The development tree follows common logic, for example: we begin the game with nothing more than a hunter’s hut and fisherman’s huts and get buildings like farm or quarry later on. The barren, Scandinavian soil can support a limited amount of structures – around 30 types of buildings, divided into three categories: public utility structures, workshops, and military facilities. Well I’ll be… this land can actually grow crops! Everything begins with a healthy economy When beginning a new round after a defeat, every building and technology we’ve managed to obtain up to that moment is at our disposal. Yes, it’s true that after completing one map, we are taken to an even harder one (both in topography and the number of adversaries left by Odin to guard the portal and harass our village), but even if the challenge proves to be too much for us and we end up being defeated, we don’t have to unlock everything from the scratch. Overall, the second option proves to be more lucrative. To access more advanced buildings, we have to achieve “milestones” the creators have set for us (like a total number of structures built or animals hunted for food) or by conquering consecutive maps (which means opening the exit portal and defeating the guards or “convincing” them with a proper amount of goods).
![valhalla hills impressions valhalla hills impressions](https://www.gamepressure.com/gallery/html/article/13970529.jpg)
We begin the game with a bunch of basic structures – like woodcutter’s hut, living tents or the simplest assembly point for our warriors. Think long and hard, because the foundations alone can sometimes cost us triple the amount needed for the rest of the investment. The ground then becomes covered in hexes, whose color informs you how much of your precious resources will be spent on building that particular structure in that particular location. That’s why, when calculating the amount of resources necessary to build a structure, the game’s clever construction system takes the terrain’s stability and slope gradient into account. The somewhat peculiar terrain layouts make it impossible to create a perfect settlement – the islands intended as our Viking colonies are rocky, bumpy and sometimes border on urban planner’s nightmares. Respect your ancestorsīefore we reach our final destination, however, we’ll have to master the gameplay – based on, and closely resembling the previously mentioned Cultures and Settlers. Our task is to grow a prosperous village in the vicinity and to make sure that one day, its inhabitants can challenge and defeat the watchers that guard the gates of Walhalla, and bringing the villagers’ worldly lives to a satisfying end in the afterlife. Each map revolves around two portals – one to enter and one to leave, the second one leads to the sought-after Viking paradise. The creators have given us a number of randomly-generated maps, offering a relatively small area for our activities.
![valhalla hills impressions valhalla hills impressions](https://steamcommunity.com/economy/profilebackground/items/351910/4683598e1b6fe7487a21c942cd83768f75813fad.jpg)
What we’ve seen is game with well-constructed mechanics, focused around micromanagement. The Early Access version we’ve tested gave us a good idea on how Valhalla Hills will eventually end up like.
![valhalla hills impressions valhalla hills impressions](https://www.gamepressure.com/i/h/4/14408423.jpg)
But will it be enough to make this game a dream come true for the fans of the genre? As you would expect, their latest game keeps up the mood of its predecessor, and furthermore, the lead-designer of the cult classic Settlers II is part of the team – I believe that’s more than enough to get you interested. Valhalla Hills is a work by the German developer Funatics, perhaps known to strategy fans thanks to the very successful and equally entertaining Cultures series.
![valhalla hills impressions valhalla hills impressions](https://1319945670.rsc.cdn77.org/images2/555f0116-008a-4341-8cd9-14c2af8d2d22/ValhallaHills_SS_05.jpg)
As a result, although the young heir to the throne did become the god of builders, he has to suffer a time-out at the front door of his father’s domain and by “him” I obviously mean “us”, as it will be our task to send the brave Vikings to their well deserved heaven, now that they suffer because of this family quarrel. The reason, why the gates of the Viking heaven were closed, happens to be a conflict between the mighty Odin and his youngest son - Leko, who failed to meet his father’s expectations and flopped his exam in Norse godhood.