Of all of the mythologies that games at online casinos and on video gaming platforms, Norse mythology used to be the major one that was often left out. The mythologies of ancient Greece and Egypt would often take precedence, being more recognizable to the casual gamer, but that looks to be changing now.
While there have been Norse-themed games in the past, from video slots to indie games, there is now a wave of truly top-class creations coming to the fore that are stooped in the mythology of Scandinavia.
A lot of people will put this rather sudden obsession with Norse mythology down to the simply incredible game God of War from 2018. The PlayStation 4 greatly outsold the Xbox One when the two consoles started this new war, as you can see here, and has managed to keep well ahead thanks to a long line of superb exclusives. Among these exclusives is the latest installment to the long-running series of God of War which took its protagonist, Kratos, from ancient Greek mythology to Norse.
Eyebrows were raised at the switch-up of the beloved franchise, but thanks to the developers creating a huge, immersive world steeped in Norse lore, people piled into the game, realizing that the setting is very interesting. Since God of War swept up the Game of the Year awards, players are turning their attention to other recent releases in the Norse theme, and developers are looking to explore the realm as well.
Slot and indie Norse games rising in popularity
Among the biggest beneficiaries of God of War bringing the spotlight onto Norse-themed games are the online slot games and indie games. These lighter games have been given the license to explore the realms of Norse mythology due to being smaller and not needing to pander to popular trends like many triple-A titles. So, there is a large stock of existing and recently created slot games which can offer new Norse fans an enjoyable experience.
The indie game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was praised upon its release to the PlayStation 4 in 2017. But after God of War, its subsequent ports to Xbox One and Nintendo Switch demanded even more attention due to it being accurate and nuanced in its approach to Norse mythology. In casino gaming, the 2017 release of Viking Runecraft became popular once again in the middle of 2018, with players looking to join casino sites such as LeoVegas to play it and other Norse games like Hall of Gods and Asgardian Stones.
A new wave of triple-A Norse gaming
God of War’s triumph appears to have allowed fellow triple-A developers to bet on games following its setting and publishers to push titles set in Norse mythology.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise is one such example. The long-running stealth adventure gaming series has explored many different corners of history and mythology, and it looks as though the series’ next leap is into Norse. Having already nailed ancient Greek and Egyptian games, if Assassin’s Creed does indeed go with a Nordic theme, there will be high hopes that it’ll deliver a thrilling way immerse oneself in the mythos.
Rune 2, formerly known as Rune or Rune: Ragnarok, is the long-awaited sequel to 2000’s Rune, in which you get caught up in Thor’s conflict with Loki. Now, the game has been pushed for a release date this summer and will be an Epic Games Store exclusive at launch. The exclusivity comes as part of a deal which saw Epic Games provide extra funding to developers Human Head to allow them to make the game much more expansive.
It will no doubt feature a ton of brutal Viking hack-and-slash action while you attempt to stop the god of mischief. From online casino games to indie titles, God of War brought attention to all of the great Norse games in existence. It also appears to have inspired further exploration of the theme with other big-name developers and publishers.
