Brutal fights in the world of Vikings. Before God of War: Ragnarok came along, we had Rune from Prey creators
Norse mythology is a great subject for a bloody action game starring a Viking. Human Head Studios (the team responsible for Prey) came out of such an assumption years ago, developing Rune.
Human Head Studios is a team that has left a lasting mark on the video game industry. Even though this studio had to wait until 2006 for their first (and also last) big success with the debut of God of War: Ragnarok.
Brutal world of Vikings
Rune took us to the world of the Vikings and let us play as the son of a jarl named Ragnar. We met the protagonist when his village was being attacked by enemy forces led by someone called Conrack. The leader of a rival clan was trying to get the runes to release Loki, hoping to win his favor and get power over Midgard in return.
Ragnar tried to confront Conrack, but in vain, and he almost paid for his raid with his life. Almost, because before his death, Odin saved him, entrusting him with the quest of restoring the old order in Midgard, before things completely get out of control. The vengeful Viking started a bloody rampage, and our goal was to help him achieve his objectives.
Bloody bath
We watched the events in Rune from the main character's back and explored dark locations while having fun, taking out hordes of enemies along the way. We were facing, among others, draugrs, dwarves, and hostile Vikings.
The combat was a key part of the game, and during it, Ragnar used melee weapons like swords, axes, and blunt weapons like maces and hammers. As we progressed, we were getting stronger weapons, and their increasing capabilities were reflected in their growing size. Although shields were present there, at some point, Ragnar's weapon became so large that he had to wield it with both hands, which forced him to give up this form of defense.
However, that wasn't the end, as nothing prevented Ragnar from killing enemies using other items. Among them, torches that could be picked up from the ground were leading the way, as well as... severed limbs, which the protagonist could use to fight. However, the above-mentioned weapon was the main focus here, as each type was linked to a special rune power, which required prior charging for activation. Apart from it, we also unlocked the Berserker mode, which allows Ragnar to deal more damage to opponents and gives him more resistance to attacks.
Although Rune wasn't a slasher, the combat system prepared by Human Head Studios could be appealing. The attacks were linked to the directions Ragnar moved in, which provided some variety, pleasing the eye with thrusts, cuts, and swings, as well as some spinning attacks. When we got bored with close combat, we could try to get rid of enemies from a distance, throwing weapons at them or whatever we had at hand at the moment.
Not just a solo adventure
The main pillar of Rune was the story campaign, where we could explore both the lands known from Norse mythology (including Helheim) and various places in Midgard. Although the devs tried to tell an interesting story, there is no denying that the plot gave way to gameplay.
Looking back, it has to be itted that the action wasn't as fast-paced as it seemed at the time of the Rune release. The locations we explored had a linear structure, and there were often moments when basically nothing was happening on the screen.
The campaign, which took 9 to 13 hours to complete (according to HowLongToBeat), wasn't the only thing Rune had to offer. The game has a competitive multiplayer mode that really extended the game's lifespan. It may not be as intense as Unreal Tournament, but it's still a lot of fun to play.
Unreal engine
I mention Unreal Tournament not by accident, because the game was based on Unreal technology, which also powered this production. At the time of its launch, Rune was praised for the quality of its graphics, especially for its animations and lighting. What remains of those delights today? Well, not much. Although the protagonist's movements still look pretty good, playing the game can be a bit annoying because most of the locations are too dark, making the graphics look dull and gloomy. Let's not forget, though, that it's been 25 years since the release of Rune. The game has had plenty of time to age.
What happened next?
Rune was released on PC in October 2000. The game has been well-received by players and reviewers, so the developers decided to capitalize on its success by creating an expansion called Halls of Valhalla, the main attraction of which was the multiplayer mode called HeadBall, a quirky take on soccer where you play with a severed human head.
That's not all - the year 2001 brought the release of Rune: Viking Warlord, which is a port for PlayStation 2. Nevertheless, this version was met with a cooler reception than the original, partly because of the inferior graphics quality and long loading times.
In 2017, Human Head Studios announced Rune: Ragnarok, which was later renamed to Rune and then to Rune II. When the full version of this title was released in November 2019, the studio behind it was shut down, and its employees were moved to Roundhouse Studios, which is owned by Bethesda. This state of affairs, for obvious reasons, didn't please (to put it mildly) the game's publisher, Ragnarok Game, which only regained the source code for this title in October 2020.
How to play Rune today?
Rune is one of those games that can be successfully found on both GOG.com and Steam. In both stores, it is titled Rune Classic and costs $9.99.
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