Thursday, August 17, 2017

Impress the Gods! || Jotun (PC)


It is better to stand and fight. If you run, you’ll only die tired.” –Unknown, a Viking saying

Title
Source: Screen Capture in Game

Jotun is a hand-drawn action-exploration masterpiece set in Norse mythology, created by Thunder Lotus Games. I’m going to try not to geek out too badly because I waited so long to get to play this game. A couple weeks ago my good friend Gigi over in Gigi’s Neck of the Woods DMed me to tell me that Jotun was free for a limited time, and I never ran to my laptop so fast to download a game in my life. So, a big thanks to Gigi, and you can click on the link above to visit her Youtube channel.

So that’s the story, let’s talk about the game. You play as Thora, a Viking warrior who dies at sea and ends up in the Norse equivalent of purgatory, called Ginnungagap. Now Thora must impress the Gods to be able to ascend to Valhalla, lest she suffer in Ginnungagap for eternity. You impress the Gods by collecting the runes and defeating the Jotun. Jotun, by the way, is a word of Scandinavian mythology meaning ‘a member of the race of giants, enemies of the Gods’.

What a view~
Source: Screen Capture in Game

The art of Jotun is beautiful in every regard. Thora herself, the environments, and even the Jotun are beautifully drawn in a way that makes me feel that the artists really put their heart into it. This blog will be pretty picture heavy, so take a look at any of the screenshots to see what I mean.

As far as gameplay… man, this game gave me a challenge. It was a Dark Souls roll-for-your-life feel combined with a dash of Shadow of the Colossus when you’re looking down upon your tiny body next to a Jotun. I’ve never been particularly skilled at those types of games, so it was a lot of practice and error to learn patterns and timing. I wish there was a wider combat moves variety, since you either have a one-two combo hit or a power shot.

One of my favorite side worlds, building constellations! With lightening!
Source: Screen Capture in Game

The music and sound effects are fitting and beautiful. The soundtrack, in particular, is mesmerizing, and masterfully crafted. Jotun probably has my favorite soundtrack of any game since Legend of Mana or the Final Fantasy games. I even looked up the OST on Youtube to listen to while I typed all of this out. The OST can be found *here* by the way.

The world of Jotun varies widely, and while you traverse through the different areas to collect runes, you’ll learn a bit about the Norse Gods and mythos. You’ll be able to gain powers of the gods as well, to help you defeat the Jotun in battle. Now, remember when I said that Jotun is a name for the race of giants, enemies of the gods? Well, giants they are. Their size can become overwhelming and really makes you feel your insignificance.

Someone send help, please.
Source: Screen Capture in Game
   
Overall, this game is beautiful in so many ways that I don’t feel I can do this game justice on my own. While the game is no longer free, I would say that it’s still worth the 14.99 price tag. If you don’t have that kind of cabbage laying around, keep it in mind for the next steam sale. You can visit the Steam page *here*. This game deserves to be played. Are you up to the challenge of proving yourself to the gods?

Thank you, as always, for spending some of your time with me today. Good luck against the Jotun, and happy gaming.

Bell

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