Heimdall

Heimdall is an action role-playing game developed by The 8th Day, published by Core Design, and released in 1991 for the Amiga and for the Atari ST and DOS in 1992, with a console version created for the Sega Mega-CD in early 1994. The game features a mixture of puzzle-solving, exploration, and dynamic combat mechanics, in which players must explore various islands in the search for the fabled weapons belonging to the gods of Norse mythology. The game received favourable reviews upon its release, though the console version was given mixed feedback by reviewers. A sequel to the game, entitled Heimdall 2, was developed by the same group and released three years later in 1994. Gameplay Players begin a new game by controlling the lead character Heimdall through a series of arcade-style trials - axe-tossing (cutting a maid's braids); boar hunting; and fighting on a ship - which influence the character's stats and the crew members they can choose to use during a playthrough. After completing the trials, the player then choose five characters to form a crew with alongside the main character. While Heimdall falls under the class of "Chieftain", the others fall under Viking-styled classes - Warrior, Wizard, Shipwright, Navigator, Druid, Blacksmith and Berserker - who each differ in stats and skills. Each class has their own strength - while warriors make good melee fighters, wizards can cast spells more efficiently and identify scrolls and items more proficiently, whilst navigators can alert the player if their travel to another island might damage the party. The most critical stat of characters is energy - while this can be replenished by eating food, any character who loses all their energy is dead and must be revived by magic. The game features three modes - Navigation Map, Island Exploration, and Combat. Island Exploration is conducted via an isometric perspective, in which the player explores an island through different rooms. Players can take only Heimdall and two crew members with them onto the island, and can only leave the island by the entry point they came in by. Most islands have a range of traps - pits, spikes and arrows - that can damage the player, along with various monsters based on Norse mythology. In addition, players can acquire weapons, scrolls, gold, food and various other items from either combat, treasure chests or just lying around.