Valhalla is her goal. Jotun are her test. Help Thora prove herself to the Norse gods in Jotun, the upcoming indie action title from Thunder Lotus Games.
Jotun is an isometric 2D action and exploration game. As a deceased Viking, Thora has been bestowed with the blessing of the gods, and with it, new powers to help her explore and conquer the realms of Niflheim. Weapons such as axes and swords are at her disposal the battle against the Jotun – gigantic elementals seeking to slay the gods and claim their thrones.
The game takes you through literal (and frozen) hell in your search for the Jotun, with every area (of which there are 9) marked by the elemental force of their reining Jotun.
Special care was put in Jotun´s hand drawn graphics, which you can see more clearly in the promotional art and in-game close-ups (where some guiding lines are left). The game, however, looks extremely clean, which along a clever marketing campaign and strong first impressions in PAX 2015, catapulted Jotun as an independent but very serious project.
Jotun is inspired on Norse mythology (with Jötnar themselves being a mythological race in opposition to the Norse gods), as made clear by the clothing of the characters, locations like Valhalla or Niflheim, and epic nature of the backgrounds from both Thora and her enemies (which you can read about in the “Guide to Norse Purgatory”, by the Jotun team, on its steam page).
Most teaser trailers from Jotun skip exploration and plot details, to instead showcase the boss battles which play the focal point of the game. The difference of size and power between Thora and the Jotun is reminiscent of games like Shadow of the Colossus, only here you will be facing the giants with your fighting skills rather than your puzzle-solving ones.
These factors made for a Kikcstarter campaign that raised its complete funds and was Greenlit for Steam in less than a month after the game’s reveal. Many important game reviews sites like IGN and Kotaku had big impressions after few days, and even organizations like the Canadian Media Fund and Montreal Inc Foundation financially supported the project.
Jotun will be releasing for $14.99 on Steam starting September 29th, and with great expectations from both press and public, it promises to be one of the biggest indie hits this fall.