Jotun: Valhalla Edition Reviews
Despite the occasional frame rate issue and immense challenge, Jotun is a game that lovers of old school action adventure titles will love. Combining beautiful, hand drawn visuals with immensely rewarding gameplay, I loved the time I spent with it. It’s a game that draws players in with its beauty, and keeps them coming back with smart boss design and a feeling of accomplishment that few games today manage to grasp.
The haunting music serves as a grimy backdrop to what is otherwise a very beautiful-looking game. Each stage is a perfect illustration on the sources they are based on in Norse mythology, with splendid vistas that are equally as impressive. While the gameplay and stages can be slow going at times, or downright frustrating due to constant backtracking in order to discover all the secrets in every stage, the fights against the five Jotuns are the true meat of this game. Jotun: Valhalla Edition contains a Boss Rush mode at the completion of the adventure, which allows for a greater challenge at defeating these bosses, while Thora's journey to reach Valhalla is a satisfying one thanks to a strong acting performance given by Viking warrior.
Jotun's undoubtedly a beautiful game but it contains a fair bit of dead time between the action.
Despite its imperfections, Jotun is a great game. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can easily see myself being enticed back to its wondrous realms. However, it is held back by the underwhelming start and oversights related to camera and movement. It seems a bit short for the price of $15, but was worth it for the art alone.
Jotun is a simplest game you can think of when it comes to 2D hack-and-dodge game. It's basically roll fest interrupted every once in a while by us hacking and slashing the enemy. It relies on remembering what an enemy does and when exactly. The game can be simply too difficult for impatient people and will not retain their attention. The rest can enjoy quite challenging gameplay.
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All in all Jotun is a gorgeous and well-made game that plays quite well as a boss battle challenge with decent elements in-between. The scale of those fights is absolutely memorable, and while they can be challenging I’d say that for the most part they’re also fair. If you are in the mood to take down some giant bosses it’s an enjoyable ride.
The mechanics are simple but solid. While the game ostensibly operates like a hack-and-slash, the actual beats of combat and of Thora's axe make it feel like anything but. This is a heavy weapon, one she has to shift back to a solid starting place after she swings it, or take a moment to lift it overhead to slam down. Rolling can get you quickly out of harm's way, but Thora needs a moment after just to reorient herself and get back on her feet. This is a human woman struggling to face challenges set by gods, and it feels like it.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition a short but memorable experience. The art style and animation alone stand out tall and proud amongst the ruckus of the indie scene. At its core, it is a game that does repeat traditions and repetition both in gameplay and pace that some may find a little tedious. But, as for myself, I found it quite difficult to put down. There would often be times where all I needed was one more strike to down a Jotun, only for it to bury me in the ground and punish my impatience. It was within these subtle moments and lessons learned that kept me willing and invested until the very end.
I was looking for a good way of explaining what this game was and I decided on “One-Dimensional”. For me, it was a rush to the end and left me with a shrug of the shoulders. There is something missing in this title and it comes from the dull exploration portions that I talked about earlier. If you are interested in this title wait for a sale but some may enjoy it more than others depending on what your tastes are.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is worth your time, and offers beautiful art, great gameplay, and an engaging tale for a bargain price.
Jotun gives an easily digestible and wonderfully paced journey that is let down by shallow combat. Playing the story itself it deeply satisfying and to see this world come to life is magnificent, I just wish there was more.
Yes, we do Anchorman quotes too!
A great indie game, not long but good price for what it is. The art style is fantastic, and the sound design is brilliant, but gameplay can feel frustrating at times.
"The game follows the Norse mythology, which we often see only vague allusions to in gaming. The dialogue is all subtitled Scandinavian, keeping true to the Nordic tone. This, the subtle lilting music and the animation all blend together well to make Jotun feel like a playable fairy tale, albeit a rather grim one"
Jotun is the first game in a while that fully pulled me into its world. The lands of Viking myth are here brought to stunning life and the epic boss battles with the numerous Giants are the icing on the game cake. Easily the most Viking game since The Banner Saga.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a game well worth your time.
A beautifully realised, engaging Norse adventure.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a lovely game featuring a strong tale of battle while having a perfectly drawn world to accompany it.