Our Nidhogg 2 Review

As much fun as you can have inside a giant Wurm.
Nidhogg 2

The sequel to 2014’s hit sword-fighting indie romp Nidhogg is out tomorrow. Cleverly titled Nidhogg 2, the sequel brings with it a slew of upgrades – including a much improved single player mode, new customizable characters, a handful of different weapons with their own strengths and weaknesses, plus tons of new levels to fight across on your quest to be eaten by the titular Wurm. Nidhogg 2, in all ways, is an improvement over the original, especially with the wicked, grotesque, and hilarious art of Toby Dixon.

At its core, Nidhogg 2 is much like its predecessor. Two combatants rush towards each other, killing each other and trying valiantly to get to the opposite side of the screen. The first player to get all the way across the stage and get eaten by Nidhogg wins. All the while, you’re frantically, jumping, slashing, stabbing, stomping, throwing, and dodging the other player’s attacks.

Nidhogg’s original single player experience was woefully undercooked, but the sequel is much improved. It’s akin to the recent ARMS’ tournament mode – the player fights his way across 10 or so levels and opponents to become the champion. In so doing, you unlock more customization options for your fighters to don. That’s one the cool new bits too – before you start fighting, you can customize the looks of your fighter. Mix and match hats, facial adornments, tops, bottoms, and shoes to make a slick looking cyborg or a mustachioed lady fighter. Whatever you feel like, you can be.

The art of Toby Dixon makes Nidhogg 2’s action that more ridiculous and fun too, as the Simpsons-esque characters work really well in the absurd and hyper-violent action of Nidhogg 2. At its core, Nidhogg 2 is still best with friends, and via local co-op. It’s also highly recommended you play with a controller, not the keyboard as the former just feels more natural for controlling your weapons and deftly jumping around the levels. There’s online play with random strangers too, but nothing beats duking it out in a homemade tournament with your friends.

Nidhogg 2 isn’t a feature heavy game. It could use leaderboards, maybe more game modes, and more weapons, sure. But it’s about the frantic gameplay, the hilarious level design and flopping of bodies across the levels. It’s about laughing with the person you’re trying to skewer. And listen – any game that lets you fight inside the bowels of a dying Nidhogg and escape through its sphincter is alright by us.

Nidhogg 2 Score: 7.5/10

Pros:
  • Super rad art design
  • Fantastic levels
  • Hilarious combat
Cons:
  • Limited gameplay modes
  • No leaderboards

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.