Cloudheim is a new third-person co-op action RPG available on PC in Early Access. Noodle Cat Games, a studio founded in 2022 with a industry veterans at the helm, is both developing and self-publishing the title. You can pick it up now only on PC via Steam or Epic Games. Console versions for Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X|S plan to come out with full release.
Explore Everywhere, Destroy Everything in Cloudheim
I don’t recall if it was originally a Vine or a TikTok – but one of my favorite short-form bits was of someone acting out Link going into a shop full of vases. Link destroys them all to the horror of the shop owner to collect rupees. He then leaves and returns to rinse and repeat. One of the top things I enjoy about Cloudheim is this simple mechanic. But there’s more to the game than a plethora of destructible objects, so let me tell you about it in the this early access preview below.
Gameplay
Cloudheim comes into the scene as a third-person action RPG with elements of crafting, base management and co-op gameplay. Play with up to three other friends as a Runari, one of the chosen brought to Odin’s Shell after Ragnarök. Travel the Bifrost to visit other islands of Cloudheim and earn reputation, unlock secrets and find valuable treasures. Gather items and resources from everywhere and everything to take back to your base and share with your crew.
Combo and physics-based combat shines in Cloudheim. Players are able to select a hero of their choice, which is primarily just cosmetic as your “class” depends on the type of weapon you choose to wield. There are four base classes: Runeblade, Sentinel, Breaker, and Ranger. These have their own distinct playstyle geared around a variety of weapons. It’s completely up to you to choose which ones to use, but I personally enjoy the heavy hitters, mostly great axes, in the Breaker class. The best part is you can equip two different weapons from different classes at the same time, giving you even more flexibility with stringing combos together. Along the same lines of combos is the mechanic of mana burn which allows you to use skills when they are on cooldown. You just have to be careful not to overload which will significantly slow your character for a short time.
Choosing where you play, who you play with, and exactly how you play is also up to you. Cloudheim features a co-op system that allows you to host or join a game save with up to three other people. Privacy is up to you as well as a plethora of other game options. These include settings for everything from difficulty and progression to resource speed. The best part of these too is that you can change them on the fly, allowing you to be fully in control at all times.
Some Highlights
The islands of Cloudheim are fairly large and they are completely free to explore. Each destination also has a number of hidden treasure chests, dungeons, and puzzles to investigate. This includes the home island of Odin’s Shell where you can build and decorate a guild house along in addition to adding upgrades to up your gameplay. I spend way more time than I need to just running around here gathering materials while trying to find the last few elusive treasure chests. The overview map gives you a counter of how many you’ve found of the total and on the other islands, it is broken down even further by different named areas. Resources and other breakables respawn after changing zones too, so coming and going from the islands can be very productive if you’re a smash everything type like myself.
There are different categories to earn experience in Cloudheim. The main one is your hero level, which is like an overall category of experience that comes from everything you do in the game. This includes just playing around at your base and selling things out of your shop, not just solely combat. Combat experience earned is channeled into the different classes, based on which weapon you used to put down your foe. Then you have the trust category that is experience put toward the hero appearance you are using which again is just cosmetic. The combination of experience and being able to fluidly switch between classes on a whim without feeling suddenly underpowered is a huge draw for me to this game. I love being able to try out different combos and weapons without being severely punished for doing so.
Graphics & Audio
Cloudheim is currently only available on PC. If you’re an average gamer like me, then you probably also immediately saw that the game has a very Zelda of recent years aesthetic. This art style fits very well with the gameplay and it looks great too. Overall things already are shining with polish and I only found a texture here or there that were oddly rendering. There are actually a number of graphics settings that I didn’t really look into playing with. One of them I did notice that I should have sooner was the 3D Resolution, which I apparently had set to 33%! Tuning that a bit higher makes everything much more crips and defined, but has a noticeable draw on performance. 2k resolution with a 50% render seems to be a sweet spot for now. The lower render also preserves that Zelda look.
The music in the game is as beautiful to hear as Cloudheim is to look at. For the most part it is soft and lofty, just like the islands themselves. The tone does change accordingly with your situation but isn’t a 180 shift or anything too sudden. Game sound effects are of the kind one would expect from a fantasy ARPG in this style. They also include helpful audio clues, such as when near a hidden treasure chest you can easily locate it usually by the sound alone.
Longevity
Cloudheim is currently in early access with an already sizeable amount of content. There are presently four islands to explore in addition to the home of Odin’s Shell. Future updates include the addition of two more along with new weapons, abilities, and systems enhancements. The latest update is the Frostfall Winter Event which includes some fun decorations, presents to unwrap, and an ice castle dungeon to explore. The longevity of the game may not be 100% clear but I would think it will be significant. I mean honestly I’ve spent at least four or so hours just running around my home island and have barely found anything yet on the first other two you explore!
Final Thoughts
For an early access game, Cloudheim is really showing off a very playable one. There were only a few minor issues and some yet-t0-be-implemented menu screens, but a far cry from the troubles that come with some that decide to go early access too soon. The game looks, sounds, and plays amazingly well. It is definitely one that if you’re into this style of game, it would be worthwhile to go ahead and pick up now if you want to provide input. I know it’s another of my recent game reviews that I will personally be playing for some time to come.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoy this review, be sure to check out my other reviews here.
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