Jotun

When it comes down to it, Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch, offering players an easy to digest action adventure title that visually takes full advantage of the Switch's large screen real-estate.

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Jotun is a single-player Fantasy Action game set in Norse mythology, where you play as a Viking warrior named Thora, seeking to prove herself to the Gods and enter Valhalla. Explore nine levels filled with Viking mythology, fight enormouselementals , and summon powers bestowed by the Gods. With stunning hand-drawn animation, authentic Icelandic voice-overs, and an original soundtrack, Jotun offers a rich and immersive atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 981 reviews

graphics242 positive mentions

grinding37 negative mentions

Stunning hand-drawn visuals that create a beautiful atmosphere.
Engaging boss battles that require learning patterns and strategies.
Rich Norse mythology woven into the narrative and gameplay.

Slow character movement and clunky controls can detract from the experience.
Exploration levels can feel tedious and empty, lacking meaningful content.
Limited replay value and short overall gameplay length.

graphics
380 mentions
64 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning hand-drawn art style, which beautifully captures the essence of Norse mythology and creates an immersive atmosphere. While many reviewers appreciate the visuals and animations, some express that the gameplay does not match the high aesthetic quality, leading to a sense of disconnect between the art and the overall experience. Overall, the game's visuals are considered its strongest aspect, often described as breathtaking and a significant draw for players.
- “The hand-drawn visuals are simply gorgeous, and they really bring Norse mythology to life in a way that feels both epic and intimate.”
- “Jotun is a gorgeously drawn game with intriguing presentation and occasional moments of breathtaking visuals.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, and the music is great; everything is drawn and animated by hand with very little digital assistance, so it looks and feels like you're playing an old Disney cartoon from the early years.”
- “Graphics fail to deliver a convincing sense of depth, and its shadows—which are completely static—are inconsistently applied throughout the game.”
- “Sadly, my experience with this game is simply viewing someone's portfolio of graphic works and animations.”
- “Don't be fooled by the characteristic art style of this game; everything besides that is among the most dull, boring things I've ever played in my life. The combat is extremely repetitive, the bosses are predictable, and even something as simple as exploration is a tedious chore.”
gameplay
373 mentions
29 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The gameplay in *Jotun* is characterized by a mix of exploration and challenging boss fights, with each jotun featuring unique mechanics that keep encounters fresh. However, many players find the overall combat mechanics to be simplistic and clunky, leading to a slow-paced experience that can feel tedious outside of the boss battles. While the art and atmosphere are highly praised, the gameplay often falls short, lacking depth and variety, which may disappoint those seeking a more engaging action experience.
- “Each jotun has its own unique design and mechanics, making every encounter feel fresh and challenging.”
- “The gameplay is tight and precise.”
- “The bosses are varied and are well paced alongside the new mechanics from additional shrines (abilities) being unlocked.”
- “The gameplay is dull as dishwater for 90% of each level.”
- “The whole game is a long and extremely boring walk to the boss fights where all the challenge and the gameplay is, and they aren't even particularly fun to do.”
- “While the art design is beautiful, the soundtrack nice to listen to and the nordic theme surprisingly refreshing, the gameplay mechanics themselves are very basic and repetitive, making this entry a lot less than it could have been.”
story
325 mentions
38 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story of "Jotun" centers around Thora, a Viking woman seeking redemption in the afterlife by defeating giants, drawing heavily from Norse mythology. While the narrative is simple and unfolds gradually through gameplay, many players appreciate its engaging themes and beautiful presentation, though some criticize its brevity and lack of depth in character development. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals, atmospheric narration, and mythological elements creates a compelling experience, particularly for fans of Norse lore.
- “The story is amazing and literally carries you into the Norse pantheon, telling about its creation and the gods and creatures that inhabit it.”
- “The art design is incredible, the story is interesting, and the Icelandic dialogue is really cool.”
- “Jotun tells the story of Thora, a warrior who died ingloriously in battle and must prove herself to the gods before she can be welcomed into Valhalla.”
- “If these figures do not contribute to the plot or make any impact on the game itself, then their presence is absolutely pointless and meaningless.”
- “The story is rather simple and predictable, but it wouldn't have been a problem if the game had better gameplay.”
- “The storyline lacks depth and character development.”
music
224 mentions
68 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning soundtrack as a standout feature. The orchestral compositions effectively complement the hand-drawn visuals and Norse mythology theme, creating an immersive experience that captivates players throughout their journey. Overall, the combination of evocative music, excellent voice acting, and artistic design contributes significantly to the game's emotional depth and engagement.
- “The music is beautiful.”
- “The soundtrack is also excellent.”
- “The music is amazing.”
- “The music is appropriate to the scene, though nothing is exceedingly memorable.”
- “The soundtrack, while being above average, is nothing I’d highly praise.”
- “Although the music and effects are just fine, turning them up will result in a lot of static noise.”
atmosphere
104 mentions
72 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning hand-drawn visuals, immersive Norse mythology themes, and exceptional sound design, which together create a captivating and enchanting experience. Many reviewers highlight the combination of beautiful artwork, atmospheric music, and Icelandic voiceovers as key elements that enhance the overall mood, making it a standout feature of the game. However, some players note that while the atmosphere is rich and engaging, the gameplay can feel slow and occasionally monotonous, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Wonderful atmosphere, beautiful art, and a great use of Norse myth.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous, the music lovely, the voiceovers excellent, and in general, the atmosphere is fantastic.”
- “Jotun is a gorgeous and atmospheric adventure into the realms of Norse mythology.”
- “Jotun has a huge discrepancy between the atmosphere of wonder it tries to invoke and the actual gameplay it presents you with.”
- “The atmosphere simply doesn't fit.”
- “The atmosphere is somewhat oppressive and intimidating, which really aids in an epic feel when beating bosses.”
grinding
39 mentions
3 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
95 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for its tedious and slow-paced exploration, with players often feeling frustrated by the character's limited movement options and the vast, empty environments. While the boss battles provide some enjoyment, the lengthy and repetitive nature of traversing levels detracts significantly from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging adventure. Many reviewers express that the game could have been more enjoyable if not for the excessive grind required to progress and complete objectives.
- “You are rewarded with cool scenes and upgrades for exploring every nook and cranny of each level, but I appreciated that the process wasn't tedious.”
- “It's also mind-numbingly tedious.”
- “This game suffers from being little more than a tedious trudge around boring environments 75% of the time.”
- “The game alternates between tedious exploration and brutally difficult boss fights.”
replayability
20 mentions
25 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with many players noting that it lacks substantial content beyond the main storyline and a few challenging achievements. While some modes, like boss rush and speed runs, offer limited replay value, the short length and minimal additional content lead to a consensus that the game may not justify a higher price for those seeking extensive replayability. Despite this, the polished experience and engaging story are appreciated, making it enjoyable for a single playthrough.
- “The game is a good length for what it is that offers replay value.”
- “Souls combat or close enough, fun puzzle-like maps with skill and stat buffing collectibles, and some replayability for the challenging achievements.”
- “A slight complaint is that the power-ups feel a little underwhelming and don't seem to particularly help with the boss battles too much, however, it also means that the boss battles are essentially always challenging, and my guess is that you can probably go for speed runs with enough practice against the bosses without any power-ups which might add for some interesting replay value.”
- “I have to say it's a short game, and the bulk of the gameplay and replayability (the boss rush mode) could get old fast.”
- “Sadly there isn't much replayability to Jotun.”
- “The game is about 6 hours long and there isn't much replay value after you beat it.”
character development
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
Overall, the character designs and art in the game are praised for their beauty and creativity, particularly the jotun bosses, which enhance the visual experience. However, some reviewers feel that the storyline and character development are lacking in depth, suggesting that players seeking rich narratives may be disappointed.
- “The character designs and overall art are interesting and beautiful, and the theme is pretty great.”
- “The character designs and art are absolutely gorgeous, making the environments a joy to explore.”
- “I really like all of the character designs in this game, specifically the Jotun (the main bosses).”
- “But for 15 bucks that's totally fine, so if you enjoy big epic fights, in which you will die often and don't care much about story, character development, etc. go for it.”
- “The storyline lacks depth and character development.”
emotional
6 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its impressive environments that evoke a range of feelings, from beauty to tragedy. However, some players feel a lack of deep emotional connection to the main character due to insufficient backstory and limited dialogue, which detracts from the overall emotional impact. While the game's mythos is intriguing, it often skims over details that could enhance emotional engagement.
- “Each level is highly impressionistic and made me feel a different emotion through the environment.”
- “Jotun is everything from beautiful to terrifying to heartbreakingly tragic.”
- “I admire their 'wholesome' aspect because it felt like it came through someone's heart.”
optimization
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game is highly optimized, running smoothly on older hardware, such as a 2013 MacBook Air, with minimal bugs reported. Players appreciate the easy key remapping and overall performance, indicating that it is accessible even for those with weaker systems.
- “The keys are easy to remap to whatever you want them to be, and it runs smoothly with no frame rate drop even on my old MacBook Air circa 2013.”
- “Jotun is very well optimized with little to no bugs so far and should run even on weaker and/or older machines.”
- “Optimized controls are lacking.”
- “The optimization in this game is severely disappointing.”
- “The game runs poorly on various hardware configurations.”
stability
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with players reporting buggy controls that can render attack bindings ineffective and a dodge mechanic that disrupts movement. Overall, the numerous bugs and sluggish performance contribute to a frustrating and unplayable experience.
- “The dodge is the same speed as running, but also freezes you at the end of the roll (what the heck).”
- “I can overlook the buggy control scheme, but it seems to get messed up every now and then with the attack bindings no longer working.”
- “The concept seemed interesting and unique, but the game itself is so buggy and slow that it's unplayable.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it amusing, particularly in how it playfully acknowledges the developers, others feel that the challenging gameplay can overshadow the comedic elements, leading to frustration rather than laughter.
- “Hilarious way of 'honoring' the developers!”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is not directly addressed in the provided text, which focuses on the quality of the bosses. Therefore, no specific insights about monetization can be drawn from this review.