Nidhogg 2

Last updated

Nidhogg 2
Nidhogg 2 cover art.png
Developer(s) Messhof
Publisher(s) Messhof
Designer(s) Mark Essen
Programmer(s) Mark Essen
Artist(s) Toby Dixon
Composer(s) Mux Mool
Engine GameMaker Studio
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
macOS
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Nintendo Switch
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4
  • WW: August 15, 2017
Xbox One
  • WW: July 18, 2018
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: November 22, 2018
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Nidhogg 2 is a fighting game and sequel to Nidhogg by indie developer Messhof. It was released for Microsoft Windows, macOS and PlayStation 4 in 2017. An Xbox One version was released in July 2018 and the Nintendo Switch version was released in November 2018. The game received generally positive reviews from critics upon release.

Contents

Gameplay

Nidhogg 2 is a fighting game in which two players duel against each other. The player has to reach the end of their opponent's side first to win. Players have a variety of moves, including sliding and leaping. They can deflect their opponents' attacks. Weapons, such as daggers, throwing knives and bows, as well as a character creator, are introduced. [1]

Development

The title was announced in September 2016 and demonstrated at the 2016 TwitchCon [2] and 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo Indie Megabooth. [3] It was released on August 15, 2017, on macOS, PlayStation 4, and Microsoft Windows platforms. [4] A Nintendo Switch version was released on November 22, 2018. [5] Unlike the original game, which features a minimalistic art style, the game's creator Mark Essen and artist Toby Dixon decided to use a more detailed graphical style with a higher resolution so as to reflect the game's increased depth. Another reason for the change is that Essen considered Nidhogg 2 a "spectator game". The art style allowed spectators to have more things to look at when they were watching the gameplay. [6]

Reception

The game received "generally favorable" reviews, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. [7] GamesMaster said it was "An excellent sword-fighting game that at times has trouble remembering its brilliant roots." Game Informer said, "Though it doesn’t add much for players looking to play around with its improvements solo, Nidhogg 2 adds layers of depth to a simple formula without breaking what made it so appealing in the first place." Destructoid said, "It has expanded on the wonderful mechanics of the original and has one of the best soundtracks in recent memory. There isn't much content here for the solo player, but if you've got friends coming over for some friendly competition, the night would not be complete without Nidhogg 2." PlayStation Official Magazine – UK said it had "wicked local multiplayer appeal", while GamesTM said it was "Fast, intense, but flawed".

The game was nominated for "Best Fighting Game" and "Best Multiplayer" in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards. [9] [10]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2017 Golden Joystick Awards Best MultiplayerNominated [11]
The Game Awards 2017 Best Fighting GameNominated [12]
2018 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Fighting Game of the Year Nominated [13]
2019 2019 Webby Awards Best Multiplayer/Competitive GameNominated [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Doom</i> (2016 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is the first major installment in the Doom series since 2004's Doom 3 and is a reboot of the franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016. A port for Nintendo Switch was co-developed with Panic Button and released in November 2017, and a version for Google Stadia was released in August 2020. Players take the role of an unnamed space marine, known as the "Doom Slayer", as he battles demonic forces within an energy-mining facility on Mars and in Hell.

<i>Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End</i> 2016 video game

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth main entry in the Uncharted series. Set several years after the events of Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, players control Nathan Drake, a former treasure hunter coaxed out of retirement by his presumed-dead brother Samuel. With Nathan's longtime partner, Victor Sullivan, they search for clues to the location of Henry Avery's long-lost treasure. A Thief's End is played from a third-person perspective, and incorporates platformer elements. Players solve puzzles and use firearms, melee combat, and stealth to combat enemies. In the online multiplayer mode, up to ten players engage in co-operative and competitive modes.

<i>Halo 5: Guardians</i> 2015 video game

Halo 5: Guardians is a 2015 first-person shooter video game developed by 343 Industries, published by Microsoft Studios, and released worldwide for the Xbox One game console on October 27, 2015. The plot follows two fireteams of human supersoldiers: Blue Team, led by Master Chief, and Fireteam Osiris, led by Spartan Locke. When Blue Team goes absent without leave to track down the artificial intelligence construct Cortana, Master Chief's loyalty is called into question and Fireteam Osiris is sent to retrieve him.

<i>TowerFall</i> 2013 action video game

TowerFall is an action indie video game created by Maddy Thorson through her company Maddy Makes Games. In the game, players control up to four archers in a multiplayer platform fighter. It was released on the Ouya microconsole in June 2013 and was later ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, OS X, and Windows as TowerFall Ascension and to the Nintendo Switch under its original title of TowerFall.

<i>Nidhogg</i> (video game) 2014 video game

Nidhogg is a side-scrolling two-player fighting video game developed and published by Messhof. Players duel with swords in a pixelated environment. The game was commissioned for the New York University Game Center's annual multiplayer show, and was revised and demoed at private events over the next four years before its final release. It won Indiecade 2013's Game Design award and the 2011 Independent Games Festival's Nuovo Award. It was released for Microsoft Windows on January 13, 2014, and later ported to OS X, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita. Critics praised the feel of the gameplay and its balance, but considered its single-player mode unsatisfying. Messhof released a sequel in 2017 with a higher resolution art style and additional weapons and arenas.

<i>Tom Clancys Rainbow Six Siege</i> 2015 video game

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege is a 2015 online tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. The game puts heavy emphasis on environmental destruction and cooperation between players. Each player assumes control of an attacker or a defender in different gameplay modes such as rescuing a hostage, defusing a bomb, and taking control of an objective within a room. The title has no campaign but features a series of short, offline missions called, "situations" that can be played solo. These missions have a loose narrative, focusing on recruits going through training to prepare them for future encounters with the "White Masks", a terrorist group that threatens the safety of the world.

<i>Tekken 7</i> 2015 fighting game by Bandai Namco Entertainment

Tekken 7 is a 2015 fighting game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. It is the seventh main and ninth overall installment in the Tekken series, and is the first in that series to be released for PC. Tekken 7 was released to arcades in March 2015. An updated arcade version, Tekken 7: Fated Retribution, was released in July 2016, and features expanded content including new stages, costumes, items and characters. The home versions released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in June 2017 were based on Fated Retribution.

<i>Overwatch</i> (video game) 2016 video game

Overwatch was a 2016 multiplayer first-person shooter video game by Blizzard Entertainment. The game was first released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016 and Nintendo Switch in October 2019, with cross-platform play supported across all platforms. Described as a "hero shooter", Overwatch assigned players into two teams of six, with each player selecting from a large roster of characters, known as "heroes", with unique abilities. Teams worked to complete map-specific objectives within a limited period of time. Blizzard added new characters, maps, and game modes post-release, all free of charge, with the only additional cost to players being optional loot boxes to purchase cosmetic items.

<i>Titanfall 2</i> 2016 first-person shooter video game

Titanfall 2 is a 2016 first-person shooter video game, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. A sequel to 2014's Titanfall, the game was released worldwide on October 28, 2016, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. In Titanfall 2, the player controls a titan, mecha-style exoskeletons and their pilots, who are agile and equipped with a variety of skills ranging from wall-running to cloaking. Set in a science fiction universe, the single-player campaign follows the story of Jack Cooper, a rifleman from the Frontier Militia, who bonds with his mentor's Titan BT-7274 after his mentor, Tai Lastimosa, is killed in action. Together, they embark on a quest to stop the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) from using a superweapon to destroy the Militia base on the planet Harmony.

<i>For Honor</i> 2017 MOBA video game by Ubisoft

For Honor is a Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) action game developed and published by Ubisoft. The game allows players to play the roles of historical forms of soldiers and warriors such as knights, samurai, and vikings, controlled using a third-person perspective. The game was developed primarily by Ubisoft Montreal and released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in 2017.

<i>Halo Wars 2</i> 2017 real-time strategy video game

Halo Wars 2 is a real-time strategy video game developed by 343 Industries and Creative Assembly. It was published by Microsoft Studios and released in February 2017 on Windows and Xbox One. The game is set in the science fiction universe of the Halo franchise in 2559. It is a sequel to Halo Wars (2009). The story follows the crew of Spirit of Fire, a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) ship. Spirit of Fire arrives at the Ark, a Forerunner installation responsible for constructing and remotely controlling the titular Halo rings. Conflict breaks out between the UNSC forces and an alien faction known as the Banished over control of the Ark.

<i>Stardew Valley</i> 2016 video game

Stardew Valley is a 2016 farm life simulation role-playing video game developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Players take the role of a character who inherits their deceased grandfather's dilapidated farm in a place known as "Stardew Valley". The game was originally released for Windows in February 2016 before being ported to other platforms. Stardew Valley is an open-ended game, allowing players to grow crops, raise livestock, fish, cook, mine, forage, and socialize with the townspeople, including the ability to marry and have children. It allows up to eight players to play online together.

<i>Pyre</i> (video game) 2017 action role playing video game

Pyre is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Supergiant Games. It was released in July 2017 for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and PlayStation 4, and in August 2017 for macOS. Elements from sports games were incorporated into the title's gameplay. It was the third game developed by Supergiant following Transistor (2014) and it received generally positive reviews upon release.

<i>Injustice 2</i> 2017 video game

Injustice 2 is a 2017 fighting video game. It is the sequel to 2013's Injustice: Gods Among Us and the second installment in the Injustice series which is based on the DC Universe. It is developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game was initially released in May 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; a Windows version was released later in November 2017. An expanded version of the game, titled Injustice 2: Legendary Edition, was released in March 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. Similar to the previous installment, a companion mobile app was released for Android and iOS devices. A prequel comic book series of the same name, written by Tom Taylor, was also released beginning in April 2017.

<i>Uncharted: The Lost Legacy</i> 2017 video game

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a 2017 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, serving as a standalone expansion to Uncharted 4: A Thief's End. Players control Chloe Frazer, who seeks the Tusk of Ganesh in the Western Ghats mountain ranges of India, with the help of ex-mercenary Nadine Ross, and prevent a ruthless warlord and his army of insurgents from igniting a civil war in the country. It is the first Uncharted game not to feature series protagonist Nathan Drake. Like other Uncharted games, The Lost Legacy is played from a third-person perspective; players use firearms and can use melee combat and stealth to defend against enemies. Players solve puzzles, incorporating several platformer elements to advance the narrative, and navigate the game world on foot or by vehicle.

<i>Ultra Street Fighter II</i> 2017 video game

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is a 2017 2D fighting game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Switch. Released to celebrate the Street Fighter series' 30th anniversary, it is an updated version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994), itself an update of Street Fighter II (1991). The game features two graphical styles: classic pixel art and updated high-definition art. New gameplay mechanics and modes were also introduced, with minor changes being made to the game's balance. The game garnered mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, who praised its updated visuals, but criticized its price, the Way of the Hado mode, and control problems.

<i>Total War: Warhammer II</i> 2017 video game

Total War: Warhammer II is a turn-based strategy and real-time tactics video game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega. It is part of the Total War series and the sequel to 2016's Total War: Warhammer. The game is set in Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe. The game was released for Windows-based PCs on 28 September 2017. Feral Interactive released the game on macOS and Linux on 20 November 2018. Total War: Warhammer II was succeeded by Total War: Warhammer III, which was released in February 2022. The game requires a Steam account to play.

<i>The Crew 2</i> 2018 racing video game

The Crew 2 is a 2018 online racing video game developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower and published by Ubisoft for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. It is the sequel to 2014's The Crew. It features a persistent open world environment for free-roaming across a scaled-down recreation of the contiguous United States. The game allows players to control a variety of vehicles including cars, motorcycles, boats, and airplanes.

Mark Essen, better known as Messhof, is an American video game designer and artist best known for Nidhogg, its sequel, and Flywrench.

<i>Tooth and Tail</i> Real-time strategy video game

Tooth and Tail is a real-time strategy video game developed and published by indie development team Pocketwatch Games, the company behind Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine. Tooth and Tail was released in September 2017 for Windows, MacOS, Linux and PlayStation 4.

References

  1. O'Connor, Alice (July 14, 2017). "Nidhogg 2 starts duelling on August 15th". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  2. Davenport, James (September 29, 2016). "Nidhogg 2 is on the way with axes, arrows, and a grotesque new art direction". PC Gamer . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  3. Hall, Charlie (May 26, 2017). "Here's the Indie Megabooth lineup for E3 (update: public access has been canceled)". Polygon . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  4. Fingas, Jon (July 16, 2017). "The frantic swordfighting of 'Nidhogg 2' arrives on August 15th". Engadget . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  5. "Nidhogg 2 for Switch launches November 22". Gematsu. November 5, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  6. Couture, Joel (October 20, 2016). "Why Nidhogg 2 ditches the minimalism of the original". Gamasutra . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Nidhogg 2 Critic Reviews for PC". Metacritic . Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  8. Vazquez, Suriel (August 14, 2017). "Nidhogg 2: A Bloodthirsty Rematch". Game Informer . Archived from the original on August 17, 2017.
  9. "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Fighting Game". IGN . December 20, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  10. "Best of 2017 Awards: Best Multiplayer". IGN . December 20, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  11. Gaito, Eri (November 13, 2017). "Golden Joystick Awards 2017 Nominees". Best in Slot. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  12. Makuch, Eddie (December 8, 2017). "The Game Awards 2017 Winners Headlined By Zelda: Breath Of The Wild's Game Of The Year". GameSpot . Retrieved January 19, 2017.
  13. Makuch, Eddie (January 14, 2018). "Game Of The Year Nominees Announced For DICE Awards". GameSpot . Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  14. "2019 Winners". The Webby Awards . April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2019.

Further reading