![]() ![]() The contrast between the exploration, low-pressure environmental danger and the high-intensity boss fight works well, and even after I beat the giant I went back to each area to find the points of interest I’d missed the first time. The lake is high above its companion area, and it’s a really nice moment when you realize exactly what you’re seeing down there.Īnd then both runestones have been found and it’s time to beat the frost giant. The lake also has a couple of areas of interest, with volcanic vents to the south and a fantastic view of The Nine Rivers to the north. Honestly, he’s more threatening than actual threat, but keeping an eye out for his rising shadow does mean you’ll need to be on your toes to roll out of the way. Jormundander is a huge beast patrolling the waters of his home, occasionally popping up through the ice to take a chunk out of anyone silly enough to think an ultra-thick ice sheet is going to protect them. Jormungander’s Lake is having better weather but underneath the ice is the lake’s namesake serpent. It’s not only helpful in getting your bearings but also serves as another reminder as to just how small Thora is in this world. It’s a bit of a maze, but there are a couple of tall spires you can climb where the camera zooms out an incredible distance to show the surrounding map. ![]() Each island has a rock sticking up you can take shelter behind, because when the wind picks up the snow turns into ice darts that will scour the flesh from Thora’s body. The Nine Rivers is a series of ice-covered small islands connected by floating paths, and there’s a snow storm raging through the area. There are two exploration areas plus the hub world of Ginnungagap and the fight against the frost jotun in the current build, and each area is distinct from the other. You get three uses, no more, and at the moment that appears to be three uses in the entire game so they need to be spent well. The healing pool can be visited as often as necessary, and the pretty parts always look nice, but the god powers are limited. A bit of exploration turns up the runestones fairly easily, but each area also contains a god power that Thora can put to good use, as well as a healing pool, a health-increasing apple, and bits that are just there to be pretty. (It’s worth noting that, by Jotun standards, a “small” area is still several screens square, with Thora being a very small person in a world built for giants.) Different points of interest are marked on the map, although not in a way that explains anything. Thora starts her journey in a small area with a map on the floor showing the rough layout of the playable areas. Each of the monstrous jotun are accessed by exploring different environments for rune stones to open the doors to their lairs, and the pair of areas on display in the first alpha release are huge, lonely places with moments of surprising beauty. All the media for Jotun so far has focused on the boss encounters, but they’re only a part of what makes the game tick. I’ve already written about the encounter with the big blue giant jotun, thanks to the PAX East demo, and nice as it was to finally be able to beat him at last, the big new feature of the recently-released alpha is the two environments to stomp around in. All Thora needs to do is find the rune stones, wake the monstrous jotun, and defeat them all to sit at the gods’ personal bar and grill, so with giant double-bladed axe held firmly in both hands and big furry cloak about her shoulders, she sets off on a quest of epic demigod eradication. Her inglorious death may not have earned her the final reward she wanted, but the frozen fields of her afterlife hold one final shot at redemption. Thora has a second chance in the Norse version of purgatory to earn her way into Valhalla, though, and she’s determined to prove her worth this time. ![]() It’s hard to impress the gods, and once dead that should be the end of it. ![]()
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