Nidhogg is one of those games that looks very simplistic and too outdated to actually enjoy it, but it’s a whole lot of fun and a must-own local multiplayer game at home. This game is an excellent game with not that much to offer but it does the job right and that’s what’s important. It’s an intuitive game that’s accessible for casual gamers and even non-gamers. Pick up the controller and start to run for your life. Even though the sequel uses the same formula as the original one, it’s not a bad thing.
Nidhogg 2 ‘s gameplay is all about killing your opponent and running towards their end of the screen until you reach the final screen and offer yourself to the Nidhogg. You both start with a weapon and all of these weapons can behold in 3 stances (high, low and medium). All of these weapons are throwable but not everything is “effective”. There’s also the possibility of jumping, slide kicking and dive kicking to close some space between you and your opponent and eventually deal the killing blow. Once you’ve killed a player, there’ll appear an arrow that points the direction to “your final screen”. The killed player will spawn between you and the end of the screen, so they’ll always have the chance to catch you off guard and run towards their final screen. Each time you kill your opponent, their weapon falls and can be picked up to use for yourself. It’s an interesting “dogs and cars” type of war that’s constantly keeping you at the edge of your seat.
Even though the game looks very simple, there’s still some strategy within this game. A player can disarm his opponent and you can even block incoming “projectiles” by positioning yourself in the right stance. It’s a game about watching your opponent’s moves and react to it.
Like I said, the game offers some weapons to brutally kill off your opponent. There’s a dagger, broadsword, bow & arrow and a fencing stick. All of these weapons are at your disposal during the fight but you can’t manually select them. The moment you rise from the dead, there’s another weapon in your hand. If you don’t like a weapon or you made a mistake by flinging your weapon at your opponent while he countered it, there are only 2 ways to equip another weapon: by death or picking up the remaining weapons from the previous encounters. Playing locally offers you the option to disable or enable any of them. Each weapon plays differently, so it’ll take some getting used to on how to use them.
The “bow and arrow” is pretty cool since it allows you to fire projectiles. The player can change this bow’s stance between the 3 mentioned before. Broadsword can only be held in the lower and higher stance but it covers more ground. A dagger has a small length but it can easily be used as a quick throwing projectile and the fencing weapon is basic. All of these weapons can also block or return incoming arrows of the bow. Of course, some weapons feel a bit more disadvantageous towards others but it’s up to the player to use the weapon to its fullest potential.
The sequel also brings some new interesting maps. All of these maps have so much more ground to cover. There are ten maps and each map is build up differently: gaps, moving floors, plateaus, hiding places, buildings… etc. All of them feel colorful and unique. The visuals and music for each level blend in perfectly within this world that’s dominated by the Nidhogg. The soundtrack makes up for some exhilarating fights which by the way, can be bought on Steam. The player can also customize his own character. You don’t have a lot of options to choose from but it’ll get the job done.
The game offers an arcade mode which can be completed under a half an hour, then there’s an online mode which can be interesting as well. Locally is a fun mode to play with your mates at home but if you think about it, this gaming mode gives you a lot more advantages at your disposal. Your opponent can give away hints on what he or she will do next time through facial expressions or even sounds. Online gaming takes all of that away and it becomes a lot more challenging to play. The online game mode offers you 2 player battles or a tournament of 8 players.
Nidhogg 2 is definitely a big way forwards when it comes to this kind of gaming. The game adds a lot of new maps, a great soundtrack, customization options, an online/ local mode and some interesting weapons. The core gameplay hasn’t been changed a lot but the simplistic and enjoyable gameplay stayed the same, and that’s what matters. Get some friends and host a tournament, you’ll be enjoying the game all the way!
