Volgarr the Viking II
- August 6, 2024
- Crazy Viking Studios
Volgarr the Viking II is a seriously retro and seriously difficult game, that just doesn't prepare the player enough for its punishment.
Get on Steam"Volgarr the Viking II" is a challenging 2D action-platformer, continuing the saga of the barbarian king. With new power-ups, magic, enemy types, and a booming soundtrack, it builds upon its predecessor. Modern quality-of-life options provide a more accessible experience, allowing players to choose their level of difficulty in exploring new worlds, fighting brutal bosses, and discovering multiple endings.
Reviews
- Volgarr II retains the tight controls and challenging gameplay of the original, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy mastering difficult levels.
- The game features quality of life updates, such as multiple checkpoints per stage and an improved power-up system, making it more accessible while still maintaining its hardcore roots.
- The art, music, and overall design pay homage to classic arcade games, creating an immersive and nostalgic experience for fans of retro platformers.
- The introduction of a continue system and 'Undead Mode' has been criticized for making the game feel punishing and less rewarding, as it can force players into an invincible state after multiple failures.
- Levels are significantly longer and can become repetitive, leading to frustration, especially when combined with the game's difficulty and lack of branching paths.
- Some players feel that the changes made in the sequel detract from the cohesive design and imaginative gameplay of the original, making it feel like a less inspired follow-up.
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay features a new "undead mode" that introduces a lives and checkpoint system, which some players find repetitive and reminiscent of the previous game. While the mechanics are intentionally limited to enhance challenge, the overall experience is praised for its beautiful pixel art and refined mechanics, though some feel it lacks innovation due to the reuse of previous game elements. The hardcore nature of the gameplay, with a limited number of continues, adds to the challenge but may frustrate those who dislike the undead mode.
“I'm referring to the new central mechanic that is 'undead mode' which has to do with the newly implemented lives and checkpoint systems.”
“Crazy Viking did not frontload your character with a ton of mechanics like most other modern platformers: they purposefully limit your mechanics in a very specific manner in order to give you a challenge.”
“Beautiful pixel art, simple but great mechanics, feels refined and solid.”
“They are longer than Volgarr I, but they become way too repetitive. It also doesn't help that many enemies and mechanics are copy-pastes from the previous game.”
“It's essentially just a hardcore mechanic; you have six continues before you 'have to restart' (which, of course, isn't technically true since that just triggers the undead mode). If you hate the undead mode, you need to improve your skills to avoid dying so much.”
“I'm referring to the new central mechanic that is 'undead mode,' which has to do with the newly implemented lives and checkpoint systems.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised as epic and pulse-pounding, enhancing the overall experience with its tight integration into the gameplay. Reviewers highlight it as a significant improvement over the previous installment, contributing to the game's challenging and satisfying nature.
“The game feels tight, and the music is epic; progressing is difficult and satisfying.”
“Challenging, brutal, fun, with awesome animation and art, and pulse-pounding music...everything you want out of a sequel.”
“Just as tight as the first one, with good music and art.”
“The music is lacking and doesn't match the intensity of the gameplay.”
“The soundtrack feels repetitive and uninspired.”
“The music fails to create an engaging atmosphere, making the experience less enjoyable.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers enhanced replayability compared to its predecessor, featuring multiple paths for each of the five main levels and a secret level accessible through a more challenging route. This design encourages players to explore different strategies and experiences, making it enjoyable even before mastering the game.
“More playable and fun before mastering it than the first one.”
“The first game has 2 paths for each of the 5 main levels, plus a secret level if you take the hard path, adding replayability to it.”
“That's my kind of replayability.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of Volgarr 2 to be more tedious than in its predecessor, with longer stages that can feel overly drawn out and challenging, detracting from the overall experience.
“Just like Volgarr 1 but amped up. Overall, a great and challenging game, but my only gripe is that the stages are way too long and drag on. The stages in Volgarr 1 were a perfect length, whereas here in Volgarr 2, it can get quite tedious to get through to the next stages.”
Critic Reviews
Volgarr the Viking II Review
Volgarr the Viking II is, quite simply, one of the best 2D action platformers on Switch, or any other platform for that matter. It improves upon the original in just about every conceivable way, introducing neat ways to ease newcomers into its relentless brutality, vastly improving the visuals, and adding a soundtrack that is destined to go down as one of the all-time greats. Minor quibbles with the UI aside, Volgarr the Viking II is an absolute must-play if you can stomach the intense difficulty.
90%Volgarr the Viking II Review (PC)
Volgarr the Viking II is designed to appeal to players who liked the first installment, with its mix of difficulty and reward. The Norse-themed universe does not offer much in the way of story, but it has tight gameplay and plenty of challenges for players to face. Accept the fact that you’ll end up as a zombie at one point and get ready to delete saves to try again. The game’s presentation captures what made action platformers stand out in arcades in the ‘90s. Anyone who hung out in those will like it, others might have trouble connecting with it. Volgarr the Viking II is a throwback that tests players’ skills and is not afraid to frustrate them. Review key provided by the developer.
80%Volgarr the Viking II review
Volgarr the Viking II is a seriously retro and seriously difficult game, that just doesn't prepare the player enough for its punishment.
65%
