A fun isometric action/adventure hybrid from The 8th Day and Core Design, starring Heimdall the Norse hero. Your goal is to lead Heimdall and his band of warriors on comical adventures through Scandinavia as they attempt to recover the weapons of the Gods before mischievous god Loki can bring about the end of the world. The game is presented in bright, cartoony style with a lot of amusing antics and cutscenes. In addition to traditional puzzle-solving, the highlight of Heimdall are three fun arcade-style mini-games scattered throughout the game that are pretty imaginative. The first game, for example, takes place in a bar after our hero has gotten himself inebriated. In a variation to knife throwing, your job is to cut off the barmaids’ pigtails by throwing axes (apparently Heimdall is very drunk indeed). The second and third games are equally imaginative, and discovering them in the game is a pleasant surprise (one hint: they involve other Vikings, pigs, and gold – draw your own conclusions ;)). The cartoony style of Heimdall and simplistic-yet-fun gameplay makes the game ideal for adventure game beginners, or anyone looking for a “light” game with a decent plot that won’t take long to finish. The game’s relative brevity is a bit disappointing, although the designers more than make up for that with the substantially longer Heimdall II. Well worth a look. Reviewed by: Underdogs |