Jotun review

Jotun is an action-adventure game made by Thunder Lotus Games set into the world of Norse mythology. For a relatively small game, it's quite good in the way it depicts the myths. The game was released in 2015 for PC and later for Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Story

Thora is a viking warrior woman who met her end when her longship went down in a storm created by the sea goddess Rán. Unfortunately, this means she's unable to reach Valhalla, as the only way to do so is to fall in battle. However, the gods give her another chance to prove her worth as a warrior. She must travel through all of the divine realms to fight and slay several Jotun, giants who are living manifestations of natural elements and various other attributes like power and chaos. Now is the time to impress the gods.


Gameplay

The objective of the game is quite simple. You have to reach the end of two levels per region in order to collect the runes to open the door to a specific Jotun, after which you have to face him/her in battle. The levels can be explored in the order of your choosing. It's worth noting that several of the levels don't feature any form of enemies, instead you have to avoid several environmental hazards, such as falling stalactites, freezing winds and burning hot ground. There are three types of collectibles: golden apples of Ithunn that increase your maximum health, shrines to the gods that allow you to use various god powers and wells of Mimir that replenish your health and god powers.


The Jotuns serve as the game's bosses and fighting them is definitely the game's high point. Thora can perform either light attacks or slower but more powerful heavy attacks. The god powers can help even the odds, but they must be used sparingly, as each of them has only two uses and you can't replenish them too often. Some of the Jotuns can be attacked in unique ways, such as hitting Isa the frost Jotun with icebergs by making them slide into him. As expected, each and every boss is gigantic by comparison to Thora, which makes defeating them all the more satisfying. Especially considering that while most of the levels are relatively easy to complete, the boss fights are far more challenging.


Verdict

Jotun is not the biggest game there is, but it doesn't need to be. The hand drawn levels are beautiful to the point that the camera occasionally zooms out only to give a better view of the level, fighting the giants is satisfying and the game is particularly enjoyable to anyone familiar with Norse mythology. It even includes some references to lesser-known myths, such as a statue of Loki with it's mouth stitched shut at the forge of the dwarves, or background elements like Nidhogg the serpent gnawing at Yggdrasil's roots. And if someone is unfamiliar with the myths but wants to learn, this is the game I'd recommend.




9/10

Shark god Dakuwanga