PAX East 2015 Preview – Jotun
Beat the odds to impress the gods. That is the tagline for Jotun, the upcoming action exploration game steeped in Norse mythology. After a successful crowdfunding attempt on Kickstarter back in August 2014 for developer William Dubé and his team, Jotun came to PAX East to showcase a playable demo against one of the Jotun (as seen in the trailer above). Battling giants certainly seems like an uphill battle, but if the design mechanics and sensibilities behind the game come together in the way Dubé envisions, fans of both Norse mythology and engaging action games are in for a real treat.
The basic story behind Jotun is simple and to the point: Players take on the role of Thora, a Norse warrior denied an honorable death who must now prove her worth to the Gods during her time in Purgatory, in order to earn a place beyond the gates of Valhalla. Thora wields an enormous battleaxe, and treks across the far reaches of Purgatory in search of gigantic Norse elementals known as Jotun. (If you’ve watched Thor and now fancy yourself a Norse aficionado, you should know that Jotun can be more than just Frost Giants. Each Jotun will represent a different natural element.) The main game is broken into two distinct segments: Exploration and Combat.
The exploration segments consist of solving puzzles in a randomly generated world in an effort to uncover Shrines to the Gods, summoning Runes, and other mysteries yet to be unveiled. (Editor’s Note: Will Dubé confirmed for us that the game no longer uses randomly generated tiles.) The Shrines to the Gods offer players permanent buffs that can be switched between, with each one representing the abilities of the Norse Gods. Thor’s blessing may add electricity damage, for instance, whereas Loki’s could potentially make the player more elusive and difficult to hit. (The exact buffs for each God have yet to be determined.) Runes, on the other hand, are collected and used to transport to a battleground where Thora will combat one of the massive Jotun.
Each Jotun comes prepared with a series of offensive and defensive strategies. Taking inspiration from old-school classics such as The Legend of Zelda, players will have to discern the tactics of each boss and devise their own counter-strategy in order to win. It’s clear that Jotun is not intended to be a hack ‘n’ slash, as each strike is methodical, and Thora won’t be going up against legions of smaller minions between fights. There are no stats or level ups, just passive buffs and a battleaxe to get players through the journey. There is little in the way of on-screen text and dialogue, with the experience laser-focused on allowing players to explore the world, uncover artifacts, and combat the colossi they summon.
As I mentioned earlier, the demo brought to PAX East cut straight to the combat and and showcased what a typical Jotun encounter will feel like. I don’t think words can truly do it justice, so I’m not afraid of being spoilery when it comes to the first introduction to battling the giants. As the behemoth crawls out of the ice and brings itself to its feet, the camera pans way back to really showcase the size differential between Thora and the creatures she must best. It’s breathtaking, and perhaps intentionally overwhelming the first time you experience just how colossal the Jotun are, as Thora seemingly shrinks in size to a near-helpless degree. With the camera panned back, Thora initially feels a bit sluggish to control, granting the illusion she is slower when in reality she is simply covering more ground. This is something the development team has worked to balance, and was one of the hardest aspects of combat to nail down. It will admittedly take players a bit of time to get used to, but I acclimated rather quickly and was able to nearly defeat the Jotun on my first go-around.
During combat, Thora has both a quick and heavy attack, the latter of which can be charged up for a more devastating attack. Her quick attack can be used to chip away at the Jotun’s massive health bar, but the fully charged heavy attack can really pack a wallop. Of course, finding the time required to pull off the massive strike is part of the challenge. The only other main ability Thora has is a dodge roll. However, this is not something that can be spammed continuously, it’s a bit slow to trigger so players must time their dodges effectively in order for it to be useful. If the demo is any indication – which featured the Frost Jotun – each giant will feel like a true test of skill, requiring precise dodges and strikes in order to win.
Jotun is still a work-in-progress, with no exact release date planned as of yet. Thanks to stretch goals, the game will be brought to not only PC and Mac, but also receive support for Linux systems as well. For additional information, be sure to check out the Jotun website, or keep track of the game through social media via Facebook and Twitter. You can also look to IGM for follow up coverage in the coming months, as we’ll be keeping a close eye on the project.
