Viking: Battle for Asgard is an interesting combination of a third-person Oblivion and God of War. As an avid fan of both of these games, Viking is a welcome alternative to all of the lame horror and action games released lately. Add into the mix a bit of Age of Empires, and woah….can I have a minute alone?
It’s hard for me not to be excited over Viking: Battle for Asgard. The story is great, graphics are amazing, battle system is awesome, and soundtrack is to die for. It is rare that I pick up a game and am this easily impressed. Viking takes place in Midgard, which is at the mercy of a fight between two Norse Gods: Odin and Hel. Hel has defied Odin, and as punishment, has been banished.
As an act of revenge, Hel summons legions of undead warriors to capture and enslave mortals. This act may provoke Ragnarok, an epic battle that may destroy not only life as we know it, but also all of the Norse Gods. You are Skarin, a young warrior who died suddenly and was revived by Freya. She bestows Skarin with a powerful gift, and also gives him the difficult task of overthrowing Hel’s armies. Skarin awakens to find Midgard in turmoil, and so the quest begins.
A fierce struggle is taking place within the realm of the Norse Gods, as the goddess Hel has been banished for defying Odin, Lord of Asgard. Angry at her fate, Hel has raised an army of resurrected Viking warriors to wipe out all of humanity in the mortal realm of Midgard, as she seeks to bring about Ragnarok — the apocalyptic battle that that will destroy Asgard and the Gods themselves. The task of stopping Hel and defending the future of mankind falls to Skarin, a promising but deeply flawed young warrior, ignorant of the true reason for his favor with the Gods…
Features:
- High-impact, brutal combat. Dismember enemies and experience high-impact melee combat unlike any game you’ve played.
- Mythical powers. Tame dragons and command them to rain fire upon your enemies. Power up your weapons with elemental abilities and lay waste to your adversaries.
- Three open-world environments. Explore, uncover and fight your way across huge Norse worlds full of combat and exploration.
- Climactic, epic battles. Lay the foundations for huge battles featuring hundreds of warriors at once. Subtly influence the battle through targeted assassination and sabotage, or wade in to save stricken allies.
I love the battle mechanics in Viking. Although you manage an army, each member is perfectly capable of taking care of himself and will slay enemies quickly and efficiently. You won’t find your vikings wandering the forest or turning in circles, so there isn’t much need for micromanagement.
As Skarin, you will run at enemies and attack with a variety of weapons. At the start of the game, you will carry a sword and a battle axe, using each separately or together for some awesome finishing moves. Viking does not shy away from the blood and gore here, and this is where the “intense violence” rating comes from. You will see your enemies appendages fly in separate directions as you slice through their bodies. Whether you decapitate or slice your enemies literally in half (Darth Maul style), the finishing moves are awesome.
The best part is that all of these actions are easily executed. Interestingly, your health and magic bar will regenerate automatically, a la God of War again. However, by eating or drinking particular foods, you can enhance the size of your life and magic bar. This game also autosaves, which is nice for just running around. The menu system is laid out well and easy to access. Whether you are looking at your items, maps, or weapons, each menu is easy to understand and use.
The map of Asgard is laid out much like a live Age of Empires map. Each place on the map has several objectives to complete, and more open up as you check off the list. The objectives are direct so you know exactly where to go.
There is an element of exploration, since you must find where your Viking friends are held captive and release them. Treasure is not indicated on the map either, but when you are close the item will glow. Although you can run around by yourself, you are limited to the areas you’ve opened up. You will need to complete more objectives to open up more areas of the map.
Sound and graphics are great in this game. The graphics are similar to those found in Oblivion. My only complaint about the graphics is that the characters can look a little plasticky. But the effects look great, and the environments are awesome as well.
I wish there was a little more exploration available. For example, most of the buildings cannot be explored and there aren’t many caves or people to interact with outside of those you NEED to talk to. These are small complaints for a game that is great otherwise. If you are a fan of exploration, live action battle, and a good story, Viking is worth picking up.
There hasn’t really been a game like this available for PS3, so this would be a welcome change from the normal games available to us. Give it a shot and I doubt you will be disappointed.