So long in the making by a team of only five people, Valheim surprised everyone when it came out in February and became an almost immediate success with almost 6 million copies sold already. This game inspired by Vikings has taken Steam and Twitch by storm and, it seems, rightfully so – from what we can tell, this is a game to remember!
The game takes you to Valheim, the tenth realm alongside Valhalla, where you are tasked with creating a new home for you and your friends, slaying monsters and finishing various quests. Valheim’s popularity doesn’t stem from its graphics but rather its fun gameplay and sheer amount of stuff to do. Essentially, it’s Viking Minecraft on steroid, and we mean this in the best way possible!
At the first glance Valheim might look strange – it has low-resolution textures and the style seems almost cartoonish. However! Once you add the beautiful lightning and get used to the style of graphics, you will soon find that one should not judge a book by its cover. The graphics look cozy and allow more players to comfortably run the game. And don’t think this is a simple game! You can build amazing structures and the style aids in it a ton. If we were to summarize the feel of Valheim’s graphics, it would be “cozy”. Valheim is more concerned with the overall mood rather than flashy textures. It all serves a purpose!
Our favourite aspects of Valheim:
– Absolute freedom
– World building
– Original and charming graphics
– Plenty of quests and other stuff to do
– Support for mods (and there are many already out there!)
What we weren’t very happy about:
– Early Access – There are still some bugs to take care of
– A little bit too much of a grind at times
– Not for those who want the flashiest-looking games
If you are fond of Viking games, then you surely know about Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. The game follows the Viking lore more closely than Valheim: the latter game seems to be more of a fantasy rather than a historically accurate game. It is also seems to be more focused on the Nordic mythology, while Valhalla attempts to portray Vikings’ invasion in Britain from the viewpoint of the Vikings. Don’t get us wrong, Ubisoft was also only inspired! However, they seem to have been more accurate to the actual history. All in all, Valheim seems to focus more on the mythology and folk tales while Valhalla attempts to draw a more accurate picture; both games offer a vastly different take on the topic of Vikings.
So, will you raise your axe and build a new home for your fellow warriors and take place alongside Odin?