Valheim - a brutal exploration and survival game - now available on Early Access

[kreight]

https://www.valheimgame.com

Spoiler

This game seems to be getting some traction on steam

A brutal exploration and survival game for 1-10 players, set in a procedurally-generated purgatory inspired by viking culture. Battle, build, and conquer your way to a saga worthy of Odin’s patronage!

 

[thesecret1]

But is it good?

 

[LudensCogitet]

But is it good?

I've played about 6 hours. So far, yes. The graphics, animations, etc. are reminiscent of Gothic 1 & 2 (low poly). The environments are very beautiful (lighting effects, etc.)

It avoids what I consider to be some of the worst things about survival / crafting games pretty deftly. Namely,
1. It avoids the constant resource grind by making all equipment free to repair at a crafting station. The equipment is also upgradeable, so there is a sense of progress.
2. The overall goal of the game is to find and defeat a series of bosses throughout the world, meaning that all the resource gathering, base building, and exploring you do has a definite purpose.

 

[thesecret1]

What about the gameplay? Is survival hard, or is it a no brainer? What about the combat?

 

[Curratum]

If the game had some sort of single-player sliders to boost loot / resource farming, I'd be all over it in an instant. Sadly, I feel SP is waaaaaay too much of a grind to be enjoyable.

However if you can get the 3-5 people coop the dev recommends, I also think it's an amazing game.

Also lol @ OP "some traction"

The game had 150 000 players in it right now. That's not some traction, that's like a supernova.

It's an Early Access game with Overwhelmingly Positive reviews and at 13 000+ reviews.

 

[LudensCogitet]

What about the gameplay? Is survival hard, or is it a no brainer? What about the combat?

As you push out from home base it gets harder, at least so far. I've died a few times. Once because I chopped a tree down on top of myself, another because I really overextended myself into an area with tougher mobs.

combat is basic, but serviceable.

If the game had some sort of single-player sliders to boost loot / resource farming, I'd be all over it in an instant. Sadly, I feel SP is waaaaaay too much of a grind to be enjoyable.

However if you can get the 3-5 people coop the dev recommends, I also think it's an amazing game.

I can see that. I was really worried I'd find it too grindy, but I've been favorably impressed by single player. It was certainly more fun when my friend dropped in for a bit.
It has a kind of Diablo 1 multiplayer thing going as well, where you can turn your solo game (with it's persistent random seed) into a server and friends can drop in with whatever equipment / skills they've already gained.

 

[Murk]

This loud fucker thinks so apparently



The low poly style is fine with me but the color scheme is a bit grating; dunno why this oversaturated look is so popular. It also looks blurry, though those may be settings you can disable in game. Donno.

 

[kreight]

The devs are from Sweden btw.
https://www.irongatestudio.se/

 

[Xelocix]

The devs are from Sweden btw.
https://www.irongatestudio.se/

Well that explains why they put a black skintone option in a game about vikings.

 

[Fedora Master]

I've never seen a game that looks worse the closer you look at it.

 

[kreight]

The devs are from Sweden btw.
https://www.irongatestudio.se/

Well that explains why they put a black skintone option in a game about vikings.

They did? I never played it so I wouldn't know.

There's an app called Duolingo. You can learn languages with it. So the app says the most learned language in Sweden is Swedish. Why? The migrants.

 

[Curratum]

I've never seen a game that looks worse the closer you look at it.

http://icantbelieveitsnothexen.com/

 

[SumDrunkGuy]

Survival games are for children and fat virgin losers. No respectable adult has time for that trash.

 

[gurugeorge]

WorthABuy is usually trustworthy. But maybe it's just one of those things where one's liking for something is idiosyncratic and probably wouldn't be shared by most people.

The graphics look pretty bad, it has to be said.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Sandbox survival games are a damn waste of time.

 

[cretin]

this looks like something that is on fire for 4 weeks until everyone plays it enough to realize how shallow it is. Fuck early access and especially fuck early access survival games.

 

[Catacombs]

WorthABuy is usually trustworthy. But maybe it's just one of those things where one's liking for something is idiosyncratic and probably wouldn't be shared by most people.

The graphics look pretty bad, it has to be said.

His review focused mostly on multiplayer. The game seems like a bore in singleplayer.

 

[Xelocix]

WorthABuy is usually trustworthy. But maybe it's just one of those things where one's liking for something is idiosyncratic and probably wouldn't be shared by most people.

The graphics look pretty bad, it has to be said.

His review focused mostly on multiplayer. The game seems like a bore in singleplayer.

As all survival games are.

 

[Artyoan]

I'm enjoying it. Still in the early stages but the landscape as well as enemy encounters are randomized so there is a good variance in moment to moment gameplay. I've beaten the first boss and am now gathering tin and copper to make bronze equipment. The game's pace has slowed down considerably at this point. The combat is fairly solid and feels good. Where the game excels is its tone and atmosphere. There is a sense of isolation and the rewards for exploring are consistent enough to feel like an adventure. You can sail the ocean, chop down trees that will kill you if they fall on you, and there do appear to be some dungeons. The weather and day/night cycle add a lot. The graphics are somehow both butt ugly and beautiful at the same time.

If you don't like crafting and survival type games you likely won't find that much appeal here either.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Landscape is pretty good. They really nailed the lighting too

 

[Leechmonger]

Survival games are for children and fat virgin losers. No respectable adult has time for that trash.

And don't get me started on that survival horror garbage!

Spoiler

But seriously, I agree.

 

[OctavianRomulus]

But is it good?

I've played about 6 hours. So far, yes. The graphics, animations, etc. are reminiscent of Gothic 1 & 2 (low poly)..

Never heard of this game, just the good words of my coworkers. I see Gothic, I hit buy.

 

[GewuerzKahn]

That game is nothing like Gothic. Don't get fooled.

It's another Rust, Conan Exiles, Ark, Grounded etc. in a different setting.

 

[kreight]

I was reading news comment section on one website about this game. One guy was like "What's in this game? Why do ppl like it?". And the other replied "I likr that trees are rolling when you chop them down and the smoke effects are cool!".

 

[Fargus]

People really comparing this overhyped nordic minecraft turd to gothic? What has this world come to...