Niffelheim
Produced by Ellada Games
posted by Adi Schiereck
Summary
Tease
A Viking who is fighting for his rightful place in Asgard, can you succeed and gain your seat at the eternal feast?
The Ups
The artwork and the Graphics for the game are beautiful and give it a storybook feel. A fondness for the game grows once you understand the game, along with the epic background music. It seems to lure and captivate you into the world of Niffelheim and then soon becomes irresistible to play.
The Downs
They did not give instructions at the beginning of the game on how to move the character or even defined the main and side quest. You have to go out of your way to find how the game is played and, once you do find it, they don't tell you in an obvious way what the challenges are or how to be prepared for when they come.
The Bottom Line
Niffelheim is a thrilling story and exciting game. The game transports to the land of the dead to help claim the Vikings right in Asgard. The game takes the player back to their childhood memories of simpler platforms and offers adventure for players of any age.
Where To Get It
Online retailers
Value
By the end of the game, Niffelheim had me craving more and looking forward to the multiplayer aspect of the game. Because of the beautiful Sound design and strong Gameplay, the price point of $19.99 is completely justified, especially when you add in the Multiplayer aspect, giving additional ways to play and have fun. There is also plenty of room for additional content, either through expansions on the game or a sequel in the future. All in all, the game is fun to play once you spend some time getting to know the mechanics and it soon becomes addictive. I was even asked by multiple people what game this was when I was playing it due to them seeing how extremely entertaining it was.
Story
The Story is very compelling. It starts with a short video about the death of a Viking warrior who wanted to go to Asgard. Unfortunately, he was intercepted by evil monsters, and now he must journey throughout the world of Niffelheim to get to Asgard and claim his rightful place. Along the story, you make allies with a murder of crows who tell you bits of the history of the world Niffelheim. They also work as messengers for an evil witch who sends hoards of skeletons to pillage your castles.
Gameplay
The game is made for older players and is not too graphic when killing animals or bosses. When playing it at first, it was hard to understand what was happening, but once it moves into the Gameplay more you understand how it is played and you soon love the way it operates. The basic controls are letter keys like A and D, A goes left and D goes to the right. The controls are simple once you get the hang of how to use them. They also inform you as you play what keys do what, such as when you are battling a boss or gathering supplies.
The character in Niffelheim has an option to change to another not just the original Viking but also a Valkary, a Berzerker, and a Shaman. Each one has different stats to help with different aspects of the game. The downside to this is they sometimes lag when you are playing the game. The game has a time table for certain side missions but not for the main quest of getting to Asgard.
The only problem I experienced was the struggle to use both the keyboard and the mouse at the same time. This is because you're not using a small set of keys but often needed both hands on the keyboard to play. This presented a problem when foraging and other missions. The game is slow at times when you don't have any side quest to complete, such as what happened to the frost giants. At times I wished for more than just building up your castles and your ability stats.
User Interface
The user interface system is well made with simple to understand. You can use either just keys or a combination of both letter keys and the mouse. The main menu image shows you what you are getting into with the game and with simple, easy to understand choices. Luckily you can save up to four games (one for each of different character they have in the game). The inventory is set up in a clean and understandable manner with sections for weapons and tools, outfits, consumables, resources, and provision. You can both pick up, and drop items if you do not need them. During the game, when the characters interacted with one another, Niffelheim would show what key options could be used to win.
Environment
Niffelheim does an excellent job with the drawings and design of the game. The earth tones give the feel of an old storybook that you read when you were younger. The environment of the game changes along with the different lands, with second to mimic the real world. One moment the sky is clear and sunny then slowly it changes to a cold windy afternoon then a snowstorm at night. From the way the game is playing you can tell that time and love have gone into creating this game.
Graphics
Niffelheim is a 2D platformer with 3D graphics and sprites. Unlike some independent platformers, there is a good amount of diversity between the background and foreground design to allow easier identification of what is and is not interactable in the game. Even when the Environment is dark, the characters are still easily discernable. Both the character and background designs are done with detail and care, adding depth to the Gameplay.
Sound
The Sound design of the game provides a flawless backdrop for the story. It provides the feel of strength and fuels your drive to get to the conclusion of the game. The music has a Nordic feel that you are a warrior and help to submerge you into the game. The music is not heavy and overbearing but subtle and compelling. Even the battle music if subtle but gives the urgency at the moment.
Level-Up System
You have to build the areas you would like to level up in like in forage you have to build a station to create tools or weapons and every time you make a new item you gain the points that level you up. The other option is action, like fighting or mining you have to go out to the area and do the action to gather point to level up in that field. It is an easy system the point to level up. As you continue on your journey, you level up in different areas like alchemy, blacksmith, or mining.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer is used in the game through co-operative play. This aspect allows you to ally with other players to get the points, items, and defeat bosses that you would normally not be able to do yourself. It is kinda hard to communicate with others but using a communication app or server you can talk with other players. You can either host your own party or join a server, allowing you to get help on your story or help someone else through theirs.