Nidhogg

Overview

Nidhogg is a fantastic little indie gem, and the addition of online matchmaking allows me to recommend it without it being conditional on whether you have friends to play it with. It’s got simple, but deep combat and a well-designed, if a bit paltry, selection of levels, and it’s just a blast to play.

-- As reviewed by GameFront

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 21 expert reviews

Excellent:

12
Good:

8
Average:

1
Bad:

0

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Last revision on May 2, 2017

Reviewers Liked

Visually striking
Symmetrical levels give neither player an advantage
High drama at every button press
Simple controls that allow for complex moves
Fantastic multiplayer
Tournament system can sap hours of time with the right players

Reviewers Didn't Like

Almost nonexistent single-player
Online matches leave much to be desired
Only four stages, one of which isn’t very good
Animation can be jarring
AI is easy to exploit

Expert reviews and ratings

Besides, there are worse things in life than being encouraged to get your money's worth from Nidhogg; to put the TV somewhere everyone can see it, to get some pads linked up and throw a local multiplayer party. Rounds of Starwhal: Just the Tip and Samurai Gunn, leading up to a Nidhogg tournament? That evening would be priceless.

By EuroGamer on January 22, 2014

Outside of the nuanced fighting mechanics, there is little to keep players coming back. For some people, this will be enough to more than justify the price. For others, it will seem a squandered investment. I certainly like Nidhogg, but don’t expect to fall head over heels for it any time soon.

By HardcoreGamer on January 20, 2014

Indeed, if you intend to play alone, Nidhogg is almost certainly not the game for you. But it also offers a rare local multiplayer experience that is easy to pick up, highly competitive, and perfectly balanced. If you have friends nearby, this is some of the most fun you can have stabbing them through the heart.

By GameSpot on January 20, 2014

To put it plainly, Nidhogg is incredibly fun. If you can appreciate the game’s style for what it is and you don’t have an ego as fragile as glass, you’ll delight in testing your mettle against another’s. And even if you lose, at least you didn’t get eaten by some horrible beast.

By GameTrailers on January 20, 2014

A superb multiplayer game with some of the best virtual sword-fighting ever seen, giving you the best reason to crowd round a PC since a kitten did something cute on YouTube.

By Metro UK on January 20, 2014

Despite the surreal abstraction of the art style this feels more realistic than any sword-fighting than anything else I’ve ever played, where a single slip in concentration can mean your end. It’s the most exhilarating competitive game I’ve played in years.

By IGN on January 20, 2014

It does what it sets out to do, providing plenty of thrills and laughs in the process. But if you don't have any buddies nearby who would be into swordfights, it's worth holding off until the online becomes more stable.

By DigitalSpy on January 20, 2014

Still, Nidhogg is not about lengthy stage lists, improvable online systems, fussy control mapping or AI. Nidhogg is about the purity of two friends on a couch duking it out as Daedelus’s moody dynamic electronica frames acrobatic displays of wits and reflexes. In that sense, it has no equal.

By EdgeOnline on January 20, 2014

Nidhogg is a perfect game wrapped in a not-so-perfect package. When playing locally against another human, it is the epitome of competition. Playing online is a mixed bag of lag, disconnects, and a weird chat system. Hopefully some of the bugs get ironed out over time, especially whatever stopped the tutorial from functioning, to make everything more functional as a whole.

By Destructoid on January 20, 2014

Expertly balanced and mechanically brilliant, you can't do much better than Nidhogg when it comes to local multiplayer.

By NowGamer on January 20, 2014

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