Brutal roguelike Jotunnslayer reaches new levels of hellishness with 1.0 update

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel, which casts you as a vengeful, monster-slaying Viking, has slaughtered its way out of Steam Early Access. A Norse-themed mash-up of Diablo and Vampire Survivors, its co-developers have added a host of new content, hitting version 1.0. But, despite this grand achievement, they're not done yet. They've also outlined future plans for this frantic slay 'em up, so there's plenty more blood-spilling to look forward to.

This gorgeous, gory roguelike game's premise is that you're battling your way to power, taking on everything the Norse gods can fling at you. And, with Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel's 1.0 release, you can finally achieve ultimate victory.

At least you can if you can bring down Nidhogg, the game's new boss, a giant dragon found in the land of Helheim. You don't have to be a Norse scholar to know that means you'll be walking into hell. The update also adds in a new class, Kinslayer, so you'll have a little more choice when it comes to facing this menace.

Don't think it'll be a cakewalk, though, whichever class you're playing as. While Jotunnslayer has the aesthetics of Diablo, its hordes have more in common with Vampire Survivors' relentless foes. But, challenging as it may be, its slay-em-up action has been embraced by fans, with the game's reviews sitting at Very Positive on Steam.

Aside from the additional of a new map, a new class and a new boss, co-developers Games Farm, ARTillery have also created a handy archive, letting you look up the enemies you're dispatching. On top of that, there are a host of balance changes, so much so that long-time players may be in for a surprise.

As for the future? Jotunnslayer's devs have shared their roadmap for the game, which includes another new realm, hero, and boss. The realm in question is Alfheim which, according to Norse mythology, is an elven homeland. Aww. They're bound to greet you with a cup of tea and a hug, right? 

Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is out now on Steam, priced at $11.99 / £10.39 including a launch discount. For more fast-paced shenanigans we've rounded up the best hack and slash games and the best action games.

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