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Volgarr the Viking is back, and more than a decade on from the release of the original game comes Volgarr the Viking II.
We reached out to the team at Crazy Viking Studios in hope of finding out more about the sequel, ahead of release on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC. Their CEO and Creative Director was more than happy to tell us how they have gone about crafting a legend…
Can you please introduce yourself and your role in the development of Volgarr the Viking II?
Hi there, I’m Kristofor Durrschmidt, CEO and Creative Director at Crazy Viking Studios. My role on the development of Volgarr the Viking II was as Creative Director overseeing all creative decisions that went into the game and I also contributed directly to character and effects animation.
How would you pitch this game to potential players?
I would identify Volgarr the Viking II as a methodical action adventure platformer with a side-scrolling perspective. If I were to compare it to platforming games aimed at the widest audience possible (checkers) this would be (chess). A little more challenging to learn and get good at, but really rewarding when you do.
It’s been over a decade since Volgarr’s first outing, so why is now the time for his return?
This is a really long story (ten years in the making!). I never intended to make a direct sequel. I originally felt like we did all we needed to do in the first game. It is a game you can play over and over and really enjoy, like Castlevania III or Super Ghouls N Ghosts. Over the years we were exploring other things like the expanded universe, other characters and abilities, etc.
In the meantime, I have been asked nonstop all this time if/when another Volgarr game was going to come out. Suddenly, publishers started taking notice as the 10th anniversary of Volgarr the Viking loomed. The stars aligned with my relationship with Digital Eclipse and it just felt like the right time to explore it for me. It took some serious thought into what would actually make a good sequel to the original experience. It is pretty exciting to do something special for fans for the 10th anniversary of Volgarr, even if it did get here a little late.
Who is your target audience for Volgarr the Viking II?
Anyone who likes to be challenged and to overcome challenges. Fair challenges. In the original game I knew we were targeting a specific audience, but this time around I am hoping to introduce more people to games like this who wouldn’t ordinarily play them and hope that they start to fall in love with the rush of bettering themselves as video game players and get them into something new for them. Other than that, anyone who loves Viking fantasy, swords, monsters, high adventure, and the riddle of steel…maybe loincloths.
Can you talk us through the main differences found in this one, from the first Volgarr the Viking game?
Of course. Because I wanted to get more people exposed to this sort of game and hope they stick around to discover if they like the genre, we added a new feature that was highly requested from the great reviews we got the first time around, mainly “Undead Volgarr.”
In Volgarr the Viking II there is a brand new feature that allows players who are struggling to learn how to play Volgarr a little better. Undead Volgarr mode is tied to the narrative and has a visual representation of how you are doing. It is not a selectable mode. If you unlock this, your choices are to press on and see what happens to Volgarr in the “Bad Ending” or restart the game and try to do better next time which is in the core spirit of the game.
This is tied to the narrative so that everyone playing Volgarr II has the same experience. No one will have to “Guess” if you were playing in easy mode or not. Everyone can see it. IE, you can’t pretend to be good at the game, but you are welcome to have fun in it as you see fit.
Just like the first game, there should be a sense of accomplishment and pride for those who complete the core experience of the game. However, this time, I hope that by including this mode tied to the narrative, it will allow more people who ordinarily wouldn’t like to play games like this to really discover—if in fact—that they might! More people enjoying more things is always a good thing!
I really felt like this feature was a wonderful way to provide inclusivity, but also retain bragging rights for the most hardcore fans.
Additionally, fans and some reviewers asked for more checkpoints. While the Volgarr experience is not going to ever place a checkpoint right before each and every challenge – it does contain a significantly larger number than in the first game. In the 1st game, you only got a checkpoint on a map transition. In Volgarr the Viking II you will get several per map now. However, this has been balanced against the fact that Volgarr the Viking II has significantly larger maps and worlds than the first game as well. Again, this feature is to assist new players to games of this kind but it is again also optional in the way that the most hardcore players can destroy them for extra risk/reward for clout, lives, and score.
Volgarr has new power-ups and abilities in addition to his old ones. Players will need to experiment to see how they help Volgarr this time around. Each new piece of armor and power up to discover provides a unique benefit unto itself.
Volgarr starts with his Magic Shield this time versus the wooden shield (which is retired in this sequel).
There are of course new traps, enemies, bosses, and ways to get around the levels as would be expected!
The original was known for its classic arcade difficulty. Can we expect more of the same in Volgarr the Viking II?
Absolutely. The game can be easier for people to warm up to it, but it can also be even more challenging for the people who want it. I suspect most folks will fall somewhere in the middle! The difficulty and the assistance that the game gives you is tied to the narrative of what happens to Volgarr. The worse you do, the easier the game is – gives the worst story outcome, which I hope encourages people to eventually take the training wheels off and shoot for better endings and ultimately discover the final world and secret boss.
How will players be rewarded for their hard earned progress?
The performance of a player is tied to the narrative of the game. If you do really well you can unlock secret content and learn something really cool about Volgarr and the gods he has to deal with.
What can you tell us about Volgarr’s abilities and items which will assist him during the game?
Part of the fun in a game like this is the discovery of what the items are and what they do. Without spoiling too much there are quite a few more things Volgarr can get this time around, which inherently makes it so he can take several more hits before dying if you are powered up versus the original title. Some of the new armor pieces are a magic girdle and magic boots. Some of these new abilities do things like send out a shockwave to either side of Volgarr when he lands on the ground from a downward stab.
What influenced the visual style in Volgarr the Viking II?
I love the fantasy arcade games from the late 80s through the mid-90s. Particularly of the CPS1 and CPS2 systems, such as Capcom’s Magic Sword, Black Tiger, etc. I really love Taito’s Rastan. I like to make games pretending like they were AAA huge budget titles from that time period. What would it have been like to walk into your favorite game store at the time and see a Neo Geo, SNES, Genesis version of the game on the shelf next to Super Ghouls N Ghosts. Challenging ourselves in such a way that we put ourselves in our younger selves’ shoes and try to think of what would have influenced our purchasing decisions then. Those games never stopped being fun or relevant.
What did you learn from the Volgarr the Viking community after the release of the first game? How has this shaped the sequel?
We were really happy originally when the original game came out. It was really well received. However, some of the criticism that came up repeatedly was the desire for consideration of more or different checkpoint systems. Additionally, multiple requests for an easy mode. However, straight up including an easy mode in Volgarr II would stray too far from the secret sauce and design mantra that made the original so good. To us, it is supposed to mean something when players share that they have beaten Volgarr the Viking. The experience should be a shared one. Someone shouldn’t have to ask if it was on easy mode or not. This is why the undead mode features are tied to the narrative, and have obvious visual representation to skill. Everyone can see what is happening clearly, yet still have fun.
Which element(s) of Volgarr the Viking II are you most excited for players to experience?
Honestly, all of it. I mean that. This is the kind of game I hope is shared among friends taking turns in the same living room laughing over pizza delivery, arguing over whose turn it is, or getting roasted on Twitch, etc. I hope it is a game that brings people together and for a little while helps them to forget about the troubles of the world and feel like a badass. Just like the first game, I can’t wait to see all the videos pop up on YouTube and elsewhere of players throwing their controllers, jumping, and shouting with glee when they beat a challenge they have been stuck on – occasionally the really funny rage videos.
And finally, which game are you most looking forward to in 2024 (aside from your own of course)?
I really love the Dragon Quest series, so if you are only going to allow me to pick one that DQIII HD Remake looks really sweet. Of course looking forward to Star Wars Outlaws, Dragon Age and a heck of a lot of stuff just like everyone else! It is a wonderful time to be a fan of video gaming. There is literally something out there for everyone! No matter what you are into and that is super awesome.
Huge thanks go out to Kris for providing us some time in the lead-up to Volgarr the Viking II launching to the world.
Volgarr the Viking II launches on August 6th 2024, on PC via Steam and GOG, and on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4|5, and Xbox One, Series X|S. The Xbox Store will sort you out with a download of the game for £16.74. There’s also the Volgarr the Viking I & II Bundle for £20.99.
Stick around for our review.