Vikings Get a Tactical Makeover in New XCOM-Inspired Game

Arctic Hazard has announced Norse, a new strategy game in the vein of XCOM but set in Norway during the Viking era. Norse aims to bring a fully realized historical world to life, and to ensure an engaging narrative, the developer has brought in prize-winning writer Giles Kristian to pen the game's script.

The gaming industry has constantly replenished its portfolio with games set in a medieval fantasy scenario. Enthusiasts of medieval games set in Central Europe's nobility should look no further than games like Manor Lords and Medieval Dynasty, which also bring survival features to their gameplay loop. Some games allow players to join the Roman Empire and manage the past of well-known historical figures on massive battlefields, such as Imperator: Rome. But if there is a group of medieval warriors who are frequently represented in games, these would be the Vikings.

Norse is a new turn-based strategy game that resembles XCOM, but its backdrop is a Viking setting in old Norway. In Norse, players will follow the story of Gunnar, a young warrior with a destiny forged in blood and betrayal. Gunnar's goal is to hunt down Steinarr Far-Spear, the murderer of his father and his countrymen, while building his own settlement and gathering numerous allies to form a battalion of powerful Vikings. Unlike the survival game Valheim, which prioritizes construction, exploration, and freedom, Norse is defined as a story-driven game.

Norse is a New Viking Strategy Game Similar to XCOM

To ensure that Norse remains historically accurate and with an engaging narrative, Arctic Hazard has enlisted Giles Kristian, a prize-winning Sunday Times best-selling writer, to write the game's script. Kristian's novels have sold over a million copies, and he has written more than six novels with a Viking theme. The trailer shows that the developer is dedicated to representing Norway in the most authentic way possible to make Norse a memorable Viking game.

More details about Norse's gameplay can be found on Arctic Hazard's official website. Players will manage a village where residents will work together to produce and upgrade Viking warriors' equipment. In Norse, every unit will have customization and different classes, such as the Berserker, who goes into a frenzy to cause massive damage to opponents, or the Bogmathr, archers who prefer to keep their distance while scoring enemy kills.

Norse is being developed with Unreal Engine 5 and will be released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Interested parties can add Norse to their wishlist on Steam, but the game currently doesn't have an estimated release date.