It's been a little over three years since Vampire Survivors was released, and during that time, there have been what seem to be a few thousand games that try to copy the mechanics invented by Luca Galante. On the other hand, there are only a few dozen really good ones, but potentially high-quality new ones are released regularly. One of them is Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, a good vampire-like in the setting of Germanic-Scandinavian mythology.
| Game | Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel |
| Genre | vampire-like |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Languages | English |
| Developer | Games Farm, ARTillery |
| Publisher | Grindstone |
| Link | jotunnslayer.com |
During the review of Achilles: Survivor, some readers left comments along the lines of "this is the first Vampire Survivors with modern graphics." This is not entirely true, but really, there aren't that many vampire-like games that require a powerful graphics card. Well, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is one of those games.
In terms of graphics, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel can be put on a par with Diablo IV, Path of Exile 2, or Titan Quest II, meaning the visual component here is at the level of modern AA/AAA action/RPGs, except that the game works worse with lighting than Diablo IV. The price for this is high system requirements.
Even on my gaming PC, which, thank God, was brought back to its senses, the game sometimes stutters and slows down. Most of the much more demanding games, the same Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 or F1 25, work without slowdowns on this computer. So the authors of Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel should pay attention to optimization.
But the game looks really good. Heroes, monsters, environment. The chosen German-Scandinavian setting is not so often found in traditional action/RPGs, only the additions Titan Quest: Ragnarök and Vikings - Wolves of Midgard are mentioned. So we would be happy to look at a full-fledged game of this plan based on Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel.
However, now we are talking about a vampire-like game. And here, as they say, if you've seen one vampire-like, you've seen them all. The basic gameplay in such games almost does not change, only some nuances are added. In Achilles: Survivor, it is the extraction of resources and the construction of defensive and auxiliary structures, and in Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, there are tasks that the hero must complete in order to summon one of the jotuns (giants from Utgard or Jotunheim) mentioned in the title at the end and try to kill him.
The tasks, at first glance, are simple - collect 20 mushrooms or beer mugs, light 5 funeral bonfires, kill two champions, that is, but during the execution you will, of course, be hindered by crowds of monsters that press from all sides. In the best traditions of the genre, if you touch it, you get damaged. After completing three or four tasks, you can finally summon a jotun.
As with any vampire-like, after gaining a level, you can choose one of the skills or passive improvements. Some relate to a specific hero, some to patron gods. Of course, there are those skills that deal damage over time, and there are those that are triggered under certain conditions. Finding combinations of skills that will work best together is a separate game within the game.
There is Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel and metagame – improving the gifts of the gods and the active and passive skills of the characters, between races. Please note, the passive bonuses of the gods work for all characters regardless of whether you choose the skills of a particular god during the game. Among the patron gods are Odin, Thor, Loki, Freya, Skadi, Njord and others. At the end of the game, you will, of course, have the honor of confronting Hel herself in her possessions. She summons all the previous bosses one by one, so you need to prepare for this fight.
In addition, for a separate currency, which is given for killing jotuns, each character can get alternative weapons with their own effects. Alternative versions of armor are just cosmetics. One copy of armor for each hero can be obtained for completing levels on high difficulty, but the best ones, unfortunately, are hidden in paid DLC.
Speaking of bosses, they are, like in big action/RPGs, "thick" and have their own behavior patterns that are worth learning. Each such fight is a real challenge at first, but if you find the right combinations of skills and strengthen the hero, there is nothing difficult here. Except on the Insane difficulty level.
Speaking of difficulty. Unlike many other vampire-likes, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is actually a small game, all maps, and there are only five of them, can be completed on several difficulty levels in 10-12 hours. By the way, the levels themselves are relatively small, at least compared to the same Achilles: Survivor, but each has its own characteristics. For example, bridges that need to be turned on in Jotunheim, or jumping platforms, gates and carts in Svartalfarheimr. The last level, Helheim, generally consists of five separate, very different stages.
Overall, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is a very good example of the vampire-like genre maturing. The mechanics are being refined and becoming more diverse, the graphics are being brought up to date. It's nice. So, if you're looking for a beautiful Vampire Survivors in an interesting setting, pay attention to this game.
PS Still, it would be nice to get a full-fledged action/RPG with these characters and in this setting.