The best Viking games on PC in 2022
What are the best Viking games on PC? The Vikings weren’t the most diplomatic group of settlers in history. The famous seafaring hustlers made haste across Northern Europe, causing chaos wherever they docked. Their devilish deeds remain firmly stamped in our contemporary consciousness; most are familiar with the famous stories of the Edda, the seminal Medieval Icelandic literary works to which we owe much of our knowledge of these Norse brutes. Their stories are inscribed in runestones and have reverberated for centuries, long since they were first committed to rock.
Most of these myths still worm their way into the media we engage with now, from Marvel Comics to Attack on Titan. Yet, video games are one of the most lucrative sources of vicarious Viking myth, putting you in the hefty shoes of the gods or the mere mortals that cowered obsequiously at the beck and call of Asgard.
Viking games see us exploring the mythical underworlds of Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and absorbing the souls of freshly-dispatched dragons in Skyrim. We also get to inhabit their gnarled leather shoes as we face off against, err, Samurai and Knights in the anachronistic chaos of For Honor. There’s a wide variety to ruthlessly conquer, so read if you want to loot and pillage the best Viking games on PC.
Here are the best Viking games on PC:
Rise of Kingdoms
If you love building civilizations, then you should definitely give Rise of Kingdoms a go. In this game, you choose a country to play as, and then you’re given a unique supply of resources and benefits to use to your advantage as you expand across its digital world. With a huge community of other players, you can choose to do battle against them, or to try and forge more diplomatic relations.
As you can probably guess, based on this game’s inclusion on this list, the Vikings are a people that you can choose to play as in Rise of Kingdoms. Led by the legendary Viking commander Björn Ironside, the Vikings are great for increased infantry attack, and boast an improved troop load, while also being great at counterattacks.
If you always wanted to lead the Vikings as they conquer the world, this game gives you the chance to do so.
Play Rise of Kingdoms for free.
Valheim
Valheim is one of the biggest surprise hits of 2021, taking players on a brutal journey inspired by Viking culture. Dropped into the purgatory known as Valheim, you must learn the ways of the Viking as you hunt, build, and explore to survive. Each world is procedurally-generated to ensure each player has their own unique adventure.
You can choose to go it alone, or group up with up to nine other people for cooperative PvE fun. From the scenic views of the Meadows, to the ice-cold winds of the Mountains, Valheim takes you on a journey filled with surprises at every turn. Fill your base with all the essentials needed to get you through the day, including defensive structures to stop trolls from destroying your home, and a fermentation area to brew mead for your Viking friends.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed games usually do a spectacular job of showing off slices of history, and Valhalla is no exception to this.
Valhalla takes players on a journey through the eyes of Eivor, the Viking assassin. Experience the snowy landscapes of Norway before heading off to England to establish numerous settlements.
Ubisoft does bend some of the rules when it comes to what Vikings really did in the late 9th century, for example, Orlog doesn’t actually exist. That being said, there’s more than enough historical information to truly learn something about this period of time while enjoying a great game at the same time.
Smite
Smite is a fantasy scenario game that asks the pertinent question of “what would happen if different pantheons of gods started wailing on each other?”
Luckily for any fan of Vikings, the Norse gods are one of the most developed pantheons in the game, offering up fan favourites like Loki and Thor as well as the more obscure heroes of mythology like Ullr and Ratatoskr. In most cases their design and abilities are often true to the lore and fun to master when you start to get bored of a particular character.
This 2014 MOBA is still being supported by developer Hi-Rez and stands out among its competitors thanks to its shift in perspective, switching from the favoured top-down angle to a much more engaging third-person perspective. Smite offers up action-packed combat that feels frantic and exciting, and with a multitude of interesting game modes that flip the switch on conventional lane matchups. So if you’re sick of more complex MOBA’s like Dota 2 or League of Legends and fancy something with a Norse spin then Smite may be for you.
Expeditions: Viking
Classic party-based RPGs are few and far between in the age of battle royale games, but in many ways the genre is stronger than ever thanks to recent success stories like Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity, and Expeditions: Viking.
This Viking game is a story-driven, party-based RPG that leans heavily into historical accuracy rather than fantasy. Set in 790 AD, you’re tasked with guiding your Norse chieftain on a conquest across the shores of Britannia, assembling your own clan, accumulating wealth, and surviving in a harsh new world.
Along the way you’ll have to manage your clan’s campsite, explore towns for wares and to collect new quest, and a lot of battling in a turn-based combat system similar to that of Divinity: Original Sin.
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It’s up to you if your clan will dominate their new domain through raiding and warfare, or choose trade and politics. Choice is at the heart of this RPG, and right from the opening character creation screen you can expect to be overwhelmed by tough decision such as which skills to pick, how best to allocate resources, and later in the game, who you can really trust. If you’re looking for historical RPG to lose yourself in, this is one of the best Viking games available.
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Ninja Theory’s 2017 smash hit Hellblade is certainly one of the most important Norse games on PC. Set against a backdrop of Viking mythology, the game follows Senua, a tortured Pict wrestling with her own psychosis as she travels deep into the dark Norse underworld of Helheim to redeem her husband’s lost soul.
This Viking game hasn’t only been lauded for its challenging combat and arresting story, but also for its thoroughly modern depiction of mental health. Developer Ninja Theory worked closely with scientists and mental health experts to realistically convey Senua’s psychosis. The result is a disturbing binaural experience where the many voices that torment Senua’s troubled mind taunt the player while questioning her abilities. We recommend you wear headphones to feel the full, deeply-affecting experience. Even better, a post-launch update ensured that Hellblade became one of the most sensitive VR games you can play.
Bad North
A fascinating strategy game that quickly became a viral hit thanks to its charming aesthetic and beguiling gameplay, Bad North is a real-time tactics title that’s easy to start but tough to master. This is one of the reasons why it’s one of our favourite games of 2018.
Each minimalistic level takes place on one small isolated island, forcing you to think about how to capitalise on its randomised architecture with your defending units.
Its clean, simple presentation makes it look easy, when in fact it’s anything but.
The alluring medieval art style is complemented by its endearing sound effects and score. Bad North’s laid-back atmosphere belies the serious challenges at its inviting heart. If you’re the type who is nauseated by complex RTS menus, this is a Norse game that gives that nonsense a Viking funeral.
Jotun
Jotun is an indie game that centres on the protagonist Thora, who, as Norse mythology lovers will know, dies a dishonourable death in a storm and is therefore denied access to Valhalla.
Yet, the gods take pity on her and offer a second chance – as long as she pounds on a series of elemental Jotun (see what they did there?). The trouble is, that’s easier said than done. These giant elementals offer a challenge. The camerawork makes you feel insignificant amid the chaos. It’s a David vs Goliath and packed full of action.
Combat is basic but sound, and there are plenty of puzzles and collectibles to keep your mind ticking over as you trudge through each treacherous, but beautifully-drawn biome.
A delightful little jaunt that turns out to be no pushover, Jotun is the Viking game for you if you want a brief but difficult detour into Norse mythology.
For Honor
Ubisoft’s 2017 third-person historical brawler For Honor offers up fantasy matchups between Vikings and the other famous warriors of history, namely Samurai, Knights, and Wu Lin. It’s an adrenaline-pumping fighting game, offering the scale and scope of large engagements as well as tense one-on-one duels.
There is a plot line bubbling in the background, but this falls to the wayside in place of the crunchy combat, as you raze battlegrounds in an attempt to establish faction dominance. It’s a ‘what if’ game that realises the action-figure fantasy of different actors in history taking up arms against each other.
The game is currently entering a third year of add-on content known as the “Year of the Harbinger,” complete with balance changes, new maps and heroes to use, including a new Viking.
Well worth a punt if you watch a lot of Deadliest Warrior and reckon you could do better.
The Banner Saga Trilogy
A stunning trilogy of role-playing games developed by the talented Stoic Studio, The Banner Saga is set in a Norse-inspired world where you have to defend a Viking caravan against the vicious and mysterious humanoid antagonists, the Dredge.
Basked in twilight, the hand-drawn art style is gorgeous, turning every frame of battle into a rich tapestry. The story will change drastically based on your choices, and really opens up into an engaging tale where struggles like feeding your campmates and preparing for battle take precedent above all else. Composed by Austin Wintory, the Grammy-nominated composer of Journey and Abzu, the soundtrack is beautiful and moving, wrapping up the epic adventure in a wonderful sonic blanket, and making this an unmissable Viking game experience for any fan of fantasy and tactics.
Skyrim
Its provenance speaks for itself, but Skyrim is easily the most Norse of all of The Elder Scrolls games, placing you in the capable shoes of the Dragonborn, a prophesied hero who can absorb dragon souls and expel powerful shouts that rupture their enemies.
You travel around a massive Icelandic-inspired world that offers up such sights as the perilous Throat of the World to Valhalla itself (which goes by Sovngarde in Elder Scrolls lore).
Solve a civil war, fight vampires, or just set up a homestead and raise a family. Despite being nearly a decade old, Skyrim still has a lot to offer to players who fancy a bit of Viking roleplaying.
If you’re looking for a deeper Norse experience you can tinker with the plentiful Skyrim mods available for the game, which offer up longboats, authentic Viking weapons and outfits, and much more if you’re willing to seek it out. Nowadays you can even experience Skyrim as a VR game if you want to double down on the authenticity.
Volgarr the Viking
A wonderful blast from the past, Volgarr the Viking is a challenging 80s side-scroller with a brilliant 16-bit pixel art style. It is evocative of stalwart series like Castlevania, where you do everything in your power to get to the other end of the screen, no matter how hard your enemies (or the environment itself) is trying to throw a Mjolnir in the works.
With multiple endings and seven worlds to falter through, there’s a lot of bang for your buck here, and you’re certainly not going to breeze through it in record time either. Volgarr is hard as nails, and proud of it.
Luckily it’s not overly long, and is well worth a playthrough if you’re pining for a game that refuses to hold your hand -it makes Dark Souls feel like a walk in the park. If you can stomach a bit of gaming masochism, then Volgarr the Viking should be right up your street.
Northgard
If the simplistic design of Bad North is too laid-back for your tastes, Northgard should provide a welcome challenge and a good bit of layered complexity if you’re in the market for it. This is an old-school RTS with a dash of modern flair, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with the storied historical strategy games of the 90s and early 00s.
With a variety of different clans to choose from that offer up unique benefits, whether that’s a special unit like a war bear or being able to colonise with money.
You can also win in a variety of ways, with some Viking-themed special win conditions such as being the first to forge Odin’s Sword or discovering and taking control of Yggdrasil. It even has competitive multiplayer and a solid story mode, which, gives the player something to connect with as they manage resources, fight beasts, and forge a new beginning for your unruly band of Norse settlers.
Viking Squad
Easily the most on the nose and in your face game of the pack, Viking Squad is a co-operative side-scrolling brawler that mixes Norse mythology with silly Castle Crashers gameplay and is just as fun as that sounds.
Viking Squad’s roguelite progression mechanics are its best feature, forcing you to spend your hard-earned loot following a triumphant charge through a level to bolster your chosen character’s abilities and gear. It embraces the chaos of the genre and offers up a visually pleasing (and most importantly, legible) art style, meaning you’re not so overwhelmed by all of the action when the going gets tough.
Just make sure you’ve got a group of keen friends to play it with, as the repetition and difficulty will bear down on you hard if you try to soldier through solo.
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So there you have it! Whether you want to step into the gilded shoes of Norse gods or the frayed sandals of mere mortals, this list has something for everyone. It’s delightful to see such a span of genres when it comes to this topic too, especially when the developers have twisted the lore and iconography of the famous settlers into something special. Just pack a parka, as most of these games sound pretty chilly.
15 Best Viking Games of All Time (2021 Edition)
Vikings seem to be in fashion these days. The success of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla might have set the stage, but the ground-breaking release of Valheim has both struck the match and lit the fuse on the genre.
If you’re a fan of playing as a Scandinavian pillager roaming the lands in search of glory, then it’s one hell of a good year to be a gamer.
For those on a Viking buzz, then there’s no mead to let yourself go cold turkey (get it? Mead? Because it rhymes with need?). We’ve listed the best Viking games of all time for you to get lost in, whether you’re looking to explore Midgard, Jotunheim, or the even more fantastical lands of long-lost Europe.
The Best Viking Games
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15. Vikings – Wolves of Midgard
Vikings – Wolves of Midgard
Developer: Games Farm
Publisher: Kalypso Media Digital
Top-down action RPGs seem to be the dominant genre when it to comes to Viking-inspired games. You’re going to notice a lot of Dragon Age and Diablo inspiration, but that’s far from a bad thing.
Vikings – Wolves of Midgard is one such game, and it also happens to be one of the best Viking games ever developed. It was created by a Slovak studio which added some much-needed credibility to the genre.
It feels quite similar to Diablo when you play.
It’s got a decent character creation system and is more or less fully open world. Despite that, the progression system is rather linear, and a lot of the replayability relies on gimmicks that were honestly ahead of their time.
It sits at a positive rating on Steam and a 66 on Metacritic, which is about right. It’s a fun title to pick up if you’re bored, but it’s not what we’re recommending if you’re craving that true Jotunheim and Midgard experience.
14. Mount and Blade: Warband – Viking Conquest
Mount and Blade Warband – Viking Conquest
Developer: Brytenwalda
Publisher: TaleWorlds Entertainment
Despite being over 10 years old, Mount and Blade: Warband remains one of the community’s most beloved medieval RPGs of all time. Viking Conquest is a DLC that adds, well, Vikings into single-player and multiplayer.
You get a cutesy little storyline, something out of the ordinary for what is otherwise a sandbox title, but that’s nothing to write home about.
Instead, you’re going to want to pick up this DLC for the ludicrous number of additions to the world space. Factions, cities, and characters added numbers in the 100s, making this a comprehensive package considering how cheap you can get it for these days.
At the end of the day, though, Viking Conquest is Mount and Blade with Vikings. If you like that style of game, you’ll love this DLC. If you don’t, you’ll probably hate it.
13. For Honor
For Honor
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
For Honor is among the most well-known games to feature Vikings ever made. It’s not so much a Viking game as it is a game that features Vikings, on account of the lack of meaningful single-player and streamlined multiplayer experience.
For Honor is a Ubisoft game, so expect the usual Ubi shenanigans right off the bat. Once you cut through all of that corporate nonsense, though, a truly spectacular multiplayer game lies under the surface.
The game is built on a unique but well-put-together tactical combat system. You’re going to be dueling your opponents, and it’s really going to feel like that. Speaking of opponents, For Honor also features characters from other cultures such as Ancient Mandarian and the Japanese Dynasties.
As I said, this is only a game with Vikings, but it’s a good game with Vikings.
12. Expeditions: Viking
Expeditions Vikings
Developer: Logic Artists
Publisher: THQ Nordic
What is it about Vikings and top-down action RPGs that developers seem to love so much?
Expeditions: Viking is another entry into that genre, but even I’ll admit that it’s a bloody good one. It’s a 30-hour fast that’s rich with depth, something that is only highlighted by its turn-based combat system.
The premise is quite a good one: you’re a newly appointed chief, so, naturally, you set sail to plunder the West in order to prove your strength and acquire new riches.
It’s a simple plot that gets better the longer you play.
Expeditions: Viking is a sleeper hit if ever there was one. If you’re a fan of those mid-2000s RPGs, you’re going to love this.
11. Volgarr the Viking
Volgarr the Viking
Developer: Crazy Viking Studios
Publisher: Adult Swim Games
Forget about the 2000s; what if we were to tell you there was a phenomenal Viking game made in the 80s? You’d probably call me a liar, and you would be right. Volgarr the Viking came out in 2013, but it’s styled after those pre-90s era games.
If you hate old-school sidescrolling games, first of all, have you ever heard of Mario? And second of all, get out. I don’t want you here.
In all seriousness, Volgarr the Viking is an indie masterpiece of a sidescroller. Although don’t let the whole indie premise turn you off of it, Adult Swim Games published this title, so that should tell you everything you need to know about its quality.
In the game, you’ve been charged by Odin to go out on a quest to defeat an evil dragon. That’s really all there is to it. It’s a simple experience that delivers far more than it has any right to, all for a budget price.
10. Dead in Vinland
Dead In Vinland
Developer: CCCP
Publisher: Dear Villagers
Dead in Vinland is unique if nothing else. It’s a survival management game that’s got some RPG mechanics splashed in, and does a pretty good job of marrying both. However, it’s got that “free Facebook game” aesthetic, but don’t let that put you off buying this game. It’s got 81% positive reviews on Steam for a reason.
The game is actually a sequel to a previous title called “Dead in Bermuda,” but we wouldn’t worry about playing that before picking up Dead in Vinland.
The story is simple and well put together, which seems to be the norm for Viking games. You’re leading your family on a survival journey after being exiled.
However, where this game shines is in its gameplay.
Combat is built off a row-turn-based skill system with RPG elements. It’s a near-identical system to Darkest Dungeon, so if you’ve played that, then you know what you’re in for. If you haven’t played Darkest Dungeon, by the way, do me a favor and fix that.
In fact, the overall gameplay experience is remarkably similar to DD, with a character management system that keeps your nerves on edge at every turn.
It’s not a game for everyone, but it reminds me of Marmite. You’re either going to love this title, or you’ll hate it. There is no in-between.
9. Ancestors Legacy
Ancestors Legacy
Developer: Destructive Creations
Publisher: 1C Entertainment
And just like that, we’re back to top-down gameplay. Unlike the majority of this genre, though, Ancestors Legacy only came out in 2018, with a PS4 release in 2019 and a Switch port in 2020.
That kind of timeframe means that the game is able to deliver an old-school genre title that has modern tech backing it.
This combines into an RTS that offers one of the smoothest PC to console ports that I’ve ever seen.
Its story is what stands out to me. It’s a well-waived Viking tale that actually manages to keep its gameplay objectives relevant to the plot, which is something that is underappreciated these days.
What I will say is that its gameplay is remarkably unremarkable. It’s built on an infantry-based rock, paper, scissors system, but if we wanted gameplay like that, we would go and play Pokémon.
Regardless, it’s still a solid title, especially on PS4 and Xbox. If you’re looking for a gritty Norse experience, though, you’re arguably not going to find it here.
8. Crusader Kings III
Crusader Kings 3
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Let’s be honest, half of you are here because of Valheim and AC: Valhalla, and the other half of you are here because of Crusader Kings 3.
Crusader Kings isn’t a Viking game, but like For Honor, it lets you play as Vikings.
Unlike For Honor, though, rather than having a game solely built on PvP combat, CK3 is like Civ on steroids.
I’d be shocked if you haven’t played either this or any of the Civilization games, but that just means you should rush out to pick up this title even quicker.
There’s no major plotline, as is the case with most grand strategy games. Instead, each individual run is its own self-contained story. The way you build up your Viking clan and deal with other nations is going to be unique each time you play, especially given just how deep a lot of the systems in CK3 are.
Crusader Kings III only came out in 2020, too, so the game is still very much being supported by Paradox.
7. Jotun
Jotun
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Now we’re talking. While a lot of the games on this list use Vikings as nothing more than a window dressing or as one of many features, Jotun isn’t afraid to immerse itself into specific parts of Norse mythology.
Specifically, the game sees you traveling across the nine realms to defeat the jötunn themselves.
That’s a simple premise that lends way to simple gameplay, but Jotun is so much more than that. It’s got real heart and soul to it, something that AAA titles like For Honor struggle to achieve.
There is clearly love and effort put into this title, as is evident by just how beautiful the art direction is. While Jotun only ranks at number seven in the list, it’s among the best strictly indie Viking games out there.
6. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla exceeded everyone’s expectations at launch. That’s saying something, too, because all eyes were on Ubisoft after the success of Odyssey.
AC: Valhalla is much more a Viking game than it is a “traditional” Assassin’s Creed game, much like Black Flag was more of a game about being a pirate than an assassin.
While that’s perhaps terrible for OG AC fans, it’s great if you’re looking for a Viking gaming experience. It also does jump into Norse mythology quite a bit, which shouldn’t be such a standout point for a Viking game, but it is.
At the end of the day, though, this is still a Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed game. There are microtransactions, it’s full of grinding, and it’s going to get repetitive. On the other hand, though, it’s also teeming with life, solid combat and a winding story, which actually makes it one of the best Viking games ever made. Skol!
5. Bad North
Bad North
Developer: Plausible Concept
Publisher: Raw Fury
Oh man, what a gem this is. When a roguelite, RTS, glorified tower-defense game is beating out a multimillion-dollar AAA title, you know it’s something special.
However, do not play Bad North if you’re looking for a Norse story because you’re not going to be getting it. Bad North uses Vikings as a point of stylization and doesn’t necessarily do all that much of it.
If you’re just into Vikings for the theme and not the mythology, though, this should immediately be at the top of your wishlist. It’s the perfect game to kill some time with here and there, and I mean that on account of the fact that Bad North is also available on mobile.
You lead your people from island to island, each time requiring you to fend off Viking invaders. That’s all, but what else did you expect from a roguelite? Seriously, though, it doesn’t need to be anything more than this. At all.
4. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade
Developer: Ninja Theory
Publisher: Ninja Theory
Is Hellblade the most well-known indie game of all time? It’s up there, and just as well because it is astonishing. So astonishing that it’s getting a sequel with Microsoft’s backing after they purchased its developer, and how many actual indie games can say that?
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a dark fantasy action-adventure RPG, so already I’m all over that.
Throwing Vikings as a thematic point on top of that genre makes the game feel like it was developed exclusively for me, and at this point, I sort of think it was.
Its story is beautiful. You’re tasked with traveling to Helheim to retrieve the soul of your lost lover, and I’m more than willing to admit that I fell in love with that plot. It’s clear that this game was written to be a Viking game rather than made as a game with a Viking skin, and that is something that I really appreciate.
If you’re going to play any title on this list, make it this one. Even if it didn’t quite crack the top three, it’s one of those rare gaming experiences that sit with you long after you finish playing.
3. Northgard
Northgard
Developer: Shiro Games
Publisher: Shiro Games
Yes, Northgard is a top-down game, and yes, it’s in the top three. The fact that we rate it so highly despite the genre not being in our everyday wheelhouse should be all the convincing you need.
Northgard is a progression-based RTS that sees you leading your clan on an expedition to a newly discovered landmass. It’s simple, as all games of this nature are, but it’s built on a randomized map generator that guarantees you never get bored with it.
What really pushes this game up a notch, though, is the fact that it has online co-op. It has PvP, too, but that’s something that we’ve shied away from.
It’s rather expensive as indie titles go, but more than worth the investment if you can convince a friend to pick it up with you.
Banner Saga
Developer: Stoic
Publisher: Versus Evil
2014. 2014 is when The Banner Saga came out. It’s almost 10 years later, and we still consider it the second-best Viking game ever made. A Switch port recently came out in 2018, and how many four-year-old games that aren’t Skyrim, Mario, or GTA get ports?
The Banner Saga is a stylized tactical RPG with a tile-based combat system, all of which is remarkably well made when you consider that the project was funded on Kickstarter.
However, this little fact is the most important thing about the game. The Banner Saga, even more than Jotun, has heart. It was made by gamers, for gamers, and that shows.
The world is Viking inspired rather than being outright Norse, but that just gave the developers more room for creativity, and they took advantage of that. The game features two playable characters, each with their own story, as well as a multitude of choices and diverging paths that affect what events you see in-game.
I’m not going to go into any detail because I don’t want to spoil this masterpiece on you, so do yourself a favor and pick it up, and then the other two amazing parts to complete the trilogy. It’s out on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch, so you have no excuse.
1. Valheim
Valheim game
Developer: Iron Gate AB
Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
Of course Valheim is number one. It’s the whole reason we were inspired to make this list in the first place.
Given the whole global lockdown thing that dominated 2020, many didn’t expect much from games in 2021, but Valheim brought in the new year with more of a nuclear blast than a bang.
In just one short month, it’s become one of the most popular games on Steam. When you consider it was made by a five-person team and isn’t a party game like Among Us, that’s an incredible statistic. It’s a passion project that has changed the online survival genre forever in less than 30 days of release.
It’s a roleplaying survival game that sees you setting up shop in an afterlife where you play as a Viking, but you’re not exactly in Valhalla.
It’s a sandbox experience, meaning you carve out your own path with your friends as you craft tools and shelter to try and keep yourself safe from all the enemies lurking about the place.
The fact that Valheim is such a solid experience already is very telling for the future. The game is only going to continue getting support for the next few years, so get your ticket punched now before you’re left too far behind.
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description, content, interesting facts and much more about the film
Each of the versions is a full-fledged film, created taking into account the peculiarities of perception by different audiences. 
The actors were approved two years before the start of the filming process. 
The armor was customized exactly according to the figure of the actors. Danila Kozlovsky, who lost weight during filming, had to redo the armor. 
They were collapsible and allowed for a thorough examination of the exteriors and interiors in order to make adjustments before starting full-scale construction. 
Polotsk was also built at Glavkino. 
But in the fight scenes, in which other actors participated, the iron swords were replaced with lightweight, plastic ones. 
Approximately 200 performers of mass scenes, as well as several horses with riders, were captured in this way in turn. These photographs made it possible to produce realistic and extremely detailed models, which were then used to create a digital crowd. film Viking (Russia, 2016) Watch online-Afisha-Kino
Film
Russia, 2016
9000 5.
1
4.6
On the film in roles Reviews (165) similar A megalomanic historical drama with the support of Channel One about our medieval times, that is, about Ancient Rus’, about which everyone so wants to make their Game of Thrones. The film was made for several years, in the main role of Prince Vladimir, the absolute Russian movie star Danila Kozlovsky is listed, in other roles — all the other best actors of our cinema. As an experiment, the film will be released in two versions at once: for family leisure in the 12+ format and for those who like it harder, with the 18+ marking. This version is «12+».
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reviews, 82 ratings, rating 1624
7Not the world, but a sword
If there is a film that is ideally suited to end the Year of Cinema, then this is Viking.
It brought together all the ambitions, opportunities and weaknesses of the national cinema. In vain, the producers, Konstantin Ernst and Anatoly Maksimov, are offended by the words of the director of one of the cinemas: «Your film has one drawback — it is Russian.» Of course, what else. And is it a disadvantage? Only we can swing like that. Nowhere else do they know how to make a movie at the limit of possibilities, feelings and thoughts, in a state of sacred unconsciousness, on pure irrational faith in the power of intention. «Viking» is not a movie, but a berserk, drunk on a strong decoction of fly agaric and ready to fight for the New Year’s box office. The number and military training of the enemy occupy him much less than his own prowess, which needs to find at least some splash. Grab an ax and go to battle.
A quote taken out of context and expectations that were too high over the years of production (seven years of work on the picture!) helped to give birth to a meme about the “Russian Game of Thrones”.
The comparison is dubious. Even an ardent patriot will not seriously put a clever, smart and innovative American serial product next to a sprawling Russian blockbuster. And if he does, he will choose Game of Thrones. Russians are not yet able to combine eroticism, humor, cruelty, a detective story and social issues in such a way that the viewer cannot tear himself away from the screen. But to say at once about everything sacred in one, it would seem, entertaining film is ours, dear.
No wonder Ernst and Maksimov for the third film in a row («Admiral», «Vysotsky», now here’s «Viking») develop a genre hellishly difficult for the mainstream — life. From the White Guard commander and the Soviet bard, they got to the founder of Russian statehood, and at the same time spirituality, St. Vladimir. Moreover, exactly in the year when a monument was erected near the Kremlin itself, slightly reminiscent of a youthful Santa Claus with a cross instead of a Christmas tree. Only in Russia, where even the New Year is Old, the events of the 10th century can become the most fashionable and hot trends of the season.
Little is known about the events. As the creators themselves note, The Tale of Bygone Years was written about a hundred years after the death of Vladimir, a character already mythological by that time. The plot with the choice of Orthodoxy from several religions is probably apocryphal (it is not in the film at all). Calls for historical accuracy from either side — to make the hero cast in bronze so as not to discredit the saint’s reputation, or, conversely, to focus on his fabulous treachery, debauchery and cruelty — are only projections of someone’s phantoms. Ernst, Maksimov, and the director of Admiral, Andrei Kravchuk, chosen by them to carry out an important mission, had every right to prefer their own mirages to other people’s. And so they did.
In the context of the big Russian cinema of 2016, Viking is a cutting-edge work. The closest adequate analogue, next to which Viking wins unconditionally, is Volkodav: they liked to laugh at him at one time, but it is his director Nikolai Lebedev who today with Legend No.
17 and Crew is in the top three most successful commercial authors of Russian cinematography.
Viking has its own world — huge, colorful, densely populated, memorable. Wooden buildings, armor mangled in battles, canvas shirts. Slightly monotonous in its severity, the intonation is heard both in the music and in the dialogues (written without allowance for the language of the ancients, which is still not familiar to us: no “Goy be” and “Bless you, good fellow”). There is a dramatic integrity, devoid of frank loftiness — and this is an evolution in relation to the «Admiral». True, the irony did not appear. Some Shakespearean jester would not interfere with this brutal plot, but to come up with such a character is a special art. But there is the silent and expressively demonic Anton Adasinsky from Sokurov’s «Faust» in the role of a sorcerer, constantly demanding bloody sacrifices for the idol he serves. The way the priest points his finger into his wide-open mouth will be dreamed of by many at night for a long time to come.
Perhaps it’s time to talk about the main thing here. «Viking» was clearly conceived as a film about the arrival of Christianity in Rus’. But it turned out to be the opposite. Starting from the spectacular opening scene of the winter hunt (having slaughtered a wild bull, “heroes are not us” immediately begin to slaughter each other) and until the very end, this is a repulsively cruel, naturalistic, full of violence spectacle. Man here is a wolf to man: overgrown with a beard, from which mad eyes sparkle, he is always on the alert, he does not trust anyone and does not hope for anything. For example, the very first act of the protagonist, whom we are then invited to fall in love with, is the brutal rape of a girl in front of her parents, who were subsequently savagely killed. And this is just the beginning.
Actually, the viewer has a simple choice: either immediately fill with disgust for everything that is happening and quickly run home from the session, console himself by reading a single history textbook, or start catching a sadomasochistic buzz from a bloody guignol with battle axes.
There is no doubt: such a universe cannot be given to Christ, it rightfully belongs to Perun. If we summarize the idea of »Viking» in a few words, bringing the thought of the authors to the limit, then it will be reduced to a simple thesis: «Russia will never be a Christian country.»
At the beginning of the film, Vladimir takes a sip of that very fly agaric soup to drive himself into a rage and become an alpha male from a weakling, the youngest son in the family (and even a bastard, here — hello to Game of Thrones). Having reached the finale in Sophia of Constantinople, he cleanses himself by drinking holy water, and begins to dream about the baptism of Rus’; however, it is obvious to the viewer that the action of the mushrooms has not yet passed and we have only a picturesque hallucination about the impossible. The insidious and cruel warrior Sveneld, Vladimir’s mentor and his personal Mephistopheles (this role was really amazingly played by the unrecognizable Maxim Sukhanov), will always be stronger than the kind prince.
Princess Rogneda with her blood-smeared face — Alexandra Bortich, the best acting work of the film, the heroine of the two most indecent scenes — will always be more seductive than the holy princess Irina (Svetlana Khodchenkova in the role of the ancient Russian Mother of God). And the watchtowers of wooden cities ten centuries before the Gulag are like two drops of water like camp towers. Here it is, Russia, which we have lost. And did you lose? ..
«Viking» opens with a quote from Mao Zedong and ends with a line from the Epistle to the Romans. However, the Asian Pechenegs, like the mercantile pagan Vikings, in the film seem closer to the Russians than the haughty Romans in their multi-colored togas. What kind of baptism is this? Unless for political purposes — as planned in the film, but never shown on the screen, a marriage of convenience with the Byzantine princess Anna, which, without a twinge of conscience, the already married Vladimir is preparing to make.
Antagonism with the West is not the only reference to modernity in Viking.
In the scene of the capture of Korsun, besieging the fortress at the head of an army of «polite warriors», Vladimir swears not to shed a single drop of blood if they surrender themselves. The very spirit of cheerful military aggression subtly reminds of a purely Russian, still relevant dichotomy of repentance and cruelty. It is she — and not at all the transition from passive evil to active good that is written in the script — that makes the main character played by Danila Kozlovsky interesting. Keeping aloof from human sacrifices, murders of close relatives and other crimes, the clear-faced prince finds the strength to take the blame on himself by the end. But this is not at all the sacrifice of a saint, but a sudden sobriety, as in «Fight Club»: you killed it, sir. I did kill. An insight that is rather difficult to mistake for a happy ending.
Perhaps the audience of this film will look differently at the idol at the Borovitsky Gates. Passing or driving by, they will look and cringe.
December 28, 2016
Best reviews of the movie «Viking» .I liked the movie. The fight moments weren’t phenomenally interesting, but there were moments that touched the soul. Probably those who write negative ones do not have a soul, or rather they have, but apparently not with God. You watch the film and rejoice, what happiness that Prince Vladimir brought the Baptism of Rus’, otherwise these idols would be pillars, as in the same film. At the expense of reviews, to slander and condemn everything is much everything and everything, as they say, flies fly to shit, and bees fly to flowers …
January 5, 2017
Andrey Dashko
28 reviews, 420 ratings, rating 326
9
The best movie in recent times. In general, the 16th year gave a lot of good tapes. These are the Panfilovites and the crew. But Viking is a job at the highest level. Minus this film, as I understand it, neo-pagans. Here it should be noted that a certain trend has appeared.
Perhaps I will be making more historical films in which he will appear. The trend is that Christians see real events in this film. And they are valued as they are. And the neo-pagans exude exactly the same malice and hatred as the pagan wise men wonderfully shown in the film.
This film is a must see. Every frame, every visual element is beautifully crafted. The acting has never aroused suspicion of falsity.
I would like to emphasize two points.
First, the striking difference between the Romans and the pagans. It becomes clear the desire of the prince to receive grace — Anna. This is so obvious that there is no question why he needs Korsun. He wants a different life, a life without pagan fear.
And the second. Known from the annals, the story of the sacrifice of a Christian and his son. The film clearly traces the connection between how the Lord helped a Christian warrior to get out of the alteration alive, where the berserker inspired by demons died, and between the desire of the Magi to destroy this Christian.
There was no draw. The boy was chosen for the slaughter by the sorcerer. It was he who decided, before it was too late, to destroy this grain of faith in Christ — the boy and his father. These people, with their faith, would be guaranteed to leave the servants of Satan — the Magi without a piece of bread.
January 2, 2017
pashkad
1 review, 2 ratings, rating 3
1
The film is a pitiful attempt to impose the ROC brain on the people. From the point of view of history — they mixed flies with cutlets. Pechenegs, Vikings and still it is not clear who. It seems that at least 100 people blindly wrote the script and another 100 people edited it! Special thanks to Igor Matvienko for disgusting music. The man apparently did not study either the ancient Slavic instruments or the musical language, and so he wrote a couple of topics on «fuck off». In general, while watching, between the scenes of rags, the question periodically arose: What was it, Pooh? I highly recommend NOT to go and spend money.
Unless cheers for the patriots.
December 30, 2016
Mikhail Chizhevsky
1 review, 1 rating, rating reviews. It would be appropriate to simply call «Vladimir».
And Anton Dolin, in my opinion, generally looked with one eye, in between times, completely not catching either the storyline or the meaning. He writes that Vladimir is in the temple in Constantinople, although in fact he is still there in Korsun, and this is obvious to me.
In order not to burden yourself with cruelty and bloody scenes, see version 12+, it’s easier.
It’s nice that good Russian films are finally appearing, it’s unpleasant that many viewers are narrow-minded.
January 4, 2017
Julia Perepelitsa
1 review, 1 rate, rating I swear.
December 30, 2016
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