In the beginning Valheim seems to be the standard run-of-the-mill open world survival game following well-known templates. But then the fun seriously kicks in and you get drawn into this norse world. [Early Access Score = A-]

This is a survival game made by people who really like survival games—but don't necessarily like the genre's tedium....We've put games in our year-end lists for less potential than what I've already enjoyed in Valheim thus far, and I don't see us getting out of 2021 without repeating praise for this killer multiplayer adventure option on PC. [Early Access review]

I’m not going to lie, Valheim surprised the hell out of me. However, having now experienced what it has to offer, from its chill vibe to its focus on co-operation to its ability to chew up time like it’s going out of fashion, it’s no surprise that it has been as successful as it is. If you have a PC that can run it (and, thankfully, the requirements aren’t outrageous), you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Game of the year so far for me. [Early Access Impressions]

In its current state, it's an incredibly engrossing experience and perhaps the first survival game of its kind to match Minecraft in pure fun factor. And if it's already this impressive in early access, one can only imagine how good it will be when it has its full release. [Early Access Provisional Score = 100]

Overall, Valheim is a fairly complete game even though it is still in early-access. It suffers from some of the normal bugs and glitches that you see in other early-access titles but it also has a lot of content that is wonderful and works well. It is a great group game if you have a bunch of friends who feel like building Norse villages and going raiding. You can get this on Steam right now. I can't wait for future updates. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]

Despite being in early access, Valheim has a lot to love. There's a wealth of content, some impressively deep systems, and an ever-expanding community, it feels like the sky is the limit. It's perfect to share with friends and can be wonderfully meditative when played solo. If you like survival, Vikings and a bright future with constant updates, Valheim is the game for you. [Early Access Score = 100]

One of the best things about Valheim is that it it doesn’t hold your hand, but doesn’t leave you floundering in the dark, either. Although it does leave you stranded in the woods, quite literally, with nothing but your bare hands and some talking ravens for company. [Early Access impressions]