The original Nidhogg was a hallmark of my college days. Everyone who was introduced to the game became enchanted with the simple graphics, addictive gameplay, and chill soundtrack. We would play for hours, holding tournaments to see who was the ultimate swordsperson. Having been such a fan of the original, I had my hesitations about Nidhogg 2. Initial reviews for the PC version seemed lackluster and the graphics were different. For a game whose charm came from its style, I feared the vibe of the original would be lost. I’m happy to report that different does not mean bad in the case of Nidhogg 2. Though changes were made, they all land flawlessly to make another truly great game!

Developer: Messhof

Publisher: Messhof

3 hours played // Review Copy Provided // $14.99

For those new to Nidhogg, fear not – you do not need any knowledge of the original to enjoy the sequel! The premise is a story as old as time. Two warriors must duke it out, using all weapons and tactics at their disposal, in order to reach the end of the stage and be sacrificed to the all-glorious Nidhogg.

This is realized through simplistic, yet addicting, gameplay. Your only goal is to reach the opposite end of the stage. However, in order to progress forward, you must defeat your opponent. Whoever was last to kill is the only player allowed to move forward. Thus, the game forces players to fight tooth and nail for their victory.

Yellow is winning; he is only allowed to move forward with my green blood on his hands!

Nidhogg 2 boasts four weapons (longsword, dagger, bow, and rapier) that you can use as intended or simply chuck at your enemy. As your enemy is defeated, often in an excessively violent fashion, their blood paints the stage with beautiful colors. A bright arrow beacons the player to keep moving forward. When you reach the final screen, the letters WINNER appear and the Nidhogg eats you.

As with the original, this is the game that is both enjoyable for those who have finessed the art of Nidhogg, as well as beginners. The controls are smooth and the game, as a whole, runs well. Having played the sequel with veterans and newcomers alike, I’m happy to report that everyone had a great time! Beyond that, Nidhogg 2 improves on various aspects. The sequel has 4 weapons, a tournament mode, ten stages, and a new artistic aesthetic.

To be eaten by the Nidhogg is an honor!

That said, there will always be those who are inherently opposed to change. Nidhogg 2 is not the same game as the original. The art style is drastically different. Whereas the original used the simplest of pixel art, Nidhogg 2 reevaluated the art direction. At first glance, this might upset those who are used to the original. That said, the new art style allows all ten of the battlefields to really come to life. The sequel remains loyal to its pixel-art roots while creating environments with a richness the original lacked.

In addition to that, in the original, you played a faceless creature as you fought to your death. Nidhogg 2 allows you to customize your warrior in a way the original did not allow. Personally, I found this really enjoyable. My friends and I had a great time creating the goofiest of warriors, which made our battles all the more enjoyable.

We call these looks “weird uncle” and “party bro”.

There are occasions where a sequel betrays its source material; it changes things just a little too much. Fans are left angry and disappointed. Thus, making drastic changes on a beloved game is a risky choice for developers. This is especially the case for indie developers. As a fan, I don’t feel the least bit disappointed in the changes presented in Nidhogg 2; they truly remain loyal to the spirit of the original. An example of this is its tournament mode. The developers clearly knew that their players loved tournaments, so they incorporated it in the sequel. These are the improvements I want to see in more sequels.

Even though I truly enjoyed this game, it is important to bring up the online mode – very few people are playing it. Despite trying to play online several times, I was only able to play one game. This wasn’t terribly disappointing to me because the spirit of the original was playing it with friends on your couch, which is how I played through Nidhogg 2. [Note: recently the developer reached out to me and let me know they have a Discord for finding opponents! This may help with the issue!]

In arcade mode, you fight through all ten of this lively stages!

Much like the online mode is less than amazing, there is an arcade mode. It pushes you to fight through ten stages, all the while timing you. There is nothing wrong with this mode and I had fun playing through it, but it just wasn’t my preferred mode of play. The heart of Nidhogg is its couch multiplayer.

Overall, Nidhogg 2 perfectly straddles the line between nostalgia for the original and legitimate improvements. If you are a fan of couch multiplayer, you will love this game. It is easy to lose hours, simply saying, “one more round” after your friend defeats you. Nidhogg 2 is a welcome addition to the Switch Nindie library.

If you really want to play Nidhogg 2 and lack irl buds to play with, join our Discord and tag me! We can exchange friend codes! That said, this isn’t the game for everyone; if you’re looking for a different multiplayer experience, consider checking out Collidalot. Also, please remember that we remain ad-free because of donations from readers like you. Consider buying us a coffee if you appreciated this review!