The stages can be completed in any order, with no real sense of linearity in terms of level selection. Each power can be used a finite amount of times, with Mimir's well serving as a way to replenish the powers. Thor's Hammer grants Thora an increase in her heavy attack damage, while Freya gives her the ability to move faster, Loki's power is that of deception causing Thora's enemies to fight each other, Frigg's power can heal a portion of Thora's life back, Heimdall's Shield grant a temporary invincibility from attacks, while Odin's Spear is an arced range attack that causes massive damage. To make Thora's experience with the boss fights easier, she can earn God-like powers along the way. The bosses look amazing and are imposing, and they fight equally as impressive, and is where most of the fun in Jotun: Valhalla Edition derives from. Kaunan, the Fire Jotun, swings his impressive blade, while creating shockwaves of flame and lava. Jera, the Nature Jotun looks like an octopus with her tree-like tentacles, as she unleashes her poisonous spores when she's not pounding the ground with her roots, while Hagalaz, the Wind Jotun, splits herself into two, while she calls lightning from the skies that must be avoided. While Thora's still slow and sluggish at times, the boss fights are fast-paced and action packed. The five boss battles are the exact opposite of each stage that precedes it in terms of pace and repetitiveness. The stages themselves are also quite repetitive however, this is contrasted by the boss battles where Jotun: Valhalla Edition really comes to life. While evading is a great way to escape the clutches of evil, most of the time it barely works, as evading still causes her to get hit, while the recovery time after an axe swing seems like forever. The gameplay itself seems very slow, from the way Thora moves to the way she swings her axe. However, all those stage features simply serve as a wallpaper to hide the cracks. If a lot of the terminology sounds very foreign, upon completing this game, they won't be. Jormungandr's Lake features the Midgard Serpent, as he constantly threatens Thora from below the ice that she walks on, while discovering the three Disirs (ghosts) unlock the door guarded by a Draugr (undead creature). For instance, as previously mentioned, The Northern Sky stage requires for the constellations to be recreated by hitting the correct electricity pylons, while the Roots of Yggdrasil has a certain snakes-and-ladders vibe that requires sliding down slopes while riding up elevators. Thora must find the Runes, which allows her passage to fight each of the world's bosses, the Jotun, while Mimir's well serves as a one-time healing point for Thora.Įach stage is heavily centred on drawing inspiration from the source material of Norse mythology, and it is filled with clever ways of translating them into challenges that Thora must overcome. The open-world maps require Thora to explore every nook and cranny, as she searches for Ithunn's Apples, which increase her life bar each time, while paying her respects at the shrines of the Gods grant her the use of their respective God powers. The stages are split into five different themed worlds that centre on nature, caves, ice, clouds and fire. However, the most important part of the stage designs is that they actually look like they have lived the history of the mythology. The panoramic background shots do a perfect job in illustrating the scale of the locations, while showing how small Thora is the grand scheme of things. Stages contain stunning vistas that sometimes serve as the background or focal point of that stage. Traverse Jormungandr's Lake where the son of Loki, the Midgard Serpent, is constantly at her heels.Įach stage is beautifully envisioned in the art style, with the same amount of love and care going into every single world. Brokkr's Forge is a dark and grimy stage that is significant due to Thor's hammer having been created there, while the Northern Sky requires Thora to light up pylons in the shape of constellations. The main location that acts as a hub world is the primordial void of chaos, Ginnungagap, where the first Jotun, Ymir was created. Set in the heart of Norse mythology, Jotun: Valhalla Edition recreates the various locations from the mythos. This is a world built upon lots of history, with a sense of mystery around every corner that is rewarded with scenes of wonder and awe. The hand drawn art style is mesmerising, and the crisp animation is almost seamless, except for a few graphical hiccups that happen along the way. Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a beautiful and alluring adventure.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |