or not it’s worth your time.
Warhaven Review Overview
Warhaven Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Fun and Unique Gameplay Character Variety Legitimately Free-to-play |
Extreme Mediocrity |
Warhaven Overall - 68/100
Warhaven offers free-to-play massive 12v12 and 6v6 medieval multiplayer battles but fails to wow its players. The game, unfortunately, wallows in mediocrity. Although there were fun things about the game, they were drowned out by the thought that everything else is just so average. Nothing about the game is particularly bad, but nothing is mind-blowing either. However, while it won’t dethrone your favorite games, Warhaven could be a cost-free way to kill time if you want a unique medieval-themed multiplayer experience to get into every now and then.
Warhaven Story - 5/10
Considering how stories in multiplayer games aren’t too important, Warhaven’s attempt at individual character lore is commendable. Each character has a backstory but lacks the depth that intrigues story-loving players.
Warhaven Gameplay - 7/10
Warhaven's gameplay takes a bit to grow on you. The initial hours might not be the most enjoyable, but once you grasp the mechanics and earn perks (passive buffs) on your characters, the game starts to shine. The variety of playable characters catering to different roles and playstyles adds depth to the chaotic action. The controls feel smooth and responsive. The game seems to draw inspiration from Overwatch; both are chaotic team-based multiplayer games with different characters in randomized maps and game modes. Despite all these positives, the game feels significantly inferior to the top free-to-play games of the last decade.
Warhaven Visuals - 7/10
Visually, Warhaven doesn’t stand out. The graphics are decent but lack the polish that could elevate the overall experience. The maps are pretty well designed and work well with the available game modes for the map. The character designs are, once again, just okay. The game’s graphics settings are comparable to the graphic settings on Call of Duty Warzone.
Warhaven Audio - 5/10
The sound design follows the same trend of being average. The sound effects are alright, but they aren’t great either. The sound effects are functional and work well in helping you keep track of what’s happening amid the chaos on your screen. However, I wasn’t a fan of the music at all. To me, the music sounded more fitting for Vikings or pirates rather than medieval knights. I completely turned the music off after about 4 hours of gameplay.
Warhaven Value for Money - 10/10
One area where Warhaven undeniably excels is its value for money. Being free-to-play (F2P), it offers a substantial amount of content without requiring a financial commitment. The game also stands by its free-to-play label as there aren’t any pay-to-win microtransactions. Warhaven also offers a battle pass filled with unlockable cosmetics for $10 which is fair for a F2P game. However, with the amount of superb free-to-play games out right now, many more games offer so much more for the same price of free.
Warhaven Early Access Review: Meh-dieval Mediocrity
On paper, the thought of large scale medieval multiplayer battles sounds extremely fun. I was very excited to experience this for myself when tasked with reviewing this game. However, as I soon found out, everything about Warhaven is just so mediocre. Its gameplay and graphics are among some of its stronger elements, but are only slightly above average alone and fail to make up for the weaker elements of the game.
Gameplay in this game can be pretty fun. However, it lacks the flair to elevate the game into something worth playing over the other top free-to-play games of the last few years. It features a variety of game modes similar to Overwatch, like King of the Hill and Push the Payload, that take place in well designed maps. There’s an array of different characters to choose from, each with their own unique roles, play styles, and skill sets. However, what sets back the gameplay is how combat is a bit too simple and lacks the depth or complexity you’d find in praiseworthy titles. Moreover, the abilities each character has are so plain and uninteresting. Like, the sword guy literally just hits you with a sword uppercut. The spear guy just starts poking at you three times in not-so-quick succession. The game already has fantasy elements so why shy away from flashier, more interesting abilities?
Warhaven seems to struggle with finding its identity. While it’s obvious that the game leans more towards fantasy rather than realism, a lot in the game feels out of place. Why are there military trucks powered by magical stones transporting soldiers armed with just…regular spears and swords? If they can figure out how to power trucks, why don’t they at least try to use the stones for their weapons, considering they’re always at war? There’s also Hoet, one of the immortals who looks like an undead samurai turned K-Pop idol for some reason. While there are fantasy elements in the game that make sense and fit well in the game, like Smoke’s magic healing smoke and Raven’s exploding ravens (great names by the way), there are some things that don’t belong at all.
Overall, the game is just alright. Not good, not too bad. Is it fun? Kind of. Would I play it over my other games? No. The game has the potential to be good, and we hope that the Warhaven developers could figure it all out before the full game is released.
Pros of Warhaven Early Access
| Things Warhaven Got Right So Far |
|---|
|
Fun and Unique Gameplay Character Variety Legitimately Free-to-play |
Fun and Unique Gameplay
The gameplay does well in capturing the chaos in historic large-scale medieval battles. Whether it’s the 12v12 game modes or the 6v6 team deathmatch, there is no shortage of slashing, stabbing, and smacking your adversaries.
Combat essentially boils down to a rock paper scissors system, with block beating attack, guard break beating block, and attack beating guard break. The maps are well designed and are great for the game modes they feature. Moving around in large maps is easy, thanks to the glider you’re able to use when falling from the more elevated places of the terrain. There are various environmental weapons that can be utilized, such as cannons and mounted ballistas for ranged engagements. They add depth to the already solid gameplay and further highlights the importance of positioning and map control. Once per match, you’re able to temporarily transform into one of the four immortals, strong avatars with the ability to drastically affect the battlefield.
All of these, paired with the pretty good character variety, make for a decent gameplay experience.
Character Variety
All of the characters play distinctly from one another, making their feel and play styles unique to each of them. There are currently six soldiers and four immortals you can play as. Each one falls under one of the traditional roles/classes found in video games. There’s Guardian the shield-bearing tank, Smoke as the healer support, Spike the spearwoman a.k.a. the ranged poke specialist, and Hush as the mobile glass cannon. Finally, as the DPS bruisers, there’s Blade the swordsman, and Warhammer the big guy with a… well, warhammer..
The four immortals include a fast and powerful melee warrioress, a mage that summons burning crows to fly and explode at opponents, an undead support that grants shields and can instantly resurrect the dead allies in an area, and a divine horseman that quickly tramples through everyone in his way. All are viable and no one character feels overpowered. Each one can excel in combat, provided you play around your character’s strengths. The game seems to be in a balanced state, which is optimal for online multiplayer games.
Customization is also great in this game, as you can unlock and equip three different perks at a time, improving your soldier’s combat capabilities. Each character also comes with different skins and cosmetics, where two skins per character can be unlocked by playing as them enough.
Legitimately Free-to-play
Warhaven is truly free-to-play, with only cosmetics and a $10 battle pass being available as in-game microtransactions. It is completely devoid of pay-to-win elements and can be fully enjoyed without spending a single dollar, something that is sadly commendable in the current state of gaming.
Cons of Warhaven
| Things That Warhaven Can Improve |
|---|
|
Extreme Mediocrity |
Extreme Mediocrity
On paper, the concept of chaotic 12v12 medieval combat sounds great for a video game. However, I can’t help but feel underwhelmed after pouring several hours into the game. The gameplay and graphics are good, but they’re not outstanding. The sound effects, the graphics, the music, and the character designs are all just mediocre. Although the title is definitely fresh and unique, the sheer mediocrity of the game stands out as the sole con of the game. Since the game is still in its Early Access build, there is hope that the game can still significantly improve.
Since Warhaven is pretty much just a hack and slash medieval themed Overwatch, I couldn’t help but compare the two. Playing Smoke, the game’s support character, feels very similar to a bootleg Mercy from Overwatch. Aiming with Spike’s lengthy spear felt somewhat awkward as there were times where I swear my crosshair was right on my opponent, but for some reason the thrust still managed to miss. The skills and abilities of the different characters are very underwhelming, lacking that certain flair to make them seem cool and rewarding to execute. Even the character designs are subpar, with most of the characters failing to stand out in the modern game industry aesthetically and design wise.
Is Warhaven Worth It?
No.
Sure, the game is free and it’s somewhat fun. However, as I have mentioned multiple times in this review, the game is so mediocre that I’d play all the other games I have on my PC and consoles over Warhaven. Despite its free-to-play nature, it’s not worth the memory it’ll take up, since you’d probably play your other games over Warhaven as well. However, if you’re a die hard fan of the medieval warfare subgenre and you’re captivated by the allure of shining armor and ancient weaponry, then MAYBE Warhaven is worth the gigabytes for you.
Warhaven Overview & Premise
Earn glory and victory in the battlefield as you slash and smash your way through the large scale 12v12 or 6v6 medieval battles of Warhaven. Choose from a variety of warriors, each with unique skill sets and different personal motivations for fighting. Incarnate as powerful Immortals who can single handedly turn the tides of war. Explore the fictional world of Herarth and discover its rich history.
Warhaven FAQ
Why can't I interact with objects when playing certain Immortals?
Immortal characters can only use the interaction key to respond to cheers.
Additionally, Hoet is the only Immortal who can resurrect allies with the interact button.
I don't have any [Patrol/Exploration/Conquest] available in World Pass.
You’ll have to level up your World Pass and advance your carriage first, and then you'll be able to participate in Patrol, Exploration, and Conquest.
Game8 Reviews
Warhaven Product Information
 |
|
| Title | WARHAVEN |
|---|---|
| Release Date | September 21, 2023 |
| Developer | NEXON |
| Publisher | NEXON |
| Supported Platforms | PC |
| Genre | Third Person, Medieval, Fighting |
| Number of Players | Online Multiplayer (12-28) |
| ESRB Rating | Unrated |
| Official Website | Warhaven Website |
