Volgarr the Viking

 PC
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 14, 2013
    70
    The difficulty level of this platformer/brawler is very demanding but fair, so when you grasp what it’s all about you’ll probably start to enjoy this red hot metal rod stuck in your... eye. [12/2013, p.65]
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  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Oct 24, 2013
    60
    Brutal game that requires you to clench your teeth and dig in. If you do, you'll get a sense of achievement that is very rare nowadays. [Nov 2013]
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Awards & Rankings

87
#87 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

User Reviews

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User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 103 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 103
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 103
  3. Negative: 11 out of 103
  1. T-1001
    Sep 13, 2013
    10
    It does exactly what it's supposed to do!

    It's an homage to the difficult hardcore platformers of the 90's. If you aren't familiar with    It does exactly what it's supposed to do!

    It's an homage to the difficult hardcore platformers of the 90's.
    If you aren't familiar with any snes or nes platformer, then you might as well give up before starting the game.
    The controls are reminiscent of the old Castlevania games.
    There's really not much else to say other than that it's well designed in an old-school kind of way.

    There are no instructions in the game other than an intro level that's a lot like Megaman X's intro level, so you're forced to learn all the mechanics while playing. This is not a bad thing at all and it just strengthens the old-school feel.

    So, to sum up gameplay: It's perfect.

    I wish the music was a little more energetic, though. I know what it's inspired by, but at times I feel it just doesn't fit what's going on in-game.

    The graphics are great, but seem a little muddy. Hopefully, they could add some kind of filter option to turn of that muddiness and keep the sprites pixelated.

    If you plan to buy this game; beware its insane difficulty. It honestly hurts my face.    … Full Review »
  2. kdamica
    Sep 14, 2013
    6
    I get it: Back in the good old days, games were hard and it took skill and dedication to beat, while today's gaming landscape of save pointsI get it: Back in the good old days, games were hard and it took skill and dedication to beat, while today's gaming landscape of save points and auto-regenerate baby players toward the end of the game. And today, there are many excellent games that hark back to the difficulty of early gaming, such as Super Meat Boy, Spelunky, Teleglitch, and Rogue Legacy. Volgarr the Viking, however, revives some of the most frustrating game elements of the time.

    First, a lack of checkpoints mixed with long levels means that players have to replay the parts of the levels that they've already mastered again and again before reaching the really difficult parts. Better games tend to avoid this repetitiveness with shorter levels or random elements.

    Second, Volgarr's jumps cannot be controlled mid-air. Some people might not mind this, but I found it frustrating, especially when there are nearly blind jumps onto small platforms (I'm looking at you, third level).

    Finally, and this one is minor, but there is no way to attack upward. The game design loves to have enemies jump on top of you, and when they do, there is no way to defend. Even Rastan had upward attacking!

    Ultimately, I would have played this game for a lot longer than I did if only my first complaint were addressed. If you loved Ghosts n' Goblins, Karnov, or any other of the old-school platformers that no one ever beat, you'll probably like this one, but I just don't feel like playing the same mostly-boring levels over and over.    … Full Review »
  3. Avadon
    Sep 22, 2013
    3
    The game aims at a very specific target audience, with infinite patience and a fondness for trial and error. Having grown up in the 80's, IThe game aims at a very specific target audience, with infinite patience and a fondness for trial and error. Having grown up in the 80's, I gave it a shot to remember the old days. It's generally well made, but the lack of being able to adjust your jump mid-air killed it for me. All the good retro games had that, this one doesn't for some reason, but it still features tons of precision platforming, so if you don't launch yourself from the specific magic pixel that the game wants you to every single time, you will die constantly. As a developer you should know which elements are challenging and which ones are nonsense, and avoid the latter. What a shame.… Full Review »
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