Nidhogg (Video Game Review)

Every once in a while, an indie game comes out of nowhere that is accessible for a wide range of gamers and addictive enough to make it rise to the popularity it deserves. The first game to arrive in January that fits this distinction is Nidhogg. While there are probably plenty of gamers that closely follow the indie scene out there that have been looking forward to the release, there are probably even more that have let this little gem escape their knowledge without a second thought. The game won several awards before its official release including the Indiecade for best Game Design in 2013. Needless to say, Nidhogg deserves the recognition it has gotten so far, and you should add it to you ever growing Steam library this week.

Players shouldn't expect a storyline when they pick up a copy of Nidhogg, and they won't have to be disappointed with the lack of a narrative. The game places two ninja warriors in a one versus one duel to the death. There is no reason given for the fighting, and the only reward a player is given for winning a match is running to the finish line while a large stadium crowd cheers the player on, then the winner is eaten alive by a giant, flying dragon. Whether the game is about the afterlife and a battle to reach the next stage in the journey or the game is just about fighting over the affection of their pet worm named Pinky is entirely up to the players and is not determined by the game.

Nidhogg will likely be called a fencing and mixed martial arts simulator by many crowds, and that's not too far off from how the game actually plays. Each player begins a match with a sword and can then adjust the height at which the sword is held to land a successful lunge on the enemy. Once the other player has been downed, it's time to progress part of the way through the level, before the enemy inevitably spawns further down the stage to impede progress.

Every Nidhogg match features a constant tug-of-war between two players to see who can reach their finish line first. One player can only advance after being the last player to kill the other player, while the other must constantly try to prevent the advance. If an enemy player gets past your defenses, it's usually best to run off screen to die and force a quick respawn with a fresh sword ready to stop the other player. This goes on for several screens of action, and as long as one player hasn't cleared the final screen, one player can always make an epic comeback and win the tug-of-war match.

There are several advanced techniques to learn after spending some time playing Nidhogg. The first technique a player will likely learn is how to throw a sword at the enemy player. This can be a fun technique, as it's the only projectile available as an attack, but losing the player's best weapon isn't always a good choice should the attack fail, so it takes a lot of time and practice to master this technique. Players are still capable of disarming another player with punches or jumping kicks and can then use that player's own sword against them or perform a quick kill while the other player is downed on the ground. There are plenty of other maneuvers that can be performed in the game including sword parries, rolls, jumps and alternate paths to take through levels.

The first time players enjoy Nidhogg will likely be playing against the game's AI. The computer is good for learning the ins and outs of the game, but typically isn't very challenging for an experienced Nidhogg player. When fighting with swords close to each other at the beginning of a level or right after a spawn, AI opponents can be a decent challenge, but all it takes is a well timed jump to make it over the enemy and continue running towards the finish line. The AI seems particularly poor in the Wilds, where most of the screens have flat ground with no ceiling. The other three stages, Castle, Clouds and Mines, seem to make the AI perform a bit better for some good practice.

Nidhogg is multiplayer friendly and includes local multiplayer for two players. Additionally, players can join offline matches that include 3-8 player tournaments or join in online multiplayer matches with players around the world. There are plenty of different game variants that can be changed in the options menu including no swords, slow motion, and our personal favorite, boomerang swords. Multiplayer is clearly how Nidhogg was designed to play, and the many different types of game modes allows players to continue enjoying the game for hours on end with no repetition but plenty of surprised screams while getting stabbed thoroughly by a sword once again.



The one major complaint players will likely have with Nidhogg is that it is undoubtedly an ugly game. The graphics are clearly inspired by classic Atari 2600 games, though with much better controls. The games animations run smooth and look nice so that viewers can usually tell what type of attack one player is performing to the other even with the poor aesthetic appearance of the characters and environments. The game's presentation is rounded out with a solid soundtrack and menus that are easy to navigate to help players stay in the game and out of lobbies.

CLOSING COMMENTS
Nidhogg is an extremely entertaining game to play with friends or other players of similar skill levels. The game may be ugly, but you'll quickly find yourself hooked to the new release after starting it up for the first time. Nidhogg is currently available on Steam for 10% off its normal price of $14.99, so there won't be a better time to pick up the new release in the near future. Assuming you've got a few friends to enjoy local multiplayer with or enjoy online multiplayer games as much as the next person, download your copy of Nidhogg, and you won't regret it!

Nidhogg is now available exclusively for PC via Steam and can be purchased for $14.99. For more information on the game, check out the official Nidhogg website.

Game Features:

• Local Multiplayer 1-2
• Tournaments for 3-8 Players
• Four Unique Arenas
• Full Controller Support
• Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Messhof
Available exclusively for PC via Steam
Release Date: January 13, 2014

Score: 8.5 out of 10
Pros:

• Fun combat techniques
• Entertaining gameplay
• Solid soundtrack

Cons: 

• Terrible graphics