That’s not to say that the game is bad or unplayable when not on the TV, it’s simply that it is not the ideal way to see what this game has to offer. The precise nature of the combat also lent itself better to a more traditional controller configuration. The game is perfectly functional when played in handheld mode and the art still looks nice, but the art–especially when Thora is a blip on the screen–is much more enjoyable on a large television. It doesn’t add much to the game, but it does provide a fun bonus for anyone looking to get the most out of those fights.Īnd as this is the first time the game is being released on Switch it obviously offers an entirely new way to play the game. If you really want to test yourself, they are truly difficult (the original versions of the fights were already tough) and the game will then keep track of how quickly you were able to best these variants. This mode just lets you square off against more difficult versions of the boss fights. This Valhalla Edition of the game then also offers Valhalla Mode which unlocks after you finish the story. The fights start calm and slowly build to a harried frenzy of smaller enemies and huge area-of-effect attacks that slowly whittle away at your health. Fighting the more difficult bosses is a culmination of your ability to utilize all of those mechanics while also wrestling with the dangers all around you in the boss arena. In combat, Thora has a light attack, a heavy charged attack, and her god abilities that you’ll unlock by praying at statues of the gods. Outside of their impressive stature and incredible animation they all offer a fun and finely-tuned challenge.Įven though she is barely visible, you never lose control of Thora. It is those boss fights against the titular jotun that make the game worth playing though. It’s a shame because Jotun’s ability to scale its art from a close-up on the player character to an enormous vista or towering boss encounter that dwarves her on screen is stunning. Once you’ve taken in the art–which, admittedly, is striking and unique in each area–it begins to wear on you as you slog through the maze-like levels with little to do outside of avoiding environmental hazards. It mostly serves as a distraction where you can find useful new abilities for use in the boss fights. Exploring the varied environments can be interesting, and is often breathtaking, but where the game falters is in providing a compelling gameplay reason to navigate these areas. You explore the five areas inside Ginnungagap that each house a different jotun, enormous elemental giants that reside at the end of the areas you’ll be trekking through. When she dies an inglorious death, she is cast into the void called Ginnungagap where she must again strive to prove herself, this time to the gods so that she can reach Valhalla and live up to the standards she feels she’s failed to meet. Hers is a journey for acceptance and validation, the former from her father as a proven warrior and the latter as the younger sister living in her brother’s shadow.

You play as Thora, a woman whose life is defined by her father naming her for the god of thunder. Rarely is Thora this close, but her hand-drawn style is consistent with all the art in the game.

Jotun valhalla edition review reddit