I love Nidhogg. It is one of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences I’ve ever seen from an indie developer. Messhof Games delivered a fun, fresh, fencing ‘simulator’ that leaves the players asking for just one more match, even though the victor is eaten by a giant pink worm among the cheering fans. The tug-o-war like gameplay is addictive, and there is a definite sense of strategy when playing a skilled opponent.
One of the best parts of the game is the simplicity of it all. You stab, you die, and you run left and right. Eventually, one of you is gobbled up and then you repeat the process all over again. It’s a refreshing time after playing meatier games, like Battlefield 1 or Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. It’s the little curved potato chip in a bag of Doritos that you are munching on, but for some reason you savor that one chip just a bit longer.
Enter the Nidhogg 2 teaser trailer
When I watched this trailer (you can too above), my first thought was ‘OMFG! YYEEEEESSSSS!’ But about eight seconds into it, I was like ‘huh?’
The trailer shows a game which looks nothing like the original. There’s bows and arrows, axes, throwing knives, and fatality moves. Only about 4 seconds of the 16 second teaser shows actual fencing swords, and even less for classic Nidhogg fencing standoffs. Most of what we see is the new, more complicated gameplay which features chubby, Homer Simpson-like dudes — would Homer be any good in a sword fight?
So what’s the point I’m trying to make?
From the teaser trailer, it looks like we’ve lost the simple fencing game that helped us unwind in the evenings with our friends. Instead we seem to be getting a brawler which is nowhere near as charming as the original.
This will be fine for many people who want a high action multiplayer game — and it might even be fine for some fans of the first game. However, from this trailer, I have lost my excitement for the game until I see more. The problem is, I don’t want to see more.
