Caley Charchuk, Senior Designer for Slick Entertainment has announced via PlayStation’s blog that Viking Squad is finally going to be released. Viking Squad is going to be released October 4th and will be available for the PlayStation 4 and PC. This announcement comes over 2 years after the original announcement of the game, when the game slated for 2015 release. The launch trailer for Viking Squad can be seen below. Viking Squad’s official website can be seen here.
Viking Squad revolves around a group of rag tag Viking warriors, the titular Viking Squad. The cast of characters must stop the mischievous Loki and reopen the gates to Asgard in this side scrolling beat-em-up. Players choose from a cast of 4 different Vikings, each one specializing in a different weapon and playstyle. Players can play defensive with the shield, play a long range game with the archer, take enemies head on with the dual axed berserker, or smash enemies with the hammer maiden. Each character also has their own special moves and the characters in combination have a variety of combos and assists. Throughout the game the cast of characters: pillage loot to get new equipment, level up, and unlock new moves.
One of the questions that seems to have come up a lot for the creators of Viking Squad is the reasoning behind them limiting the player on screen count to only 3. According to their blog post, “it cut down on the amount of cheap deaths by streamlining the chaos on screen…it also reduced the amount of network traffic our game requires, allowing for a smoother online experience… it let us test a lot more thoroughly; since we are a team of three, we could all hop in and test the game throughout its entire development.” They were also sure to emphasize that despite this; the game can still have its chaotic moments. The design team for Viking Squad is definitely regarding this game as a passion project. The team grew up playing arcade beat-em-ups and wanted to create this as their homage to the genre. They have combined their love for the genre with their design philosophy to create something they seem to be truly proud of.
The following is the Key Features of Viking Squad via their Steam page:
- Local and online co-op.
- Find new weapons and gear to level up each character.
- Each playable character has their own signature weapon changing the way they approach combat.
- Lane based brawling with precise and intense combat system.
- The Gods guide your voyage: By worshiping each god new opportunities and perils are unveiled.
- Striking hand-drawn 2D art style, courtesy of Jesse ‘The Drawbarian’ Turner.
- Sound by Power Up Audio, Music by A Shell In The Pit.