I had a good childhood. My parents were pretty lenient, I was allowed pretty free reign on what I did growing up. It was pretty sweet. The reason I decided to bore you with this little anecdote mind you...is because one of the few times I remember getting banned from my Super Nintendo for a week was due to Super Ghouls and Ghosts. That game was hard as hell and instigated fits of anger on a regular basis. Controllers were broken, swears were shouted loudly, and about the time the controller bounced off the screen of the TV as I screamed "♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!", it was all over.

Despite all that? I still loved it.

Enter Volgarr the Viking. That little love song to Ghouls & Ghosts was written, because Volgarr is a love song written to Ghouls & Ghosts. The game feels straight out of the Super Nintendo long box. The challenges are unrelenting and difficult from the very beginning. Yet, there's a lot of nostalgia and enjoyment packed in here that leads you to keep hitting retry and going back over the same deaths time and time again. Veterans of Volgarr the Viking will say that the game is easy and comes down to memorization. Sure, it does come down to memorization. That memorization comes from a drive to perfect the game and push through to the end that leads to you eventually become a master of the game. Just like its predecessor, Super Ghouls and Ghosts. (Important note: No, I haven't mastered yet. By god, I will though, just to spite this game!)

And yes, the loud swearing still happens with Volgarr. Not the controller breaking though. I mean, I'm an old man now; I'm above throwing and breaking controllers. Not from any kind of evolved self-control mind you, simply because I know what it costs to replace those things! That and the dirty looks I get from my wife when I start teaching our kid colorful ways to insult my PC.

Now that I'm a working adult, I rarely have the energy or time to play games. Even the most engaging epics (Xenoblade Chronicles, Skyrim, etc) can only hold my attention for a few hours, MAX, before I need to do something else. Maybe it's because they don't feel as rewarding any more, or the stories just aren't as engaging as they used to be, but I know that I peeled off the "hardcore" label from my gamer card long ago.

I tell you this anecdote because I just spent nearly 10 straight hours playing Volgarr, and didn't even realize it.

This game is a pungent distillation of everything that I loved and hated about video games in the 80's and 90's. Back then, memory was at a premium, so in order to make a game feel like it was worth the $50 price tag, developers make them hard as nails in order to extend the play time you would need to devote in order to complete the game. This meant hours upon hours of committing each level, every enemy and all the boss patterns to muscle memory, and knowing how to react in each situation. It was an arduous process, but when you finally mastered a level and beat the boss, you felt like you had accomplished something. I realized, upon completing Volgarr, that this is what I had been missing from most modern games, where victory is all but ensured.

Volgarr is hard. Words like brutal and unforgiving don't really do it justice. Its smartly hard. I had quite a bit of trouble with the game, and actually gave it up for almost a year after I got stuck on stage 2. When I finally picked it back up this weekend, I approached it as a puzzle game; each encounter, every enemy's placement and movement, was done with care - all I had to do was find the pattern and "solve" the puzzle with Volgarr's moveset. This made every advancement feel like a real victory, and this game is one of the first in a long time to elicit actual cheers of joy when I completed a stage for the first time.

Volgarr never felt cheap, exploitative, or unfair. I died hundreds of times, repeating stages over and over, but it never made me angry or frustrated, only determined. Determined because every playthrough got me a little bit further: into the next room, understanding a new monster's attack pattern, or solving a new section of platforming. Every death had an "aha!" moment attached to it. If I died at a section I had played through before, it was 100% my fault. Overall randomness is low, so it is extremely rare that a strategy you succeeded with once will fail the next time.

I could wax poetic telling you about how good the controls feel, or the quality of graphics and music, but there are lots of other reviews for that. I simply wish to convey how satisfying this game is to play, and how accomplished I felt (and hopefully, you will too) when I beat each and every stage. I experienced a range of emotions, from trepidation, anger, fear and elation, something that few modern games can achieve, even with their grandiose storytelling and advanced visual presentation.

I'm not going to assign a number value to my review, because I think that trying to quantify any gaming experience is fairly pointless. Games aren't commodities with certain valuable characteristics, like a vacuum cleaner or toaster oven. Ultimately, what each person gets out of a game really depends on what they expect, what they like from an interactive experience, and how the game meets those needs. Games, in this regard, are like art, and you can't rate art, you can only relate how it makes you feel.

Volgarr challenged me, it made me feel young again, and it gave me a sense of accomplishment.

I dig it.

Volgarr the Viking is definitely in my top 5 favorite game on steam !

this game is so cruel , but a fair one, you need to have a good awareness of your surroundings and take time to understand and learn patern , it's kinda like a action chess game its so methodical yet with brutal action.

Best retro oldschool sidescroller in years

You are Volgarr the Viking in a 2D sword swinging platformer set in a gorgeous old school fantasy world and this world is designed to murder and brutalize you. Almost every step is a challenge with death waiting around every corner. The game lives and thrives off of an old school feel and an incredible challenge that only the hardcore will be able to tackle. If you want a challenge, this game is for you.

The graphics are amazing and there is an old school vibe to them. The world is detailed and looks fantastic. There aren't that many secrets in this world and you'll mostly be moving left to right with a few times that you'll go up or down. Vulgarr will also climb chains and vines, jump over arrows far quicker than you, ride boats, slide down slopes and jump over spikes. The enemies are big, detailed and deadly. There is a lot of enemy variety and you'll face off against waves of lizard men, giant snakes, spore spitting plants, giant spiders that wait for you to come to them before they spring into action, zombies that split in half if you attack their lower half causing the top half to tumble forward, shielded skeletons that will jump and downthrust at you and so much more. These enemies are probably the best designed enemies I've seen in years. Almost all of the enemies and areas are a homage to games like Castlevania and Zelda 2.

The controls are simple and could have been done with an original Nintendo controller, but there is some depth, left and right to move, down to duck, attack with a sword, and jump (double jump that works as a screw attack). You can roll under things by holding down and the jump button. You can duck attack, jump and down thrust to break through floor tiles and enemies. You can also throw a spear by pressing up. The spear is not only a long range weapon, but a way to create platforms. You can also hold up to charge the spear and throw it across the screen to impale several enemies at once.

As Vulgarr you are slow and deliberate like the original Castlevania. You need to time attacks, and know where to stand in certain situations. You will need to kill or be killed rather than dodge enemies. Most enemies can be dispatched with a single swing of your viking sword, but Vulgarr is just as fragile as most of the enemies. One hit will result in death. You can break open treasure chests to find upgrades, first the wooden shield, then the helmet & iron shield, then the flame sword. All of these upgrades that allow you to take an extra hit that will lose a piece of armor. So if you have a flame sword and get hit, you will not only lose the flame sword but your helmet. When you have the shield, you can block attacks by not attacking. Then it becomes a case of knowing when not to attack. However, wooden shields break after taking so much damage. There are other secret power ups that you will find by breaking through walls and floors ala Castlevania.

The game is painfully difficult with long challenges between check points. At least the game offers unlimited lives. There are tricky jumps that rely on knowing where to throw your spears. Finding where to stand might result in playing the same level over and over countless times. Doing the exact same thing over and over with no real deviation to what you just did your previous life. Eventually, you will remember what to do, where to stand for specific enemies and you'll get better like all murderous old school games.

This game has a lot going for it, but because this is a painfully challenging game, I can't recommend it to players. The challenge outweighs the fun. If you want proof of how challenging it is, 66% of players have the first achievement.

Manly game for men. Challenging old school action platformer. Don't expect a cakewalk.

Features two different playthroughs with Path of the Crystal and Path of the Valkyrie. Game has 6 worlds and each world except the first one has 2 different versions. Path of the Crystal versions are normal/casual (by no means does this imply that those levels are easy) where you have unlimited lives, while Path of the Valkyrie ones are not necessarily harder in their design, just that the full playthrough on those is more hardcore as your lives are limited.

Old school controlls. Doesn't require a controller imo, only 2 buttons + arrows keys are involved and you can't really control the jump once commited.

It's a shame to see so many negitive reviews for the simple fact that it's hard. This game rewards persistence; the more you play and die, the more you learn about how to tackle certain obstacles. Learn from your mistakes! It's extreamly satisfying when you complete a level, something that many modern day games lack. You cannot button mash your way though this game, you need to think about each situation and work your way though it slowly (a little bit like Spelunky). Death is punishing as their is only 1 checkpoint per level, so take it slow and be cautious. The level design is great, the monsters are great and the graphics are also great if you're a pixel art fan. I highly recommend this game to anyone who appreciates a good platforming challenge. I cannot recommend this game to people who are new to platformers, or with bad timing/hand eye coordination.

I have just completed the game twice and currently I'm going for the A ending. This game is incredible. It might be a bit discouraging because the difficulty tends to ramp up quickly. Especially the first and second world are good examples of this. But as challenging the game is, it is even more rewarding.

I love the feeling of flawlessly beating a boss which at first I couldn't even reach without dying 50 times. That's the beauty of the game. It rewards you by showing how you slowly got better. There's little to no randomness or luck to the game. Every single time you get hit it's your own fault, and if you manage to overcome a situation without getting hit, it's all thanks to you: the player.

As you progress farther and farther in the game the areas you already cleared before become a breeze and you can easily jump, roll and slash through hordes of enemies that you used to have trouble with. I never felt a situation or enemy was particularly unfair. Got hit by an arrow? Duck faster next time! Fell into a pit? Time your jumps better! Like I explained before, the hazards in every world won't change, your skill will. Greatly.

If anyone who reads this is having a hard time completing the game, or heck, even the first world. I'll tell them: Keep going! it is definitely worth it.

A fun challenging game that requires you to sit down for a while and commit to beating a level, which is not often shown in most games nowadays. Definitely worth it if you want a challenging old style game that makes you feel like a viking badass

I love this game.

And like all naughty lovers, it sometimes likes to make love from behind.

But I still love it.

The day I finish this game will be the day I become a man.

Highly recommended for anybody looking for a challenge in the spirit of Ghosts 'n' Goblins.

I kind of did a review on it. This is a wicked sweet game. Super hard but you if you pound through, you get a real huge sense of accomplishment.

50 second review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36EXExB7uy4

couldn't get past the Man-Bird-Lizards on first level

10/10

A throwback to the age of brutally hard and unforgiving platformers, with additional features such as a game timer. A game that lends itself perfectly to the experience of speed runs. Controls are not as responsive as I would like. In order to do a jump that moves either left or right, you have to press the movement buttons either before or at the time of jumping. There is no movement possible in the air either left or right.

That bone picked however, the game does well to challenge your sense of timing and reaction speeds. Judgement is everything with checkpoints few and far between. Hardcore 2D platforme gamers looking for a challenge will love this game.

Personally, I'm still stuck on the first level.

Volgarr the Viking is a fantastic action platformer that harkens back to the 16-bit games of the Sega Genesis era. It’s a colorful game with tight controls and well-designed levels, most of which are broken into two areas with a challenging boss waiting at the end of each. Unlike many modern games that allow progression with minimal commitment from players, it has an unabashed difficulty that demands the player master enemy patterns, learn ambush locations, and find secret power-ups. People looking for a challenge akin to what you may find in a Souls game will find a lot to like about Volgarr the Viking. It’s highly recommended that you use a controller for this game.

This game isn't meant for people who expect it to be some fun story ride, it will ♥♥♥♥ your ♥♥♥. The enemies and enviornment will give you no mercy. The bosses won't give a damn what you're thinking as they will go balls deep the instant they get the chance. So if you aren't ready to be a badass, then don't buy this piece of gold.

volgaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar

so hard

In short, this game is a challenge. It's not impossibly hard, but it doesn't hold your hand at all.
The only thing that I find negative about this game, is how much of a difficulty curve it is to get the controls down. It can be really frustrating to be confused as to how to do things, but once you do figure it out, it's only uphill.
Music? Calm, but alright, and it certainly achieves a tone where you won't get ♥♥♥♥ed off but you'll definitely feel like a wimp once it stops from you dying.
Graphics! Yes! I love the aesthetic! Very nicely animated, nothing feels too out of place and things that SHOULD pop out, DO pop out! (although it was a bit frustrating when a few things blended into the background but were hazards)
Gameplay/Game Design! THIS is where the game shines, Every level starts off with overwhelming information and danger, both of which you'll slowly learn over the course of your hundreds of deaths on each stage. After finally crafting a careful strategy as to how to get to the end of the level, you reach the bosses. At first they're not too hard, specially when you get their pattern down, but I can definitely not say the same about the later ones. These will test how quickly you can learn and adapt, because if you ♥♥♥♥ up now, it's allllllll the way back.
Again, a GREAT challenge, where knowledge and skill are both HEAVILY needed. Then there's different endings, but screw those amirite.
9/10: Fantastic, but VERY little away from being perfect. Give it a shot if you're into the Souls series style of things.

♥♥♥♥ this game.

Best ♥♥♥♥ since sliced bread.

whatever you do, dont decide to make a drinking game with ur friend the first time you ever play this game...

otherwise... this game is the best drinking game ever... take a shot/sip whenever you die... and whenever you die you gotta pass the controller on lol.... fun times...

in all seriousness, this game is a blast from the past and a reminder of how hard games used to be... if your bored playing the same old on the rails ez pz stuff you see nowadays, give volgarr a spin!

you finally get past the first level thinking your a boss... only to realize lvl 2 is 2 times harder... once u get to level 3... well then i guess you realize the game has just begun lol