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Valheim

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Valheim
Developer(s)Iron Gate Studio
Publisher(s)Coffee Stain Publishing
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Linux
Release2 February 2021 (early access)
Genre(s)Sandbox, survival
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Valheim is an upcoming survival and sandbox video game by the Swedish developer Iron Gate Studio. Published by Coffee Stain Studios,[1] it was released in early access on 2 February 2021 for Windows and Linux on Steam.[2] The game was developed by a five-person team, building on development work which Richard Svensson had undertaken as a side project in his spare time.[3]

Setting and plot

Valheim takes place in a world where slain Vikings go to prove themselves fit for the halls of Valhalla. As one such, the player begins with nothing and soon discovers that to reach the Norse afterlife, they must defeat the evils that stalk Valheim.[4] Led only by their instincts and occasional hints from a raven,[5] the player must prepare to fight the sworn enemies of Odin himself.[6]

The term "Valheim" denotes a fictional tenth world within the world tree Yggdrasil of Norse mythology.

Gameplay

As fallen Vikings, players must craft tools, build shelters and fight enemies to survive.[7] The game uses a distinctive low-resolution stylized 3D graphics, with a third-person perspective and a combat system inspired by action games.[8] Co-operative gameplay with up to ten people and optional PvP gameplay are also supported.[7]

The procedurally generated world includes several biomes: Meadows, Black Forest, Swamp, Mountains, Plains, Ocean, Mistlands, Deep North and Ashlands.[9] Each biome has a different difficulty level with different enemies, bosses and items. A unique food system makes in-game hunting, foraging and farming key to progression: the amount of health and stamina available to a player is dependent on the variation and quality of the food that is eaten.[10]

In addition, the game utilizes a skill level system that ranges from blocking to running. Each skill can be increased up to a level of 100, and has different effects on the game mechanics. For example, the spears skill will determine the damage the player can do with spears,[11] while the running skill will determine how stamina is drained while sprinting.

Combat makes use of one- and two-handed weapons, shields, bows and spears.[12][13] Players can travel through the different biomes either by foot or on crafted boats, which range from rafts to different types of Viking longships.

Development

Valheim is developed by Iron Gate Studio, a small Swedish game development studio formed during the game's production. Studio co-founders Richard Svensson and Henrik Tornqvist were both coworkers at a local game development company called Pieces Interactive.[14][15] Before Valheim, Svensson had previously begun development on a simulation game called Tolroko in his spare time.[16] However, this game was ultimately unreleased; according to Tornqvist, Svensson realized that it was "redundant to implement simulation systems for their own sake, rather than for the player".[16] With his next game, Svensson wanted to make an open world experience where its simulations improved the player's experience.[17]

Svensson began working on Valheim in 2017 under the working title of Fejd (Swedish for "feud").[14][15] He ended up leaving Pieces Interactive in 2018 to work on Valheim full time, and convinced Tornqvist to join him later that year.[14] The game was released into alpha in June 2018[18] and officially released into early access on 2 February 2021, with no full release date announced so far.

Continued support for the game is planned throughout 2021, and it involves the expansion of unfinished biomes, as well as improvements to fundamental game mechanics.[19]

Reception

Valheim has received positive reviews from critics.[21] IGN Nordic gave the game a rating of 9/10, stating that the game has "excellent art and music highlighting a world that generates endless exciting stories".[20] PC Gamer called Valheim a "rare exception" for early access games, as well as stating that the game "feels refined and satisfying as it is right now".[22] The Washington Post endorsed Valheim, stating that it wasn't only a great game, but that it was good at being more than just a game.[23]

A month after its release, it had sold five million copies and was one of the most-played games on Steam.[24][14]

References

  1. ^ "Norse survival sim Valheim coming from Coffee Stain Studios". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  2. ^ "FAQs 1". VALHEIM. Retrieved 2021-03-01.
  3. ^ Jagneaux, David, "Valheim: How a 5-Person Team Created the Most Popular Game on Steam", IGN, retrieved 2021-02-22
  4. ^ "Viking survival game Valheim sails past 5 million sales in one month". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  5. ^ "Steam Game Festival 2021: Valheim hands-on preview". Shacknews. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  6. ^ "Valheim". Metacritic. Retrieved 2021-03-27.
  7. ^ a b Marshall, Cass (2021-02-09). "What is Valheim, the Viking game blowing up on Steam?". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  8. ^ "How Valheim Looks So Good Without Fancy Textures". ScreenRant. 2021-03-13. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  9. ^ Ramos, Jeff (2021-03-05). "Valheim biome progression guide". Polygon. Retrieved 2021-03-06.
  10. ^ Livingston, Christopher (2021-03-10). "Keep your Viking belly full with this Valheim food guide". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  11. ^ Izaak (2021-02-26). "How skills affect combat in Valheim". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  12. ^ Machkovech, Sam (2021-02-16). "Valheim is the endless Viking survival game we have craved for years". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  13. ^ "Combat Basics for Beginners (Valheim)". EIP Gaming.
  14. ^ a b c d J.Conditt (March 9, 2021). "Valheim' surpasses 5.7 million copies sold in five weeks on Steam Early Access". Engadget. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Rogers, Reece (2021-03-02). "'Valheim' Is Changing How We Play Survival Games". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  16. ^ a b Wilson, Ewan (2021-03-15). "'Valheim' will unleash your inner prepper from the safety of your sofa". Input. Retrieved 2021-06-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Livingston, Christopher (2021-02-17). "Valheim developer says Zelda and Skyrim were bigger influences than survival games". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  18. ^ "Valheim - Viking survival & exploration game (ALPHA) RELEASED! - Release Announcements". itch.io. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  19. ^ "Valheim - Valheim Release and Roadmap! - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  20. ^ a b "Valheim Early Access Review". IGN Nordic. 2021-02-17. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  21. ^ Statt, Nick (2021-03-03). "Steam sensation Valheim sold 5 million copies in one month". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  22. ^ Livingston, Christopher (2021-02-26). "Valheim review: a challenging and rewarding Early Access survival adventure". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  23. ^ Klimentov, Mikhail. "Review | Valheim just works because it makes you work, too". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  24. ^ "Valheim - Five Million Vikings! - Steam News". store.steampowered.com. 2021-03-03. Retrieved 2021-03-03.

External links

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