As Thora, a Viking, you die an inglorious death and now the gods have given you a second change to enter Valhalla (Viking heaven) by proving to the gods that you are worthy. Jotun is a hand drawn, 2D hack and slash that has some light puzzles to solve and very large bosses to fight.
General Gameplay
Jotun is a 2D side scroller that is more of a hack and slash/adventure than anything else. You’re on an island and there are different regions in which you have to find different god powers, glyphs, and apples to give you more health. Also in these regions, you will have to fight Norse gods (bosses in the game) to progress to the next area.
Audio
In-game music is more of a somber, light melody that matches the regions that you are in, so each level has music that fits the level’s design. There are grunts and sounds of the ax that Thora uses and other sounds that you would expect in an action/adventure game. There is dialogue in the game, but it is narrated in Icelandic with English subtitles. From our playtesting we did not hear anything that would be offensive to any gamers in your gaming family. The game does support 5.1 surround sound and headset use. Parents, we urge you to use caution with the extended use of headsets for long gaming sessions with your family members.
Visuals
Jotun’s visuals are very beautiful. They are hand drawn and animated; if anything, the game is like looking at a moving work of art. Down to the details of the levels, bosses, and the main character herself, everything is done beautifully. The game does have some detail in the art of its bosses and other characters, but nothing scary for younger gamers in your gaming family. Jotun does not have a colorblind mode but as the graphics are very easy to see on any monitor, it does not need one. During our playtest we not see anything that would be offensive to any gamers but keep in mind that, as it is a hack and slash type of game, there will be some minor blood and gore – or as the ESRB would call it, “fantasy violence”.
Controls
The controls are very simple in the game; you use the left thumb stick to move Thora, a light and heavy attack button, a button for a roll dodge, and a button to call for your special ability that the gods have granted you in the game. The left and right shoulder bumpers are used to move between the specials that you have access to. The game does not need any type of special controller to play the game and the controls are very friendly to every type of gamer. The game is designed to be picked up and played by anyone. During our playtesting we did not run into any issues, and our special needs gamers and older gamers loved how easy the setup was for the controls.
“Jotun is a beautiful, hand-drawn game that will have you in love with the game from start to finish… but don’t expect a cakewalk as the bosses in the game will have you crying like a baby!”
Delivery
If you are in the market for a decent hack and slash type of game, Jotun is the extraordinary game choice for your digital library. If you’re not in the market for one, then you’ll still want to pick up Jotun! The game has it all, from beautiful presentation to smooth controls and gameplay. The game does not get stale and the difficulty is not that easy nor too hard. If anything, you can look at the game as a sort of being one boss battle after another, but before you think that the game does not have any substance, it does. If you want to get to the bosses you will have to find glyphs and activate them to go forward in the game’s story. With most games like this there is a risk that the game will get stale after a while, and we can say that Jotun does not. It’s a great game overall, and fun for anyone that loves hack and slash, artistic animation and/or Norse mythology.
Family Friendly
For those who are on the fence about Jotun because of the game’s nature, that you must kill the gods to enter heaven, do not believe that there is bloodshed or sacrifices involved that would make this game a bloody or inappropriate one. The game’s story centers around a woman trying to prove that she is worthy to enter Valhalla in the afterlife. We had some reservations about playing the game and its nature about being family-friendly before even starting up the game, and here in the office we decided to give it a shot. We kept an open mind and are happy to say that the game is very appropriate for anyone over the age of 12. We did test the game out with some of our younger gamers, as young as 9, and they were ok with the game but, as we want to make sure that you are picking the best digital titles for your family, we would recommend that the game be played by gamers that are 12 and up. The game’s level of violence is low; yes, it is a hack and slash game but it does not have the level of violence that other games like this have. It’s the equivalent of in-game death from a family-friendly, 8-bit game from years ago. Also, the boss levels are more about strategy than just running up and cutting away. The game does not have any type of nudity, language nor anything that would be offensive to any member of your gaming family. In our play testing, all of our gamers loved the art design and game for what it was. They did not feel offended about the game’s subject matter or what it meant; for them it was all about embracing the experience. Another thing that we loved is that Thora is no pushover! She is a strong, intelligent character who’s a great example of how female leads can be strong in a game and even be the hero. Now, with the game being a T – For Teen rating from the ESRB, we have to be honest and say we did not feel that the game had enough violence in it to warrant that type of rating. We felt that it should have received a E10 – Everyone 10 and Up rating. Again, unless you have such strong opinions about faith that you’re against mythology and want to keep it out of your gaming library, Jotun is a game that should not be passed up.
Closing
Jotun has everything that a hack-and-slash should have: a good story, great graphics and a good balance of challenge. We highly recommend this game for you, your family, and your digital library!
Also listen to our thoughts on Jotun:Valhalla Edition on our weekly podcast!
