Volgarr the Viking II

Despite the fact that we are in the ninth generation of games consoles, there is no shortage of retro games. I would say that the range, except of course during the 8 and 16-bit era, has never been as extensive as now for those who want to play things that both feel and look classic. There is no shortage for those who want to find pixels and if you want something that reminds you of Castlevania, for example, and at the same time puts you through your paces, Volgarr the Viking 2 arrives like mead down the throat. It is a game that flirts with the 'old school' games and for those who have been looking for just such a thing, there is a lot of fun to be had.

Volgarr is a classic side-scrolling action game in every way. I mentioned Castlevania above but the game can probably be compared to, for example, the classic Ghosts 'n Goblins that many players have probably worn their hair to. Volgarr is very difficult and it is also devilish in that your Viking can only withstand a single hit before it dies. It is therefore very much about memorising the long paths and also hunting for power-ups that can be found in chests. These not only add some kind of property, but each one you equip yourself with also makes you withstand one more hit. On the first level alone, I learned more parts that killed me over and over again and it felt quite unfair at times. However, some of the hitboxes and trial and error moments did feel a little bit too shitty but as I wrote in the introduction; if this is something you've been longing for then Volgarr II offers this in spades.

I don't know if I really agree with the way Volgarr II wants to challenge me. It feels a little too hardcore for my liking and despite having recently played Black Myth: Wukong, the whole 'one hit means death' thing is a game mechanic I never really get on board with. Sure, there are some checkpoints and you have to be prepared for a lot of trial and error to get through the levels in a satisfactory way. But the game developers have also done something a little strange with dying over and over again. Because, after a number of 'continues', your Viking turns into an invulnerable one. The game simply tells you that you were too bad and turns you into a zombie and invulnerable so that you can play on. It's a bit strange instead of just having a system that you can take a few more hits or something like that.

It's all very arcadey with attacks being performed in one direction and in addition to your sword you also have a spear you can throw. As well as being able to slay enemies from a distance, it can also be used to create platforms. Most often this is needed to reach a ledge where a chest is located. There is also some platforming involved in timing jumps and it's generally a fairly rigid control that doesn't always feel very responsive.

I guess the pixels are what make this appealing. The game looks charming with a lovely bombastic soundtrack and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the presentation as such. It is clear that they have tried to recreate the side-scrolling action games of the past in everything from graphics to game design. You get five lives before a 'continue' throws you back to the beginning of a level and as mentioned earlier, these are quite long so the challenge lasts for quite a while. Checkpoints are spread out quite liberally, but I would have preferred the courses to be divided into several subsections instead of being as long as they are.

Volgarr the Viking II feels like a pretty niche game in that it's mainly trying to appeal to those who want this kind of challenge in this suit of pixels, and the whole combination feels absolutely retro in every way imaginable in just the right way. So, if you know you're that gamer, it's certainly worth checking out, but for me it didn't really stand out.