“Valheim” is a game that came out on February 2. It is a third-person open-world survival game that is influenced by Nordic mythos. It has been described as a mix of “Minecraft” and “Teria.” I am someone who is easily turned away from games with bad graphics, but this game is so wonderful it makes up for it. Also, it must be noted that the lighting in the game is above average and does wonders to submerge you into this world of myth and legend.

You will go through several biomes, each with its own bosses, enemies and resources to collect trophies from them to summon the last boss. Accompanying you is a trusty messenger of the gods to guide you on your way and to give helpful advice. As you travel you are immersed into dark swamps and bright unassuming plains that are full of danger and treasure. 

I started playing this game two weeks ago with my brother. I was hesitant at first because of the graphics and I hadn’t heard much about it, but after the first several hours I was hooked. The gameplay, while challenging, is fair and every status ailment can be broken down. The penalty for death is losing a little bit of experience but not enough that you will not be able to make up the difference easily. It is in early access at the moment so there are some bugs but nothing world-breaking and not to the extent of games like “Fallout 74” and “Wasteland 3.” Also, I had to learn a very important lesson, no matter how tough you think you are a tree falling on you is tougher. 

The game also benefits from a lively community of players that comes up with new ways to build bases, share tips to progress and of course share memes.

This game while it has a few places to iron out has an incredible start and an incredible future with more biomes and updates slated to come out.  I give this game a solid 4.75/5 and I can see it being a 5/5 in the near future once some game issues are ironed out, namely deathsquitos and how far they can chase you. Overall, I would recommend that you give this game a try, it costs $19.99 in the Steam store and goes on sale every once in a while. If you don’t like it it is not as big of a risk as a AAA title but if you like it it can easily provide more than the standard 50-60 hours of entertainment