Jotun: Valhalla Edition Review (Khronikos)
Not sure what is with the recent reviews. Jotun is mesmerizing in the best of ways concerning history and art. I have no issues with input lag or anything on a 55 C1 with a DS4 pad. Combat is simple, not great, but it gets the job done. This is a game about mythology and presentation derived from superb artistic skill and a great soundtrack. No other way around it.
The gameplay is not too tough and not too easy as long as you follow a decently logical path. I loved getting all the spells and apples and exploring each room. Never is an area too large or too complex that you feel you are wasting time unless of course you are clueless and don't pay attention to your map, which highlights quite saliently where you need to go.
The game has definitely improved with the latest edition, and I can find overall few faults with it. This is not really a gameplay-based experience, but one that has a decent enough combat system to keep me engaged through the levels and then their bosses. Each boss has distinct patterns that are easy enough to pick up, and the more god powers you resolve the better chance you have of breezing through. Probably enough for 5 or 6 hours here to get everything, which is about perfect for a game like this with few attacks and lesser complexity.
The star of the show is art, and the beautiful, hand-drawn locales along with their gorgeous backdrops and bosses will stun those who can appreciate the time it takes to create this stuff. Only a few times in a longer level did I get bored. The rest of the time I loved hearing more about Norse mythology and exploring some of the details and ideas surrounding the myths presented here.
Each level does a fantastic job at conveying certain aspects of the Norse sagas, and I can't but recommend such a beautiful and timeless little gem. Sure, it's not the deepest game, but I feel there are few to zero issues with controls. Gamers today are just ignorant, poorly skilled, or they refuse to learn. It's the social media generation at its heart that is the problem. The whole point of this adventure is the art and general awesomeness of the music, which perfectly encapsulates the worlds and things being presented. Even when I was bored wandering down a corridor, the lovely score made up for it. Sound is in general very decent for a game of this budget, and no one should overlook this game.
In the end, this newer Valhalla Edition is about as good as it gets. A little bit of pixelation in the opening trees was a bit distracting, but the animation and tech seemed mostly very good. The studio has grown to become quite a well-loved creator, and even if this is a tad rough, it's completely worth the ride. I mean, it's not even five dollars. Let the peasants starve.