Frozenheim – Review
There are a lot of games in the RTS genre that are overly complicated. The core elements of RTS are often presented in a simplified form, but every now and then we get a title that does the same. Frozenheim, for example, is a game that falls into this category.
If Frozenheim claims to be an RTS, it’s clear that it has a problem with its identity. This strategy video game is an attempt to appeal to a wider audience, but it ultimately fails to stand out from the plethora of similarly uninspiring games on Steam.
Playing Frozenheim is like playing the Norse Age of Empires. In my opinion, there are advantages and disadvantages to the Norse theme. However, on the other hand, this is one of the most beautiful Viking games I’ve seen in a long time. Frozenheim has some fantasy elements, but it tries to strike a good balance between realism and mythology. In a recent article, I discuss this topic in greater detail.
There’s a limit to what you can do with Vikings, and you’ve probably already seen it before. Once you’ve completed a campaign or a multiplayer match, there’s little reason to start a new campaign or match. The first hour or so of the game is enjoyable, but after that, it becomes tedious.
Frozenheim’s core gameplay revolves around building a base, gathering resources, engaging in combat, and exploring. That said, the city-building aspect is so minor that I would hesitate to label it as such. Although it’s possible (most often in custom games) to build a massive village, there’s no compelling reason to do so. In most cases, it’s best to keep your settlement small so that it can be easily guarded.
Frozenheim’s base construction is first-rate. The Jarl’s Homestead serves as the starting point, from which you can expand. Frozenheim doesn’t have workers that can be directly controlled, unlike many other RTS games. Because of this, players who enjoy using cheesy tactics like worker rushes will be let down. It’s more efficient to start construction by laying the foundation for the structure you’re building, and then have a worker move to that spot to begin work.
Frozenheim’s most valuable resource is its villagers. If you don’t assign villagers to work in a building, it does nothing. Villagers are also needed to operate siege engines and can be converted into a variety of different types of combat units. They can also be used as peasant militias in a pinch. You’ll need to keep the villagers happy if you want things to run smoothly, so keep that in mind.
Similar to grand strategy games, Frozenheim has a dissatisfaction mechanic. There are many ways to make your people happier, including building houses next to each other, placing wells next to the houses, and holding feasts. There is a direct correlation between the level of dissatisfaction felt by the populace and the amount of food they have access to or the proper burial of their fallen comrades.
The mechanic for dissatisfaction is a welcome addition, but you’re unlikely to notice it much. Multiple cities, each with a different level of happiness to be managed, benefit the most from these kinds of mechanics. Because there is only one settlement to deal with, it is relatively easy to keep the level of discontent low. When the peasants begin to riot, you can quickly lower the barrier.
The game’s progression is very linear. Multiple chapters, each with a handful of missions, make up the campaign. It’s typical for an RTS to begin with a lengthy introduction to the game’s various mechanics, and this chapter is no exception. It’s just a little too slow. When it comes to finishing a mission, you’ll spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour doing menial tasks. About three to four hours are needed to finish the first chapter.
After completing the campaign’s first chapter, there’s little incentive to continue. This game attempts to keep you moving forward by providing an overarching narrative that ties everything together and tries to motivate you to complete the next set of missions. In Frozenheim, the storytelling is so bad that it’s almost incomprehensible.
One of the weirdest aspects of the narration is that it constantly tries to make the player feel rushed. Because the game’s pace is meant to be leisurely, the two elements don’t mesh well. In addition, the narrator frequently refers to characters by their real names, even though they don’t appear in the game. Why bother with a character-driven story when there are no characters in the game? Everything is extremely bizarre.
Don’t expect anything mind-blowing from the combat in this game. The Steam page for Frozenheim promises “brutal real-time combat that will put your tactical skills to the test. That’s not the case at all. Combat is incredibly simple, involving little more than clicking on an enemy and selecting a few units to use. Despite the fact that most units have unique abilities, only a small percentage of them can be targeted, meaning you can often win a battle without resorting to them.
Units act as hard counters for other units, as I suspect the developers intended, but the system doesn’t work well. When it comes to archers, there’s little point in training other types of units because they’re so overpowered. Many interesting units await your training, but the most reliable method of defeating any opponent is to simply create a large number of archers.
Because there are no factions in Frozenheim, you’ll be fighting a lot of the same units that you’ll be using yourself. While exploring, you’ll face off against bandits and rival clans as well as wild animals, but that’s about it. When it comes to combat, taming animals to help you out is the most intriguing aspect. It is possible to include hero units and siege engines in your warband, but they don’t really aid in combat.
Frozenheim lacks an attack-move, which is relevant since we’re discussing combat. To attack, you must manually click on an opponent, which can be more difficult than it sounds in a game where everyone has a small hitbox. It helps that the game has a lot of pathfinding issues, and the AI isn’t particularly intelligent. Remember: Frozenheim is not going to “test your tactical skills.”
Just a few words about the game’s atmosphere before I wrap up this Frozenheim review. Even though it has a few songs, Frozenheim is a relaxing game with a beautiful soundtrack that doesn’t get monotonous. Even for an RTS, the visuals aren’t too shabby. When the lighting is just right, the art style of Frozenheim really sells the Norse fantasy feel of the place.
Frozenheim’s current lack of variety is a bad sign for a game that has just emerged from Early Access. It appears that Paranoid Interactive had bigger plans for this but either lacked the resources or the time to realise them. However, I believe that the most pressing issue here is the lack of marketing. According to the description, Frozenheim promises a lot, but it falls short of those expectations.
Despite the fact that Frozenheim didn’t live up to my expectations, I still had a good time playing it. So at the end of the day, it’s only $17 and it’s developed by a small team. That seems like a reasonable price for what you get. Custom games can be played with up to seven other players on randomly generated maps, and the campaign can last a long time as well. For the price you pay, that’s an excellent deal.
Playing Frozenheim in small doses is a good idea. While there are parts of the game that could use improvement, it isn’t to the point where it becomes tedious. After a long day at the office, this RTS is a great way to unwind with a few hours of gaming. If you want to avoid my mistakes, don’t set your expectations too high when you get started.
