Paradox Interactive, the same folks that have brought us amazing PC warfare titles like War of the Roses, Mount and Blade, Crusader Kings and much more, recently announced War of the Vikings. I’ve been a long time fan of the Mount & Blade series, so this is great news in my book and I can’t wait to see more details. The teaser trailer shown above shows essentially nothing, but it’s enough to let me know this game needs to be on my radar. “War of the Vikings is our next step in establishing Paradox and Fatshark as leaders in the art of online war,” says Gordon Van Dyke, Executive Producer.
The general tone, naming convention and idea seems to be very similar to War of the Roses, I have no doubt it will contain enough differences to truly stand on its own. For starters, the Viking-era is a much different setting with its own weaponry, armor and general aesthetics – a setting that appeals to me much more individually. Also, they’re touting 64-player online battles and tons of customization options. Check out a full list of details gleaned from the press release:
- History Comes to Life (and then you kill it) – Historically inspired content from theViking Age, including levels and environments, weapons, helmets, shields, and heraldry
- Close Combat and Ranged Ravaging – Skill-driven fighting blends swinging, blocking, and dodging with intense ranged combat, including arrows, spears, and throwing axes
- Mod Your Squad – Enhanced squad features allow players to define a role for their warriors in battle using custom squad perks to buff your hirdmen
- A Viking to Your Liking – Design your own Viking or Saxon warrior, choosing everything from weapons and armor to battle perks, customized taunts to unhinge your foes, and a variety of beard options
- Pick Your Battles – Game modes include up to 64-player epic battles, new hardcore “Pitched Arena” mode with 32 players and no respawns, and a Training Ground to test out new character builds
I would like to draw your attention to the tidbit that indicates “a variety of beard options”. If this isn’t a chief selling point, I don’t know what is. Knowing Paradox and their hilarious trailers, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw an entire video showing off the beard customization options for War of the Vikings in the near future. The game is based in the same engine as War of the Roses, but hopefully the similarities end there. Although, based on early details and images, this looks like it could end up being perceived as a glorified expansion.
Minimum (Tentative) PC Specifications:
- OS: Windows Vista SP2 / Windows 7/Windows 8
- Processor: Dual Core 2.4GHz processor
- DirectX®: 11
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: Shader 4.0 compatible card (minimum: Nvidia GeForce 440, AMD Radeon 5670) 512mb
- Additional: Nongaming Laptops and Onboard Video Cards not supported.
Sign up for the alpha right here and let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
