Viking: Battle for Asgard

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 468 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Viking: Battle for Asgard Game Cover
Viking's got good ideas, but you'll see most of them in the first third of the story.
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In "Viking: Battle for Asgard," the goddess Hel, banished from Asgard, seeks to release the wolf-god Fenrir and bring about Ragnarok. Freya, goddess of love and wisdom, chooses Skarin, a young warrior, to stop Hel's army and defend mankind. A fierce battle ensues in the mortal realm of Midgard, as Skarin faces resurrected Viking warriors and strives to save both worlds from destruction.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 468 reviews
story37 positive mentions
grinding17 negative mentions
  • Epic combat and large-scale battles provide a thrilling experience.
  • The graphics have aged surprisingly well and support modern resolutions.
  • Nostalgic value for those who played it on older consoles, making it a fun trip down memory lane.
  • Repetitive gameplay and missions can lead to boredom over time.
  • The game is plagued by a 30FPS lock and performance issues, especially during large battles.
  • Poor controller support and clunky controls make it frustrating to play on PC.
  • story146 mentions

    The game's story is generally perceived as mediocre, with many reviewers noting its simplicity and repetitiveness, often revolving around a basic quest structure involving Norse mythology. While some players appreciate the nostalgic elements and engaging battles, others criticize the lack of depth, character development, and coherence in the narrative, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a compelling driving force.

    • “The story is a classic one, all revolving around the ancient rivalry between the gods of old.”
    • “Great story and immersive and diverse gameplay, sure to provide endless hours of engrossing and engaging entertainment.”
    • “The story is an interesting take on Viking mythology through modern (post-Christianity) understanding.”
    • “The story is very light, and towards the end gets completely nonsensical if you have even a passing knowledge of Norse mythos.”
    • “The story is basic, the protagonist is lame, and there isn't much reason to pay much attention to any of the characters, because there's maybe a half dozen character models in this game, and half as many voice actors.”
    • “The story is obvious and leaves no surprises.”
  • gameplay73 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its repetitive nature and dated mechanics reminiscent of older titles. While the combat can be enjoyable and offers a sense of accomplishment, it often feels sluggish and lacks depth, leading to a grindy experience. Additionally, technical issues such as bugs and frame rate drops detract from the overall enjoyment, making it a title best approached with tempered expectations.

    • “The gameplay, the mechanics, the battles, it was all epic.”
    • “You basically go and single-handedly dismantle hell's armies with brawn and wit (there are some stealth mechanics), one outpost, camp, or fortress at a time (each one unique), with a bit of overarching 'war narration' sprinkled on.”
    • “Great story and immersive and diverse gameplay, sure to provide endless hours of engrossing and engaging entertainment.”
    • “It's repetitive; the combat system and mechanics look like they belong in a game from 2003, and the QTEs are excessive.”
    • “The gameplay itself is very repetitive and gets boring after around 3-4 hours of doing the same thing over and over (find bad guy camp, kill everything, save warriors for big battle, repeat until final big battle, next area).”
    • “The potential of controlling an army is wasted as you can't decide when you want to deploy it; there was space for strategy, and it is messed up, too bad coming from Creative Assembly... simplistic controls, poor blocking and combat mechanics, and absolutely boring gameplay.”
  • graphics56 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally viewed as outdated, reminiscent of the last generation of consoles (PS3/Xbox 360), with many reviewers noting a lack of polish and customization options. While some appreciate the visual aesthetic and certain effects, such as large-scale battles and environmental details, others criticize the blurry textures and low frame rates, suggesting that a remaster could significantly improve the experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with some elements still holding up well, but many aspects failing to meet modern standards.

    • “The graphics for this held up surprisingly well, and I love that I didn't have to struggle to make it work for my ultra wide monitor.”
    • “And speaking of art, the artwork you unlock by collecting the various red skulls on the map is stunning.”
    • “The graphics were good, the ocean, smoke, fog, and heat effects were particularly great.”
    • “The graphics themselves are very blurry and outdated, which is to be expected.”
    • “The graphics look like a late PS2 game and do not age well at all, and the framerate is locked at 30fps.”
    • “For a 2012 game, the graphics are horrible in comparison to other games of that time.”
  • music27 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the relaxing Norse-themed ambient tracks and epic battle music that enhances the atmosphere during combat. However, many users report issues with low volume levels and minimal music presence throughout the game, leading to a lack of engagement during key moments. Overall, while there are some standout pieces, the inconsistent audio experience detracts from the game's epic ambitions.

    • “When speaking of the sound, the nice, Norse-themed ambient music is relaxing to listen to while you slice undead vikings in half.”
    • “The battle music for raids and open field battles is epic and really gives you the feeling of fighting a war, where everything is at stake.”
    • “Siege music is beautiful and I even keep some of it for my D&D campaigns, as that's how solid it is.”
    • “There's no background music to spice up your mood.”
    • “I played the game in almost total musical silence as a result.”
    • “For whatever reason, there's no music to the game.”
  • grinding17 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, with many expressing frustration over repetitive quests, slow skill acquisition processes, and excessive backtracking. While some appreciate the large battles and fast-paced gameplay, the overall sentiment leans towards grinding being a significant and often unenjoyable part of the experience.

    • “I have also come upon moments during army battles where it's getting tedious being slain on the same, tough spot you need to get by and then rushing in again.”
    • “Questing is tedious and enraging, as most of the quests are either fetch or kill certain enemies.”
    • “There are no surprises, just 30 minutes of grinding with no sense of accomplishment for your efforts.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting smooth performance and good visuals, while others criticize it as a poorly optimized console port with significant issues like low frame rates, stuttering, and cumbersome menu accessibility that requires frequent reboots for adjustments. Overall, many feel that the lack of effort in optimizing the game for PC has hindered its potential, especially during large-scale battles.

    • “Maybe the price is a bit high for such an old game, but I must admit, it does still look quite good and plays quite smoothly. I did not have any performance issues, even in the bigger battles with many NPCs, so the port has worked quite well.”
    • “I think had they actually put in effort on optimization and unlocking the FPS; this game would have been received much better on PC.”
    • “Another issue was the accessibility of the option menus, which required you to reboot the game every time you wanted to tweak a performance setting. I spent the first 30 minutes trying to get the performance to balance with what my PC can run, as there is no auto setting.”
    • “Performance-wise, it's not great.”
    • “It's capped at 30fps, there is a lot of stuttering and dropping below 30, especially large battles which are cool lag a lot.”
    • “As with a lot of ports, the game is very poorly optimized for PC.”
  • stability5 mentions

    The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and clunky controls that detract from the overall experience. While the large battles are noted as impressive for older consoles, issues like audio loss and a locked frame rate of 30 fps significantly hinder gameplay. Overall, the game's technical shortcomings overshadow its potential, leading to a frustrating experience for players.

    • “The engine does its job well enough to provide a game to play, but frequent glitches, audio loss, clunky controls, and a locked fps of 30 (unlocking this forces the game to speed up; 45 fps through a mod is the most desirable) really hammer the nail in the coffin for this one, even if the large scale battles are somewhat impressive for a 360/PS3 title.”
    • “This game is buggy, laggy, and all around clunky as hell!”
    • “While an interesting concept at launch, this game turned out to be buggy, have a poor camera, annoying button mashing, and a bland storyline.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is largely criticized, with many users noting a lack of multiplayer options and unlockables, leading to a consensus that it offers little incentive to replay after completion. While some players enjoyed the experience, the general sentiment is that once finished, there is little reason to return.

    • “Great game, with a lot of replay value!”
    • “It's too bad that there is no multiplayer or any kinds of unlockables, which limits the replay value.”
    • “No replay value.”
    • “All in all, it's a game you are happy to never play again after completing it; there is no replay value whatsoever.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely criticized for its absence, with players noting that progression is limited to unlocking new combos and magic through monetary means rather than meaningful narrative or character growth. The overall story and character design are described as bland and uninspired, contributing to a lack of engagement with the characters.

    • “There is no character development, aside from unlocking new combos and better magic using money.”
    • “While the lack of interesting plot or character development can be forgiven, there is nothing to compensate for its absence.”
    • “It's a no brainer slash'em up, with limited, rehashed character designs, and a bland storyline.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is generally praised for its engaging and fun battles, enhanced by decent music and notable voice acting, particularly from Brian Blessed. While some elements, like sound and puzzles, may lack depth, the overall ambiance contributes significantly to the enjoyment of the gameplay.

    • “However, it is a fun, simplistic brawler with a decent atmosphere and meaty combat.”
    • “Positives are that it's good brainless fun, and the big battles are quite atmospheric; the music is decent enough, and it has Brian Blessed doing voice acting, so it can't be all bad.”
    • “One of my all-time favorites, if for atmosphere alone.”
    • “The sound lacks atmosphere, the puzzles are too simple, and the camera is struggling.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game features a complex and deep narrative that fosters strong emotional connections with its characters, leading to memorable and impactful moments. Players often express that the emotional experience is unparalleled, particularly highlighting the epic feelings evoked during gameplay.

    • “It has a complex and deep story with emotional moments and characters you really get attached to.”
    • “But I've never felt half as epic in any other game as Viking: Battle for Asgard has made me feel!”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

64% average critic score

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Play time

15hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
2-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 3 analyzed playthroughs

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