Jottunslayer: Hordes of Hel is a roguelike horde-survivor game set in Norse mythology. Using a presentation style reminiscent of Diablo and gameplay/theme features of Hades, players take on 15-minute hordes with objectives and end-level bosses to progress to the next world or difficulty. With eight unique characters to select, seven distinct levels and a range of Gods to assist you along the way, Jottunslayer manages to use a wide range of options to keep each run exciting. Not all of this is available right away, as unlocking the next character or feature ties into the meta-progression skill trees and increasing difficulty. On the Switch 2, the game runs quite well despite some limitations when the hordes multiply from dozens to hundreds over the course of the 15-minute run. There is always so much happening on screen, especially as much of the gameplay is about moving and dashing while automatic skills blast all sorts of colour across your field of view. Does Jotunnslayer stack up against the best survivor games in the genre? Read on.
Jottunslayer has been available on other platforms in both early access and full release for some time, gaining a legion of players and positive reviews. It arrives on the Switch 2 with the obvious benefit of being able to play 15-minute runs on your device anywhere. I had heard of the game, but was yet to engage with it on another platform as I do prefer roguelikes on handheld systems – most recently adding plenty of hours into Hades 2. While this comes with a minor sacrifice of power, it really didn’t detract from a fantastic experience across nearly 10 hours. The range of quality-of-life features, such as being able to respec on the skill tree with no penalty, made the game very accessible and free-flowing in my many runs across Norse playgrounds. First, we discuss gameplay.
Games that automate attacks and throw countless hordes at you really rest on movement feel and abilities. In Jottunslayer, your character (my early favourite was the revenant, who essentially was a bowman with a wolf before the many unlocks) starts in a centre of a map and begins picking off enemies on the screen. You can press R to dash or L to launch a signature move that needs to cool down before use again. My revenant picked off foes with his bow, and then the game pauses with a level up – and this is where the fun begins. Every time you gain a level (this will happen every 30 seconds or so as you pick up crystals from dead enemies) a choice between Gods or you character class will be presented on the screen in card format. Here, you can choose a God move (you have five slots for God moves) such as Thor’s thunder, or you can choose a character move such as sending out more arrows. Or, choose between Gods. As you progress levels, the options become more and more dependent on your playstyle. If you have multiple Thor moves, you are likely to continue down that path rather than adding too many power-ups in another God such as Loki. Maybe you’re focused on health regeneration, or maybe higher critical hits. Each run starts fresh in terms of your selections, therefore it is this experimentation that makes the game so addictive.
The opening minutes are fairly light and easy, and then you’ll be presented with multiple objectives to choose from. These will be labelled as easy, medium or hard – offering you the chance to gain more resources if you want to extend yourself. Objectives include collecting resources, lasting a certain amount of time with an increased horde or beating a mini-boss. Once enough objectives have been passed, you’ll then have access to the level boss. Time no longer becomes a factor against the boss, allowing you to navigate the smaller arena against a larger, much more dangerous foe. All your choices across 15 minutes are then put to the test against the boss, which also challenges your ability to move around the screen. Win, and you’ll unlock characters, levels and Gods. Lose, and you have to start again – but experience gained can be used on the many skill trees where characters and Gods can have their actives and passives upgraded forever. This meta-progression ensures no run is pointless.
The story in this game is very light and not too necessary. There is a voiceover when you reach a boss, with some stylistic openings. Though you are not here for the story. The soundtrack is fantastic – perhaps my favourite aspect of the game. It is upbeat, aligned to theme and really drives the frenetic and at times overwhelming gameplay presentation. You’re not getting a Hades-level story full of lore, but your thrills will come from the wild builds available thanks to the many Gods and characters.
Let’s talk about the Norse Gods. All of your staples are there – Loki, Odin, Freya, Thor, etc. Their skills and passives align to what is generally known about the Gods: Thor’s attacks are electricity based, with chaining and AoE playing a core role. Loki’s trickster style is clear, while Freya’s passives really gave me the defence systems I needed to beat a challenging boss. The unlocked Gods beyond this point (I won’t spoil them) really ramp up the possibilities. You’ll gain around 25 levels in a run, which means 25 additions to your skillset. But you’ll also be choosing a role for your character from three selections at around level 10, meaning your God skills should help channel into this gameplay. One of the skills gave me another warrior on the battlefield. It felt like I had another player on my side. But my all-out attack meant I had done little to improve my health, and the boss wiped me. With the exact same character, I moved to a health regen and high crit playstyle with maxed Thor moves instead of spreading them across multiple Gods. This worked, but the same strategy saw me die on another level. It really is a joy to test these many options.
Jottunslayer: Hordes of Hel is now one of my favourite survivor-horde games. With an endless mode and various characters that I’m yet to try, the combinations will keep me coming back for many a run. While the performance has its ups and downs, the game presentation and the sheer amount of chaos on screen make any flaws minor as the fun never really stops. Sure, you can be frustrated at times when losing to a boss. But meta-progression makes the process feel rewarding and full of options to succeed. I look forward to future additions to a loop that is best described as addictive.
Pros
- Meta-progression and range of run options
- The God skills pop on screen
- Replayability
Cons
- Switch 2 can struggle with the chaos
