Odinfall Early Access Impressions
Blast Norse robots after Ragnarok in chaotic twin-stick shooter Odinfall.
Odinfall. Credit: Ember Paw Games / Fireshine Games
Odinfall, a new twin-stick shooter from Ember Paw Games and Fireshine Games has hit Steam Early Access. Set after Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse mythology, it features visceral, fast-paced combat and an addictive roguelike progression loop.
From Steam:
Ragnarok was just the beginning… of the end! Odinfall is a Viking-themed, rogue-lite, twin-stick shooter. Blast your way through procedurally generated levels, upgrade your character, modify your weapons and take down robotic Norse gods to earn your freedom!
Odinfall. Credit: Ember Paw Games / Fireshine Games
Odinfall recasts the Norse pantheon as AI-driven robotic entities, adding some timeliness to its story about the apocalypse, which I found a compelling sci-fi hook. Loki sends you on a quest to free him from his prison and get vengeance on Cyber-Odin. After starting off as the Cyberserker, you can unlock new heroes, including a Dark Elf, Viking Moose, Dwarf, and Gnome. I love the characters in this game and their unique perks, which encouraged me to change up my playstyle.
Combat is fast, and the challenge ramps up quickly. Every level has you run through several gauntlets before facing a final boss; they often throw in mini-bosses as well. The destructible environments add a lot of juice to the game and often threw me into the best kind of panic, like when a boss burst through walls that I thought would give me cover.
I was also impressed by how good close-range melee combat felt. While I usually keep away from it in other similar games, Odinfall was well-balanced for melee. It doesn’t put you at a disadvantage; it simply demands a different strategy. I had more fun with the chainsaw and sword than with some of the long-range weapons.
The game also features a weapon augmentation system that helps keep things fresh. You don’t just boost damage; you change the fundamental nature of weapons' behavior by giving them new properties, such as homing bullets. I’d love to see more of this added as the game is updated towards its 1.0 release. Don’t just give me lifesteal or poison: radically change the behavior of weapons.
Odinfall. Credit: Ember Paw Games / Fireshine Games
The game’s 2D pixel graphics could use a little more polish. However, the game does an excellent job of managing the visual chaos of its combat. I never lost track of my character and what I was doing, which could be a problem in similar games I’ve played. I appreciated the old-school effect of enemies flashing as they take damage and the splatter and rubble left over as you battle.
I had a lot of fun with Odinfall in its current form and plan to keep up with it as it updates. The game is quite polished for an Early Access release and well worth checking out now, especially with its 20% introductory discount on Steam. Odinfall is an incredibly promising twin-stick shooter roguelite.
Odinfall is available now on Steam in Early Access.
Played on: Steam Deck
