You are the best man, I love that it’s not trying to be the real world. The art is it’s own style, reminiscent of the real world but it’s arguably more beautiful in its own way. It’s a video game I want it to look like a game not the real world. I absolutely love the way you took this game.
Yeah, a truly unique group of devs. The way they have included the beta testers in their process and continue to trust them and relying on them to find bugs and bring them to their attention is another part of this game that is sadly hidden from public view, but another reason why this game is so popular, imo. Their Discord server is just full of positive volunteers that wants to help everyone have a great experience with this game. A truly wonderful community.
@@AntiFascistViking It's truely a game disign and game developement lesson for big companies that have hard times producing quality, and that don't listen to community feedbacks
clearly you underestimate the power of developers, i mean have you seen what mod makers do. once a platform is in place, anything can be built on top much easier
@@titus6341 i have a friend that has a 3090 and i9 and 32ram and still can't get more than 70fps even in low, i think it's bcz the game is still in testing conditions it's not in full release and bcz it's just an Indie game, it needs to be optimized
Same here it’s incredible. I spent big bucks on cyberpunk, legion, and so many other games in 2020 desperately trying to find an addictively fun game. Then 2021 hands me this 20 dollar less than 1 gig wonder and I haven’t stopped playing it for weeks on end. The time, emotion, and pride I feel at making it through another biome and another boss feels so good and now they have announced 4 new biomes and bosses and mini bosses as well as cult of the wolf and dark elf bandits?! I pray this game dominates all year long and continues growing a massive community. I wanna see this game dominate even the aaa landscape as an example of what an actual quality game full of genuinely wonderful gameplay can be and that it doesn’t come from hype or a massive budget but actual devoted devs and creators who care about what they are putting out.
@@vitkien they are expecting too much out of an indie developer, and will end in two ways more likely, living the project die a la Cubeworld or selling it to a bigger company like EA that runs it to the ground...
I think the low-poly & low-res texture graphics allow for the world to be densely populated with vegetation. The landscape looks far more natural in that regard than any other game out there without giving your graphic card a high-grade fever.
About 140 hours in, built my first castle and actual boat house and haven't even found Moder yet. You can definitely slow burn this game until more content drops.
Same here dude, loving playing the game a bit slower, no reason for me to rush really. Can't wait for the devs to expand upon it adding new biomes, mobs, bosses, items etc.
@@Ajzan1 600 hours and not seen Moder or Yagulth yet. The wise ones slow burned it. I had to leave my gaming buddy because he wanted to rush the content and use cheats. No way was i going to let him ruin the best gaming experience in a decade.
@@bowlock9901 The only "cheat" I used, aside from using Wiki, was checking seed of my world on an site where you can see whole map, including bosses and merchant locations. Aside from that I need to fight the Elder soon because I need iron.
I used to play games like Minecraft with my mom all the time but she has slowly gone away from games (other than stardew valley but I'm dont really find that game too enjoyable). Now she has started playing Valheim and it's given us something to talk about and play together.
Valheim succeeds on the same kind of merits as Subnautica. It's small, but concentrated. It's not graphically groundbreaking but it conveys everything effectively. It's new and raw but very alive. It needs some technical ironing but it's enthralling. It's simplistic and has hard limits but has an incredibly strong foundation with massive potential for expansion. It has flaws, but it's REAL in all the ways that matter.
Ever since I started playing Minecraft I was dreaming of another game like Minecraft, with the only difference that it doesn't look blocky and that it has at least somewhat realistic physics. And this game is it. It also has monsters, you are free to do anything, you need to follow the physics and build accordingly, you can build angled houses and make a much more vibrant town.
It's the same for me, getting old and not felt emerged in a new game for over 4 years. Until Valheim and I also really need to discover time management again. I live on my own now. Edit: 85 hours in and only just about to attack the 3rd boss for a 2nd time (aborted the first attack)
It's not overhyped, it has good building blocks to improve upon. Everything being physics based is what makes the game. I always wanted zelda botw coop, and this is closest thing to it, and it is good.
Bruh.... I’ve heard plenty of “professional reviewers” or game critics before. You sir, did an outstanding job with this review. Buying this game today based on your review. Thanks!
Valheim has one very important thing most modern games have seemingly forsaken: NO BULLSHIT. It's not a service, it's not a marketing tool, it's not a media ecosystem pretending to be a videogame. It IS a videogame. A very fun videogame.
The last 3 games I got hooked on since quarantine started last march: 1. Terraria (I was really late to the party, but oh boy did I love that game), Hades (My game of the year for 2020) and now Valheim. AAA games are in a terrible spot right now and I think the future of the gaming industry lies on creative indie studios and honestly I'm all for it.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned this, and it took me forever to figure out but: The building in Valheim isn’t necessarily based on a stability system dependent on the foundation of your base, rather, it largely depends on the “height” of your base. More accurately, the number of build pieces connecting the grounded parts of your base (indicated by turning blue while holding your hammer) to your roof. I can’t remember the exact number of connections allowed, but once a build pieces has turned red, it means anything attached to that piece will collapse, unless it is connected to the ground elsewhere using fewer connections. Think of each build piece as a connection. That’s why the core wood beams are useful for building larger bases, because they are twice the length, meaning you can build a house the same height, in half the connections to ground. Which, in turn, means you can build a taller base! Hope someone finds this helpful, and I hope this wasn’t too redundant 😅
Man I hate hearing people say "the graphics look old." No they don't, it's an art style. Not everything has to be photorealistic. I think it's bizarre that you compared Valheim unfavorably to Breath of the Wild, because I would have compared it to Breath of the Wild's visual style in a positive way. They're both artistically stylized simulations of nature in a very similar way. Ultimately I think this game is much better for not having fallen into the trap of trying to chase photorealism.
There is an aspect that I think greatly greatly contributed to the game success that I dont think people realize (at least I didnt hear no one meantioning it). And that is how they handled movement. What I mean is that you can "feel" movement. I don't know how to put that in words very well. But for example, you kinda can feel the thread when you are pulling a cart (that is the feeling Im refering). The only time I felt this playing a game was when I started playing counter strike 1.5, when you mastered bunny hopping and whatnot. This factor is subtle but is half the way to get immersion right.
Game is a true treasure. As you pointed out the lighting really carries the graphics of this game, so much so that I kept forgetting I was playing a 2 GB game and just watched the sunset like I was playing Witcher 3
I’m almost 50 and I completely agree with your opening statements. This just came to Xbox today and I’m excited to start it. Hopefully it sucks me in too.
I am literally exactly the same, I find it hard to get invested in games anymore compared to how I used to when I was a little younger during school, but Valheim pulled me in.
I saw Valheim on sale, read a review that said "Just play it blind, don't look anything up" and did exactly that. No regrets. The learning curve is steep enough to keep things interesting, without feeling unforgiving. The lighting effects & weather often caused me to stop and stand around for minutes at a time while exploring, just enjoying the world in its simple beauty. I have the itch to start over and work toward the Mistlands stuff from scratch, maybe that's what I'll start tonight after the kids' bedtime :) Excellent review, I think you articulated the charm of the game very well.
I think for some people the want to game will fade away but for the generations that were born with video games available will enjoy gaming their whole lives. It’s like saying the older generations will get tired of watching sports or gambling.
I did everything the game has to offer up until this point (all bosses, all biomes etc). And now beginning a new character in a new world. Such a good game!
I'm 55 and have been playing games since the first Atari 2600 console back in the late 1970s, it does get harder to become immersed due to age and experience, Valheim is one of the few games that's done it for me in a while. Great review, liked and subbed.
Tip - don't use the wikipedia or tutorials when playing the game for the first time. Much of the fun comes from learning and discovering new recepies and areas. Go out exploring and the game will naturally progress until the final boss.
The lighting system is really good, different colors of light bouncing off surfaces looks great. Wear the headlight, stand by a fire and look at an iron gate and you'll notice. If the graphics make you turn away give it some more time, the game has moments of real beauty.
I'm with ya bud, The last game I was hooked on was Rust but that kinda wore off a few years ago an no new game has taken it's place.... Until Valheim. I got this game a week ago and LOVING IT! best game in a long time! I love that the character save and the world save are 2 separate things. It means you can bring your character to another players world which is an interesting dynamic that not a lot of other games offer.
I’ve found that since I’ve gotten older, I’m more drawn to the creativity of Indy games. Triple A games are made in a way to please the masses and end up being the same old same old. Indy games are where the true creative developers live these days.
I JUST LOVE, when a indie company, knows exactly, or almost exactly what the public wants to play, knows how to please the community, and has more updates and free content, THAN MOST AAA GAMES, with their huge budgets and massive crew, the world is a weird place these days
@@namirPL A year later, some players might be re-thinking that sentiment. 😅 It's still a very good game, though Mistlands' production time was a bit suspicious.
Love the video, and absolutely love this game. Although it always irritates me when people mistake art style for "outdated graphics". The graphics are not outdated, it's simply a design choice. The artists were probably more than capable of making the game look realistic, but that isn't what they wanted
best part about this game is u can parry bows and thrown rocks. Idk how it works but those shields must have been made from vibranium to be able to stagger enemies so far away.
Valheim is the best survival game I have ever played ride beside Minecraft and Terraria. I love the art style, it’s super similar to runeScape and I love how the game plays with perspective so you and everything else almost looks small. The game is extremely fun and addicting, however it is SUPER difficult. When me and my friends got to the elder we were shocked on how hard it truly was to defeat with 4 people. We’ve taken a slight break from it because of how difficult it is, but we’re about to go back into it and finish getting all iron tools so we can fight the next boss
It's refreshing to have a game made for all ages, that appeals to many types of people and does everything well. Story, combat, adventure, building, crafting...all well done and feel very polished. This isn't really and early access game either, it's pretty much a finished product if you ask me with lots of room to expand...especially considering the state of the rest of the options out there. Best thing for me is that is feels legitimately challenging in an organic, fair way.
Great commentary on a great game. I totally relate to running out of interest in most new games, but I do live this one! Thanks. I can see why you have such a good following.
it's literally just another of the what feels like billions of early access survival games the only things you could really point to that are unique about the game are absolutely terrible things that completely rip apart the experience
The game is genuinely breathtaking I’m not going to lie, watching the sun rise or set feels like you are genuinely there experiencing a new day full of possibilities
The fact it's ONE GB sort of blew my mind. Heard of this game over the last few months, and as gaming has felt so one dimensional for so long personally, believed it wouldn't be anything interesting or new. Bought it today and just began playing and it's so satisfying. The movement and attack mechanics and feedback is almost perfect. How such a small group can accomplish this while studios with 100's of staff release garbage is just embarrassing.
Your intro resonated with me, although I was interested in different games i feel the same about valheim. Valheim is already a better game than majority of the survival games out there, And they haven't even got started! I hope valheim booted other devs into gear and they start providing us with good games again, not oversaturated content.
Josh Strife Hayes has made an amazing video explaining why people arent having fun playing games anymore. The video is titled "why you're not having fun in mmos anymore"
The building, the sea faring, the physics and the beauty of this game is absolutely stunning. I have died any unknown number of times. As soon as you think it's easy something destroys you.
It blows me away this game is still in "Early access". It feels more polished than many full release games. Gameplay mechanics just work. Combat feels good. Ark:SE has been out for years and doesnt hold a candle to Valheim.
The difference is game design, this games has it. Ark doesn't. You can see in every detail of valheim that the mechanics have thought behind them. Ark is more the kind of game people with a dream put together, what if you can do this, and you can do this, and you can pick up your poo, why? Because. I am not shitting on Ark devs, they made a game I thought I would love, but valheim dev game me just what I needed, nothing more, nothing else, everything is there to improve my enjoyment of the game. No sudden velociraptor attack after respawn.
One of my favorite aspects of Valheim is the way they handle death. Upon dying you loose 5% of all your skill levels, which might not sound too bad, but once you reach higher levels it becomes devastating. This has instilled true fear in me, forcing me into a more restrained play style where the world is slowly revealed to me. I can't just go explore the entire world, because I have no clue what atrocities lurk out there, if I died at open sea in some remote part of the map, then my game would most likely be over. It feels like all my actions hold weight, everything I do is meaningful because I truly stand to loose something if I die: Time, and lots of it.
If you do die however your loot never despawns and you recieve a buff called "recently died" meaning if you runn naked to get ur stuff and die it wont punish you over and over. Sail out, instantly smack down a portal and feel free to adventure with some risk in the game!
@@Andreas-vr3mb The buff only lasts for 5 minutes tho. At the point of writing that comment I was pre-iron. The world was still a mystery to me. I still hate dying, since it costs an awful amount of time, but the fear has subsided.
The building is the best. When I started with a friend we defeated the first boss and he had to took off for a while and I couldn't stop building and expanding our base. It's like playing with Lego, very limited options make us use our head and creativity
Yeah I'm damn near 30 and just like "I don't even wanna play this game anymore." Growing up is a hell of a thing. But some games that are slower paced and relaxing are the ones I find myself more attracted to.
Can't agree more with "I felt addicted to it" statement. I am so happy when I play Valheim and I can't stop playing. It's like minecraft all over again. Valheim is such a perfect sandbox.
Somthing that blew my mind was I made an improvised chimney with a normal roof on it and kept getting smoke in my house. Switched the chimney took to a 45° angle thatch roof facing away from the interior and viola no more smoke inhalation. Little things like that make a game that much more immersive.
I totally relate with that intro. Interesting to see I'm not the only one with that feeling. It's weird, because I want to like modern games, but most things feel so uninspired and don't captivate me like this game does. Can't wait to see when it's finished.
Its great game, it is the only game i played 4 day straight and made me completely forget other games. Now that i defeated the current last boss and raised might fortress, i was looking forward to mistland and ashland
If only the Devs hadn't taken the money and ran. It had so much potential, now we get to wait from another studio to copy the format and actually develop the game to completion.
Valheim is one of the best games I’ve ever played but I play on a old gen Xbox one so it comes with a lot of lag so the only thing I would change about the game is a way to turn you particles down or even off because that would help a lot
I agree with you, this game grabbed me like Minecraft did all those years ago. Those 9 plus hours you spent playing, then suddenly realizing you spent 9 hours in one game with no breaks..
I never got into Valheim, played it for a bit over an hour and while I thought it was good, I just didn't exactly enjoy my time inside it. It felt boring. I love the art-style and the overall aesthetics of it and honestly, this video made me want to give it another shot. Good stuff!
It is weird however how pretty much everyone recently keeps saying how they can't get into games anymore, myself included. It's the most random stuff nowadays which I really get into, Bean Battles is a good example.
very well explained, me and my brother was just jumping into this. made alot more sense now with the graphics :) we used to play 8 bits back in the day damn. 10/10
Just hearing the 'Plains' music makes me want to start the game again. AFter 500+ hours I'm waiting for the next update. It is an excellent game. Everything in this game breathes charm, work, love. It takes effort to progress but never becomes cumbersome at all.
4:50 “I’m sure it’ll change soon since the game is in early access” Yeah maybe at the end of 2023. I honestly don’t expect this game to be done before 2024.
What I'm missing in the video is the great accessibility of the game (though slightly hinted at with the hunger component). It can be played by people still figuring out how to use a mouse, and though players with great micro skills may have a slight advantage, it's not that much that it creates an unbalance in a coop game (like many others). No matter the pc skills on mouse and keyboard, if you know which is which, you can play valheim.
I believe its so good because the project was a labor of love, rather than a labor to make money. I feel like this is what Early Access should be, rather than a buggy incomplete mess.
I love Valheim. I would recommend to anyone who is just getting into not to rush through the bosses, but instead take your time and enjoy it. It is less fun rushing though and you end up missing a lot. I really can't wait for all the updates. I am thinking some will probably come after 2021.
first time finding your channel but enjoy the review, I have over 100 hours in and I am really enjoying it. I never got into minecraft but I love other survival progression type games. What I love about this game is that it is challenging. You can die a lot if you aren't careful. Sure some people probably breeze through but if you go into a new "biome" before you are prepared, you usually die. That makes it appealing to me.
