Fimbul
- February 28, 2019
- Zaxis
Fimbul offers a compelling narrative and a beautiful world, but it is hindered by poor controls and a loosely weighted multiple choice system. Worth a look for the Norse scholars among us, though maybe at a discount.
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Fimbul" is an action-adventure game set in the frozen world of Norse sagas, preceding the events of Ragnarok. The game features a comic book-style narrative that unfolds based on player choices, with a complex combat system and the ability to revisit past decisions. Players can also recruit fellow Vikings and use items from the distant past to battle giant enemies known as Jutons.
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Reviews
- The comic book art style and storytelling are well-executed, providing a unique visual experience.
- The game features a decent narrative that incorporates Norse mythology, which may appeal to fans of the genre.
- The game is short and doesn't overstay its welcome, making it suitable for a casual gaming session.
- Combat mechanics are clunky and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement during battles.
- The fixed camera angle can obstruct visibility, making navigation and combat frustrating at times.
- The game lacks depth in gameplay variety and enemy encounters, resulting in a monotonous experience.
- story25 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The story in Fimbul is generally well-received, featuring unique comic-style storytelling that enhances the atmosphere and engages players with its narrative. While the plot has moments of depth, particularly regarding the protagonist Ulf's background, it lacks significant character development and dramatic tension. Players can make choices that influence the storyline, but the impact of these decisions may not be substantial enough to encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The artwork and storytelling on the comic pages is very well done.”
“I think it has a pretty decent story that made me want to find out as many details as I could all the way up until the end.”
“The comic book style is amazing, and the game has great atmosphere and story.”
“I imagine this game won't be for many, and if the achievements are a telling story, then most people only played a bit of the first encounter and stopped.”
“Overall, the story doesn't go for much drama or detailed exposition.”
“You mostly read about vikings saying 'you will die now!' until you get to the actual true story behind Ulf's background, which was the best part of the story by far, though it's a bit sparse.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's graphics receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and minimalistic design that effectively conveys the game's atmosphere, particularly in its comic pages and low-poly visuals. However, others criticize the overall quality as bland and uninspiring, noting issues with movement and combat mechanics that detract from the visual experience. Overall, while the art style has its fans, it may not appeal to everyone, especially those seeking more detailed graphics.
“The artwork and storytelling on the comic pages is very well done.”
“I loved the graphic style which, albeit cartoony and to an extent minimalistic, drew me completely into the cold Viking world it portrayed.”
“I loved the low-poly art style and the view from above as Ulf ran through the snow was truly a good angle choice.”
“The visuals and level design are bland and uninspiring.”
“Awful graphics, lazy slow combat, buggy like crazy.”
“I can understand that they are larger and move slower, but combined with the low-poly graphics, it came off a bit lower quality than it needed to.”
- gameplay11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Fimbul is characterized by clunky and simplistic combat mechanics that quickly become repetitive, with many players finding the experience engaging only for a short time. While the game features some interesting decision-making elements that impact the storyline, the overall mechanics are considered passable at best, leading to a lack of depth and variety. Despite its visual appeal and unique storytelling, the gameplay struggles to maintain player interest beyond the initial moments.
“Along the way, you have some decisions to make which affect the storyline and part of the gameplay.”
“But the best thing about Fimbul is the fighting mechanics.”
“Where this game starts to completely fall apart, however, is in its core mechanics.”
“It’s pretty much just the same combat and mechanics, but the boss is a spongier and stronger version of the lesser enemies.”
“Fimbul is visually quite stunning, except for its subpar and quite flat cut-scenes, but its gaming mechanics are generally simplistic.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's music is generally well-received, featuring some good tracks; however, the overall audio experience is quite subdued due to the lack of spoken dialogue and limited ambient sounds, making it a relatively quiet experience.
“There is some good music within the game.”
“All dialogue is not spoken, so outside of some limited ambiance, sounds for combat, and music, the game is overall a fairly quiet experience.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed experiences with stability; while some encountered no significant bugs aside from controller issues, others experienced frequent glitches and performance problems, indicating inconsistency in the game's stability.
“Awful graphics, lazy slow combat, buggy like crazy.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability primarily due to its branching choices, but many players feel it is a one-time experience, as the basic combat mechanics and lack of RPG elements do not encourage multiple playthroughs.
“While there is some replayability in the game due to the branching choices, it still feels like a game you play once and that's about it since the combat is rather basic and there are no RPG elements.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's comic book style significantly enhances its atmosphere, contributing to an engaging and immersive storytelling experience.
“The comic book style is amazing, and the game has a great atmosphere and story.”
Critic Reviews
Fimbul (PS4) REVIEW – A Bit Of A Fumble
Fimbul offers a compelling narrative and a beautiful world, but it is hindered by poor controls and a loosely weighted multiple choice system. Worth a look for the Norse scholars among us, though maybe at a discount.
60%Fimbul Review
Fimbul creates an appealingly grim Norse folklore-infused world to adventure through, but its core action is simply too weak to seal the deal. Its pacy combat can be brutally satisfying, but it's also shallow and repetitive, while the game struggles from a technical perspective. There's a promising world at the heart of Fimbul, but it needs to be married to a more fluid and fleshed-out game.
50%Fimbul Review
Even though there’s heart and care put into the game’s style and use of myth, the same isn’t true for the rest of it. It runs fine and the combat is functional, but it won’t leave a huge impression. If you’re fond of Norse Mythology and don’t have much time to spare, Fimbul might be up your alley. A single playthrough is enjoyable enough, but filling up the story thread and replaying the same battles repeatedly isn’t worth the effort.
50%
