Viking: Battle for Asgard
Viking:
Battle of Asgard
Anyone remember this game? There was some serious discussion about CA/Sega's new hack-and-slash title prior to release but it's been pretty quiet since. Well, I came across it this past week and decided to give it a rent and see how it plays...
Viking: Battle for Asgard comes from our trusted and loved Creative Assembly and Sega. Released back at the end of March, Viking hit the PS3 and Xbox 360, and came onto the market promising beautiful graphics, Norse mythology, and great big bloody battles. Did it deliver? We'll see...
Review:
Graphics:
Viking is quite a nice looking game, maybe not the BEST on the 360 as of right now but the game isn't ugly or out dated. However, the visual style of game does become very old after awhile...it's mostly the same stuff recycled over and over again. The three main islands look pretty much the same, there are maybe a grand total of 4 different kinds of character and enemy models, and the environment tends to look the same throughout the game (making exploration and such sort of difficult without looking at the map every so often).
The biggest flaw with Viking's graphics is slow down and an inconsistent frame rate. During big battles the game will slow IMMENSELY down, almost making the game unplayable at times and extremely frustrating to play.
Graphics = 8/10
Gameplay:
Prior to release, Viking, boasted an open world where as a viking warrior you'd be able to immerse yourself in Norse mythology and fight gigantic battles against demon armies in full scale combat. Does the game give us that? Yes, it actually does. So then it's great and perfect right? No. Not-at-all.
For the most part Viking plays like any other hack-and-slash, you learn moves and pull off combo attacks against enemies - dispatching them in a varying ways. What makes this title different from the usual hack-and-slash is the open world and the RPG elements it posses. The open world is actually a nice addition....you'll find yourself on three different islands throughout the game, each are totally open to exploration and there are never any loading screens or anything like that. You can go anywhere and do whatever you want in the world.
So, what's the problem? There's NOTHING TO DO. Beyond completing tasks and missions tied directly to progressing the story there is nothing else to do on the islands. Well, that's a lie. You can however buy three different maps from a seller that indicate where money bags/chests/vases are and you can treasure hunt, but that's about it. The open world isn't as fun when there's nothing to do in it.
The RPG elements the game mixes in are things like the ability to use magic, leveling up your abilities, and buying potions/meals/throwing axes/maps/health upgrades/etc. Beyond that, that's it.
It's sort of depressing really...when you first start playing the game you'll think that it's pretty cool. The missions you first have to complete on the first island are varied and go fun, and when you fight that first big battle - awesome...then as the game progresses you'll see that it follows the same formula over and over and over and over again.
This is basically how the game plays out:
Arrive on island ---> go around island saving vikings from enemy encampments ---> kill every enemy in quarries/lumber yards/breweries/etc ---> set an ambush for an enemy patrol ---> fight a special enemy character and get the dragon rune ---> summon the dragon ---> launch attack on town/city ---> during battle kill shamen who revive dead enemies ---> win town/city ---> repeat
Sounds cool at first and it is fun the first time but when you start to realize that that is the ONLY thing the game really offers you'll become extremely bored with the game.
Gameplay = 6/10
Audio:
The score is pretty epic and reflects on the game well, the voice acting is alright but nothing stunning, and the sound effects are...alright. The main problem with Viking's sound is that it will actually go out from time to time...you'll do something and you just wont hear a sound for it (it's an actual bug in the game, not your TV).
Audio = 2.5/5
Replay Value:
It's hard getting through the game the first time, this game has little replay value outside of those who really really like it and decide to play through it again at a later date.
Replay Value = 2/5
Story/Plot:
For all the hype surrounding the attention and immersion into Norse mythology there really isn't much of that in there outside of the inclusion of two Norse gods: Freya and Hel. Beyond that there's really nothing about the mythology too much.
As for the story of the game itself...it's there but it's a very simple and bare-boned story. You play as Skarin, a great Norse warrior who is chosen by the Goddess Freya to be her champion. Freya uses Skarin as a means to fight against the legions of dead vikings controlled by the Goddess of death Hel in the mortal world of Midgar.
Essentially, a war in the realm of the gods (Asgard) has spilled out in the mortal realm and you job is to fight for the Gods against the bad guys.
Story/Plot = 7/10
Conclusion:
This game was kind of a disappointment. I mean, I didn't think it to be amazing or anything like that...I was cautious about the game but it's too bad that Viking couldn't of had a better story or more diverse and entertaining gameplay. Simply put: this title goes the way of Spartan - another mediocre/bad hack-and-slash from CA and Sega.
Final Score = 25.5/40 or 63%
Originally Posted by Moosferatu
