Viking: Battle for Asgard
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| Viking: Battle for Asgard | |
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| Developer(s) | Creative Assembly |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 |
| Release date | NA March 25, 2008 AU March 27, 2008 EUR March 28, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Hack and slash, Action-adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Media | Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL[1] |
| Input methods | Xbox 360 Controller,SIXAXIS Controller, DualShock 3 |
Viking: Battle for Asgard is an action adventure/hack and slash video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It was announced on August 21, 2007 by SEGA Europe and released in North America on March 25 and Europe on March 28, 2008.[2] The game is based on Norse Mythology, where the war between the gods has sparked further conflict in the mortal realm of Midgard, where Freya's champion Skarin must lead Viking forces against that of the Goddess Hel.
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[edit] Story
A fierce struggle is taking place within Asgard, the realm of the Norse Gods. The battle has escalated, spilling over to the mortal world of Midgard and now a Champion must be found, a warrior that can sway this war, which threatens the fate of Asgard and the gods themselves.
The Goddess Hel – daughter of Loki, Norse god of mischief, has been banished from the heavenly kingdom of Asgard for defying Odin’s rule. Angry at her fate, she seeks to release the ancient wolf-god Fenrir, which legend tells will bring about Ragnarok - the apocalyptic battle that will destroy Asgard and the gods. With her army of resurrected Viking warriors, Hel marches on the unsuspecting mortal realm of Midgard.
Freya, Goddess of war, is appointed the task of stopping Hel and defending the future of mankind. For her champion she chooses Skarin, a great but troubled young warrior, ignorant of the true reason for his favour with the Gods and thrust into the midst of their bitter war.
As the player strikes down Hel she screams, "You have not freed Midgard!" The player then sees Skarin asking for his place in Valhalla but is refused by Freya, causing Skarin to release Fenrir and begin Ragnarok. A cutscene then states that, although the gods have been destroyed and men now make their own decisions, the essence of the gods is nevertheless still present.
[edit] Gameplay
The game features an open-world experience, with three islands in the world of Midgard, which the player can explore freely. The player is able to search and find his fellow Viking soldiers and rescue them, and in return they can assist him in battles.
The world has plenty of castles which the player can attack and capture. When the player finishes his missions in each island, he must fight a large battle, which can be a great siege or a clash between large armies. One of the main features of the game is the large armies - in many battles there can be hundreds of soldiers fighting to the death.
The player may use different ways of weakening his enemy, such as killing their shaman, who summons enemy troops, or getting into the main fight and use combat moves and combos to kill enemy soldiers and champions, who drop dragon runes. These runes can be used to call upon dragons to attack enemies from the air, destroying them. The combat system of the game features a hack-and-slash style, much like the previous Creative Assembly action game, Spartan: Total Warrior, although it is considerably more violent. It features very graphic violence including dismemberment. Throughout the game, the player has the ability to raid various Legion-held locations on the three main islands. This can range from sneaking into a lumber mill and freeing the Vikings held there, (who will help decimate the Legion garrison) to launching an all-out one-man assault against a quarry or tower.
[edit] Main Characters
[edit] Allies
- Skarin The main hero of the game, a plaything of the gods rebelling against their selfish agenda. The definitive Viking warrior. He is seen wielding both an axe and sword combination in all promotional images and video.
- Freya Goddess of love and war, is appointed the task of stopping Hel.
- Odin The "All Father" and Lord of Vahalla.
[edit] Enemies
- Hel is the Goddess of Death in Norse Mythology
- Drakan Freya's former champion who has been corrupted by Hel and is now her harbinger.
[edit] Featured Mythical Creatures
[edit] Locations
- Niflberg
- Galcliff
- Isaholm
[edit] Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | |
| Game Informer | 7.25/10[3] |
| IGN | 6.5/10 |
| Official Xbox Magazine | 6.5/10 |
| GameSpy | 3.5/5 |
| TeamXbox | 8.2/10 |
| X-play | 4/5 |
| GamesRadar | 8/10 |
| 1UP | D+ |
Viking has received a mixed to generally favourable reception thus far with an average critic score of 72% at Game Rankings. While many critics praised the epic battles, brutality of the combat and overall concept, others criticised the minimal story, repetition and lack of sound at times.
[edit] References
- ^ Viking: Battle for Asgard Page. GamePro. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Viking: Battle for Asgard at GameFaQs (360). GameFaQs. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ Ben Reeves. Viking: Battle for Asgard Review (Xbox 360). Game Informer. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Game Page Sega of Europe
- Announcement
- Official website for Simon Ravn - Simon Ravn was one of the composers for the Viking: Battle for Asgard music score.
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