Each time you find yourself defeated you go back home and build up your arsenal of weapons and health-giving potions and food ready to try again. The aim is then to complete the journey to Valhalla to take your rightful place. You begin by gathering resources by mining and chopping down trees, learning to cook and make potions and building up your castle. Oh the horror! That’s the backstory for Niffelheim and what follows is a largely entertaining 2D scroller. Imagine you’re a Viking warrior who dies what he sees as a glorious death only to wake up in Niffelheim instead of Valhalla. Read more: A Viking Timeline: What Happened & When Niffelheim (2018) Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and, since April 2019, Switch. Instead, as one of the most immersive titles out there, Senua’s Sacrifice is a stunning example of how indie gaming can be as good as, or even better than, the big studios. Battling is there too, though this is far from a hack and slash game. Through puzzling, hallucinations and guidance from the voices in Senua’s head the game takes you on a journey quite unlike any other.
Take the role of Senua, a cursed Pict warrior who is arriving in Helheim in a quest to save her dead lover. It’s effectively a cinematic novel, which tells a compelling story through an incredibly rich and diverse visual and auditory experience. The first indie title on our list is hard to describe. For Honor Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (2017) It may take a long grind to get there but the results are worth it.įor Honor is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. You can customise your character fairly infinitely so it’s unlikely you’ll ever come across someone who looks identical. The multiplayer game is where For Honor comes alive. This is bloodthirsty gameplay at its most Viking! Its strength lies in having one of the best developed combat systems in all of video gaming. Each faction has types of characters that fit into its mythology and use accurate weapons and fighting techniques. You take on the role of a character in one of 4 factions – Samurai, Vikings, Knight and Wu Lin. If you’re a true Viking and your only desire is to die in a glorious battle and ascend to Valhalla, then this is the game for you! Aside from the lacklustre campaign that’s effectively an 8-hour tutorial and the very stingy rewards system, For Honor is an incredibly good game.
One problem you might encounter is that you need to get your balance of skills right or you may end up being unable to actually beat any opponents!Įxpeditions: Viking is available on PC now.
One strength is the turn-based combat system that works really well. Once you’re ready you can head out and start battling enemies, conquering lands and doing all the good things the Vikings loved to do! Like all games, Expeditions: Viking has strengths and weaknesses. Your first priority is to rebuild your clan and gather the skills and weapons you need. In this SRPG, you’re a Viking thegn who just took over the role of chieftain after your father was killed abroad. If it’s historical accuracy that you’re after, then this is the one you’re looking for. Vikings: Wolves of Midgard Expeditions: Viking (2017) The game is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It’s not going to keep you coming back for replays but it’s definitely worth a run through. There are different aims such as preventing Ragnarök and building your clan back up by subjugating rival clans. Simple mechanics like ‘exposure’ where you can only fight for so long without finding fire or shelter before you freeze add a welcome touch of realism. Similar to games like Diablo, Wolves of Midgard embraces Norse mythology well.
Taking the role of a Viking chieftain of a lowly clan that has recently been decimated, the aim of Wolves of Midgard is to hack and slash your way to victory.