The execution

The game has four chapters and effectively four different combat locations. The chapters are connected by 'headq' which is the Aesir base of operations offering the player the opportunity to buy weapons and chat with the inhabitants of the base. 'hq' is also where the story progresses. The scale and architecture of this place is reasonably expansive; however, walking around the great halls feels like a task due to the sheer lack of fulfilling interactions, like side-quests. The game does offer an alternate universe called Cyberspace which is the dominion of a trio of ladies -- the NORNS.

There are a couple of ways to access Cyberspace and accessing it will open the way forward and some nice loot. However, this place also lacks depth and at best gives you momentary respite from the frantic battles.

The enemies come in the form of cybernetic versions of your usual suspects -- you have the goblins, dark elves, trolls and the undead. They have melee and ranged attack capabilities and come in waves of sometimes ridiculous numbers. Your attack is controlled through combinations of the two analog sticks, which is refreshing and enjoyable but only till the point the system works. Unfortunately, the combat system is far from perfect and is one of the most glaring flaws which makes this game feel rushed. Air combat, which is the most efficient way to build up your combo, is less than visceral and suffers from issues such as the player getting 'stuck' in mid-air due to the enemies below him. During one of the battles, my player model was caught in the hand of the level boss and remained that way right up to my demise. Aiming with your ranged weapon can be quite annoying as you often find yourself firing at nothing. This is not helped by the fact that in spite of multiple camera angles and controls, you'll find your target blocked more often that you'd like.

All through the game you are not all alone on your missions and are often accompanied by a pack of troopers who call themselves 'The First Wolves'. The pack is of little help however, and functions merely as cannon fodder. The random banter between these guys mainly revolves around dying and going to Valhalla, both of which they do all too often. In addition, they seem to drop in and out of the game with no explicably reason and we swear there were times when none were on-screen, but we could still hear them talk -- spooky!