CO-OP REVIEW: ‘Frozenheim’

Frozenheim is a real-time strategy city-building game that takes place in the Viking era. It is developed by the folks at Paranoid Interactive and published by Hyperstrange and is available now on Steam. We took a more general look at the full game in our review here but wanted to take a look at the co-op options the game offers in a little more detail. Frozenheim is an enjoyable game that players of all experience levels can hop right into, which helps broaden the co-op appeal to a wider audience. After playing a significant amount of co-op, here are our thoughts on the game modes available and what Frozenheim has to offer for fans of co-op real-time strategy games.

What is your favorite of the three game modes?

Kyle: For me, it has to be Skirmish. I think it’s the most fleshed-out game mode that provides the most amount of variety. The fact that you can win either by military victory or by bringing about Ragnarok by discovering in-game locations helps change up the style of play. Being able to team up with others is nice too because one can focus purely on fighting the enemy players while the other focuses on exploration.

Matt: The best of the three game modes for me would have to be Skirmish. Skirmish works well as the game is deep enough to encompass it along with the games are fast enough that you don’t see the limitations. The other two game modes (Survival and City Builder) both feel like they are lacking things to complete the modes. I am really intrigued to see if any changes to City Builder mode over time as it seems fun, but with limited buildings and zero conflict it becomes boring rather quickly.

What are some things Frozenheim could improve on in terms of Co-Op Play?

Kyle: Similar to my issues with the game as a whole, Frozenheim could really benefit from more variety on so many different levels. There are only four research trees to choose from, which limits gameplay style, there are also limited unit types and the two real ways of achieving victory can get a little stale after a few games. What is there is really enjoyable, we had a ton of fun playing co-op, it just felt like there could have been more added to increase the amount of time we spent playing or the ways that we chose to approach the games.

Matt: Frozenheim is still in its infancy and there is a very fun game base to build on to. However, saying that the game is just very limiting in terms of builds but also the depth of playing. There aren’t that many units and outside the four clans, everyone is the same. Playing with friends is quite enjoyable especially if enjoy RTS games, but after a few games, it felt like you just all just did the same thing every game for the most part. I think if the clans were selected at the beginning maybe and had more uniqueness to them could really help the game, but since they are unlocked during the game (build an Elder Hall) it leads to a lot of monotony among yourself, your teammates, and enemies.

Would you recommend Frozenheim as a Co-Op game for people?

Kyle: Yes, but with the caveat that I’d probably only recommend getting it when it’s on sale. It is definitely an enjoyable game for RTS fans as well as fans of Vikings and the whole Norse era, but purely as a co-op RTS there are better games out there. Still, if you can get a good deal it’s the type of game you’ll be able to sink a good amount of time with friends in. It is also a great introductory game for people who aren’t as versed in RTS games, so it could really appeal to someone who wants to play an RTS with friends but doesn’t want all of the complexity and stress often affiliated with the genre.

Matt: If you like Norse mythology and Vikings along with RTS then I would definitely recommend this game to someone. Co-Op is a lot of fun and more enjoyable honestly than the Campaign. The Campaign is interesting and enjoyable, like most RTS in my opinion it’s all about playing with other people. There are three game modes to choose from and the traditional standard game mode Skirmish is relatively quick depending on how many players you are playing with it. The building mechanics aren’t super over the top and you can figure out what needs to be done rather quickly. The other game modes can be limited along with some of the playstyles, but it is a fun game to hop in with some friends and play. I am excited to see what this game has to offer in the future as more is sure to come for Frozenheim.

Frozenheim is a great-looking game with a really solid foundation but is going to need some new additions to have a long shelf life. Co-op in Frozenheim is certainly the highlight of the game, but we would like to see more in terms of things like game modes, victory condition options, and unit types to make the game truly special. Still, fans of co-op games are sure to find some enjoyment in the world of Frozenheim, and it’s definitely worth picking up on a Steam sale!

Frozenheim is available now on Steam.