"There's more to being a Viking than life itself" - invented by an ancient Norse wiseman, this saying flawlessly captures the spirit of Niffelheim. For the setting of their debut work - an action-RPG featuring hand-drawn 2D graphics and a set of basic mechanics - independent developer Ellada Games chose the Viking "afterlife", allowing the player to take control of a long-bearded warrior who tries to escape purgatory to reach the mythical Asgard. Having tested this Early Access title, we can conclude that this journey - assuming it will prove itself to be more diverse in the long run - may draw the attention of fans of small indie productions.
Before venturing forth...
Even a true Viking needs to be prepared to survive in a hostile environment. And to be prepared, first we need to acquire tools somehow. That's where crafting - the most well-developed element of this production - comes into play. And although the options offered by the game are far from surprising, they fulfill their role well enough. First of all, crafting is what drives exploration (and combat) in Niffelheim, as the easiest way to get the raw materials we need is by traversing the world and the network of caves underneath it, as well as by defeating opponents. Having gathered the components, it is easy (using the schematics provided by the game) to craft things like pieces of armor, weapons, and food, or expand the hero's fortress. Unfortunately, even considering the abundance of various "craftable" materials constantly luring me to catch 'em all, I grew tired of it rather quickly. Personally, I blame the repetitiveness - true, you can craft a lot, but there's only one way you can do it. Alchemy doesn't require any experiments, workshops offer progressively better gear depending on how far we have upgraded them, and all the elements of the fortress are upgraded using the same raw materials. The game failed to provide anything that would engage the player, and as a consequence this aspect of the game also fails to live up to its full potential.
