Helheim
- February 1, 2019
- Not a Number
"Helheim" is a fast-paced hack-and-slash game where players help the defeated queen Hella reclaim her throne from a mysterious enemy. The game features challenging army combat, where dodgeing bullets and deflecting them with your sword is crucial. Collecting powerful runes will unleash Hella's true powers, enabling players to create devastating combos and defeat corrupted enemies in this corrupted Norse kingdom of death.
Reviews
- The game features a unique indie vibe with hand-curated levels and an interesting Norse mythology theme.
- Combat is fast-paced and includes mechanics like bullet reflection and rune abilities, providing some engaging gameplay.
- The automatic save points and visual depth from changing camera angles enhance the overall experience.
- Gameplay can feel repetitive and relies heavily on button mashing, leading to a lack of depth and strategy.
- The game suffers from technical issues such as stiff animations, inconsistent hit detection, and a lack of key remapping options.
- Enemy variety is limited, and the overall experience can become dull quickly, with some players feeling it lacks polish and content.
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some users finding them overly saturated and reminiscent of stock images. While the aesthetic is considered cool, it often feels underutilized in expansive arenas that lack engaging details.
“I got bored after 15 minutes; the oversaturated visuals didn't help.”
“However, the graphics are very stock image.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The gameplay features engaging bullet-hell mechanics that allow players to either dodge or parry bullets, enhancing the experience with the ability to unlock new runes that provide active abilities like slowing time. Players find the mechanics fun and dynamic, although the sound can be amplified when using a mechanical keyboard.
“Being able to deflect bullets by attacking them is a nice feature, and unlocking new runes is supposed to keep the gameplay fresh.”
“The game is pretty fun, featuring bullet hell-like mechanics where you can either dodge or use your sword to attempt to parry the bullets away. You can find runes as you progress that are active abilities like slowing time and creating a reflect bubble.”
“Being able to deflect bullets by attacking them is a nice feature, though unlocking new runes is supposed to keep the gameplay fresh.”
“One more thing, this game gets loud if you are playing on a mechanical keyboard.”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story features a Norse revenge theme, set after Ragnarok and centered around a strong female protagonist, drawing inspiration from Norse mythology and incorporating legitimate lore. While it has a decent narrative and engaging main character, some users note that the overall story is minimal.
“It's got a Hyper Light Drifter and Furi feel to it, with a decent story, great main character, and legitimate lore that stays true to the tales of Norse mythology, taking place supposedly after the events of Ragnarok and Thor Odinson's death at the hands of Jormungandr, the World Serpent.”
“It's a Norse revenge story with a female character.”
“The story is minimal and lacks depth.”
“It's a Norse revenge story with a female character, but it feels underdeveloped.”
“The narrative fails to engage and feels disjointed.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered generic and predominantly orchestral, with many users finding the combat music particularly frustrating due to its abrupt start and stop, lacking smooth transitions.
“Music is a bit disappointingly generic, mostly orchestral.”
“The combat music is annoying and starts and stops abruptly when you enter and leave combat; there is no fade in or fade out, which feels silly.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players report that the game experiences occasional stuttering and requires further optimization to improve performance.
“The game will also stutter sometimes and needs optimization.”