Viking: Battle for Asgard
In Viking: Battle For Asgard, Skarin the warrior is chosen by the Goddess of Light to rid the world of the Legion hordes of the evil Queen of the Underworld. Armed with an axe and a sword, he has to hack and slash his way through many missions - from freeing settlements and Vikings imprisoned by the Legion to finding dragon stones and retrieving beer kegs. And with cinematic slow motion that makes the slaying almost poetic, his battles are supremely enjoyable. Watch as Skarin lops off both the enemy's arms and then proceed to chop off his head or slice him across the mid-section. The gore is excessive but satisfying and skirmishes produce rage crystals and orbs which Skarin collects for unleashing combos and elemental attacks respectively. Combos can be upgraded to suit the enemies' fighting style and your own. Want to mince nimble assassins? Use a fast attack. Like something chunkier for armoured enemies? Go for the medium cut. In addition, Skarin's weapons can be imbued with elemental forces to roast enemies with fire, freeze them with ice or fry them with electricity. Freezing works best for crowd clearing: You turn foes into popsicles which can be shattered with a single blow. Viking: Battle For Asgard offers some flexibility in the sequence of your missions although key ones need to be completed eventually. Some require stealth in infiltrating a Legion stronghold - detection will mean the unleashing of overpowering hordes and your likely demise. Most battles are fought alone except for each chapter's epic finale where armies of warriors will join you in storming a Legion stronghold. Here, you can summon dragons and fight several tiers of mean Bosses. Unlike other battles, fighting Bosses require timing and precise button mashing instead of mindless hacking. Making Skarin's life easier are the teleporting Leystones which reduce travel time across the vast landscape. These can be acessed using the map. Although the map is useful for locating missions, it does not show accessible paths, forcing you to do most pathfinding on foot. Death is a minor inconvenience as Skarin gets resurrected at the base, making Viking: Battle For Asgard a newbie and klutz-friendly game. Viking: Battle For Asgard's visuals, audio and voice acting are superb and make for an immersive atmosphere. The beautiful Nordic landscape alters tangibly when an area is cleared of the Legion hordes. The ominous fog and overcast skies dissolve into warm sunshine and the chirping of birds. Although a single player game, Viking: Battle For Asgard's recipe of newbie-friendliness and gratifying slicing, dicing and button mashing will satisfy those with an appetite for destruction.