Helheim Hassle is a narrative adventure game with puzzle platforming elements. Play as Bjørn, a pacifist Viking who can detach and combine limbs at will to solve challenging puzzles and get out of uncomfortable situations involving desperate Norse Gods, Goblins, Dragons, and angry skeletons...

Helheim Hassle is big on gags. The cut sequences are so well presented that at first I was convinced it was based on an Adult Swim show I'd somehow missed. The voice acting is spot on and the animation is deliberately basic.

The story revolves around Bjørn, a Viking who is not like the rest of his clan. When danger heads their way, the rest of Bjørn's village run towards the danger. They know it's a futile battle, but they all want to die heroically so that they can enter the gates of Valhalla and dine with the gods. Bjørn, however does not want to go to Valhalla, and so runs in the opposite way to his Viking brothers and sisters - away from the danger.

Ironically, fleeing away from certain death leads to Bjørn running towards his own demise, when he accidentally falls to his death... a cowardly and stupid death and a sure way to ensure he enters Helheim.

Unfortunately, for Bjørn, just before his untimely end he lands on a bear. So now the gods see him as a brave Viking who slaughtered a vicious wild beast with his own bare hands. Carted off to Valhalla, Bjørn is not happy. So when he is resurrected to assist with a task for the mysterious Pesto, he sees a way to negotiate his way out. He makes a deal with Pesto that if he helps him retrieve a certain magical item, Pesto will try to grant Bjørn a permanent residence in Helheim.⠀

As you start the game Bjørn has to navigate various simple puzzles. His corpse has been resurrected, with the ability to remove various body parts. You start with being able to remove just your head. This can then roll under low areas that your body can't crawl under. Eventually you'll also be able to remove each arm and leg. Sometimes you have to combine both arms with your head to reach difficult areas, other times an arm and a leg... If it all sounds a little complicated... well it is for a short while, until you fathom out which body parts will do what task.

It's a fairly simple puzzle solving platformer which throws up ever increasingly complexed challenges... But it's pitched at just the right level that you won't rage quit at an impassible area.

The polished presentation, wacky humour and sheer fun of combining body parts to leap around the environment makes it a game that you'll want to keep coming back to time and time again.⠀⠀⠀

7

Nick Smithson