By Joseph Luster

For a game that marries historical themes with strategy and a gripping narrative, Norse is on the way to bring the untamed beauty of ancient Norway to life in a new way. The Viking Age is in the spotlight in this turn-based strategy game, which tells a tale of blood and betrayal.

A few things stood out to us upon our first perusal of what Norse has to offer, particularly its in-depth sense of immersion. The main campaign tasks players with crafting their own settlement from the ground up, gathering allies along the way, and training them to stand by your side when you need them most. Decisions you make as your settlement and people expand will shape a deadly landscape as you forge new bonds—while attempting to take down and fend off rival clans.

The story of Norse comes from award-winning and Sunday Times bestselling author Giles Kristian, known for his Viking-based Raven saga, among many other titles. A young warrior named Gunnar lies at the heart of it all. The treacherous Steinarr Far-Spear murdered his father, Jarl Gripr, and decimated his people, sending Gunnar out on a path of vengeance that starts with rebuilding and, if all goes according to plan, ends with justice.

 

It’s clear from early looks at what Norse has to offer that a lot of work has gone into its visual design. While the animation of combat currently looks a bit stiff at times, the environments are lushly detailed and the character acting in cutscenes is befitting of the epic yarn it’s attempting to weave. Despite the occasionally stilted battle animations, the fights themselves look appropriately tense, as raiders appear at the shore to loot and plunder, villages are sacked, and an immense amount of blood is spilled upon the land.

As long as the strategy of Norse —which will have you managing an entire community of craftspeople, farmers, and warriors while engaging in brutal battles—lives up to the pedigree of its narrative, we could have something special on our hands.

Genre: Strategy
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
Publisher: Arctic Hazard • Available: Now

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