REVIEW : Rune 2 (PC)
Rune II is a slog of a hack’n’slash-RPG with repeated combat and mechanics, dated graphics, and an overall lack of polish. No Valhalla for this one.
Games and gods of Norse mythology have a commonality: both are usually resurrected. While Loki may die to a swing from Mjolnir, he can be born again a teenager, for someone with so much power never truly perishes. And though a game (or in this case, franchise) may seem to be long gone, gestated and left to uncertainty, it can always be brought back. Rune II shows that some games – and their gods – are better left dead.
A long-awaited sequel to the 2000 PC game, Rune, the RPG-lite hack’n’ slash is set in the engaging and rich ambience of Norse mythology. As the new God of War, its setting is the Ragnarok, an apocalyptic event in the world of Midgar. Rune II is packed with the same undead Draugr that populate the world of the PS4 award-winner, its world also traversed by boat and captured with an axe. It’s hard not to compare the two games, and because of that, Rune II suffers.
Rune II is a play that doesn’t appear comfortable in any genre. One player may concentrate on its action, noting that the simplistic one key to attack, one to block is rudimentary and unsatisfying. A strength gauge limits spamming either but players will still quickly find that each fight plays out more or less the same. Even with the addition of a powerful attack and a later Rune power, there’s little variation to battle. Hordes of criminals will move towards the player, and they have to kite around them, separating or flanking, until only they remain; it’s satisfying, but only momentarily.
Players more interested in Rune II’s RPG components, will also be thwarted by the lacklustre amount of polish. The player character levels up by destroying enemies, completing missions, and learning the lore of the world from glowing glyphs around the map. But levelling up only does so much, granting players with enhanced stats to energy, stamina, etc. Extra powers and skills are few and far between, most only either single-use or with heavy cooldowns. What is present in the play are some of the more tiresome aspects of the genre, like the need for crafting and degrading weaponry and armour. The player will find themselves continually in need of a campfire to cook boar or deer meat, and must make careful use of Longhouses, cabins that can be built in set locations by cutting down trees.
Weapons get weak quickly, even ones that seem powerful, so the game grinds to a halt like a smither’s tools. Most of one’s playthrough of either the single-player or co-op campaign will be spent hunting, searching for weapons strong enough to take on the final battle and resources aplenty to guarantee survival.
The villain, of course, is Loki, the god of mischief, who plans to throw Midgar into darkness by unleashing Ragnarok. You are the only one who can stand in his way, a Norseman who is given the power of the god of your choosing: Thor, Odin, or Hel. Each one offers their strengths and ability and provides their commentary as you traverse through the world, hunting for artefacts that will unlock a portal to battle Loki. This action, like the core combat mechanic, is monotonous and, for the most part, dull.
Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok showed a side of the battle brimming with life and colour. Though more mysterious and more “grounded” the PS4 God of War’s end times had lots of delightful characters and side missions. Rune II’s version of the Norse apocalypse is like a storybook come to life with three swings of a slug thrown in for good measure. The lore is only told through preachy moments, the voice-acting bland and uninspired. The channels and islands of Midgar are pale and dull and its occupants unintelligent.
What Rune II offers that sets it apart is its co-op and PVP additions?
Players that are dying to enter the universe of Norse mythology with a friend may overlook the game’s bland visual style and monotonous combat. With friends or randoms, players can enter a room for 2-4 others and battle Loki as a team. They’ll do more or less the same activities, roaming around, gathering artefacts, battling grunts and mini-bosses. The addition of a companion or pair of friends adds very little, but it may be enough to attract some fans. As for the Deathmatch, your time is better spent in fully-polished AAA games like For Honor.
PREVIEW : Neko Ghost, Jump! (PC)
