When I playedVolgarr the Viking2at Guerrilla Collective 2024 , I could n’t beat its first grade . I was adamant about doing well once I had the full game on my Nintendo Switch . As I ’d learn when I finally got my work force on it , Crazy Viking Studios and Digital Eclipse had players like me in mind all along when it draw near difficulty design . Volgarr the Viking 2gives thespian more than enough tool to get better at the game over time , letting me overcome my initial hurdle with a short meter and practice .
It does that in two ways . First , there ’s an Undead Mode that makes the 2D platformer a sight more approachable for less - skilled players . second , it honour the players who actually do well with helpful great power - ups that make Volgarr more powerful the better you play . By discovering both of those , Volgarr the Viking 2made me palpate more enthused by its challenges than worn out .
While an old - school approach to platforming meansVolgarr the Viking 2can’t entirely scat some of the frustrating furnishing of its retro design , it ’s still a standout atavism to some of the toughest platformers of yesteryear . I typically bounce off sturdy games after a while , butVolgarr the Viking 2had the paired essence on me .
Just like you remember
Volgarr the Viking 2will experience intimately conversant to anyone who toy its 2014 harbinger . It ’s a challenging 2D platformer star a Viking who ’s trying to take down an evil lich with the help of some Valkyrie . The story mostly halt there as the focus turns to survival and atomic number 79 aggregation . Its 2D platforming gameplay finds a middle solid ground betweenRastanandGhosts ‘ n Goblins .
Volgarr is a expectant and tardily - moving type , so each attack , jump , contrivance whorl , or spear throw participant make must be methodical , like inRastan . Despite being a beefy Viking , Volgarr is quite frail . Getting hit by an opposition removes his current power - up ( Ghosts ‘ n Goblinsstyle ) , while the next hit after that kills them . If you stress to brute - power your way throughVolgarr the Viking 2 , you ’ll die . A lot .
The best glide path to completingVolgarr the Viking 2is to take thing slow . get word enemy patterns to cipher out when is the best time to go in for a ten-strike or ward off them . Be buttoned-down and throw spears Volgarr can leap on rather than make a risky leap across a large pit . Go out of your way to collect powerfulness - ups whenever you’re able to ; they ’re really helpful . While a decade has passed since the release of the firstVolgarr the Viking , it has not lose any of the magical spell over that time as this sequel is a great throwback in all the ways that biz was .
In fact , it ’s only improved in presentation and approachability . The pixel art looks more polished than in the original , while the soundtrack is full of retro - inspired tunes that feel ripped off an NES cartridge . Volgarr the Viking 2feels sure-enough school day in all the correct ways , but avoids some of the luggage that derive with that .
Old-school difficulty, modernized
I spoke at length withVolgarr the Viking 2’sdevelopers about how they made thisintentionally difficult secret plan more approachable . And for the most part , their effort paid off . The inclusion of midlevel checkpoint , an endless phone number of continues , and a recitation fashion once I beat a point were appreciate , although the marquee feature relate to difficulty is Undead Mode . After players expend enough continue , Volgarr turns into a zombie and wo n’t die in one or two hits anymore .
I aerate Undead Mode in my first playthrough , and I appreciated its cellular inclusion , even if it ’s tied to the secret plan ’s worst end . It gave me the information I needed to do better on subsequent rivulet of each horizontal surface . The only view of gameplay it break down to account for is some of the platforming . shine in an endless pit in Undead Mode will still cost Volgarr a life history and send him back to the last checkpoint .
This intend one misstep can be moment of progress even when using an Undead Mode that ’s supposed to outsmart that result . This is especially atrocious in the second tier , which features underwater discussion section that shift up the platforming physics , and the fifth stratum , which has Volgarr jump on very modest platforms that can damage him . finally , the interminable continues allow me to overcome those obstacles , though , so it ’s not all high-risk .
While Undead Mode is helpful , the true beauty ofVolgarr the Viking 2clicked for me when I understood how much more powerful Volgarr catch when he collects power - ups . While Volgarr can lose these helpful superpower - ups in an blink of an eye , it also rewards those who play well in helpful ways , creating a difficulty gong curve that make water this a very rewarding plot to get good at .
I still have n’t access its true ending yet because you’re able to only use one uphold before your opportunity to get it run by , but I might just keep playingVolgarr the Viking 2until I do . Whether you ’re a fan of difficult old - schoolhouse 2D platformers or not , this is a modern take on a classic formula that anyone can get into with enough clip and try .
Volgarr the Viking 2is uncommitted now for PC , PlayStation 4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , and Nintendo Switch .
