izigame.me

EDIT: Undead Mode is patched! The review is reposted to reflect these changes. Check "Undead Mode" below for details.

"2"? There was a "1"?

I highly recommend purchasing the bundle with Volgarr I and II on the store page.
The original Volgarr the Viking is a bit underrated and one of the few Kickstarter success stories. It boasted that it would be a modern take for a retro-inspired game: no handholding, just pure classic difficulty with a tough but fair challenge. While games that boast high difficulty are a dime a dozen nowadays, Volgarr is an early example of a modern Indie title that figured 16-bit-inspired platforming down to a science. Crazy Viking did not frontload your character with a ton of mechanics like most other modern platformers: they purposefully limit your mechanics in a very specific manner in order to give you a challenge.
It is over 10 years old: there isn't very many accessibility options or an easy path for newer players, but it's still revered by fans of the Mega Drive (and other similar games like Ghouls n Ghosts, Zelda II, and Rastan) for being a tough and fair take on the genre. It is still a classic and worth playing even now. I'd give it a shot, since it's only $10.


That's cool, but what about Volgarr II?

It's excellent. There are easier options if you don't like the challenge, but don't expect a cakewalk.
Volgarr II takes the difficulty up a notch from the first game and allows for longer levels and more melee and close-quarters combat. You begin with a sword and shield, then find upgrades along the path allowing you to take extra hits as well as dish out more damage. Getting hit loses an upgrade you've collected. Get hit at the lowest level (or fall down a pit) and you die. Lose all your lives, you'll have to spend a Continue.
Yes, there are now Continues in this game. It's similar to Cursed Castilla and how they handle Continues, which allow players to experience the majority of the game even while still giving experienced players rewards for beating the game without dying. Losing your lives will force you to the last crystal checkpoint (pretty far away). However, your Continue supply is INFINITE, and you will have the option to gain invincibility if you lose 6 of them (see Undead Mode). You don't get a good ending if you use this mode, so veterans have an incentive to attempt runs in a legit fashion.
Since levels are longer, there are now more checkpoints between each level. Similar to Shovel Knight and many other games, you can choose to destroy them for a big point bonus, but doing so will force you to start from a previous checkpoint if you end up dying. Checkpoints in Volgarr 1 are incredibly far apart, so I'm VERY glad they've added an option to keep checkpoints and reward players for destroying them if they want more points.
If you are familiar with the first game, this one is much more fast-paced. You will be fighting enemies constantly and have to make more split-second decisions. If you are familiar with the Tower during Ending C, it is very similar to that throughout. Everything feels a lot more constrained and close together, from the lack of/minimalistic background parallax scrolling to the constant placement of enemies everywhere. I feel that this is where Volgarr shines, as getting to the action quicker and taking on hordes of enemies at once is super satisfying.
You also no longer lose your metal shield, as well as the ability to carry 4 upgrades instead of 3. Oddly enough, this makes the game much harder to play. Levels are now focused around blocking as well as getting to your sword upgrade quicker. The game now expects you to block more things and to kill enemies faster. That means more people to fight and more enemies who know how to handle a weapon. This is one of the biggest strengths to this game. It really does make you feel like a master viking who has overcome so much and is now being put to the ultimate test once more.
I guess my biggest issue with the sequel is that levels seem to go on a bit too long. You might think that's a problem with the first game, but the original Volgarr's worlds are definitely a lot shorter. Breezing through both World 1s from Volgarr I & II (without dying or getting hit), Volgarr I takes me 5 minutes and II takes me 12-15 minutes. It's not that it makes it any easier or harder, it just ends up being monotonous when I am not in the mood to play. If there was a break in the action (like maybe a miniboss or some guy you meet or something), I feel like it would work a lot better. However, this is a minor complaint and the way the game functions is, for the most part, just fine.


So what's up with "Undead Mode"?

Undead Mode has been patched! In the game's initial release during 1.0, the following would happen once you lose 6 continues:
-You respawn as a zombie. You flinch when take hits, but you don't take damage except when you lose a life during pits.
-You can only finish with a bad ending and have to start a new save if you want another crack at a good ending.
-The game does not tell you this at all.
Thankfully, the developer has listened to these complaints and has patched how Zombie Mode works. Kris is not a stranger to listening to feedback: he has patched the original Volgarr with a toggleable camera option and hints about loading saves despite his hardcore design philosophy. In my experience, he has a very good track record of taking negative feedback on the chin and patching highly-requested ease-of-access things.
Now a piece of text comes up when you lose 6 continues:
"You have used 6 continues and succumb to the forces of the Undead! You have a choice to make. Do you wish to continue your journey in the current setting or embrace the Power of Evil? (Toggle this option in Modifiers)"
You now have two options: a Standard Mode or Easy Mode. Easy Mode is just as it works previously: you do not take damage from hits. Standard Mode works as it normally does: no invincibility. However, in either case, you are still a zombie and cannot unlock the good ending. You can even switch between Standard and Easy Mode via the Modifiers menu. You also have the option to start with Easy Mode right away on any world after unlocking this state, though you cannot progress to a normal ending on that save file.
This is a fantastic change. No more confusion once you hit that state: you are told right away that you have entered an easy state. My only minor complaint is that the prompt that appears does not tell you that you cannot unlock the best ending, but that is easy to figure out once you realize that your color palette has changed. This, in addition to saving your last armor/weapon during the last undestroyed checkpoint, is the best of both worlds: providing an easier solution for players while still rewarding veterans for finishing the game.
I have already seen complaints from a few people that they should not be stuck with the worst ending if they choose the standard mode after 6 continues. My question at that point is why should you expect to be rewarded with a good ending if you are not willing to try on the game's terms? You are still experiencing most of the game with infinite continues, so all you're really and truly missing out on is closure. That is rewarded to players who overcome what this game has to offer, not for people who want to take a shortcut. It's not exactly uncommon: Cursed Castilla and even Spelunky does the exact same thing.

Conclusion

Overall, this game is definitely the perfect sequel to Volgarr. It features a lot more action without having to sacrifice difficulty. Having a Continue system MULTIPLIES the brutality of this game, but since you can experience a large majority of the game after losing 6 Continues, I see it as a good thing. You are still encouraged to play the game by its own rules despite becoming a dirty, filthy zombie.

♫ Monster of Legend... JUGGERNAUT. JUGGERNAUT. ♫