Sci-fi Vikings is an intriguing setting for a game. ‘The Fate of Baldr’ , by Ananki Game Studio, promises the fantastical adventures of a Viking but with a jetpack, which I’m on board with. The Fate of Baldr is a third-person tower defence game with traps, turrets and guns…lots of opportunities to kill various mythological creatures solo or with friends.

As a gun-toting space Viking, the player must protect their clan and vessel from all matters of abominations, including troll-like abominations called Thurs, rock golems and bird ladies, who would rather see the Viking dead than let them get on with their lives. All this happens in a sci-fi, fantasy setting with a heavy Viking influence. The ship lands on various biomes, including lush meadows, fields of giant glowing mushrooms, dense forests and snowscapes, each region inhabited by fierce and feisty monstrosities.

For those familiar with tower defence, The Fate of Baldr is standard fare; use resources to set up various traps, including Hydra turrets and various boosting towers, to defend a point, in this case, the Viking ship. Each trap requires gemstones that act as currency.

Players can fortify the area between waves, upgrade it, and mine it for more minerals. There’s a decent amount of time to prepare for each wave to prep. Still, the variety of early-stage traps is minimal, and I found myself losing interest in the fortification process very swiftly.

Once a wave started, the enemies began flowing early on. Cyclops were abundant, and there wasn’t much of a challenge. Your Viking comes equipped with a shotgun and a massive hammer initially, but I didn’t need to use it much, as the Hydra turrets managed to drain enemy health before they got even remotely close. Using the gun wasn’t quite as satisfying as I would have liked; every shot would result in the gun scope zooming back out.

Bonking enemies in the head with a hammer was pretty gratifying, though; it felt there was a bit more impact. Where the combat struggled the most was once the boss spawned. Massive trolls and Jӧtnar are the primary targets; while they look menacing, defeating them is more an exercise in patience than in ability; they are both bullet and hammer sponges, and it takes a long time to fell them, and with limited strategy, it’s essentially the same boss fights.

Luckily, some later enemy types add more oomph into the mix, including a few shock attacks and additional obstacles to overcome. All up, the game doesn’t really push for strategy in the tower defence and combat aspects; it isn’t until players get down to the nitty-gritty of upgrading their Viking and defences, including gaining new weapons and armour, that The Fate of Baldr starts to feel more powerful.

The Fate of Baldr can be played solo or online in private or public lobbies with up to 3 other Vikings. With different classes, your playstyle can be mixed up. The “Beserkr” was my go-to, with a shotgun and a huge two-handed hammer.

Other player classes include “Hird”, a sniper who comes equipped with an additional poison sword; “Nidinger”, built for speedy resource collection with a pick-axe and a pulse rifle; and “Smidr”, a heavy with a rocket launcher and axe. Unfortunately, I could only play solo, and I had a decent enough time between the classes. Hitting the battlefield with a small crew would have possibly made my experience more enjoyable than my solitary experience.

The Fate of Baldr can be played on a keyboard, mouse, or controller. Both have easy-to-learn controls, thanks to a straightforward tutorial and simple UI that guides players. Overall, the game can be uneventful, but there were some moments where letting my guard down for a few moments meant that some sneaky enemies managed to make it to my ship and pushed me to play the offensive. The challenge sunk in in these moments, and I had more fun. The highlight for me was the audio, particularly the soundtrack, with that typical Norse feel blended with some sci-fi influences. Music worked a treat alongside the fully-voiced opening cutscene, during and between waves of enemies.

The Fate of Baldr is a promising glimpse into what could be an excellent sci-fi-Norse fusion; all the elements are there, but I would like to see some more finesse. This title could be a hit or miss for tower defence fans, with a repetitive gameplay loop and minimal variety in traps. For those after a relatively laidback multiplayer experience, there could be a few hours of fun to be had to protect the Vikings from their potential downfall.

Written by: Yasmin Noble