For centuries, nearly every culture on the planet has pondered what awaits us all beyond the grave.
Some believed they would live another life in another form while others were convinced they would be reunited with their loved ones in the afterlife.
The Vikings had none of that. If you wanted to be a true Viking, you were expected to seek a valorous death on the field of battle, weapon in hand, slain foes littering the ground.
Essentially, you had to impress the gods, proving yourself worthy to be counted among the great heroes of history in Valhalla and await Ragnarok, the battle that ends the world.
This timeless myth of courage, battle prowess and legendary deeds provides the historic backdrop for Jotun, an upcoming action title from Thunder Lotus Games. The Montreal-based developer is throwing its full weight behind researching Norse mythology to build a rich, involved story and premise set in a hypothetical “purgatory” based loosely on the Norse legends of afterlife.
The hero of Jotun, a Viking warrior named Thora, will come across a variety of vividly rendered and hand-drawn environments and landmarks during her journey.
An alpha version of Jotun (a term meaning “giant” in old Norse) is in circulation and even at this early stage, it’s apparent that the Thunder Lotus developers have done their homework on Norse lore while also developing a unique, hand-drawn art style. Impressive uses of color and shadow weave a storybook visual presentation that wears its folklore inspiration proudly.
Players will control Thora, a Viking warrior who, according to Thunder Lotus’ official description, died an “inglorious” death and must now prove herself to the gods. This quest takes Thora through several beautifully rendered environments, where she explores and finds her way through treacherous locations on her way to each level’s boss encounter.
Thora fights with a battle-axe as tall as she is. Therefore, she is not to be trifled with.
Nearly everything in Norse mythology is over the top and outlandish on a grand scale, and the battles in Jotun are no exception. When facing down the massive, imposing opponents that stand between Thora and eternal glory, it will take all the player’s reflexes, intuition and perseverance to come out on top. Thora will have access to light and strong attacks with her massive battleax, as well as an arsenal of god-powers that grows with each boss victory.
In the world of Jotun, get used to being outsized during boss battles.
Intense battles with massive opponents, a gorgeous, hand-crafted art style and a game world deeply rooted in authentic Norse myth comprise the cornerstones of Jotun that, when combined, show a great deal of potential. Specific details regarding Thora’s personal story and the majority of the game’s bosses and locales are sparse for now, but be sure to keep an eye on this upcoming action/adventure experience.
Jotun is planned to release on Steam for Windows, Mac and Linux later this year, with a Beta version coming soon. From what the Alpha has to offer, Thunder Lotus is certainly on track to deliver a game worthy of the great mead hall in the sky.
What are your thoughts on Jotun? Find it intriguing…. or not? SOUND OFF in the comments below!