Nidhogg 2 Review

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Here we have Nidhogg 2, the sequel to the equally bonkers pixelated fighter Nidhogg, indie hit from 2014. The object of the game for those that are unaware is to get to the other side of the map, although this is not as straightforward as it sounds; to do this you must get past your opponent using various weapons and your wits to pass and get yourself to victory and bear this in mind… your opponent is trying to do exactly the same thing so… let the carnage and weaponry onslaught begin!

So what were my thoughts of the bonkers onslaught of Nidhogg 2? Well, read on through the review and it will all become clear.

 

Gameplay

 

When I received Nidhogg 2 and therefore got the chance to review it, I was apprehensive, to say the least, now I will be honest I have yet to play the first incarnation, although I did my homework and researched online and must say it is a polished version of the original and a true sequel by the look of things.

From the very start, Niddhog grabbed my attention with the retro styling and pretty cool soundtrack. I jumped straight in with a bit of couch co-op with my son and we spent a lot of our time in the character customization screen with countless zany options to choose from it gets the game off to a great setting when the customising is fun too. You get to choose many different worlds to play through, the carnage starts straight away as you put your wits against each other, the aim is to get past your opponent and to the next screen and you back and to until one person gets to the end and gets eaten by a giant worm out of the sky.

Yep… this is the giant worm.

The combat in Nidhogg is exactly as it should be; no holds barred, no messing about just straight up business we had nothing but fun in every game we played.

Next up I had a go at the Arcade mode which pits you against a computer foe as you go through the different levels. It starts off pretty easy and you get yourself thinking “it’s okay I got this” but it’s not long before you’re on the edge of your seat sweat dripping off your head screaming at the television! (or maybe that’s just me).

The gameplay flows quite freely from screen to screen and the combat is easy enough to master and challenging enough to keep you gripped. Another thing worth mentioning is that every time you die, your weapon changes to another one more effective. For example, the dagger is less effective than the broadsword which happens to be my favourite weapon as it unleashes pure carnage at every swing.

Next up I tried out online play which in a strange way plays just like the couch co-op mode, the only snag I found was it took ages to find an opponent but this is in no way a fault of the game, it’s more down to it being a new title, but my advice would be that it’s definitely worth waiting in matchmaking lobbies as the online is seamless and a whole lot of fun just like couch co-op just stepped up a level.

Graphics and Sound

Now for those of you that have read my reviews before, I am somewhat of a retro fan and love most things pixelated and it’s in this vein that the graphics of Nidhogg 2 fully appeal to me, from the level design to the character builds right up to the splats of guts that hang around the level after you kill your foe, it just all works. The soundtrack has an electro hip-hop vibe and sounds great. Throughout the game, the sound effects work well with the occasional splat of guts as you bring your sword down and the curb stomping effects are just next level.

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Summary

To summarise my thoughts on Nidhogg 2, in short, it’s one of the best games I have played in some time; everything works well together. Every part of the gameplay delivers, from the single player to the multiplayer, it’s one great arcade blast and well worth checking out. If I was to make any criticism it would be that the game does get slightly samey but this is technically not a bad thing… as you can never have enough of a good thing, right?

Nidhogg 2

Nidhogg 2
9.7

Gameplay

10.0/10

Graphics

9.5/10

Sound

9.5/10

Cool

  • Awesome gameplay
  • Cool retro graphics
  • Nice soundtrack
  • Great fun with a friend

Not Cool

  • Can get slightly samey