If you’ve spent any time in the “survivors-like” or bullet-heaven genre lately, you know the drill: walk around, auto-fire at thousands of enemies, get a dopamine hit from shiny gems, and pray for a good RNG build. But while most of these games lean into retro pixel art, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel decided to go full “heavy metal album cover” with a gorgeous 3D art style that makes the genre feel properly epic.
I’ve been sinking some serious hours into the Xbox version lately, especially with the recent Conan the Barbarian DLC, and I have thoughts. If you’re wondering if it’s worth your gold, here’s the breakdown.
The Base Game: A Norse Meat-Grinder
Jotunnslayer drops you into the dark, frozen pits of Helheim. Unlike Vampire Survivors, which can feel a bit abstract, Jotunnslayer feels visceral. You’re playing as damned heroes trying to earn their way into Valhalla by slaughtering endless waves of Draugr and mythical beasts.
The “secret sauce” here is the Blessing System. Instead of just random stat-ups, you’re basically picking which Norse god you want to vibe with. Thor gives you chain lightning, Freyja brings the nature-based crowd control, and Loki… well, Loki does exactly what you’d expect (lots of trickery and chaos). The meta-progression is deep enough to keep the “just one more run” loop alive, and the boss fights actually require some movement and strategy rather than just being “bigger stat sticks.”
Conan the Barbarian Joins the Fray
The real reason I’m writing this today, though, is the Conan DLC. Honestly, it’s a match made in heaven. Every Conan story is basically a “horde survivor” run anyway—one guy against an army—so seeing him in Helheim feels weirdly right.
What’s cool is that Conan doesn’t play like the other heroes. While the others rely on divine blessings, Conan has the Triumph mechanic. He gets stronger the more he kills, building stacks that let him shrug off damage and hit like a runaway freight train.
The DLC gives you three “Paths of Legend” (sub-classes) that reflect different stages of his life:
- The Zamorian Rogue: Fast, dual-wielding, and built for dodging.
- The Stygian Gladiator: Sword and shield, tanky as hell, and great for people who like to stand their ground.
- The King of Aquilonia: This is the “big sword” mode. You swing a massive two-hander that clears half the screen in one go. It’s immensely satisfying.
The new Stygia map is also a great change of pace. After hours of looking at snow and dark caves, the sun-scorched deserts and necromantic ruins of Stygia are a breath of fresh air (even if they are filled with giant scorpions and ancient wizard-kings).
The Couch Co-op Game-Changer
One thing that launched alongside the DLC (as a free update) is Local Co-op. This is huge. Most games in this genre are solo affairs, but playing this on the couch with a friend is absolute chaos in the best way possible. Coordination becomes a thing—one person builds for crowd control while the other builds for boss-shredding damage. It’s easily some of the most fun I’ve had on Xbox this year.
The Verdict: Is it Worth It?
If you’re tired of the “lo-fi” look of most survivors-likes and want something that actually pushes your Series X|S a bit, Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel is a no-brainer.
The Pros:
- Visuals: It’s easily the best-looking game in the genre.
- Conan: He feels powerful and distinct from the base roster.
- Co-op: Couch co-op is a rare gem these days, and it works perfectly here.
The Cons:
- Visual Clarity: With 3D graphics and thousands of enemies, the screen can get very busy. It’s beautiful, but sometimes you’ll lose track of your character in the particle effects.
- Price: At $15 for the base and $7 for the DLC, it’s pricier than its pixel-art cousins, but the production value justifies it.
Final Thought: If you want to feel like a god (or a legendary barbarian) while turning thousands of monsters into red mist, grab this. It’s brutal, it’s loud, and it’s the perfect “podcast game” to zone out with.
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