Vikings - Wolves of Midgard

So the upside is that this game has atmosphere. The sounds are nice, the music is nice, the artstyle is nice - you get this Vikings TV series feeling On the downside it's not very good at what it is. It is an Action RPG, like Diablo, Torchlight, Path of Exile. While I have hundreds of hours playtime in those ARPGS I doubt this one will keep my attention for very long. The main reason for this is that the Action part (meaning the fighting) is clumsy and unpolished. Sadly so, but it is what it is. Targeting some monsters is incredibly hard, like swooping ravens for example. Avoiding attacks is possible but no fun since there are little indicators when the attack will actually hit - and if you roll into the enemy it will just push them back. I encountered a few instances where my character would get stuck behind an unbreakable object and it was very hard to get unstuck. Once my path was blocked by a wooden building - which I could destroy, but figuring out that it takes three precice attacks was a little annoying. This game has a lot going for it, I say if you like the Vikings setting and feeling it is playable in some way - but it is just very far from Game of the Year. Some really cool things I liked: - The mechanic of seeking shelter (although not 100% well executed a very good idea) - The setting and the according figures (e.g. Bosses, lots of Viking name drops, it is just very true to the Viking background) - The crafting instead of buying feature - The souls-like leveling up (I like the mechanic of it but I doubt it fits this game in the long run) - Village progression and unlocking npcs by story missions - overall storyline is entertaining

In the beginning, the game seemed like a mediocre, even boring, ARPG. But then I thought that there is nothing bad with this game. It looks beautiful even after 5 years of its release. And the soundtrack is good(my favourite: https://youtu.be/rgzjswGs_qA). Then I began to like the odd humour of the main character. The title of this review is something he said to one of the bosses you will encounter in the game. "Stand aside, jester- I am here to talk to your leader". You can also play as a woman, if you like. The combat is easy to understand and fun. You can use bows, one hand weapons with shields, two hand weapons and even dual wield. Each slain enemy drops blood instead of XP. Then there are gifts from gods, which is another name for abilities. Some of them are active, most of them are passive. Each god provides bonuses to one combat style(e.g. Loki provides bonuses for dual wielding). You can combine them as you wish, or just stick with one god. Apart from bashing your enemies, you sometimes have to evade their attacks, since they are powerful. Combat gets bloody and gory, mainly chopping enemies to death with critical hits. I did not found an option to turn them off. Game consists of your village, where you can trade loot, upgrade buildings and purchase new gear. There is also an altar, where you sacrifice blood of your enemies(just a click of a button, no gore). Upgrading altar enables you to upgrade already purchased gifts. From your village, you go to missions called raids. There you kill everything that moves and destroy some things that do not. Destroyed things provide resources to upgrade buildings in your village. Apart from main missions, you can go to hunting raids, which provide even more resources and blood. Viking mythology blends well with medieval fantasy in this game. You will fight Vikings, animals, undead, giants and knights and priests. I like the lore. Definitely would appreciate a sequel. Or another ARPG from this studio.

The camera angels are horrible and pervent you from seeing your enemy at times, all the while they are able to attack you. The controls are bad, this isn't to be played with a keyboard and mouse, and you have no real way to change them. It gets a little better buy going changing your mouse to only attack and the other button to only move. Otherwise you often get stuck trying to move out of the way and end up attacking a random object or mob instead of avoiding a hit or moving to a better location. The graphics are fantastic and I really enjoyed them. I really was excited about this game, but the controls just make it un-enjoyable for me. Make sure you bring plenty of marshmellows, as you'll always be looking for a camp fire to keep warm....you'll get it once you play.

It's must-have for any viking and Norse mythology fans. Unlike other ARPGs that focus on enemy quantity and gear, Wolves of Midgard focuses on hand-to-hand combat and skill. You'll be fighting <10 enemies most of the time, and no amount of gear saves you from ignoring the game's core mechanics. Large focus is on roll/dodge to avoid being hit. Shields give you a passive chance to block, but you'll otherwise have to roll a lot. Rolling can be done with WASD or right-mouse button. WASD is clunky, as it is constrained to the axes, and the detail of the environment makes spotting collision planes unintuitive. I suggest ignoring WASD and getting used to RMB. Conveniently, LMB "locks" on to the target, so you can start an attack, and then, while keeping LMB pressed, quickly press RMB to roll if you see the enemy going at you. If you get used to this, the combat becomes fun, fast and brutal. Different classes specialize in different weapons -- 2h weapons, 1h+shield, bow etc -- and the talent tree gives you access to active and passive skills. You'll want the talent tree for your class, but you can also drop a few points in other trees to partially unlock those. For example, as a shield maiden, which typically wears 1h+shield, unlocking the Odin tree gives you skills that are handy to take down bosses with 2h weapons. Enemy variety is solid. Each has a unique set of attacks that gives them personality much like old-school games, and you'll have to learn how each works to combat them successfully. Boss fights feel epic and are also varied -- from bosses that you'll have to rage at and kill quickly, to those that deal less damage but last longer and will require a much deeper concentration and stamina to keep the timing of rolls and attacks consistent. Environment detail, background music, and story are fantastic. A cinematic plays when you kill an enemy with a critical hit or trigger "slay". Heads and limbs will be rolling like crazy. 100% thankful this game was made.

The whole idea is good but stops there, in the concept. Graphics are decent but monotone, skill system and character development is boring, and the loot and the maps are always the same so lacks the best and most important features of this kind of game and doesn't compensate it with a good story or great gameplay. The only somewhat notable feature is having to "rebuild" your camp but it's a very linear task that's all about spending gold. You have more engaging and epic adventures with better character development and story that are much older than this game and I suggest aiming for those games before trying your luck with this one.