⏰ In a rush? Don't worry, I gotchu'! ⏰
What Works:
✅ Unique 2D Survival Experience: Combines exploration, resource management, and base building with a Nordic theme.
✅ Meaningful Hunger Mechanic: Forces players to prioritize food gathering and resource management.
✅ Charming Art Style: Simple yet evocative visuals create a distinct atmosphere.
✅ Focus on Exploration: Rewards players who venture out and gather resources.
What Doesn't:
❌ Simple Combat: Relies on basic stats and lacks depth or variety.
❌ Limited Customization: Only offers four classes with minor differences.
❌ Sudden Difficulty Spikes: Frustrating encounters can disrupt the gameplay flow.
📜 A Nordic Tale Unfolds
Throughout your Nordic life, you have sought glory and honor on the battlefield. You have fought against other warriors, faced many adversities, and earned your place in the afterlife. However, not everything goes smoothly during the celestial journey your soul takes to Asgard. At a certain point, it is kidnapped, for no apparent reason, by shadowy entities with malicious intentions and is later placed in Niflheim, the place in this mythology equivalent to the Christian hell, demanding one more tribulation in the quest to obtain what is promised: eternal rest and a place by Odin's side. It is with this premise that the Ellada Games studio presents its game to Switch fans, a title that combines 2D side-scrolling, survival elements, action and a touch of RPG.
🛡️ Choose Your Fate
After the first (and only) cinematic, the player is invited to choose, initially, from a group of four, the place where he will stay in the realm of the dead and also a character between Viking, Valkyrie, Berserker and Shaman. Unfortunately, in addition to this process being exempt from any customization, the aforementioned classes only differ in the attribution of their abilities. For example: The Viking is a balanced class with average vitality, strength and resistances. However, the Berserker, despite inflicting more damage, has a lower amount of health points and is endowed with a faster metabolism. It is this last element that highlights one of the points related to Niffelheim's gameplay. After a range of actions, such as attacking monsters or cutting down trees, the player character gets hungry and, after a certain limit, starts to lose his vitality until he eats. A simple system, but one that mandates focus not only on sorroundings, but also on the character's stomach.
🌲 Survival in the Realm of the Dead
Simplicity will, however, be your daily piece of bread when it comes to combat. All nefarious encounters with skeletons, spiders, wolves and even bosses are decided by statistics (that is: if strength is greater than defense, the target to be killed will die first). For this the player has at their disposal an attack button and a defense button. Nothing more. There are no special skills worthy of a poetic Edda in the repertoire of these heroes, except to attack the enemy until it stops squirming about. However, these small battles are few in number (unless you look for them in the dungeons or on the surface at night), which does not detract from the overall experience.
⚔️ The Art of Combat
Outside of combat, the remaining mechanics are all in line with the survival theme: gathering resources in limited quantities against the clock, building weapons, potions and fortifications, etc. These elements, the strong point of Niffelheim, are where the player will spend more time wandering. However, in the final stretch the game suffers a steep rise in difficulty, making it impossible to hide the frustration of encounters not favored by lady luck.
🖌️ Aesthetic Ambiance
Another highlight is the art direction which, together with the Angela Anaconda-style models and animations, create much of the charm needed in a place desolate by decay and death. The most varied scenarios, simple and devoid of bright colors, are reminiscent of paintings or old watercolor works. In a Nintendo ocean full of games with seemingly higher quality, Niffelheim stands out with these choices in its representation. It’s weird at first, but you quickly get used to it.
💎 A Survival Gem with a Unique Flair
In short, Ellada Games baby project stands out for the well-achieved 2D survival experience that, despite the simple combat, weak range of customization and sudden increase in difficulty, rewards the player with positive moments of exploration and a unique artistic choice. Overall, Niffelheim is a solid survival game with a unique art style and a focus on exploration. However, the simple combat and lack of customization may be a turn-off for some players.
🌟 M I S C 🌟
◻️ 🌳 Visit my Linktree for more content.
◻️ ⚠️ Review originally written for FNintendo (defunct website) and published on October 9th, 2019.
◻️ 🙋♂️ Explore more reviews written by me.
◻️ 🎮 Discover Nintendo Switch video games I've played.
◻️ ✍️ Reviewed in European Portuguese.
◻️ 📜 Review Number 001.
✨ F I N ✨
What Works:
✅ Unique 2D Survival Experience: Combines exploration, resource management, and base building with a Nordic theme.
✅ Meaningful Hunger Mechanic: Forces players to prioritize food gathering and resource management.
✅ Charming Art Style: Simple yet evocative visuals create a distinct atmosphere.
✅ Focus on Exploration: Rewards players who venture out and gather resources.
What Doesn't:
❌ Simple Combat: Relies on basic stats and lacks depth or variety.
❌ Limited Customization: Only offers four classes with minor differences.
❌ Sudden Difficulty Spikes: Frustrating encounters can disrupt the gameplay flow.
📜 A Nordic Tale Unfolds
Throughout your Nordic life, you have sought glory and honor on the battlefield. You have fought against other warriors, faced many adversities, and earned your place in the afterlife. However, not everything goes smoothly during the celestial journey your soul takes to Asgard. At a certain point, it is kidnapped, for no apparent reason, by shadowy entities with malicious intentions and is later placed in Niflheim, the place in this mythology equivalent to the Christian hell, demanding one more tribulation in the quest to obtain what is promised: eternal rest and a place by Odin's side. It is with this premise that the Ellada Games studio presents its game to Switch fans, a title that combines 2D side-scrolling, survival elements, action and a touch of RPG.
🛡️ Choose Your Fate
After the first (and only) cinematic, the player is invited to choose, initially, from a group of four, the place where he will stay in the realm of the dead and also a character between Viking, Valkyrie, Berserker and Shaman. Unfortunately, in addition to this process being exempt from any customization, the aforementioned classes only differ in the attribution of their abilities. For example: The Viking is a balanced class with average vitality, strength and resistances. However, the Berserker, despite inflicting more damage, has a lower amount of health points and is endowed with a faster metabolism. It is this last element that highlights one of the points related to Niffelheim's gameplay. After a range of actions, such as attacking monsters or cutting down trees, the player character gets hungry and, after a certain limit, starts to lose his vitality until he eats. A simple system, but one that mandates focus not only on sorroundings, but also on the character's stomach.
🌲 Survival in the Realm of the Dead
Simplicity will, however, be your daily piece of bread when it comes to combat. All nefarious encounters with skeletons, spiders, wolves and even bosses are decided by statistics (that is: if strength is greater than defense, the target to be killed will die first). For this the player has at their disposal an attack button and a defense button. Nothing more. There are no special skills worthy of a poetic Edda in the repertoire of these heroes, except to attack the enemy until it stops squirming about. However, these small battles are few in number (unless you look for them in the dungeons or on the surface at night), which does not detract from the overall experience.
⚔️ The Art of Combat
Outside of combat, the remaining mechanics are all in line with the survival theme: gathering resources in limited quantities against the clock, building weapons, potions and fortifications, etc. These elements, the strong point of Niffelheim, are where the player will spend more time wandering. However, in the final stretch the game suffers a steep rise in difficulty, making it impossible to hide the frustration of encounters not favored by lady luck.
🖌️ Aesthetic Ambiance
Another highlight is the art direction which, together with the Angela Anaconda-style models and animations, create much of the charm needed in a place desolate by decay and death. The most varied scenarios, simple and devoid of bright colors, are reminiscent of paintings or old watercolor works. In a Nintendo ocean full of games with seemingly higher quality, Niffelheim stands out with these choices in its representation. It’s weird at first, but you quickly get used to it.
💎 A Survival Gem with a Unique Flair
In short, Ellada Games baby project stands out for the well-achieved 2D survival experience that, despite the simple combat, weak range of customization and sudden increase in difficulty, rewards the player with positive moments of exploration and a unique artistic choice. Overall, Niffelheim is a solid survival game with a unique art style and a focus on exploration. However, the simple combat and lack of customization may be a turn-off for some players.
🌟 M I S C 🌟
◻️ 🌳 Visit my Linktree for more content.
◻️ ⚠️ Review originally written for FNintendo (defunct website) and published on October 9th, 2019.
◻️ 🙋♂️ Explore more reviews written by me.
◻️ 🎮 Discover Nintendo Switch video games I've played.
◻️ ✍️ Reviewed in European Portuguese.
◻️ 📜 Review Number 001.
✨ F I N ✨