Volgarr the Viking 2 modernizes old-school platformers in all the right ways
digitaltrends.comWhen I played Volgarr the Viking 2 at Guerrilla Collective 2024, I couldn’t beat its first level. I was adamant about doing better once I had the full game on my Nintendo Switch. As I’d learn when I finally got my hands on it, Crazy Viking Studios and Digital Eclipse had players like me in mind all along when it approached difficulty design. Volgarr the Viking 2 gives players more than enough tools to get better at the game over time, letting me overcome my initial hurdle with a little time and practice.
It does that in two ways. First, there’s an Undead Mode that makes the 2D platformer a lot more approachable for less-skilled players. Secondly, it rewards the players who actually do well with helpful power-ups that make Volgarr more powerful the better you play. By discovering both of those, Volgarr the Viking 2 made me feel more enthused by its challenges than worn out.
While an old-school approach to platforming means Volgarr the Viking 2 can’t entirely escape some of the frustrating trappings of its retro design, it’s still a standout throwback to some of the toughest platformers of yesteryear. I typically bounce off tough games after a while, but Volgarr the Viking 2 had the opposite effect on me.
Just like you remember
Volgarr the Viking 2 will feel intimately familiar to anyone who played its 2014 predecessor. It’s a challenging 2D platformer starring a Viking who’s trying to take down an evil lich with the help of some Valkyries. The story mostly stops there as the focus turns to survival and gold collecting. Its 2D platforming gameplay finds a middle ground between Rastan and Ghosts ‘n Goblins.
Volgarr is a large and slow-moving character, so each attack, jump, dodge roll, or spear throw players make must be methodical, like in Rastan. Despite being a beefy Viking, Volgarr is quite frail. Getting hit by an enemy removes his current power-up (Ghosts ‘n Goblins style), while the next hit after that kills them. If you try to brute-force your way through Volga
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