Rating
Jotun: Valhalla Edition
Jotun is a hand-drawn action-exploration game set in Norse mythology. In Jotun, you play Thora, a Norse warrior who has died an inglorious death and must prove herself to the Gods to enter Valhalla.
Details
- Released
- September 29, 2015
- Also known as
- Jotun
- Developer
- Thunder Lotus
- Publisher
- Thunder Lotus
Player pulse
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Jotun: Valhalla Edition Reviews
Professional reviews from gaming critics
Despite the occasional frame rate issue and immense challenge, Jotun is a game that lovers of old school action adventure titles will love. Combining beautiful, hand drawn visuals with immensely rewarding gameplay, I loved the time I spent with it. It’s a game that draws players in with its beauty, and keeps them coming back with smart boss design and a feeling of accomplishment that few games today manage to grasp.
Jotun: Valhalla Edition‘s high difficulty bar will undoubtedly be a barrier to some players, and the basic combat is unlikely to impress, but it still remains a wonderful game. Thora’s tale is harrowing, motivating you to attempt to give her the peace and glory she seeks. The boss fights are masterfully created bouts where patience and timing and flourishes of ingenuity win over frenzied attacks. Most of all though, Jotun feels unique. It’s got a character all of its own, drawing you into its world and captivating you until its very end. If that’s not enough of a reason to give it a try despit...
Jotun’s premise is a basic one: Using a variety of god given abilities, Thora embarks on a quest to talk down a pantheon of Jotun — Norse gods — to reclaim her honor after death. Sure, it’s not the most original sounding idea in gaming, but what game is anymore? What’s important is what gets done with that idea, and how the developer makes it their own. Like a swift mix of elements from Transistor, God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, and a variety of other game mechanics, visuals, and styles, Jotun quickly manages to evoke feelings of an indie darling with its old cartoon styled visuals, boss ...
Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a beautiful, but sometimes shallow, crash course in Norse mythology that shines in its boss fights’ designs and overall presentation. And while Valhalla Mode isn’t much of an incentive to jump back in for returning players, it adds tremendous challenge to the already difficult core experience.
For those who connect with the game’s combat, Jotun’s Valhalla Edition has an ultra hard rush mode in tow, pitting you against an amped up roster of giants. It’s taxing, but feels like a pure distillation of the game – a highlight reel, if you will. If Thunder Lotus had constructed more of these encounters, or simply filled the gaps between with something a little more exciting, the result would have been far greater.