Jotun: Valhalla Edition | Switch | Review

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Everyone loves a bit of Norse Mythology, right? Whether you’re enjoying the new God of War or cheering on your chisel-jawed hero Thor in Avengers: Infinity War, there's something particularly epic about that pantheon of gods.

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by James
Michael
Parry

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@James_Parry

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Developer: Thunder
Lotus Games
Publisher: Thunder
Lotus Games
Platforms: Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
​Players: 1

The Nine Realms, which you might be familiar with from the slightly unhinged work of Doctor Selvig, serve as the setting for Jotun: Valhalla Edition, the portable port of Thunder Lotus Games’ (Sundered) debut title.

Though they do traditionally come in nines, the realms on offer here are a mere five levels and a big bad final boss encounter. The end-of-level bosses take the form of the titular Jotun, destructive colossi which often draw their strength from the elements, be that ice, wind or fire.

Unlike the other titan-toppler we played this week, Extinction, there's plenty of variety on offer here. From the range of environments, driven by exploration and puzzle-solving rather than combat, for the most part, to the Jotun themselves, each requiring different tactics and cunning employment of the powers of the gods to finally take down.

That's right, the gods are on your side as you try to rid the world of these lumbering embodiments of evil. You might have the simple (and crucial) ability to get back some health or imbue your weapon with the power of Thor's lightning to deal more damage, and all such skills are invaluable as challenging Jotun battles push you to the limit.

​Loki, the coolest god in my humble opinion, gets the handiest power - dropping a decoy for foolish baddies to toil against for a few seconds before it engulfs them in an explosion. Always satisfying.

Taking out Jotun can be less than satisfying on occasion however, as the game doesn't do a great job of establishing the rules of an encounter through their behaviour. All of them have a suite of attacks that after a few tries you learn the timings of, but the significance of the stages themselves, whether that's lightning rods or arena-supporting pillars, aren't explained at all, leaving you to fend for yourself.

Unlike the other titan-toppler we played this week, Extinction, there's plenty of variety on offer here. 

While keeping the challenge level high might goade some players on, this combined with the limited dodge range of your character (in fact the dodge itself is almost as slow as normal movement) can start to see frustration build.

Other times, the beautiful hand-drawn art style and animations can prove to be a hazard, as enemies fall and catch you in their wake when you feel as though you should be free and clear.

The final twist of the knife is the camera, which often zooms far far out, to Below-esque levels of distant appreciation, to show you the points of interest in the scene, but, again, often at the expense of your character's wellbeing.

All in all then, the intrigue of Jotun will keep pulling you through, and, being a portable game on this particular platform, finds itself well suited for quick bursts while trundling along on a train. There's little to bring you back once your quest is done, with only the extra hard Valhalla mode left to tax the most dedicated players. At journey’s end your character might not have much of an emotional arc, but there's variety here to keep you occupied without outstaying its welcome.

Pros

• Well-presented art style looks right at home on the Switch
• Great satisfaction in besting a beasty
• ​Environmental puzzles are simple, but effective

Cons

• Bosses frustrate rather than teach with failure
• Camera and perspective can sabotage you
• Little replay value or reward for exploring

7/10