Launching back in 2013 for PC and more prominently in 2014 as a Games with Gold freebie for Xbox One, Volgarr the Viking is an underrated classic that doesn’t get talked about enough. While some critics recognised its brilliance and scored it accordingly, the retro-style platformer only managed a 76/77% score on Metacritic, and failed to appear in the vast majority of game of the year lists. Fortunately, ports to PlayStation Vita, Wii U and Nintendo Switch would eventually help Volgarr the Viking rack up over a million sales, which is why publisher Digital Eclipse has decided to team up with developer Crazy Viking Studios to release a sequel for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch on August 6.
In case you missed the original (shame on you), Volgarr the Viking is a hard-as-nails 2D platform game where you play as a viking warrior armed with a sword, shield and spear. (The spear is particularly useful, as it can be used to create platforms when thrown at walls.)
It’s reminiscent of games like Rastan and Ghosts and Goblins, borrowing the fantasy setting and stage design of the former, and featuring the same kind of upgrade/downgrade system as the latter. It’s also brutally difficult, forcing players to be at their very best in order to see the end credits.
Announced as part of the 2024 Guerrilla Collective showcase, Volgarr the Viking 2 will take place in a “bigger than ever” game world inspired by Norse mythology.
Described as “uncompromising”, “unforgiving” and “satisfyingly punishing”, the sequel will once again push players to their very limits. Take a look at the gameplay trailer below if you don’t believe me.
However, according to the development team, fans can expect one or two quality of life upgrades to make the game a little more manageable.
This includes a practice mode to help with specific sections, multiple save profiles, unlimited lives and even more checkpoints.
However, with six different endings to unlock, you’ll need to truly master the game if you want to unlock everything.
This includes a hidden level and secret final boss that can presumably only be unlocked by clearing the game without losing a life.
Studio head Kristofor Durrschmidt explains more: “Volgarr is known for being easy to learn, hard to master. For some, that might even be an understatement.
“But that design philosophy guided every aspect of development for Volgarr II.
“We learned a lot from launching the original, and even with some modern updates, fans are going to love the sequel. Volgarr is still a game where, if you want the ultimate experience, you’ll need to really master what it asks of you.”
According to the developers, the upcoming sequel will also contain a host of new power-ups and magic items, not to mention an orchestral soundtrack, plus a wealth of new monsters, traps and boss battles.
Elsewhere, Volgarr the Viking 2 will contain a selection of speed-running tools, such as on-screen timer and no-HUD mode.
