Nidhogg II is a case where bigger isn't always better. Offline play remains Nidhogg's biggest strong suit, though, with solid 1v1 and Tournament modes in place, especially with options to make the weapon spawns less random. Strong online play at launch was one of the original game's biggest failings, but that's not the case this time around. Things feel far more stable this time around, even if the actual online menu still feels bare bones. Netplay in the original was a total mess. In a series that feels minimalistic at its core, Nidhogg II's biggest improvement winds up being an unheralded feature. Sometimes, scoring a kill feels less because I was a skilled player that knew how to wield a sword and more like I got a lucky shot in or I had the better weapon. The dagger, for example, is weak, while the two-handed broad sword is a powerful (albeit slower) piece of work. This adds an element of RNG to the mix, because the weapons don't feel particularly balanced. The original swords are still there, but players will now randomly spawn in with other instruments of death, like a bow and arrow and a dagger. The formula looks to evolve by packing in some new weapons. That last screen on the upgraded Castle stage looks cool, with a drawbridge covered in 16-bit flames, but it's a little too busy to maintain focus on who to kill or even where to jump. The trouble is, sometimes the environments get a little too animated and make it tougher to focus on what's what. Some of the stages are even visually upgraded versions of the original. Some of them, like the Beach and Wilds, feature some gorgeous renderings of outdoor environments. The visual overhaul also extends to the game's numerous maps. It ends up like watching claymation figures fight each other. The final visual product still veers towards the unsightly side, but the effects that go into the kills and weapon shots are at least more visually appealing. It's a cool idea, but the options feel limited and there's no way to save a favorite layout. Players can choose how their characters look by swapping out heads, torsos, legs, and accessories. On the surface, the character models look like an eyesore, but the actual purpose is to allow for some customization. The old-school Atari aesthetic is gone, in favor of a look that harkens closer to the 16-bit era. That's when the differences start to set in, because Nidhogg II looks noticeably different. It's an insanely entertaining tug-o-war, so it's safe to say the spirit of the original Nidhogg is still firmly in place. There are still those moments of fist-pumping in victory or letting out a profane shout just as I get stabbed at the edge of the final screen. The original's frantic pace is fully retained here and it still feels as fun as ever. Kill the opponent to gain momentum and then sprint to the finish line, to ride to glory inside the gullet of a giant worm. If Messhof got on the phone to Matt Groening, they could quite easily reskin this as an Itchy and Scratchy-themed fighter that would surely print money.For those unfamiliar with the Nidhogg formula, the concept is simple. Stomping on a grounded opponent until they’re nothing more than a puddle of brightly-coloured goop is just the right level of gross to be funny, and the expressiveness of the animation sells it as a desperate fight to the death between two idiots. The extra detail sometimes makes the action a little less crisply readable than the original-and the colour you choose for your avatar can be a factor on some stages-but it lends a cartoonish character to the battles that makes them more amusing to watch. Bursting through to give your opponent a poke in the eye is great fun even better is seeing an arrow thunk harmlessly into the wood as it shuts behind you and you peg it as fast as your bug-eyed fighter’s legs will carry them.Įven if you didn’t take to the new aesthetic at first, you might well warm to it as you play. Pyroclastic flow and conveyer belts change your momentum, forcing you to readjust your tactics on the fly, there’s high ground and low ground, tunnels that see you fighting in silhouette, and rooms within rooms where doors become a factor. The environments, too, are different, and not simply because they’re much richer and more detailed than the spartan settings of the first. If Messhof got on the phone to Matt Groening, they could easily reskin this as an Itchy and Scratchy-themed fighter that would surely print money.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |