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Volgarr the Viking |OT| RISE, 16-BIT HARDCORE NOSTALGIA!
- Thread starter duckroll
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Hahahahaha. I made it to World 4! A firey death awaits me. Over and over. 
Fuck those fire slimes. Seriously. The normal slimes in World 2 were fucking annoying as it is, these seem even worse. >_<
I have to say though, the game and level design is REALLY good. It feels just right for anyone who grew up playing arcade and Genesis games of this sort. The pace is slow but satisfying, there are encounters which seem like total bullshit until you learn just the right way to approach it, then it becomes fun just executing it right because seeing it work is so fulfilling. Great stuff. The animations and sound effects add a lot of weight to the combat too.
The backgrounds are probably the one thing that could be massively improved on if they had more time and money, hiring an artist to specialize on the background and tiling would probably have helped. But even as it is, I've warmed up to it. Each stage feels unique, the parallax layer in the far back for each stage sets a nice tone, and the color balance has improved from the earlier alpha art.
Really happy with the game.
Fuck those fire slimes. Seriously. The normal slimes in World 2 were fucking annoying as it is, these seem even worse. >_<
I have to say though, the game and level design is REALLY good. It feels just right for anyone who grew up playing arcade and Genesis games of this sort. The pace is slow but satisfying, there are encounters which seem like total bullshit until you learn just the right way to approach it, then it becomes fun just executing it right because seeing it work is so fulfilling. Great stuff. The animations and sound effects add a lot of weight to the combat too.
The backgrounds are probably the one thing that could be massively improved on if they had more time and money, hiring an artist to specialize on the background and tiling would probably have helped. But even as it is, I've warmed up to it. Each stage feels unique, the parallax layer in the far back for each stage sets a nice tone, and the color balance has improved from the earlier alpha art.
Really happy with the game.
justjustin
Member
This is a really fun, smartly designed game. Volgarr absolutely nails that sense of progression in true arcade action games, which gives me something to come back to every time I play. Even though I repeat sections over and over, the situation changes because the better I get, the stronger I am by the time I reach the same point-- I'm rewarded, short-term, for a few minutes of playing well. So many old-school action games do not have this sense of progression at all.
My first time I was scraping by collecting wooden shields in the chests and dying repeatedly. Eventually I plowed through the first stage fully decked out, killed the boss before it attacked a second time, and gained access to an alternate stage 2. Not only is there short-term progression in aiming for the fire sword to help survive, but it appears there is stage-wide progression-- maybe even game-length progression-- in collecting as many lives as possible once fully decked out. I haven't gotten far enough to make sure how collecting lives works, but there is real motivation to play this game well and master it; not just for the sake of doing so, but as a means of survival.
This explains why the level select thing is sort of a hidden option. I feel like the developers really want people to experience this particular sense of progression that is absent in so many games, even in "old-school" contemporaries. You guys who made Volgarr-- you guys get it. Too many games, when trying to represent the spirit of old classics, end up highlighting their most superficial aspects. They too much emphasis on meaningless score to keep you going, or have cheap deaths too often with frequent checkpoints. That's all they remember and understand-- the numbers going up and dying repeatedly. But Volgarr has the same depth as the arcade classics, and this game was clearly built on a real understanding of arcade games. I'm glad this game exists, and I hope it gets people thinking differently about those "quarter munchers" people save-state and credit feed through on their lunch breaks. This is one of the few games I can say is more than a love letter, or throwback, or homage to old games. It feels like a genuine sequel.
My first time I was scraping by collecting wooden shields in the chests and dying repeatedly. Eventually I plowed through the first stage fully decked out, killed the boss before it attacked a second time, and gained access to an alternate stage 2. Not only is there short-term progression in aiming for the fire sword to help survive, but it appears there is stage-wide progression-- maybe even game-length progression-- in collecting as many lives as possible once fully decked out. I haven't gotten far enough to make sure how collecting lives works, but there is real motivation to play this game well and master it; not just for the sake of doing so, but as a means of survival.
This explains why the level select thing is sort of a hidden option. I feel like the developers really want people to experience this particular sense of progression that is absent in so many games, even in "old-school" contemporaries. You guys who made Volgarr-- you guys get it. Too many games, when trying to represent the spirit of old classics, end up highlighting their most superficial aspects. They too much emphasis on meaningless score to keep you going, or have cheap deaths too often with frequent checkpoints. That's all they remember and understand-- the numbers going up and dying repeatedly. But Volgarr has the same depth as the arcade classics, and this game was clearly built on a real understanding of arcade games. I'm glad this game exists, and I hope it gets people thinking differently about those "quarter munchers" people save-state and credit feed through on their lunch breaks. This is one of the few games I can say is more than a love letter, or throwback, or homage to old games. It feels like a genuine sequel.
AcceptableGhost
Member
I definitely have to pick this up sometime...
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
This is what I call confirmation. Been waiting to see what people think of Volgarr for a while now, am not disappoint.
I've started uploading some videos of this game if anyone would want to watch for whatever reason. I've recorded up to and beaten alternate stage 3. I don't do commentary, and the video quality is a bit bad, but if you're into it, here you go.
I do really wish this game made a save state when you quit so that you could boot it back up any time. If you do the level skip, you can't get to the alternate levels without playing all over again, and there's also the score, if you care about that. But then, I guess they'd rather people didn't cheat around with the save state.
Edit: Got ending A! And got it all recorded. Wonderful game.
I haven't played the other two yet, but compared to Super Meat Boy, I much prefer this game's slower pace and weighty feel with the longer levels. It's more about positioning and enemy/pattern recognition than twitch skills, though having the reflexes can certainly help.
I do really wish this game made a save state when you quit so that you could boot it back up any time. If you do the level skip, you can't get to the alternate levels without playing all over again, and there's also the score, if you care about that. But then, I guess they'd rather people didn't cheat around with the save state.
Edit: Got ending A! And got it all recorded. Wonderful game.
Ziophaelin
Member
That is exactly correct about save state. The warp is so you can practice the game and become familiar with the enemies. It also allows the more casual players to accomplish an ending to the game (warping prevents you from anything but Ending C). Once you enter the realm of 1CC, Path of the Valkerie you are up against a real arcade machine at that point. If you walk away, you start over.
This keeps the leaderboards pure and fair! I hope I explained that well. Taron will add to the explanation if I missed something.
PixyJunket
Member
Holy crap, already?!
Congrats. If you post your achievement in the Steam Community thread you can have your name in an Adult Swim bump.
I think my favorite touch in the progression presentation of the game is the gold pile inbetween stages. Using the level skip to practice stages is fun because it allows me to progress and focus on perfecting each stage without having to play the earlier stages over and over, but at the same time there is a clear reminder after each stage that I'm not playing through the RIGHT way. When I eventually go back to do a proper run through the entire game, watching the gold pile actually increment with each stage is going to be really satisfying.
lilralphie
Member
Game looks awesome. Wish there was an actual retro console version, especially after seeing that crazy cool manual.
PixyJunket
Member
Yes, there's one in each sub-level.
and so my journey begins to try and accidentally find them all.
Wait, skip it to save time? I felt like such a badass getting up there, though!
No, what I mean is *COMPLETE PUZZLE SPOILER*
Don't be greedy and open the other, lower chest right away - use it as a platform instead, and its really easy to get the higher one that way
Oh god damnit.
I was even leaving the lower chest there as a fun target for a sword drop moving onward.
PixyJunket
Member
Well, I can't do much better on Level One, I just got the "Viking Nipples of Steel" achievement.
The second half of Special Level Two has a rather irritating instant death trap, I'm sot sure what to do to get down without dying.
Well, actually, I should focus on just getting Ending C first, heh.
The second half of Special Level Two has a rather irritating instant death trap, I'm sot sure what to do to get down without dying.
Well, actually, I should focus on just getting Ending C first, heh.
You mean at the very beginning of the second section?
Remember your double jump, then hit things.
Does anyone know if the game counts a hit if you have the Hammer of Thor?
No air control. You have to plan your jumps. It's similar to Super GNG though in that you can change directions with a double jump
No air control. You have to plan your jumps. It's similar to Super GNG though in that you can change directions with a double jump
Works exactly like Ghosts 'n Goblins. You're committed to your jump direction, but you can change it once with your double jump, which you are then definitely committed to. There is some limited air control with a few stage mechanics.
Not sure what you mean. If you have the hammer and you get hit, you lose the hammer and do the special attack. You don't lose any other armor or the fire sword as far as I remember.
Edit: Yay, all the videos finished uploading. Full playthrough of Volgarr through the Path of the Valkyrie. Spoilers, obviously.
Oh, what I mean is that to get
to the "special" levels you have to beat level 1 without getting hit. Just wondering if losing the hammer counts towards that hit counter or not
Well, that's not the criteria for the Valkyrie levels. You have toOh, what I mean is that to getto the "special" levels you have to beat level 1 without getting hit. Just wondering if losing the hammer counts towards that hit counter or not
just keep looting chests while you have all your upgrades (so, fire sword), and some chests will contain an orb instead of treasure. You'll know you got it when a counter in the upper right of the screen goes up. These orbs are your lives in the Valkyrie levels.
iconoclast
Member
My only major problem with this game is that most of the bosses are real pushovers.
were really disappointing.
Other than that, it's pretty damn good.
The snake boss and the stage six boss in particular
Other than that, it's pretty damn good.
davidjaffe
The Fucking MAN.
Having more fun with this than I have in AGES! As a pure fun GAME goes, this is the shite!
Honestly, been trying to get my ass up from the chair (and stop playing) to plan my kid's birthday for the last hour but I just can't pull myself away!
Loving it!
David
Honestly, been trying to get my ass up from the chair (and stop playing) to plan my kid's birthday for the last hour but I just can't pull myself away!
Loving it!
David
toddhunter
Member
I'm loving the game. It is like a love letter to old arcade fans... And the letter reads "you got this".
Those skills were hiding but I'm glad they are still there.
Only complaint is up+fire is a bit fiddly.
Those skills were hiding but I'm glad they are still there.
Only complaint is up+fire is a bit fiddly.
People who like this game should check out these guys' last 2D action game in Shinobi 3DS. It came out during a really busy time and everyone looked over it, and it didn't look very good so people wrote it off completely despite it being a really great little game. The game's combat is really solid, featuring a parry system and multiplier based scoring system that increases your speed based on how high you can drive it up through combos. The game offers a ton of content to find, with multiple characters to play as, 4 difficulty settings with changed layouts on the last one, a really addicting scoring system (made even more addicting by the record function which allows you to save demos of runs ala Ninja Theater in Ninja Gaiden II), multiple hidden collectibles in the game, a full history section dedicated to the storied legacy of the shinobi series, hidden cameos from Sega legends, multiple new weapons to unlock, upwards of 20+ unlockable bonus stages including a boss rush, unlockable concept art, unlockable bonus weapons, unlockable cheatcodes, unlockable costumes, some truly hilarious achievements, and the full ost on the cart, this game really is the game that never stops giving. Speaking of which the music is really good too. composed by the legendary Norihiko Hibino of MGS fame.
Comes highly recommended to not only fans of this game, but also to fans of the genre in general.
Comes highly recommended to not only fans of this game, but also to fans of the genre in general.
Just remap it elsewhere in the options menu for best results. I ended up mapping it to triangle on my DS3 and roll to R1.
PixyJunket
Member
Whoa, this is really from the same developer? I did enjoy me some Shinobi 3DS, nice.
I just made it to level five, going to call it a night and try to finish up tomorrow.
I think I may have it in me to do a full run from the start, but it might need to wait until next weekend.
Well, sorta. Griptonite were bought out and subsequently killed their development efforts outside of iOS stuff shortly after Shinobi 3D wrapped up, so a lot of people left. Two of which, specifically the lead designer and the gameplay programmer on Shinobi 3D, are the people responsible for Volgarr. They're both posting in this thread too lol, so they'd probably be able to give a better rundown on the situation than I would.
toddhunter
Member
Ah advanced settings. Yeah much better.
Ziophaelin
Member
It's really amazing how satisfying it feels to just play the game. Even if I can't beat a stage in a sitting, simply going through it over and over and learning each pattern and progressively getting further and further in each run is extremely fun. I think I've managed to almost get to the end of World 4 now. The best feeling in this stage so far is realizing that I've been totally neglecting one aspect of the double jump - it can be used as a jump cancel instead of extending jump distances.
It's something I knew at the back of my mind, but never really applied. With the game now forcing me to acknowledge that and learn to apply it properly, it feels like the game mechanics have once again expanded in depth in a completely natural way. This isn't a skill which I found in a chest or an upgrade I gained by getting this far, but instead it's something which has always been in the game, but as a player I lacked the awareness to apply it frequently until now.
Moments like this are really what make me reflect on how much better the action game genre today could be if more designers did stuff like this instead of relying on the more popular game design style of gimping a character at the start and simply expanding the moveset and availability of skills via upgrades or purchases throughout the game to give an artificial sense of character growth.
It's something I knew at the back of my mind, but never really applied. With the game now forcing me to acknowledge that and learn to apply it properly, it feels like the game mechanics have once again expanded in depth in a completely natural way. This isn't a skill which I found in a chest or an upgrade I gained by getting this far, but instead it's something which has always been in the game, but as a player I lacked the awareness to apply it frequently until now.
Moments like this are really what make me reflect on how much better the action game genre today could be if more designers did stuff like this instead of relying on the more popular game design style of gimping a character at the start and simply expanding the moveset and availability of skills via upgrades or purchases throughout the game to give an artificial sense of character growth.
PixyJunket
Member
Yay, I just beat it for Ending C.
I think I'll say Levels Two and Four were the most painful.
Three hidden achievements left locked.
I think I will attempt for Ending B (assuming that's a full run from start in one sitting) next weekend.
Although I may squeeze in some Valkyrie levels practice this week if I can get away from my chores.
Yeah, I just tried it in windowed mode looks SO MUCH BETTER.
Edit Time:
Post your concerns here so that the developer will know that we would like this looked into if possible:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/247240/discussions/0/846964364064284239/
Oh yeah, they check here too. Hehe.
I think I'll say Levels Two and Four were the most painful.
Three hidden achievements left locked.
I think I will attempt for Ending B (assuming that's a full run from start in one sitting) next weekend.
Although I may squeeze in some Valkyrie levels practice this week if I can get away from my chores.
Gross. I'll poke them on Steam Community to see if they can fix that.
Yeah, I just tried it in windowed mode looks SO MUCH BETTER.
Edit Time:
Post your concerns here so that the developer will know that we would like this looked into if possible:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/247240/discussions/0/846964364064284239/
Oh yeah, they check here too. Hehe.
This just happened when I launched the game:
my virus protector keeps deleting the .exe as well. I have to either delete the game and re-install it each time, or sometimes when I go to fix missed files through steam it works, sometimes. I also have to disable my virus protector completely each time I go to play cause it will just delete it again otherwise.
? It runs 60 FPS in fullscreen for me.
It kind of bugs me that you can't manually set a fullscreen resolution and/or aspect ratio but what can you do.
PixyJunket
Member
Yeah man, he might be the easiest boss in the game.I really suck at the World 4 boss. I don't even get it. The boss is slow, the patterns are predictable, but yet I keep falling for that lunge attack. Why am I such a scrub?
You have to be slow and methodical, regardless, like pretty much EVERYTHING in this game.
I did manage to get the "speedrun" achievement for Level One though.