Viking: Battle for Asgard may have slipped under the radar of most 360 owners. A hack and slash adventure set in a mythical Norse landscape, Viking seems almost anachronistic compared to the modern world shooters clogging up the 360's release schedule. This is a shame, as I've been playing the game this weekend - it's out this Friday - and so far things are looking good. Reminiscent of Fable - fantasy visuals and "oo-arr" regional British accents - but far more combat focused, Viking has the look of a cult classic.
The initial action seems simplistic. Pick up some quests from the starting village and then head off to hack and slash your way to glory. The combat is pleasingly visceral with dismemberments, cleavings and beheadings bringing back nostalgic memories of ancient C64 title Barbarian. But as you'd expect from a game developed by the Creative Assembly - most famously known for the Total War games - strategy is important. The quests usually involve you freeing your captured troops. Gather enough men and you can eventually lead them into a full scale Viking battle. Here the game really comes alive, with the hack and slash combat - your character is fully involved in the heat of the action - combining with battlefield strategy decisions, such as whether you should take out the archers of the infantry first. Dragons can be summoned too, which is obviously a plus point. The lack of multiplayer is a shame but if Viking keeps up the early promise - I'm about 4 hours in - then this looks like a potential winner.
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