Tribes of Midgard has absolutely sunk its fangs into my leg, and I’m not even trying to shake it off at this point, if anything, I’m kind of happy to have a game I’m this taken with. The mix of genres is done masterfully, and the potential here is off the charts. That’s to say nothing of the fact that it’s hard-as-nails, is going to be getting loads of updates, and is also rather pretty to look at too. If any of this sounds good to you, I implore you to dive on in, you won’t regret it.

With a large map to explore and progression that is smooth and inviting to even beginner survival gamers, Tribes of Midgard is a great fit for those who have wanted to immerse themselves in open-world exploration but have been nervous to try hardcore titles like Valheim. With a focus on the magic and fantasy of Viking mythology, this game is also a great fit for younger audiences who want to play with friends. Tribes of Midgard offers players engaging survival mechanics with unique design choices that make gameplay a rewarding experience. With a few expansions to the base building options, Tribes of Midgard would be a well-rounded and unique option for survival-style gameplay.

Tribes of Midgard struggles with an outside force it has no control over that prevents it from being near perfect; it requires friends to play with. Alone, or with strangers who don’t work together there is just too much going on at once, making the game feel like an endless assault of chores that need done right away. But if you can get a regular group, taking down the seasonal boss is totally worth the effort.

It is not often that a game attempts to fuse elements from so many genres. Usually, the result weakens the overall experience but Tribes of Midgard is that rare exception, a game in which all the disparate parts resonate and reinforce each other. The early levels can grow a bit repetitive but exploration, crafting, and combat continue to engage throughout. Tribes of Midgard should appeal to fans of action RPGs, survival games, co-op PvE and of course, the rich tapestry of Viking combat, lore, and culture.

Tribes of Midgard isn’t going to be for everyone. The solo experience features all of the intensity that comes with the time crunch, but very little of the fun, and it’s certainly not for players who might be looking for another chill Valheim-like viking experience. But for what it sets out to do, it executes it well. Tribes of Midgard successfully evokes that feeling of setting out as a united tribe in its multiplayer sessions, and the heart of the game lies in sharing the burden of fighting that ticking clock and hoping that you can all pull together in time to beat the odds.

Is Tribes of Midgard fun? Yes. Is it all it can be? Not yet, but there's hope. This is the first of several scheduled seasons. We don’t have long to wait for more content either. Season 1 has a mid-season patch scheduled for September, followed in November by Season 2. ToM has room for growth, and those upcoming seasons may hold that one piece of the puzzle that gives Tribes of Midgard the longevity it deserves.

A mashup of many genres, Tribes of Midgard manages to do many things well. It does ask a great deal from you, and it offers little in the way of instruction, but if cooperation and discovery under pressure is your jam, this is the game for you.

Tribes of Midgard has some great ideas, but the cosmetic rewards, short skill trees and difficulty in unlocking new classes makes it feel a little “early access”.

A sophisticated mix of building sim, exploration, hack & slash and tower-defense in a lovingly designed variant of Norse mythology.

While some problems can be overlooked, the half baked ideas, bugs, and overall unbalanced experience keep excitement to keep playing in check.

Its world, art-style, exploration, and hack-n-slash combat are super fun, but these feel hampered by Tribes of Midgard’s key conceit as a tough tower defence game. Increasingly long nights mean you get little and less time to explore, and this is exacerbated by growing demands on resources. Instead, Tribes of Midgard would have made a better open-world game—its procedurally-generated Norse realm is so explorable. I would gladly play Tribes of Midgard more if I wasn’t bound to the settlement as much, and I hope that’s a mode that could be explored in the future.

Tribes of Midgard is trying to do a lot and implements some new and interesting mechanics in the process; unfortunately, the balancing and day/night cycle could use a little ironing out before it’s worthy of Valhalla. Still, it deserves your time and attention now, especially if you’re a fan of swiftly getting a system down perfectly and don’t mind repeatedly dying in an effort to achieve that. Once Tribes of Midgard comes into its own — and it will — it’s safe to say it’ll be a pretty addicting experience.

Tribes of Midgard is a great concept, but half-baked mechanics and design decisions prevent it from reaching the triumphs it could.

When you're playing with your whole clan, Tribes of Midgard is an exciting, hectic, co-op rush to hold off enemies and the elements – It's just a bit too unforgiving if you want to go it alone. Slaying a mighty jotun and racing against the coming of Ragnarok makes for plenty of Norse-flavored fun, but I longed for the chance to explore and interact with its world and systems with less constant upkeep, and at my own pace.

Tribes of Midgard is a good compromise between team play, exploration and survival. A sandbox with an intriguing setting, albeit artistically uninspired, which offers a type of approach to the genre by virtue of accessibility and cooperation: in short, the shy but dignified starting point for Norsfell. A team that thus sets foot in a market that is quite inflated in itself, laying the foundations for an experience that - if duly supported, especially in terms of content - could prove to be an excellent opportunity to engage in fierce survival challenges with friends. However, it remains a not very bold title on the action front, and the same can be said for its aesthetic identity, still too weak to stand out properly.

Tribes of Midgard has a lot of interesting ideas and systems, but it seems to fall short on implementing them all in a way that provides a better gameplay experience. The game, which is clearly designed to be played in a group, plays better with a custom lobby, where all the barriers imposed by the story mode are lifted, allowing the player to actually enjoy the game. The graphics and music are pleasant and never tiring. Sometimes less is more.

Tribes of Midgard is a well-polished, accessible experience. Allowing up to 10 players to take part, the game runs well on most hardware and is easy to pick up and play. The biggest concern is how unenjoyable the game is alone.

After a few hours of playing, you quickly realize that Tribes of Midgard is trying too many genres at the same time and doesn't follow through on its ideas. This RPG-inspired survival Rogue-Lite offers some great things, but too many game systems lack depth to engage players. The excessive simplicity of the combat mixed with a loot and a minimalist crafting hard to forget the redundant and unbalanced structure of the experience. There remains a sympathetic and pleasant universe to explore. Too bad it is impossible to do it at your own pace, because it is mandatory to join the camp after dark.

Tribes of Midgard's quality is largely dependant on what the player enjoys but not in the traditional sense. It's a sort of all-or-nothing enjoyment where those that like making a task list and scratching off objectives will find something worth spending hundreds of hours in, but those that are on the other end of the spectrum will find it dull. If the player is that specific type of person, Tribes of Midgard will be well worth the investment, but if not, things may start to feel stretched a bit thin.

Tribes of Midgard has a lot of interesting concepts, from Norse Mythology inspirations to facets from other genres. Unfortunately, it's dragged down by poor pacing and rushing just to complete objectives. It's better if you have friends who also enjoy it. Unfortunately, as a solo player, you'll start wondering if there's anything else to look forward to.