Valheim | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Iron Gate Studio |
Publisher(s) | Coffee Stain Publishing |
Engine | Unity |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Linux |
Release | 2 February 2021 (early access) |
Genre(s) | Sandbox, survival |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Valheim is an upcoming survival and sandbox video game by the Swedish developer Iron Gate Studio. Published by Coffee Stain Studios,[1] it was released in early access on 2 February 2021 for Windows and Linux on Steam.[2] The game was developed by a five-person team, building on development work which Richard Svensson had undertaken as a side project in his spare time.[3]
Setting and plot
editValheim takes place in a world where slain Vikings go to prove themselves fit for the halls of Valhalla. As one such, the player begins with nothing and soon discovers that to reach the Norse afterlife, they must defeat the evils that stalk Valheim.[4] Led only by their instincts and occasional hints from a raven,[5] the player must prepare to fight the sworn enemies of Odin himself.[6]
The term "Valheim" denotes a fictional tenth world within the world tree Yggdrasil of Norse mythology.
Gameplay
editValheim is an open-world survival game played from a third-person perspective. As fallen Vikings, players must craft tools, build shelters and fight enemies to survive.[7] The game uses distinctive low-resolution stylized 3D graphics, with a combat system inspired by action games.[8] Co-operative gameplay with up to ten people and optional PvP gameplay is also supported.[7]
After creating their Viking character, players can create a world that is procedurally generated from a map seed.[9] Each world is split into several biomes, such as meadows, the Black Forest, swamps, mountains, plains, oceans, the Mistlands, the Deep North, and the Ashlands.[10] Each biome has its own unique enemies, items, and bosses that change how difficult it is to survive there. Valheim operates on an in-game day and night cycle.[11]
To survive, players must gather natural resources found throughout the world, either through foraging, hunting, mining, or farming. These resources are used to build shelters, make tools and equipment, and forge weapons. Players have a health bar (which depletes from enemy attacks or taking large falls), as well as a stamina bar that drains as players perform actions like running and attacking. To replenish either bar, players can eat food. This can not only restore health and stamina, but can also temporarily increase how much of each the player has, depending on the variation and quality of the food that is eaten.[12]
In addition, the game utilizes a skill-level system that ranges from blocking to running. Each skill can be increased up to a level of 100 and has different effects on the game mechanics. For example, the spears skill will determine the damage the player can do with spears,[13] while the running skill will determine how stamina is drained while sprinting.
The main objective of the game is to kill the five bosses located in different biomes of the game. To summon each boss, players must travel to each boss' altar and give a specific item as an offering. Bosses will drop a collectable trophy when killed; this trophy can be placed at a central altar to grant each player a special power-up. Power-ups can be used infinitely, but the player needs to wait for a brief period between uses.[14][15]
Combat makes use of one- and two-handed weapons, shields, bows, spears.[16][17] Players can travel through the different biomes either by foot or on crafted boats, which range from rafts to different types of Viking longships.
Development
editValheim is developed by Iron Gate Studio, a small Swedish game development studio formed during the game's production. Studio co-founders Richard Svensson and Henrik Tornqvist were both coworkers at a local game development company called Pieces Interactive.[18][19] Before Valheim, Svensson had previously begun development on a simulation game called Tolroko in his spare time.[20] However, this game was ultimately unreleased; according to Tornqvist, Svensson realized that it was "redundant to implement simulation systems for their own sake, rather than for the player".[20] With his next game, Svensson wanted to make an open-world experience where its simulations improved the player's experience.[21]
Svensson began working on Valheim in 2017 under the working title of Fejd (Swedish for "feud").[18][19] He ended up leaving Pieces Interactive in 2018 to work on Valheim full time, and convinced Tornqvist to join him later that year.[18] The game was released into alpha in June 2018[22] and officially released into early access on 2 February 2021, with no full release date announced so far.
Continued support for the game is planned throughout 2021, and it involves the expansion of unfinished biomes, as well as improvements to fundamental game mechanics.[23]
Iron Gate Studio updated the game on September 16th, 2021 with the "Hearth & Home" update. This update brought general improvements to the game and introduced new food, weapons, and build options.[24]
Reception
editValheim has received positive reviews from critics.[26] IGN Nordic gave the game a rating of 9/10, stating that the game has "excellent art and music highlighting a world that generates endless exciting stories".[25] PC Gamer called Valheim a "rare exception" for early access games, as well as stating that the game "feels refined and satisfying as it is right now".[27] The Washington Post appreciated that Valheim did not elaborate on certain gameplay and story elements, allowing its fans to build a sense of community with each other by sharing things like design ideas and theories about the game's lore.[28]
A month after its release, it had sold five million copies and was one of the most-played games on Steam.[29][18]
Awards and accolades
editValheim was nominated for Best Debut Indie Game and Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards 2021.[30]
Soundtrack
editValheim (Original Game Soundtrack) | |
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Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
Released | October 29, 2021 |
Genre | Swedish folk, heavy metal |
Length | 60:00 |
Label | Iron Gate AB |
Valheim (Original Game Soundtrack) was released October 29, 2021, by Iron Gate AB, to stream on Spotify and for purchase on Steam.[31]
Track listing
editAll music credited to Patrik Jarlestam except where noted.
No. | Title | Credits | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Welcome to Valheim - Menu Theme" | 3:38 | |
2. | "Flight Into Valheim" | 1:40 | |
3. | "The Meadows - A Place to Rest" | 3:40 | |
4. | "Home - A Place to Enjoy" | 3:04 | |
5. | "Dawn Arrives" | 0:33 | |
6. | "Dusk Sends Its Veil" | 0:45 | |
7. | "Eikthyr Rides" | 2:52 | |
8. | "Black Forest - The Darkness" | 3:25 | |
9. | "The Forest Crypt" | 4:24 | |
10. | "The Forest Is Moving" | 5:54 | |
11. | "Elder Awakens" | 2:16 | |
12. | "Out for a Sailing Adventure" | 4:33 | |
13. | "The Plains - Farmstead" | 2:56 | |
14. | "Bonemass Defiled" | 2:10 | |
15. | "The Swamps - Sunken Water" | 5:09 | |
16. | "The Mountains - High Water" | 4:01 | |
17. | "Moder Protects" | 2:03 | |
18. | "Yagluth Reigns" | 3:29 | |
19. | "Deya Saga" | Ghostwood Empire, Dennis Filatov, Inez Kontio | 2:22 |
20. | "Hearth and Home" | Ghostwood Empire, Dennis Filatov, Inez Kontio | 1:47 |
Personnel
edit- Patrik Jarlestam – composer, guitars, bass, percussion
- Philippa Murphy-Haste – clarinet, viola
- Jenean Lee – cello
- Michael H. Dixon – French horn
References
edit- ^ "Norse survival sim Valheim coming from Coffee Stain Studios". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
- ^ "FAQs 1". VALHEIM. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
- ^ Jagneaux, David, "Valheim: How a 5-Person Team Created the Most Popular Game on Steam", IGN, retrieved 2021-02-22
- ^ "Viking survival game Valheim sails past 5 million sales in one month". VideoGamer.com. 4 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ "Steam Game Festival 2021: Valheim hands-on preview". Shacknews. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ "Valheim". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
- ^ a b Marshall, Cass (2021-02-09). "What is Valheim, the Viking game blowing up on Steam?". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
- ^ "How Valheim Looks So Good Without Fancy Textures". ScreenRant. 2021-03-13. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ Rothery, Jen (2021-09-23). "The best Valheim seeds". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Ramos, Jeff (2021-03-05). "Valheim biome progression guide". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
- ^ Scheurle, Jennifer (2021-03-26). "Valheim offers the perfect balance of danger and coziness". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Livingston, Christopher (2021-03-10). "Keep your Viking belly full with this Valheim food guide". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
- ^ Izaak (2021-02-26). "How skills affect combat in Valheim". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ Leguiza, Santiago (2021-03-12). "Valheim boss guide: How to summon, locate and defeat bosses explained". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Toms, Ollie (2021-02-16). "Valheim bosses order: how to summon and beat each Valheim boss". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 2021-11-11.
- ^ Machkovech, Sam (2021-02-16). "Valheim is the endless Viking survival game we have craved for years". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- ^ "Combat Basics for Beginners (Valheim)". EIP Gaming.
- ^ a b c d J.Conditt (March 9, 2021). "Valheim' surpasses 5.7 million copies sold in five weeks on Steam Early Access". Engadget. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Rogers, Reece (2021-03-02). "'Valheim' Is Changing How We Play Survival Games". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
- ^ a b Wilson, Ewan (2021-03-15). "'Valheim' will unleash your inner prepper from the safety of your sofa". Input. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Livingston, Christopher (2021-02-17). "Valheim developer says Zelda and Skyrim were bigger influences than survival games". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
- ^ "Valheim - Viking survival & exploration game (ALPHA) RELEASED! - Release Announcements". itch.io. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- ^ "Valheim - Valheim Release and Roadmap! - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- ^ September 2021, Marloes Valentina Stella 17 (2021-09-17). "Valheim Hearth and Home changes - all the new stuff". gamesradar. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Valheim Early Access Review". IGN Nordic. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
- ^ Statt, Nick (2021-03-03). "Steam sensation Valheim sold 5 million copies in one month". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
- ^ Livingston, Christopher (2021-02-26). "Valheim review: a challenging and rewarding Early Access survival adventure". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ Klimentov, Mikhail. "Review | Valheim just works because it makes you work, too". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ "Valheim - Five Million Vikings! - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
- ^ Ankers, Adele (16 November 2021). "The Game Awards Nominations Announced". ign.com. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ a b Shutler, Ali (October 29, 2021). "The official soundtrack to Valheim has been released". NME. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ "Valheim (Original Game Soundtrack)". Spotify. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
External links
editCategory:Upcoming video games Category:Coffee Stain Studios games Category:Early access video games Category:Linux games Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Open-world video games Category:Survival video games Category:Video games developed in Sweden Category:Video games based on Norse mythology Category:Video games set in the Viking Age Category:Windows games