Valheim’s Launch Version: A Viking’s Blast From the Past
Okay, buckle up, Vikings, because we’re about to take a serious trip down memory lane. Not just any memory lane, but a brutal, pixelated one, back to the primordial ooze of Valheim’s launch in 2021. I’ve been hacking and slashing my way through this Viking purgatory since day one, so trust me, I’ve seen some shit. And let me tell you, revisiting the OG Valheim was like stepping into a time machine built by a sleep-deprived, axe-wielding berserker. Prepare for a dose of nostalgia, some serious ‘WTF’ moments, and a whole lot of nerdy dissection. It’s gonna be a wild ride, so grab your mead and let’s dive in.
The Menu – A Blast from the Past (and not in a good way)
The first thing that smacked me in the face was the main menu. It’s a completely different beast than what we have now. The change log? Yeah, that was over on the left, proudly displaying dates from early 2021 – feels like ages ago, doesn’t it? The feedback box? Gone, vanished, like my hopes of finding a decent piece of flint on day one. It’s a stark reminder of how much this game has evolved. It’s not just a visual shift; it’s a testament to the journey, the devs, and the fact that we all kinda lived through it.
Character creation was a bit of a letdown, honestly. Sure, the basics were there, but options were limited. You wanna rock a sick beard or a flowing Viking mane? Too bad, buddy. Those glorious customizations came later, with the ‘Hilder’s Request’ update in 2023. Back then, you were lucky if you could get a decent mustache without looking like a drowned rat. World selection was similarly barebones. No fancy server management, no community servers, and, most shocking of all, no world modifiers. Can you imagine? No tweaking the world to your liking. No beards or hair growth settings! The horror! Settings have been overhauled with controller support and accessibility options – this makes sense – but the sheer lack of customization back then is almost appalling by today’s standards. We’ve come so far, haven’t we?
Into the Meadows: A Barebones Beginning
The opening scene, the tech crawl and the flight into Valheim, well, that’s remained pretty much untouched. But once you land, the differences become glaring. You’re greeted by a mere five runestones, not the seven we have today. The Queen and Fenrir were still just whispers in the wind back then, ghosts of updates yet to come. And of course, our boy Hugin was there to provide his usual cryptic guidance, always has been, always will be. But as we all know, it’s not just the ‘guide’ that makes your experience whole.
Now, let’s talk about the UI. The user interface has been completely revamped over the years. The stamina bar, for example, didn’t have a number displayed, just a visual representation, leaving you guessing when you’re about to run out of gas in the middle of a troll fight. And those food slots? No colored forks, no duration timers, just blinking food icons, mocking your slow progression. It was a simpler time, sure, but definitely not an easier one. It’s like the devs were purposely trying to make us suffer – which, let’s be honest, is kind of the point of a survival game anyway, right?
Food, Glorious Food (or Lack Thereof)
One of the biggest shocks was the food system. It’s been overhauled so many times that my memories of its early state are blurry to say the least. The early days of food were bleak. You ate to survive. Period. No fancy fork-coded, stat-boosting, perfectly balanced culinary experience. Just raw meat, berries, and the vague hope that you wouldn’t die from malnutrition before your next meal. The food system now is a masterclass of choice and consequence. Back then, it was just… food. No stat bonuses, just a health boost that made it slightly less likely for a greydwarf to make you his chew toy. It was rough. Raw meat wasn’t a guaranteed drop from boars, and when it did drop, it was just