War of the Vikings shows off newest update with free Steam weekend

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If you've had a rough week, or it's just been ages since you last slammed an axe into someone, I've got some good news for you. War of the Vikings , the follow-up to this year's War of the Roses , is hosting a free-to-play weekend for all Steam users. The free weekend, starting today, shows off the Atgeirr update, which adds improved sound and game mechanics, the Conquest game mode and two new maps.

I can already tell that one of the new maps, Cliff, was designed specifically to send me plummeting to my death. This sea-side village features a lot of tall places to get kicked off of, Sparta-style , as the Vikings and Saxons fight for control. The update also brings the clever Battle Chatter feature, which will add character comments on the battle. “A nearby archer might cheer loudly due to a headshot and you hear yourself congratulate him, or you see a charging enemy and roar fiercely as you face him head on,” a press release from developer Fat Shark reads. “To improve immersion even further [we] are making it so enemies always speak their original language, that being Old Norse or Old English, whilst friends speak english so you can easily understand them.”

War of the Vikings is still in development, but you can pre-order the game through Steam Early Access and play while the team completes its work. If you're not sold yet, you've got until December 8 to play for free and make up your mind.