In one level, foamy ocean waves crashed against a cobblestone walkway beneath a rickety wooden dock, adding a pleasing level of visual depth. There’s no denying that a lot of care went into its highly intricate level designs and more animated characters, which now pop with color, detail, and motion. At this point, the most glaring difference is Nidhogg 2’s garish new art style. (Which, by the way, is still fun.) As a fan of the first Nidhogg, I look forward to learning more about if and how these new weapons can build out the formula in the long-term, but I didn’t detect a whole lot of change during my demo. During the handful of rounds I played, I never found myself getting excited to spawn with a certain type, and was content to just duel away with what was given to me - even if that meant I had to make do with just well-timed dive-kicks after chucking a sword at my opponent’s head. You still do battle using the three-stance approach perfected in the first game, but most of the weapons - despite their different animations and speeds - sort of feel the same. In terms of weapons, Nidhogg 2 now spawns you back after each death with different types: sometimes the reliable swiftness of a rapier, sometimes a heaving broad sword, throwing knives, and even a bow. Play It’s hard to say what any of this brings to the table early on.

Nidhogg black screen