Nidhogg 2 – Short Review: PC Version
I’m not saying everyone else is reviewing this game wrong…
What you will need for today’s review of Nidhogg 2: –
A copy of the game.
2 control pads.
A minimum of 3 like-minded friends.
An adequate supply of booze.
Preparation: –
Ensure your gaming area is sterilised and filled with pizza and/or chicken. Verbal game instructions are limited to “hold up on the pad, to throw ya’ weapon”.
I think we are ready to review Nidhogg.
Remember incoherence and bile are part of the charm.
The original Nidhogg is a fantastic party game. It naturally compliments the shouting of your chosen group of louts. Can a sequel improve on such simplistic design?
Look like the first drinks are being consumed… let’s use this period of calm to see what the gang thinks of the original Nidhogg.
A tense moment
The sober opinion – The first Nidhogg.
Dan – I love Nidhogg 1, especially the soundtrack.
Cin – What’s it called? I thought you said Eggnogg…
GamerDownStreet – I kept on dying, I hated it.
Scott – I fucking love Nidhogg.
Joey Jo Jo – The best fighting game featuring stick-men since Hangman.
That’s some top praise. Thankfully we can dismiss GamerDownStreet’s miserable outlook and kindly Mr Cin doesn’t get to play these games regularly. Let’s not waste anymore time… Let’s kick off the game!
A few beers in and a tournament’s kicked off. The conversation gravitates towards the most obvious subject. The graphics.
The Tiddly opinion – Looks and shock value
Dan – “I knew they would do this. Make it all 3D and bullshit…” (At end of the 1st round). “I don’t like it. I’m upset.”
GamerDownStreet – “To be fair, the character models are terrible. They haven’t tried to make it better.” His brow furrows. “There’s new weapons.” The brow furrow has grown to cataclysmic size. “With how they (the characters) look, you want to know why they’re doing what they’re doing. It’s just weird now.”
Joey Jo Jo – ” You always have to change weapons? That’s well annoying.” Joey Jo Jo takes another swig. “You have no chance with a bow and arrow… and I just threw the bow! Shit”.
Scott – “How do you know who’s who?!” (at the start of the tournament mode)
Blimey, this isn’t a great start.
On my first viewing, I didn’t like the artistic style. It is off-putting. I’ve since gotten used to it and have come to appreciate its gross looks. The gameplay remains classic Nidhogg but I am surprised that no-one liked the changeable weapons. It added an unnecessary complication to the simplistic to and fro.
Ooph, that was loud, let’s return to the now drunken group.
Rectified
The bastard opinion. The gameplay and flow of a Nidhogg 2.
GamerDownStreet – “What…. WHAT?!” GamerDownStreet’s character returns from death on the wrong side of the screen. His mortal enemy flies closer to victory without resistance. His competitive spirit does not allow for perceived injustice.
Joey Jo Jo “Come back here bitch! Sheeeeeiittttttttt!”
We return to a familiar comment. Drunken repetition kicks in.
Gamerdownstreet – “I don’t like the change of weapons. I like the colours.”
Joey Jo Jo – “I dont like the change of weapons either.”
We have descended into drivel, which is when the conniving kicks in.
Cin (discreetly to me) – I’m going to let her win. Cos I’m the purple.
Cruel Cin exploits the mix up of control pads to allow Joey Jo Jo to comfortably win the round.
Joey Jo Jo – “Wait…Who was player 2?
Cruel Cin takes credit for the unearned win and he laps up such pantomime villainy.
We universally agree that we love the Nidhogg murder stomping.
Cin continues his ill-gotten win in the next round against Dan. The match starts to drag on.
“He’s gone!” as Dan runs off to freedom and promptly falls to his death, to the sounds of mocking laughter. This happens a few more times, with both players.
“He threw his bow!” exclaims GamerDownStreet, as Cin throws everything to hand immediately.
Dan and Cin’s game goes on for at least 15 minutes. The group drunkenly take to their phones and the fun factor fades. 5 minutes later they mutually agree to quit. Unheard of in the world of Nidhogg. We should have set a timer.
We turn off Nidhogg 2 with a whimper and very little protest.
We retreat to a game of Towerfall and come to a silly idea. What if Dan and Cin return to finish their game… with classic 2014 Nidhogg?
After a furious 5 minutes the game is concluded with Dan casually accepting his fanfare. It was a lot more fun.
Look.. guys… this tree looks better in motion.
Post booze transcript and conclusions.
Nidhogg 2 was a disappointment. I’m still trying to process why… Let’s check what the gang thinks of it the next day.
Hair of the Dog opinion.
Dan
“I still don’t like it and I think it feels clunky and bulky with the 3D upgrade. I liked the fact they introduced different weapons, and the soundtrack was still good. I’m not happy overall”. A reflective moment before Dan speaks again.“… 2 thumbs down from me I’m afraid”
Cin
“Hey Cin, what did you think of Nidhogg 2?”
“It was alright… I liked it.”
“Did you think it was better than the original”
“It was good, and the new one’s just the same, but with nicer graphics. I think the other guys had high expectations, put it on a pedestal, ya know, what did you expect? I like the weapons and my epic game with Dan.”
Sober thoughts from Mr Cin.
GamerDownStreet
“Hey, GamerDownStreet, now you’ve had a chance to reflect, What was your problem with Nidhogg 2?”
“Hahahahaha”.
“Good answer.”
“Was it worse than the original game?”
“Yes. The original made sense. Why were they aliens?”
“I guess they couldn’t sell stickmen again?”
“I just don’t like change.”
Nom nom nom.
Scott
Nidhogg 2 feels over-animated and there were times the game wasn’t responsive enough. With divisive graphics the group felt a natural push-back to unnecessary change.
If the question was “what can we add to improve Nidhogg” the answer is “nothing.”
Also fuck the bows.
I’ve this sneaky feeling the group will come to accept the game in time… If I sneak it on, at the right time.
Joey Jo Jo
I understand why the developer wanted to improve on the original with “real” art. When trying to introduce other people to Nidhogg, a few have said “Looks shit”, based on looks alone. Admittedly all of these were stupid people and all of them actually enjoyed the game. But if I’m going to turn off the extra weapons and I find the new sprites nightmarish, then what is the benefit of this sequel? I’m probably going to return to the original. The music in the new one is just as good, but Nidhogg 2 isn’t for me. Yeah, I know this is a typical old person “why did you change things?!” view, but I just can’t work out what is supposed to attract me to this sequel.
Also, fuck the bow & arrow. Bullshit weapon.
Scoring and final thoughts
Goodbye!
GamerDownStreet did leave us with the following final thoughts.
“I doubt we’d be playing that again unless we actually have no choice. Like, if a real life argument occurs and we really can’t come to an understanding… We settle it with Nidhog 2”
I couldn’t have put it better.