Land of the Vikings

Land of the Vikings looks like it has delivered the goods when it comes to producing a city builder / gatherer sim game. There is a lot in the game, so players will have a lot to learn, but need not worry because it comes with a wonderful tutorial that can teach the basics. Even if real Vikings were generally described centuries ago as being violent terrorists, the Vikings in this game will be sure to provide a satisfying and enjoyable gaming experience.

Overall I was very impressed with Land of the Vikings, it has a learning curve that always felt manageable without being too easy. There is enough in the game at the moment to keep you busy for a while and it may take a few restarts but once you get settled and you figure out the best way of doing things, time both in game and out will fly by. Obviously there are small issues like a few spelling mistakes and pathing issues but in the 15 hours I put into the game before writing this I never came across anything that was game breaking. The developers come across as very active and are looking at adding more content in the future.

Land of the Vikings is a decent to good city building and survival experience. The narrative elements are not very engaging, and the Nordic theme exists mostly for visual flair. All the gameplay mechanics will be familiar to gamers who have tried other entries in the genre before. But there are some nice touches, like the boat building and the way statues and decorations improve the village and its inhabitants. The game needed more innovative elements for both its core concepts and its story. Land of the Vikings is engaging and creates a nice sense of progression and the developers are saying they are planning to add more ideas in updates, while also squishing bugs.

The game seems a little ordinary at first, but then it shows a complex, well-designed Viking settlement simulation, culminating in the planning of war expeditions. In the later stage, it will exhaust its possibilities and surprises, and it is a pity that there is no story, but it is definitely an interesting experience for fans of building strategies.

Although Land of the Vikings provides a relatively fresh setting in the city-building simulation genre, the lack of content after you pass through the first winter might prove to be unsettling, as with the frustrating Tree of Life system where some basic mechanics are locked behind, particularly the Auto Assign mechanic. Still, if you're looking to relax and throw down some hours into a city/village-building simulation game, Land of the Vikings is adequate to fulfill your spare time.

If you have a few hours to spend, Land of the Vikings will give you an opportunity to enjoy creating a settlement and seeing it grow, all the while adding little touches that make it yours. However, the game doesn't prioritize its own unique features, instead upholding the age-old formula of the genre.