If you took Torchlight, mixed in a heaping helping of Norse mythology, and topped it off with the looming apocalypse countdown from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, you’d have something that looks a fair bit like Tribes of Midgard. You won’t have much time to explore the vibrant world of this fast-paced action RPG because you are racing against time. It can be rewarding when you team up with friends to solve its problems.

Tribes of Midgard has two modes. Both revolve around protecting the World Tree’s seed at the centre of an upgradeable settlement. The Endless mode allows you to see how long you can survive against endlessly increasing waves. However, it is the least interesting of the two. The story-based Saga mode is what I will be referring to. In this mode you have approximately two hours to complete the objectives and defeat the final boss before the endless winter takes over the map and makes it uninhabitable. Sponsor: Venge io

You’ll be exploring a variety of dangerous and diverse areas each day. Each day you’ll complete simple quests and level up. You can easily follow the quests: Kill something, bring me items, clear out a mini-dungeon. While the combat is satisfying, Midgard quickly becomes a time management game. You need to get as much done as possible by the light of the day, as every night you will have to warp back home to your settlement in order to defend it against the minions of the Hel. This was due to how complex, detailed, and fascinating the world is. I found it often hindered my ability explore and enjoy it.

Tribes of Midgard can be a hectic, chaotic, co-operative rush to keep enemies away and the elements at bay. It is best to play with your entire clan. While it’s fun to race against Ragnarok and slay mighty jotuns, I long for the opportunity to explore the world and its systems at my own pace and with less upkeep.