Valhalla Hills (Funatics Software)

Valhalla Hills (Funatics Software)

Facebook
Like Valhalla Hills on Facebook
Like Funatics on Facebook

Twitter 
Follow Valhalla Hills on Twitter
Follow Funatics on Twitter

Website
Check out the official Valhalla Hills Website

Discussion
Give the developers feedback on the Steam Discussion Page

Purchase
Buy your Early Access copy on the Steam Store page 

Vikings are normally associated with fighting, pillaging and sailing, but Valhalla Hills from Funatics Software drops these Germanic Norse seafarers in a city building setting instead. In place of raiding and trading, the Vikings are trying to get into Valhalla after Odin decided to close the gates. The Norse god was clearly in a bit of a bad mood as he also exiled his son Leko for being more interested in building than the family business of battles and booze. This is good news for the Vikings though, as with the help of Leko they might attain enough honor to get to Valhalla.

Valhalla Hills is currently out on Steam Early Access and is already in a very playable shape. The developers behind this title has worked on The Settlers 2 and Cultures series, which definitely shows. Although it is a city-building strategy title, it is very accessible and gets straight to the fun without having to micro manage everything. Instead, you are given randomly generated levels where your goal is to reach and open a portal to move on to the next island. Before doing so you’ll want to prepare your Vikings first as they’ll have to deal with the portal guardians before they can move on.

Building your village is as easy as selecting structures from the production, logistics or military menus and then letting your Vikings get on with the construction. You don’t have any direct control over your Vikings and instead they will automatically assume whatever job openings are available. All you need to do is create housing, harvest resources and keep your Vikings fed. If you want to take the exit portal by force you also need to amass an army, but with sacrifices it is also possible to move on in a more peaceful manner. The game features three speed settings, so you don’t have to sit around and wait for things to happen either. Completing each level unlocks a bunch of new buildings, skills and variables to make the next one a bit more challenging and interesting. There are tutorials that explain everything, but it doesn’t take very long to master the basics.

Since the game uses the Unreal 4 engine it looks impressive and features some very detailed visuals. The randomly generated islands look great, as does the Vikings and animals roaming about. The day/night cycle really shows off the lighting effects and you can zoom in to really appreciate the attention to detail. The map can also be rotated to a limited degree, but always snaps back into place. We didn’t encounter any major bugs or glitches during our time with the game and the developers have already released an extensive update to address issues reported by players.

Valhalla Hills is definitely shaping up to be a very entertaining game and there is already plenty of fun to be had in the Early Access version. The game is streamlined enough that even players who are not normally fans of complex strategy titles will be able to appreciate it. This doesn’t mean that the game is dumbed down though. Since the basics are already in place it will be interesting to see how Funatics Software continues to build upon the idea.

*Preview based on Valhalla Hills Update 0.10.16.

Related posts

All-Star Fruit Racing (3DClouds)

All-Star Fruit Racing (3DClouds)

From Nintendo and Sony to Sega and Konami, there was a time where every developer with a semi decent roster of recognizable characters felt the need to shoehorn their mascots into a kart racing game. Some were good, some not, but the most memorable ones were usually the games featuring well-known characters. 3DClouds, an Italian indie developer doesn’t have the luxury of banking on familiar faces for their title, All-Star Fruit Racing, as it is their debut title. However, this doesn’t mean that the game isn’t worth a closer look as even though it is still an Early Access title, it already impresses.

Adam – Lost Memories (Adam Dubi)

Adam - Lost Memories (Adam Dubi)

As terrifying as the horror genre can be the sad reality is that the ghouls, ghost and other fantasy creatures that typically inhabit it pales in comparison to the horror that some people have to endure in real-life. It is even more heartbreaking when you realize that it is often the most vulnerable who are preyed on the most. Adam: Lost Memories is an early access title that is being created by just one person, Adam Dubi. Adam began working on the game after his psychologist suggested that he uses some form of art to work through the trauma that he experienced during his childhood. For some people, this would mean painting or poetry, but instead, Adam went ahead and created an extremely ambitious horror game.

DYSMANTLE ( 10tons Ltd)

DYSMANTLE ( 10tons Ltd)

Dysmantle by 10tons Ltd opens with the protagonist emerging from his shelter to a post-apocalyptic island that is overrun with all kinds of hostile creatures. Clearly, something very bad happened, and you might just be the only surviving human left on the island. Fortunately, it appears that there is a way to get off the island, but it is going to take a lot of exploration and preparation to do so successfully.

Super Toy Cars (Eclipse Games)

If you didn't play Micro Machines on the 16 bit consoles or Re-Volt during the Playstation era then you have missed out on some quality arcade racing. Fortunately, Eclipse Games can help you to redress the balance with their Early Access title, Super Toy Cars.

Victor Vran (Haemimont Games)

Victor Vran (Haemimont Games)

If you are looking for an action RPG that is fast, fun and doesn’t get bogged down in endless stats you will enjoy Victor Vran. It also looks like the developers are pulling out all the stops to make this a game that fans will enjoy and you can provide feedback or report bugs from within the game to help with the development. There has been some great role playing titles released for PC lately and Victor Vran is definitely shaping up to be one of them.

Card Hog (SnoutUp)

Card Hog (SnoutUp)

Card Hog by SnoutUp is a card-based dungeon crawler where you pick your little pig protagonist and then try to stay alive for as long as possible. Along the way, you get to slay all manner of foes and pick up different weapons with which to do the slaying. You'll also want to keep an eye on your health and grab the healing potions needed to keep the porky protagonist alive. All in all, it plays like a typical role-playing game but presented in the most accessible way possible.

1 Comment

  1. Eerikki September 1, 2015
    Reply

    Big Viking fan so this is going straight to my wishlist.

Leave a comment

three + twelve =