Bad North: Jotunn Edition is one of those games that bring in simplicity and excitement in a fun and comprehensive package. It certainly manages to push things to the next level while encouraging you to try out something new and exciting at the same time. The most important aspect here is that this is a minimalist strategy game. In fact, many would consider it to be micro strategy, as the main focus is to recruit loyal subjects that will help you protect the real from invaders.

Multi-layered strategy experience

As the name clearly states, Bad North: Jotunn Edition is inspired by the Viking lore, which adds a fun layer of complexity and excitement into the game. Since you are the real protector and the commander of the army, you need to do everything you can in order to protect those people that are under your control.
On top of that, the game does a very good job at dividing the real into multiple islands that have innocent people on them. Invaders are coming and they conquer those places, so the only thing that you can do is to try and eliminate them with your team of soldiers.

The great thing is that even if things are basic right now, they are getting better as you play since you can upgrade your knights. That’s exciting and it certainly brings in front a wide array of ideas without pushing things too much in the first place.
It’s nice to see that you can get special abilities in the game, since you have an entirely new layer of rewarding game mechanics you can use. Keep in mind that these special abilities can’t be used all the time, they have a cooldown. That’s what makes Bad North: Jotunn Edition great here, the fact that you need to find the perfect time to use abilities and your soldiers if you want to have any chance of winning.

The gameplay itself is also very intense. You will love the beautiful small islands and the fact that those soldiers are constantly yelling trying to eliminate enemies. Despite being simplistic, it does show the goriness of battle and all the challenges that you need to deal with in this type of situation. That’s definitely a great example of how intense the game can become at times.

Since there are lots of islands, you will constantly try to eliminate enemies and keep your economy under control. Combat is getting better and better as you play since you become more experienced and that can really turn the tides in a battle like this, that’s for sure.
We particularly like the fact how you can easily customize the way the game is played. Yes, there are customizable options such as the difficulty setting that you can use, the weapons that are available and the enemies you can have. It’s also nice to see that some islands actually come with checkpoints. It’s insanely fun and different, and you should totally consider giving it a try just because it’s so impressive and distinctive at the same time.

People like the Bad North: Jotunn Edition game because it’s all about strategizing and finding the best possible way that you can win. It’s not easy to achieve that, but it will bring in front creative and fun ways to push the experience towards that next level in a very distinct and cool way as you play.

Impressive battles

As the enemies come, you need to find the right way to eliminate them as quickly as possible. The way you manage everything is what really pushes the boundaries here. You want to make it work and really focus on the things that can be adapted to your own requirements. The challenge with Bad North: Jotunn Edition is that it’s constantly changing.

While an island can be very simple and easy to defend, other attacks and islands will bring you a whole lot of difficulty options and ways to act. Sometimes a single strategic move can really make the difference. The enemies are weak and strong in their own ways. But that’s the thing you will like here. You need to understand weaknesses and use them to your advantage. Once you do that and really focus on the best results, the payoff can be second to none. It’s definitely rewarding and you will appreciate the way everything comes together.

Permadeath changes the game

For some people, the fact that you need to start from the beginning when you die can be a big turnoff. On the other hand you will find it a lot more motivating knowing that there are new things to check out and explore here. Bad North: Jotunn Edition is the type of game where you can always try something new and prepare better just because of a bad experience you had previously. It’s totally immersive and impressive, and you should consider giving it a try because of that.

Great replay value

The strong point for a lot of people in Bad North: Jotunn Edition is the fact that you can easily replay the game the way you want. And there are many different options to consider when you upgrade your team. That means you can prepare them for certain attacks or you can make them more powerful in defense. It’s all this interesting set of choices that makes a game like Bad North: Jotunn Edition so immersive, because there are impressive options and ideas all the time.

Conclusion

Despite being a rather minimalist game, Bad North: Jotunn Edition is very immersive and it sets the tone to create a wonderful and interesting game world. It’s different, but it’s also a lot of fun to explore and you will find it incredibly customizable all the time. You should consider giving it a try if you like strategy games or if you’re looking for something new and different. The results can be really interesting especially as you improve and become better at the game!

This review is based on the PC version of the game. A review copy was provided to us by Raw Fury.