Vikings: Wolves of Midgard Previews and Gamescom Gameplay Footage

Kalypso and Games Farm have brought their action-RPG Vikings: Wolves of Midgard – slated for a release on PC, Mac, Linux, PS4 and Xbox One next year – to Gamescom, which means there is some coverage of the game for us to peruse. If you want to get a feel for the gameplay, Twitch had a lengthy gameplay presentation during its official Gamescom coverage. We have also rounded up two previews for the title.

CGMagazine:

My playthrough required me to go out and slay an ice giant in a pretty intense battle. The game looks and plays similar to Diablo as a pseudo-dungeon crawler and action RPG with a fixed above camera, but it feels different. I played on the PS4, and in this version, the right stick is used to dodge rather than turn a camera or even rotate through moves. Each button is used for different power ups, so there is a heavier focus on action instead of potion spamming. The game encourages players to get up close to their enemies and dodge at the right time, giving the game a heavier focus on action than Diablo in that regard. Obviously, when making a title in this genre, Diablo is the template, but that inspiration feels more loose in Vikings: Wolves of Midgard, as it has a completely different play style that takes a little getting used to if you play a lot of Blizzard’s RPGs.

At least, that’s one of the complaints I heard before I played Vikings: Wolves of Midgard. I can understand that the dodge mechanic, which is used heavily in combat, does require an adjustment period to shed your typical Diablo play style, but it feels so natural. Each dodge feels like you barely missed complete annihilation, and each sword slash or shield bump feels like you’re delivering a devastating Viking blow. On top of that, there is an added sense of danger with exposure to the cold. As you fight through winter levels (not all levels are winterscapes) an exposure bar fills. Once it reaches it’s maximum capacity, your character starts to lose health. You prevent this by finding fire spots throughout the level, but it means you have to be smart about your battles, and even pick your fights depending on how far away from fire you are. It adds a sense of urgency to everything you do.

Windows Central:

The first thing you’ll do is create your character. Vikings doesn’t offer distinct classes. Instead, you can play as either a male warrior or a female shieldmaiden. The warrior possesses greater strength while the shieldmaiden excels in agility – standard videogame stuff. The lack of real classes is perhaps a step down compared to Diablo III, but you could think of Vikings as a streamlined approach to the same genre.

After customizing our hero’s appearance, we’re thrown into the midst of battle. Jotan (Frost Giants) have invaded the village of Ulfung and killed its chieftain. Our hero must rescue the surviving villagers and defeat the sole remaining Jotan and its army of Tomte (goblins). After driving out the invaders, the townsfolk show their thanks by making the player the new chief of the village.

The newly rebuilt village serves as Vikings’ hub world. Players will return to the village between raids (missions) to interact with NPCs and purchase upgrades. Initially, our hero has access to an altar, a Skald (medic and poet), and a smithy. As the game progresses, the village will grow and offer new services to our hero.