Game or Mythology Lesson? Why not both? Review of Jotun 4/5

A few days ago I stumbled on a promotion to download the game Jotun for free. Produced by Thunder Lotus Games and released in 2015 this game normally retails for about fifteen bucks. When I downloaded the game it was really only because it was free. Thunder Lotus Games only has two titles on Steam and the trailers and photos looked interesting but I did not really intend to play this game any time soon. However I found myself with some free time and nothing else to do so I fired Jotun up and checked it out. Boy was it worth it.

For an inexpensive indy game Jotun is striking. The artwork, the narration and story, the level design, it all leaps out and grabs you in a way that few other games I have played have ever accomplished. Richly narrated in icelandic and translated through subtitles the story follows a viking woman named Thora as she is killed in a shipwreck and then taken to the void by the gods and given a second chance to earn her place in Valhalla, the glorious afterlife in norse mythology. The gameplay is extremely simple with a basic fast and heavy attack setup tied to the left and right mouse buttons respectively. AWSD control movement, QE toggle through your god powers and F activates them. In each level you can find a health upgrade and a god power that might grant a heal, speed boost, attack boost, shield or even an illusory double that explodes to damage enemies. Every level has some kind of threat, occasionally in the form of enemies to defeat but just as often the dangers are environmental in nature.

At the end of each of the five areas in the game the player will fight a Jotun unique to that area with entirely individual abilities and moves that make each one a different and challenging fight. Even so it must be said that the combat is the weakest component of Jotun while the exploration is really the strength of this game. While each boss fight was relatively engaging and moderately challenging there are only seven boss fights in the game, the five Jotun, an undead viking warrior plus a final confrontation with Odin himself. Only a couple levels add additional threats to be fought and while relatively effective the combat does ultimately lack depth and complexity.

Which brings me to the levels themselves. Each one is vastly different from the next and all based heavily in norse mythology. Thora travels from the branches of Yggdrasil to frozen wastelands and volcanic dungeons. Throughout these levels the player can discover setpiece locations that zoom the camera out to show neighboring areas or reveal some remarkable distant vista, legendary creature or awesome relic. From the forge that created Mjolnir to the unnamed eagle roosting in the branches of the world tree these stunning moments vividly illustrate notable aspects of norse mythology that I have never seen detailed before. I think most of us are probably familiar with Thor, probably thanks to Marvel movies, but what about the four legendary stag constellationsDain, Dvalin, Duneyr and Durathror? I had certainly never heard of them before and that's not all. The norse origin myth, Odin's brothers Vili and Ve, not to mention the two children of the great wolf Fenrir who forever chase the sun and moon through the sky. Every level of Jotun is dripping with tales of mythology and rich environments.

Which brings me to the art. The entire game is drawn in a visual style very similar to Banner Saga, another title rich in lore and remarkable in visual style. Thora herself bears a huge double-headed axe and wears a helmet adorned with elk antlers while her enemies range from skeletal warriors and boulder hurling giants to five unique and enormous Jotun. Visually this game lacks the splendor of a Final Fantasy or the richness of minute details like Call of Duty but the style and subject of Jotun really stands out in a class of its own. Backing this up is a solid sound-design and wonderful narration.

In conclusion if you are looking for a solid challenge like the Dark Souls boss fights then Jotun is not for you, however for the price point Jotun tells a fascinating story and provides a wealth of information about norse mythology presented with striking visuals, solid sound design, excellent narration. If you are at all interested in history or mythology this game is a must buy. Even with the modest combat elements I have to give Jotun a positive 4 out of 5 runes.