Heimdall

Heimdall is an action RPG game developed by The 8th Day and published by Core Design. Released in 1991, the game was available on multiple platforms such as MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST.

The game takes Norse mythology as its theme as we dive into the exciting world of gods and Vikings. Swords, flaming torches, plundering, and beards that are manly enough to win barfights on their own? What's not to love.

Set in the age of the Ragnarök, or the great battle between good and evil, which is prophesied to arrive in due time. The god of mischief, Loki, has put the entire faction representing ''good'' into quite a mess with one of his antics. Loki has stolen 3 of the most powerful weapons belonging to the gods that can shift the outcome of the war; The hammer belonging to Thor, the spear of Freyr, and the legendary sword of Odin. To make matters worse, he has gone the extra mile to hide the weapons in different worlds as a practical joke.

The gods are in a pickle as they struggle to find a solution, as they cannot walk the land without reverting to a human form. Ultimately, Heimdall, the keeper of the gates of Asgard, is chosen to mortalize to restore the ancient weapons.

The game has 2 stages, one where the story of Heimdall builds up along his years of youth and the latter where he traverses the land on his epic journey to save all in existence.

The first stage includes a series of minigames; how well you fare on these 3 minigames will affect your character's attributes. The higher your score, the stronger your character will be, with the increased potential to gain reliable crew members to assist you in the treacherous journey ahead.

The second stage holds most of the game, comprising a mixture of flip-screen, 3D exploration, and enjoyable hack and slash mechanics. An odd combination, we know, but it all comes together pretty well to give a solid gameplay experience.

The game does not have any in-game music, which is a bummer as the continuous clashing of swords does get a bit mundane over the hours, but the game has praiseworthy intro music that accurately signifies the Vikings; It is epic.

The innovative style introduced in the game took a toll on its gameplay, as players consistently complained about the horrible combat system and other unique aspects introduced by the developers.

The combat system has gotten numerous criticisms for being rough and awkward to handle. The player's ability to control the mouse in-game was hindered, making the game unnecessarily difficult yet playable. The inventory system was known to be disorganized due to all items having the same weight, making it hard for the player to keep track of their inventory, often running out of space at crucial moments without the player realizing it.

The stunning graphics and intricate details present on every frame of the game overshadowed all of its minor quandaries. Players will have the joy of witnessing high-impact graphics bundled together with an exceptional RPG experience. This was a massive breakthrough in the era of Amiga gaming, as it did the remarkable task of combining the addictive gameplay of titles such as Dungeon Master with the detailed isometric environments of the ever-popular Heroquest. Heimdall even had a partial night and day system managed through the clever manipulation of 8bit sprites.

Although it had its faults, the game overall was hugely innovative. With a fantastic game design backed up through beautiful graphics, it is a masterpiece considering the technical limitations in the era. Bringing in countless hours of action and exploration into the table, this was a revolutionary game that anyone would enjoy.