While the world of gaming is constantly evolving with realistic graphics, detailed controls, and incredible physics, these aren’t always the most important aspects to a fun game. Often, we as gamers want a game that’s simply fun! That’s exactly why we love Nidhogg, a simple fencing game that kept us playing hours on end. Now we have Nidhogg 2 which offers the same great gameplay, new maps, new weapons, and much more. Does Nidhogg 2 live up to the success of the first title?

Nidhogg follows a simple idea of fencing to get to the other end of the map. Whoever passes their opponent’s stages first wins. Matches begin in a 1v1 matchup where you must kill your opponent to begin progressing. If you fall first, you must stop your opponent from progressing forward. It’s a simple concept that is easy for anyone to pick up and play. Now, Nidhogg 2 adds elements that further expand the concepts of the first game.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The most evident change in Nidhogg 2 is the character customization that allows you to create characters the way you want. While the customization options are limited, they do offer some comical combinations that further add to the enjoyment. As you can expect with the introduction of character customization options, Nidhogg 2 has upped its visuals to look more modern compared to the 8-bit look found in the first game. It offers a refreshing look to the series, and with the new customization options, it is a welcomed upgrade. Though the visuals aren’t the only upgrade found in this sequel.

Quite possibly our favorite new feature to Nidhogg 2 are the new weapons that have been added. While the first game focused on fencing, the sequel adds in a variety of new weapons to keep players on their feet; and allow for new tactics to be implemented. The knife is a short blade that is perfect for throwing at your enemies to quickly take them down, yet lacks the range to stand up to the fencing sword and the broadsword. The bow and arrow, the first and only ranged weapon in the series, offers players ability to play a ranged battle to safely take out the opponent without having to dodge a blade. The downside to the bow is that the arrows can be deflected, and end up being shot back at you; so don’t get crazy with the arrows. The last new weapon is the broadsword, which was actually our least favorite for a few reasons. While the broadsword is incredibly fun to use, with the ability to turn your adversary into just blood and guts, it is somewhat broken. The broadsword, while slow, can easily disarm your opponent with a single swing. If you are just slightly skilled with this weapon, you can easily topple your opponent with little ease.

[wpdevart_youtube]AKkUqeCNshw[/wpdevart_youtube]

To compliment the new look of Nidhogg 2, new maps were added. The new maps not only look great, but the layouts create new strategies for players to work with. Boardwalks, broken tree’s, and doors can play a vital role in a player’s success, or downfall. With matches possibly lasting 30+ minutes (depending on skill levels of the players), the game offers an incredible soundtrack that is incredibly enjoyable to listen to. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t listen to the soundtrack once or twice outside of the game.

Our biggest complaint with the first Nidhogg was the lack of modes to compete in. While Nidhogg 2 does add in a new few modes, they lack any real lasting appeal. For those playing by themselves, there is a single-player mode that tasks you in beating the few stages against the CPU. While this is fun, it’s just random battles put together; and the single-player mode can be completed in less than 20 mins. The good thing is that Nidhogg is a game that you play with friends, so the new tournament mode is perfect for a group of friends playing together. The tournament mode allows up to 8 players to compete against each other in 1v1 bouts to decide the winner. While it is a nice touch, it really doesn’t add anything new compared to just passing the controller to the next player anyways.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The game does offer an online component, which is a saving grace for the longevity of the game. Allowing you to face off against players from across the world is a perfect way for you to hone your skills! Sadly, this can become stale as the human interaction when playing with friends that really adds fun to the game.

Nidhogg 2 is a great suqeul to the 2014 hit. Offering new weapons, maps, modes, and an improved presentation, Nidhogg 2 proves to be a true successor to the first title. Sadly, the game still fails to add any modes that truly add to the games replay-ability. If you’ve got a group of friends to play with, Nidhogg 2 will easily be a hit game to play as it is extremely accessible for all. Otherwise, Nidhogg 2 loses its enjoyment value rather fast.  

THE BREAKDOWN

PROS

• Incredibly addictive gameplay
• Accessible for any player to pick up and play
• Improved presentation is a nice touch to make the game feel greatly updated compared to the original game
• New weapons add a new level of strategy to the game

CONS

• The broadsword is an incredibly broken weapon
• Little replay-ability for those without friends to play with
• New modes feel extremely useless

*Complementary copy of the game was provided by the developer for review purposes.