Peter James Mann
Death is but the Beginning
Einar sat amongst the camaraderie of brothers in battle and drank his fill. The wooden beams waved and blurred ever so slightly, as did the faces of those around him. Then, he awoke in the ruins of another attempted structure to sleep in. It was but another dream in this 10th world, set adrift by Odin during his battles with some of his greatest foes. Another day deep in the woods of Valheim.
Valheim is the first PC game I’ve reviewed here on Dork Daily, and I am extremely happy that this was the title I chose. If you want the TL;DR: Get it immediately. This is a great survival game for beginners and veterans alike, with common sense design that gives you ah-ha moments of realization with as little of the tedious wall-smacking-headbangs as possible during your time. The game is simple, easy-to-learn and fun to master. It’s on Steam, it’s early access, it’s got 6 million players and it’s 19.99.
Now, there are some caveats to the above statement. The graphics are more like World of Warcraft then Skyrim, there aren’t a ton of character creation options, and there are some limited features. Having said that, it’s an early access title and its price of admission is pretty low, so most of those can be forgiven. It will be particularly easy to do once some of these are rectified and improved upon.
The story starts with a credit sequence explaining the backstory of Valheim and your place within it before a giant raven drops you in the center of a circle of standing stones. Each of the stones are meant to summon some of Odin’s greatest enemies. If you defeat all of them, your character can ascend to Valhalla. You aren’t completely alone in the journey, even in solo play.
A helpful guide appears in Hugin, a spectral raven who helps you progress through the game with helpful tips and milestones to reach. Your past is shrouded in mystery, with blurred faces and moments obscured, and feelings of loss and grief of the life you once had. The subtle ruminations of life after death and reflecting on your life aren’t lost on me and it makes the survival have a weight it otherwise wouldn’t have. It’s not exactly in context, but that’s exactly why it works for you as a player. Because the context is yours to make.
Each of these worlds are procedurally generated and multiples can exist for public and private play. I find working together to survive in games like this super fun, especially since it can be easier to have the casual, mundane chatter I’ve grown to love as I’ve gotten older. Eating food gives you bonuses, as does resting in a structure, staying dry and having better equipment. But it doesn’t necessarily punish you for not having done any of those either. It’s not like Don’t Starve where you can…starve. Building is assisted by a snapping guide, which can really help. I look forward to seeing new textures and materials to use for structures as I progress and the game develops to see what kinds of things I can build.
The combat feels powerful and real when you hit. I remember the first time I hit an enemy with a club, it reminded me of Silent Hill 2 when I used the Pipe or 2×4. Timing is also key to a lot of the battles. As long as you get that down, you can do pretty well with almost nothing in the beginning. It gives the slightest touch of a power fantasy in a style of play not unlike a certain other game that has my heart but shall remain nameless…IT’S LIKE DARK SOU—
The music is a major, major part of why I love this game as well. The soundtrack feels equal parts Elder Scrolls and Warhammer 40,000 with some of the hard hitting synth baselines or guitars during combat. The soothing music during rest gives you a respite from the surrounding wilderness. Nothing feels out of place or wrong to me in the slightest.
So yes, please get this as soon as you can and join the millions of vikings who have flown to Valheim. You won’t be disappointed. See you in Valheim. May the gods watch over your battles, frien—AH! My knee! How will I adventure now?!
