To this day, when I think Viking games, I think Valheim. Iron Gate’s survivalistic sword-and-shield adventure is the definitive videogame interpretation of Norse mythology, superior even to the sweeping narrative and exhaustive detail of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. You take that, mix it with the horde slaying of Halls of Torment, and throw in a small nod to Skyrim, and you have a gorgeous new roguelike that is proving immensely popular on Steam just three days since its long-awaited 1.0 release.
Nordic Ashes: Survivors of Ragnarok has been a long time coming, but the complete release of the Viking roguelike game is already a major success. You start by designing your build, using a constellation-inflected system that feels plucked right from Skyrim. Weapons, abilities, and equipment can all be changed and rearranged between runs, and you have more than ten characters available depending on your preferred style. There are nine different realms, five modes, including daily challenges, a custom mode, and the aptly named ‘Nightmare,’ and more than 150 achievements to unlock.
But naturally, you need to survive the horde – the relentless, brutal horde. Nordic Ashes is a fast, frenetic hack-and-slash with an almost unbelievable amount of enemies. Your build better be perfect. Your reflexes better be strong. You should definitely be prepared to die.
Every run will introduce different mobs and swarms, and you’re highly encouraged to experiment between loadouts and base characters. There are bosses to beat and character masteries to unlock – if you’re especially committed to one fighter, you can potentially pour everything you’ve got into their stats and make them seriously formidable.
Nordic Ashes hit its 1.0 launch on Friday April 26. Based entirely on recent reviews, it’s rated ‘very positive’ on Steam – 86% of players leave favorable comments and recommend the game. It’s also managed to hit a new concurrent player count high of more than 3,000, seriously impressive for a game of this scale. If you want to try out Nordic Ashes for yourself, it’s available right now at a 25% discount, and priced at $6.74 / £5.99. Just head right here.
Alternatively, try some of the best survival games, or maybe the best Viking games currently available on PC.
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