<s>
Viking	B-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
for	I-Application
Asgard	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Creative	O
Assembly	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
Norse	O
mythology	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
war	O
between	O
the	O
gods	O
has	O
sparked	O
further	O
conflict	O
in	O
the	O
mortal	O
realm	O
of	O
Midgard	B-Language
,	O
where	O
Freya	O
's	O
champion	O
Skarin	O
must	O
lead	O
Viking	B-Application
forces	O
against	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
Goddess	O
Hel	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
three	O
islands	O
in	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Midgard	B-Language
,	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
explore	O
freely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
search	O
and	O
find	O
his	O
fellow	O
Viking	B-Application
soldiers	O
and	O
rescue	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
return	O
they	O
can	O
assist	O
him	O
in	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
Creative	O
Assembly	O
's	O
last	O
game	O
of	O
this	O
style	O
(	O
Spartan	B-Application
:	I-Application
Total	I-Application
Warrior	I-Application
)	O
there	O
have	O
been	O
several	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
may	O
use	O
different	O
ways	O
of	O
weakening	O
his	O
enemy	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
killing	O
their	O
shaman	B-Protocol
,	O
who	O
summons	O
enemy	O
troops	O
,	O
or	O
getting	O
into	O
the	O
main	O
fight	O
and	O
use	O
combat	O
moves	O
and	O
combos	O
to	O
kill	O
enemy	O
soldiers	O
and	O
champions	O
,	O
who	O
drop	O
dragon	O
runes	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
runes	B-Application
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
call	O
upon	O
dragons	O
to	O
attack	O
enemies	O
from	O
the	O
air	O
,	O
destroying	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
combat	O
system	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
features	O
a	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
style	O
,	O
much	O
like	O
the	O
previous	O
Creative	O
Assembly	O
action	O
game	O
,	O
Spartan	B-Application
:	I-Application
Total	I-Application
Warrior	I-Application
,	O
although	O
it	O
is	O
considerably	O
more	O
violent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
can	O
range	O
from	O
sneaking	O
into	O
a	O
lumber	O
mill	O
and	O
freeing	O
the	O
Vikings	B-Application
held	O
there	O
(	O
who	O
will	O
help	O
destroy	O
the	O
Legion	O
garrison	O
)	O
to	O
launching	O
an	O
all-out	O
one-man	O
assault	O
against	O
a	O
quarry	O
or	O
tower	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
battle	O
has	O
escalated	O
,	O
spilling	O
over	O
to	O
the	O
mortal	O
world	O
of	O
Midgard	B-Language
and	O
now	O
a	O
Champion	O
must	O
be	O
found	O
,	O
a	O
warrior	B-Protocol
that	O
can	O
sway	O
this	O
war	O
,	O
which	O
threatens	O
the	O
fate	O
of	O
Asgard	O
and	O
the	O
gods	O
themselves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Goddess	O
Hel	O
—	O
daughter	O
of	O
Loki	B-Device
,	O
Norse	O
god	O
of	O
mischief	O
,	O
has	O
been	O
banished	O
from	O
the	O
heavenly	O
kingdom	O
of	O
Asgard	O
for	O
defying	O
Odin	B-Application
's	O
rule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Angry	O
at	O
her	O
fate	O
,	O
she	O
seeks	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
ancient	O
wolf-god	O
Fenrir	O
,	O
which	O
legend	O
tells	O
will	O
bring	O
about	O
Ragnarok	B-Application
—	O
the	O
apocalyptic	O
battle	O
that	O
will	O
destroy	O
Asgard	O
and	O
the	O
gods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
her	O
army	O
of	O
resurrected	O
Viking	B-Application
warriors	B-Protocol
,	O
Hel	O
marches	O
on	O
the	O
unsuspecting	O
mortal	O
realm	O
of	O
Midgard	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
her	O
champion	O
she	O
chooses	O
Skarin	O
,	O
a	O
great	O
but	O
troubled	O
young	O
warrior	B-Protocol
,	O
ignorant	O
of	O
the	O
true	O
reason	O
for	O
his	O
favour	O
with	O
the	O
Gods	O
and	O
thrust	O
into	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
their	O
bitter	O
war	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
player	O
strikes	O
down	O
Hel	O
she	O
screams	O
:	O
"	O
You	O
have	O
not	O
freed	O
Midgard	B-Language
!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
then	O
sees	O
Skarin	O
asking	O
for	O
his	O
place	O
in	O
Valhalla	O
but	O
is	O
refused	O
by	O
Freya	O
,	O
causing	O
Skarin	O
to	O
release	O
Fenrir	O
and	O
begin	O
Ragnarok	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
reviews	O
"	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wired	O
gave	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
versions	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
seven	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
,	O
stating	O
:	O
"	O
At	O
some	O
point	O
,	O
you	O
realize	O
that	O
looking	O
back	O
at	O
each	O
of	O
Vikings	B-Application
qualities	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
hard	O
to	O
really	O
put	O
your	O
finger	O
on	O
anything	O
that	O
's	O
truly	O
standout	O
—	O
and	O
yet	O
it	O
's	O
compelling.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
USA	O
Today	O
gave	O
the	O
same	O
console	O
versions	O
a	O
similar	O
score	O
of	O
six	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
and	O
said	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
fine	O
as	O
an	O
inexpensive	O
rental	O
for	O
mature	O
Microsoft	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
or	O
Sony	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
gamers	O
interested	O
in	O
fantasy	O
and	O
violence	O
—	O
with	O
a	O
strong	O
emphasis	O
on	O
the	O
latter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
gave	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
a	O
similar	O
score	O
of	O
six	O
out	O
of	O
ten	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
its	O
shortfalls	O
"	O
just	O
seem	O
so	O
peculiar	O
when	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
surging	O
competency	O
of	O
its	O
strengths	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
