If you were to ask me if I like Valheim, I know exactly what my answer would be. I would say something along the lines of ‘Valheim’s is definitely an incredibly popular game, and a lot of people talk about it. Based on this, you have to accept that it is successful and that many people enjoy it, and that is before you take into account the sales figures, a number that is so astronomical that newcomers to Iron Gate Studio will probably never have to worry about money again. . ‘
If I were to decide not to give an politician an answer, I would say I like Valheim, but I do not like it either. I got caught up in Valheim as a glass dish was recently taken up in my liver. At the same time, I also questioned why I still play the game during every session, even though it was marathon sessions. Although I consider it, I still have more of Valheim to explore.
I feel like I’ve played almost every survival game since Minecraft was first released and the sub-genre started in an exaggerated series. Rust was the first one that really picked me up and hooked me up when it was first released, but I finally left when I had no more worlds to Rust. Since then, I’ve been through 7 Days to Die, The Forest, The Long Dark, Subnautica, Don’t Starve, Ark: Survival Evolved, DayZ, H1Z1, SCUM, Terraria and so much more. All this means that survival games have become the next realistic shooter and are now being supplanted open world as the thing for the endlessly uninspired.
That is, unless there is something to give a reason, engage people and probably get them investigated. For some, it’s other people. That’s why Rust and DayZ are still so successful. For others, the environment does, which is why Subnautica, Raft and The Long Dark are so good. Then you have creativity, the driving force behind the genre’s unparalleled emperor, Minecraft. Valheim is rare. Valheim wants to push all three of these at once, and probably succeed as well.
By dropping a giant bird into this new world, you are given a simple task: to survive. Well, you have two tasks. Survive and kill the five abandoned. At least there are now five. These are boss fights in the true sense of the word, offering a huge challenge from Eikthyr, a giant electric Rudolph, to Moder, a giant ice dragon straight out of Skyrim. You fight it by actually making them angry by placing a few heads or babies of their respective animals or subjects on their podiums.
This is the current loop of Valheim. You set up a shop somewhere, you would try to gather resources while trying to survive your most damning attempt against the worst, most dangerous creatures. The even greater threat to your survival? Trees. Chop one off, then a large stump might fall on your head. Once you have stock or things get too dangerous, go back and store the equipment, cook food and hopefully get the chance to upgrade your equipment or even start making new, better equipment, which will take you one step further. give in your conquest of this new world.
The problems so far with Valheim are the gaps between these bosses. They can feel incredibly long. The biggest gap I have encountered so far is between the first and second boss. You start mine, start exploring the black forest, against Greydwarfs and skeletons. This is the awkward early-middle stage, and it really feels like an awful lot of grinding. Honestly, the faster you can skip it – by working with others or by someone who just gives you the material, the better the game will go.
Repetition, limitation and a lack of purpose is what ultimately kills me with most survival games. I do not need a game to give me a goal; I can do the whole sandbox thing. Since Minecraft, I’ve essentially been the version of the Kevin McCloud video game. I love building my own super home, one that is aesthetically pleasing and functional based on the world it is in. Valheim took advantage of this brilliantly with some strong building mechanics.
They are not perfect, and some are annoying. Wood humiliates far too much when water hits it. Wooden buildings have lasted for years, so it may have to do with adjustments, if only because the game has an obsession with its amazing storm mechanics – the windstorm, the rain hitting you and everything around you and the waves starting to climb. I rarely find games with the weather that add so much atmosphere, but it’s the little things that count. This includes more aspects of construction, which include the need to build in a chimney. You need a fire inside for heat, but if you do not have ventilation, you will suffocate in your sleep. This is emphasized due to very impressive smoke and fog, which makes a very foggy day almost as atmospheric as Silent Hill.
At least visually. The fright is not on the same level. This is not to say that you will not find moments of horror. The first time you wander through the dark forests and encounter a troll is a lot of swearing, accusations and then death. You need to find a way to get your items back, then turn around the troll until you are equipped enough to defeat the massive git. The world is not full of these non-boss monsters. Not yet anyway. There is enough to make any long journey dangerous to your health.
Little things contribute to the big things. Synergy. It makes Valheim impressive and enjoyable to play, even if there are too many. Eating a balanced diet of meat, fruits and a frost-free meat increases your health and endurance. It is not through an equalization. Of course, you will give a bonus in reducing your endurance, increased damage, and so on, to improve your skills in the same way you would find in an Elder Scrolls game.
In keeping with the idea that small things and synergy make Valheim so attractive, you have the aesthetics. You have smoke and fog, wind and rain and an excellent lighting system. It all combines with a visual design that would otherwise look old; instead it manages to look beautiful. This is before you build your boat and start sailing the ocean, meet the other biomes and see the creatures, dungeons and more that the world has to offer.
So the original question is whether I like Valheim. I do, but I also know that I’m close to the point where I will not pick it up – unless I’m with a group of other people for a while. The story is enough to draw me in. The mechanics gave me some giant sessions while I continued to build my house. I just hit the point where I see that bringing in my own fun is too much repetition, something I know comes to me significantly sooner than most other people do.
Do I recommend it despite it being early access? Yes I do. The hard work is already impressive enough from Iron Gate, it’s probably all worth the money to pay for it, and there’s so much potential for the coming months and years.