The multiplayer stages and quick battles that constitute each match consistently delivers a short burst of adrenaline rushed fights. Nidhogg 2 provides the same smart simple style of dueling found in the original game providing both intense and hectic battles.
The longevity of the title solely depends on how much fun you're having with the dueling system but after 2 hours you've experienced all Nidhogg 2 has to offer. The single-player serves mostly as a tutorial to learn the basics and multiplayer doesn't offer any progression system. What the game lacks are reasons to continue playing. A tournament mode with up to 8 players can join in and 10 different game variables are available. Nidhogg 2 provides a lot of options from public to private choices. It won't please everyone, especially fans of the original minimalist pixelated style, but the brutal deaths are still both unsettling yet exciting to watch. Characters can be customized to fit an array of options without changing the overall gameplay at all. Each of the 12 stages, 2 exclusive to the Xbox One, are wonderfully animated and are consistent with the overall theme of the game's style. Graphically Nidhogg 2 looks like an old Max Fleischer cartoon with similar nightmarish animations but if they were in color. Do you chase the enemy player or head off screen to respawn? Should you toss your weapon and hope you land a killing blow or keep it? This moment to moment action creates a constant level of excitement as both players try to defeat the other. Since the player respawns indefinitely after each death this creates a simple yet complicated layer of strategy. This level of violence is heightened with a cartoonish flare as colorful pools of blood drip from the body of the avatar before bursting into bones and pieces of flesh. If your unarmed players can knock the enemy player down but must finish them before they get up with a curb stomp. The 3 weapons include a sword, bow, or dagger bows can shoot but lack close range combat, swords are longer and can deflect arrows, and daggers are quick. Players respawn with a random weapon after dying.
It sounds simple but the number of variables in each round keeps the action from getting stale. The victory is then charged with attempting to reach the end of the stage if killed by the respawning player they have their chance to retake ground and escape towards their side of the stage. 2 players start off with a duel to the death, where 1 hit means death. Nidhogg 2 is all about a tug-of-war style of combat. Nidhogg 2 takes the established formula set by its predecessor and builds on it without sacrificing anything positive from the first game. The gameplay doesn't change much from the initial hour but the constant variety of intense encounters during familiar settings keeps the action fresh and the gameplay fun. Looking for a weakness in your opponent's defenses before attempting to either kill, evade, or flee in order to reach your goal. Nidhogg 2 is about capitalizing on slim opportunities.