Jotun: Valhalla Edition Reviews
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.
This is one of those games where there is almost an equal amount to love and hate, so depending on what people prioritise this could either be a great experience or a dreadfully dull one. The boss fights are incredible, the world feels alive, and there is something soothing to the exploration. At the same time, though, the exploration segments tend to carry on for too long and without much interesting happening along the way, so a lot of the game feels like padding. By the end, some players may be desperately trying to rush on through just to get to the next boss, because that is really the only part the game does exceptionally well. Jotun: Valhalla Edition might not be entirely heavenly, but there is certainly enough here to keep it away from damnation.
Jotun feels like a pretty face with no personality. It's huge, but what is found within is too often the player fighting the game, instead of fighting the monsters within. The feeling of elation is clearly there when each behemoth is toppled, but it's just not fun getting to that point. It's hard to tell if that elation comes from overcoming the monster, or from finally getting to move onto the next one. It's obvious, though, that the depth is there; it's just missing the substance.
For what it’s worth, Jotun has its audience cut out for it.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a game of moments. It's like an album with a handful of brilliant songs surrounded by filler material you'd rather just skip. That's not to say it's not worth playing, especially at the attractive price of $14.99. The great moments make it worth it, but the gameplay between those moments can try your patience. As such, it'll just take some serious dedication to play it all the way through.
Combat doesn’t feel like Jotun’s priority, even though it defines the most exciting parts of the game. It’s an experience that puts style before substance, and asks its players that they do the same.
Jotun just falls short of receiving that higher recommendation. It’s enjoyable yet clearly inconsistent, despite its great use of setting and some terrific boss fights.
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.
The design of Jotun Valhalla Edition is very simple, and overall I think the lack of dynamic gameplay hindered the experience I had with it.
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.
Graphically, it's a masterpiece, but Jotun's action is too imbalanced to allow the same to be said about the game as a whole. Exploring its environments will be a treat for some players and getting stuck into its difficult boss battles will be a treat for others: if your tastes are wide-ranging enough to appreciate both scenarios, this is a winner.
“Jotun: Valhalla Edition” is a solid action-adventure game made memorable by stunning, fluid visuals and towering boss fights that are gigantic in every sense of the word. Gameplay mechanics for your character can feel awkward and dead spots in area design dampen the experience somewhat. If you like a throwback game with solitary ambiance or loved the original Jotun and pine for an extra challenge with its bosses via the new Valhalla Mode, however, you will enjoy what this version has to offer.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is an epic to experience, but more for its memorable destinations than the journeys to get to them. The gorgeous sceneries and animation combined with the amazing, authentic audio make its bosses something that should be hoarded like Fafnir's gold. Even though the gaps between bosses leave more to be desired with disappointing exploration, Thora's tale is one that manages to enter Valhalla's gates with an adequate amount of flying colors.
For a game that deals with this large a scale it often feels small and lifeless outside of the boss fights. It is, though, a visual showpiece that offers a stiff challenge. And while playing it on the go probably won't make this worth a return trip to Ginnungagap, it is definitely a great game to add to your Switch library if you've not checked it out before.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a throwback to retro gaming in terms of both art style and gameplay. While the minimalist design manages to offer quite a bit of variety, the lack of combat and exploration options becomes evident rather quickly. Still, anyone interested in Norse mythology mixed with retro gaming and old-school art design will enjoy Thora's ascent into Valhalla.
Jaw dropping beauty and a hefty challenge await you in in the hallowed realm of Jotun.
Beautiful animation and an authentic Nordic feel enhance an already impressively distinct 2D action adventure.
A nice adventure, as it was originally on its PC versión. The new features on this Valhalla Edition are not worth the wait.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
Review in Polish | Read full review