Video games sometimes move in trends, with a given genre or a particular setting gaining popularity for a while before the next one comes along. And lately, we’ve been rolling through a distinct Valhalla trend, with seemingly countless games either taking place in or paying homage to the Norse mythological concept. The trend actually hasn’t gone on all that long, but already there are several noteworthy games that stand out from the crowd. We’re going to take a look at the best of them in this post.
Niffelheim
This 2D dungeon crawler from Ellada Games is known for its hand-painted background graphics and moody dungeon settings. It is quite simply a beautifully designed game that is great for players who enjoy a relaxing grind as opposed to a deluge of lore and plot. That said, it still facilitates hours upon hours of gameplay, as you guide your character along the path toward Valhalla, surviving all sorts of challenging circumstances all the way.
Die For Valhalla!
In Die For Valhalla! you play as a Valkyrie, which allows you to take control of the dead. As you set about doing just that, sacrificing characters to Valhalla as needed, you can play as different classes whenever you’d like. A review at Nintendo Life refers to the game as “aesthetically pleasing,” which may seem odd when it consists largely of violent animated Vikings and assorted spooky creatures. But it is a bizarrely nice game to look at due to its unique style. That, plus a sort of old-school beat-‘em-up gameplay style, makes this game an unexpected charmer.
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Valhalla Slots
This is an online slot machine game designed with four reels and 54 paylines. While this makes for a lot of fun results, however, and the gameplay is smooth, it’s the Norse atmosphere that makes it worthwhile alongside countless other slots. The design team at Wazdan infused this title with beautifully drawn Viking characters and symbols, lots of fun background and effects, and an excellent soundtrack. The game also boasts a particularly fun special feature (the “gamble” feature), whereby a Norse god appears and presents you with two doors. You choose which one to open, and if you guess right, your prize is doubled.
Masters Of Valhalla Slots
Another option to consider is the slot category. Masters Of Valhalla is one of the newly featured offerings at Gala Bingo, and appears to be well positioned to become a major title across casino platforms. It is in some respects a simpler game than Valhalla Slots, from a graphics perspective (lacking some of the 3D backgrounds and lightning displays). But it’s an incredibly clean, attractive, and smooth game, for its relative visual simplicity. Reels are populated by the likes of Odin and Freya (among other Norse figures and symbols), and there are little touches to appreciate –– like ravens watching the wheels, and Thor’s hammer being used to smack boosts into effect. You also get to pass through a golden gateway for a Valhalla Bonus round now and then.
ODIN: Valhalla Rising
ODIN: Valhalla Rising is an MMORPG in which you can choose a character from four classes: witch, fighter, priest, and thief. From there, you set out on a series of adventures and battles to and through Valhalla. The game is available for both Android and iOS, but as it was made on Unreal Engine 4, your device will have to be a little newer than most in order to handle the beautiful, but slightly heavy graphics. Overall, it’s a gorgeous game with a particularly nice soundtrack, and it’s obvious that a lot of hard work went into the story and gameplay.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
And here’s the big one –– the experience that defines Norse mythology in gaming. Just like the previous games in the Assassin’s Creed series, Valhalla is an open-world RPG with tons of fun stealth action built into a stunning environment. Here you play specifically as Eivor, a Viking raider out to make his way in a brutal but wondrous world. And ultimately, it’s a game that will surely pull at your heartstrings with a grim, dark, and frankly very genuine storyline. IGN has rated it 8/10, or “great,” and frankly that’s on the lower end for a game that many view as one of the best to come out in years.
Hopefully, this has given you enough suggestions to go have a bit of fun with Norse mythology games! For more news on video games, tech, entertainment, and a little bit of everything else, don’t forget to come to LeeDaily again soon.
