Nidhogg II
Tug of warts and all
Developer Messhof publisher Messhof price $ 14.99 AvAilAble At steaM, huMble nidhogggame.com
Nidhogg is a game that could almost typify the term “paredback”. The original game stripped away anything that got in the way of the core concept of two player duelling. Attacks were about positioning for a quick stab rather than spectacular swinging, and the sprites were simplified to the point of being little more than stick men. The game essentially took the concept of tug of war and added jousting without horses. It was brilliant upon release and is still fantastic. Nidhogg II is a different beast entirely. The stick men have become charmingly grotesque creatures and the original rapier is now but one of the weapons available to use. Nidhogg II takes the concept used in Nidhogg in a different direction and is all the better for it.
The core gameplay loop of Nidhogg remains – two players face off against each other and battle to kill the other so as to come into possession of the arrow that allows them to run towards their eventual goal of being eaten by the giant Nidhogg. While the original game only had the rapier as a weapon, Nidhogg II adds some variety to the mix with four weapons, one of which is randomly assigned to a player when they are spawned. The rapier works in much the same way it did in the original game, having three positions (high, middle, and low) for attack and defence. The broadsword limits manoeuvrability, giving only two position for an attack (high and low), but the powerful swings of the broadsword can disarm enemies easily. The dagger is very fast when it comes to stabbing but has such a short range that it’s easy to accidentally impale
what weapon you spawn with has a huge impact on how you approach the game
yourself on your enemy’s weapon. The dagger is balanced for throwing as well. Finally, the bow allows players to shoot arrows at range, but these arrows fly relatively slowly and can be parried or even redirected with melee weapons. What weapon you spawn with has a huge impact on how you approach the game, as what works with one is all but an automatic death sentence with another.
In addition to weapons, each player can also make dive- and slide-kicks to knock down the opponent for a brutal hand-to-hand finisher. Rather disappointingly the vicious neck snap of Nidhogg has been replaced with a gooey stomp that ups the grotesque but doesn’t feel or sound anywhere near as nasty.
The brightly coloured characters are just part of the vibrant new world of Nidhogg II. Players can choose from a number of themed stages that not only look great but present players with themed obstacles to overcome in the form of moving platforms, unstable surfaces, obscuring foliage and the like. After the austere simplicity of the original game, the candy coloured grotesques of the sequel, despite being more advanced in terms of detail and animations, can feel like something of a step back. Provided you can acclimate to the new look, Nidhogg II delivers some of the most frantic and fun local multiplayer you can have. DANIEL WILKS