Perfectly Paranormal have absolutely outdone themselves with their spectacular new puzzle/narrative game, Helheim Hassle. The game itself follows the general trend of most platformer puzzle games in terms of progressing through a series of increasingly difficult puzzles and the gaining of new abilities by the main character over the course of the game. What makes Helheim Hassle different from these games, however, is that your character has all of the necessary tools to find success in solving the puzzles instead of finding new objects or companions to help you along the way.
The game starts in the midst of a fierce battle between Vikings and focuses on a young boy, Bjørn Hammerparty, who follows the path of pacifism and has no desire to partake in the bloodshed and pillaging that was so common in their culture. As all of his Viking brethren run towards the battlefield yelling about the glory of Valhalla following their death in battle, Bjørn runs away from the battle and dies an appropriately comedic death for this lighthearted game. After his untimely demise, Bjørn is cast into a sort of Viking purgatory where he discovers a newfound ability to detach his limbs and move them independently. Once he discovers this unique power of his, he must then go on a mission of self-discovery with one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse in a mission that is full of puzzles that require creativity and innovative thinking from the player in order to find success.
The gameplay itself in Helheim Hassle was only one aspect of what made this game so fantastic, but it was definitely the most unique component of an already phenomenal game. Bjørn not only has the ability to detach his limbs and move them independently, but he can also combine body parts and throw other body parts. Each limb has its own advantages and abilities that need to be used advantageously to find success in this game. For example, Bjørn’s. head is the smallest and can therefore traverse through the smallest holes and tunnels while Bjørns headless body can jump higher and further than with his head. When it comes to throwing body parts, the player can choose when to detach certain body parts in order to do it all in an order that works advantageously for the player. Altogether, the gameplay was incredibly enjoyable and I never felt like the puzzles, characters, or abilities became monotonous or tedious as I was fully entertained for the full 6-hour storyline.
This is a completely subjective statement, but I also really enjoyed the art style of this game. The cartoon-ish art and physics of the game meshed perfectly with the humorous dialogue and antics conducted by the plethora of interesting and dynamic characters. The issue that I have with many puzzle games is that the developers frequently focus on the puzzles and brush off the importance of character development, voice acting, and interesting narrative. Helheim Hassle more than exceeded my expectations in all of the previously stated areas and reignited my faith in the ability of puzzle games to craft an interesting narrative.
To any puzzle-game connoisseurs who are looking for an excellently made game by a development team that clearly put a lot of time and energy into their game, then you should seriously consider investing in Helheim Hassle. From the gameplay to the art design to the music to the characters themselves, I was not disappointed by a single aspect of this phenomenal game. The controls could be a bit clunky on controller at times as I occasionally experienced some challenges transitioning from limb to limb, but this issue struck me as a mild annoyance resulting from some complex controls and gameplay characteristics more so than serious problems that prevented me from enjoying my experience with this game.
Above all, Helheim Hassle is a beautifully developed piece of the puzzle-game canon that should not be overlooked by the puzzle-loving gamer who wants a change from certain aspects of a genre that can sometimes become a bit monotonous.
Check Out the Helheim Hassle Trailer:
Helheim Hassle is available for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC via Steam, with the PlayStation 4 version coming a little later this year.
For more information, please visit: www.helheimhassle.com
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I've been playing video games since I got a Playstation 2 when I was about 5 or 6 years old. The original Star Wars: Battlefront series and the Spyro series initially ignited my interest in gaming, but it wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the subtle details that make video games such a unique form of entertainment. My favorite type of video game would have to be any lengthy and plot-driven open world game, with my favorite games of all time being Batman: Arkham City, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, and Firewatch.
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