You have two main methods of support: “God Powers” and “Mimir”. Since you’re playing a game in a world where the scales are never tipped in your favour you’d think that there would be a lot of different weapons or health packs to help you on your journey.There aren’t – well, not really anyhow. It makes you feel minuscule and weak while you fight off plant roots, giant hawks, and other ridiculously large enemies (reminded me a lot of Honey I Shrunk the Kids but with Norse mythology). Every fight is an uphill battle that gets you wondering if it’s even possible to win, and with the unchangeable difficulty setting you can see why Jotun is a true underdog experience. Everything around you is giant and you’re almost unreasonably small in comparison. It gives you an overwhelming feeling of futileness throughout Jotun. You play as a warrior named Thora who died an inglorious death and is stuck in purgatory until you slay all of the Jotun (the really big guys) to impress the gods. A character has all of the odds stacked against them, fights enemies that outclass them in every way, ends up in the worst situations, yet somehow prevails in the end. It delves deep into a commonly used concept and uses its assets to emphasize it to the maximum level. Jotun isn’t just a breathtaking audio and visual adventure. It honestly feels like a treat to play such an endearing game. The way the snow fell slowly and gracefully down my screen was mesmerizing and soundtrack was perfectly composed to accompany it. There’s a world with a never-ending snowstorm and when I walked into it for the first time I took one look and I stopped moving my controller – it was stunning. No matter where I travelled in Jotun‘s mythological world, I always had a good time because each area is unique and teeming with personality. It’s rare to see a title so crisp and refined that it’s obvious how much effort was put into each moment of it, but Jotun is one of those games. The completely hand-drawn visuals make every aspect of it shine with a charming cartoon glow. That may seem like hyperbole, but it’s not. The game really is that pretty. This alone is reminiscent of Shadow Of The Colossus, but the desolate atmosphere and often empty landscapes only reinforce the impression.Jotun: Valhalla Edition is hands down the most gorgeous game I’ve played this year. Although there are more minor enemies here and there, and one level is filled with them, Jotun is very much focused on its boss battles. But it’s a much simpler action adventure than that. In gameplay terms it’s tempting to compare the game to Zelda: A Link To The Past, because that’s what it often looks like in screenshots. Inevitably, the painted backdrops seem even more static as a result, but the top down view is still used in some interesting ways – such as the stunning opening shot. There’s not a polygon to be seen anywhere, with enemies and other in-game objects animated in a style that is almost unique, either now or at any other time in video game history. No doubt developer Thunder Lotus were hoping for comparisons with Studio Ghibli, but while it’s not quite that it’s certainly reminiscent of the work of Don Bluth. The visual presentation is just as strong, with the game’s key selling point being its extravagant, hand-drawn animation.
That seems a tall order when Thora only starts out with an ordinary axe, but the gods do help out along the way.
All she has to do is kill the jotun, who are the basis for the frost giants in the Thor comics and movies. She starts the game suffering an ignoble death by drowning, but once she reaches the afterlife the gods offer her a second chance to prove her worth and enter Valhalla. Jotun casts you a shield maiden who goes by the gloriously old school name of Thora. Which just goes to prove that everyone thinks Vikings are cool. Even though the developers of Jotun are Canadian. The myths and characters have always been fertile ground for video games, but few have ever felt as authentic as this new indie download. Thanks to Marvel, Norse mythology has probably never been more popular than since back when people actually though Odin and co. Jotun: Valhalla Edition (Wii U) – the legend of ThoraĪ mixture of Zelda and Shadow Of The Colossus make this beautifully animated indie adventure one to savour.