This year is shaping up to be Viking vs. Viking. With Valheim taking an early lead, we’re now heading into the world of Tribes of Midgard for more Viking action. On the face of it, there may be some similarities between the two games – not least in their themes – but there’s a lot more going on in Tribes of Midgard that differentiates it from Valheim.
So to put this argument to rest, we’re here to dive into the two and see how they stack up when we put Tribes of Midgard vs. Valheim.
Survival with a Twist
Both Tribes of Midgard and Valheim are at their heart survival games. By now we’re all familiar with how survival games work, you start with nothing and work to gather resources, stay alive, and hopefully build a little home for you and your friends.
In Valheim that works pretty much exactly like that, but in Tribes of Midgard developers Norsfell have taken survival and tried to change it up. Instead of worrying about hunger, sleep, and other stat bars that in other survival games inexorably take you closer to death, in Tribes of Midgard you only have to worry about one stat; the health of the Seed of Yggdrasil at the heart of your village.You are tasked with defending it and whilst you will still gather resources, it’s the Seed’s health that is the only thing that will cause you to fully die.
Viking Action
The main difference in how the games handle combat is largely down to the location of the camera. In Valheim you’ll be mostly behind your character as you parry, dodge, and take down foes with friends. It’s deeply involved that sees battles quickly turn into desperate fights for survival. Preparation is key and you have to be aware at all times of what you’re carrying and how far away from shelter you are.
When it comes to combat in Tribes of Midgard, it’s a much more action-heavy affair that is similar to action RPGs such as Diablo, Path of Exile, or Grim Dawn. You’ll be smashing enemies with much more wild abandon, looting their corpses, and uncovering hidden treasures as you adventure out of your village to bring back riches. Items and abilities will keep you alive far out from your village, helping customise your character and boost your survivability.
The depth in Tribes of Midgard’s combat comes partially from the night. At night your village will be under attack from the forces of darkness that are intent on destroying the Seed of Yggdrasil. You’ll have to employ keen strategies to keep your village and your Seed alive, as well as face off against giant foes such as the colossal Jötnar.
Tribes of Midgard vs. Valheim – The Verdict
Despite sharing a similar theme, that of survival in a Viking-inspired universe, Tribes of Midgard is a vastly different game to Valheim. Whereas Valheim is a semi-realistic look at survival in its world of magic and beasts, Tribes of Midgard looks to make things a little more accessible by mashing together survival, action-RPG, and RTS genres into something altogether new.
Tribes of Midgard has just launched on PC. Already playing it? Head over to our community forum and let us know your early impressions on it.
