Valheim is a survival simulator that stands out from the crowd, as it uses Norse aesthetics and intricate gameplay systems brilliantly. These set it apart from the hundreds of other survival games on market right now. Interestingly, the game bears striking similarities to a particularly popular 2011 RPG. Iron Gate's new Norse indie game strikes some similar chords as Bethesda's Skyrim. Both are set among some gorgeous Norse stylings, and inspire players to explore the massive open worlds in each game.
There are several ways in which the games are similar. A sense of pervasive mystery runs through both. These underlying mysteries tie into a mythology influenced heavily by Norse legends. Moreover, an ambitious map size appears in both titles. With that map size, the drive to explore the grand expanses is also present in both. Even Valheim's fanbase understand the similarities between these two games. This understanding appears throughout the mods for the game. Interestingly, many of the more popular content mods for the game add Skyrim elements to the title.
Both Skyrim and Valheim Love A Good (Scary) Mountain
There is no biome more iconic than a Skyrim mountain. Traversing those infamously buggy mountains by way of leapfrog is a beloved pastime of many Elder Scrolls fans. The striking mountains of Tamriel are an integral part to the series' iconic skyline, so much so that it is one of the only pictures of the Elder Scrolls 6 that fans currently have. Mountains are not only an aesthetic component to the game. In fact, Skyrim's snowy peaks are absolutely integral to the title's narrative, and like the map sizes of Valheim and Skyrim, the mountains are also similar.
One of the most pivotal moments throughout Skyrim is looking up at the Seven Thousand Steps to High Hrothgar, knowing that the secrets of the Dragonborn's magic lie atop it. On the journey, players battle through tough conditions, wolves, and even an incredibly vicious frost troll. This enemy is more deadly than most in the game before that point, and gives the mountains a sense of scale and danger unlike any other biome. The same is true for Valheim. What the game really shared with Skyrim in this regard is its ability to imbue a location with a sense of scale and importance using difficulty.
Famous mod authors for the game call this "content ramping" - taking a multifaceted approach to progression blockers placed throughout the game. This is particularly true in the case of the rocky, mountainous areas of Valheim. The Mountain Biome in Valheim is when the title starts ramping towards endgame. It is where the incredibly powerful silver ore is found, alongside a whole host of incredibly powerful enemies. The hulking stone golems can easily one-shot players at that level, and when fighting alongside swarms of drakes and wolves, the creatures are particularly dangerous.
Draugr In Both Games Come From Mythology
Valheim's mythology is one of its main draws for players. For months, players were stalked by a mysterious hooded figure that now seems to be playing into the game's future content roadmap. However, there are some mythological figures in the game that are a lot more common. Interestingly, they are also the most common enemies in Skyrim. In Bethesda's fantasy RPG, the Nords are a very common race. There is obvious associations with the "Norse" there, and that mythology pervades throughout the game. In particular, the Draugr appear as staple foes across both games.
In Skyrim, these corpse-like wraiths rise from various graves throughout dungeons. They mindlessly pursue the player, with some having limited magic. In one instance, a Skyrim boss is a draugr. Draugrs also appear in Valheim, but are considerably more deadly. Valheim's draugr are also arguably more accurate to the mythos, as dark dwarfs guarding the recesses of old iron mines. In either case, both seem to be semi-undead, and showcase the ways that each title use Norse mythology.
Scale Is Emphasized In Boss Battles
Skyrim and Valheim share a huge emphasis on big, impressive, set-piece boss battles. When a player approaches a boss in Skyrim, they are generally greeted by a large, circular room. The focal point of these huge rooms is the boss, as this environmental design adds a whole new layer of majesty to the game's bosses. This makes even the worst Skyrim bosses feel really cool to fight. In fact, this emphasis given to Skyrim's bosses carries over into Valheim. The Norse inspired game takes a lot of cues from Skyrim here.
Valheim's bosses are typically fought at the end of exploring a biome. Along the away, players have to spend time and resources gathering the materials necessary for summoning the creature. Finally, once the materials are laid on a specific altar, a boss of staggering proportions appear. None are quite as striking as Valheim's first boss, Eikthyr. The angry stag is gargantuan. Having more than just size, the boss crackles with lightning and has a pumping metal soundtrack underneath it. Likewise, other bosses in the game are massive, each with amazing music and incredible locales behind them.
Mods Make Valheim Even More Skyrim-Like
The similar elements between Valheim and Skyrim become more obvious thanks to the modding scene. Much like Skyrim, Valheim has many mods. In fact, since its release a few months ago, the game has accrued over 3 million mod downloads. This is no easy feat, and makes the game one of the fastest growing titles in the world of modding. Interestingly, a huge number of these new mods attempt to make the game a lot more like Skyrim in various ways.
Various aspects of Skyrim make their way into the game through mods. This includes putting spells in Valheim. The magic in this addition to the game replicate the style of spells found in Skyrim, with many of them imitating exact effects from Bethesda's 2011 RPG. Furthermore, a comprehensive first person mod for Valheim is available. This mod radically shifts the game's player character perspective and lets players change it - much like Skyrim. When coupled with high-resolution texture packs, the game almost feels like a more survival-oriented version of Skyrim. In many ways, Valheim almost feels like a Skyrim without kingdoms, politics or war - facing the purest dangers of all: gods, magic, and nature itself.
Valheim is available on PC.