A fierce struggle is taking place within the realm of the Norse Gods. The Goddess Hel has been banished for defying Odin, Lord of Asgard. Angry at her fate, Hel has raised an army of resurrected Viking warriors to wipe out all of humanity in the mortal realm of Midgard, seeking to bring about Ragnarok - the apocalyptic battle that that will destroy Asgard and the Gods themselves. The task of stopping Hel and defending the future of mankind falls to Skarin, a promising but deeply flawed young warrior, ignorant of the true reason for his favour with the Gods…

Hel is the offspring of Loki, Norse god of chaos. She wishes to begin Ragnarok - the Norse apocalypse – to bring about the Age of the Underworld Gods.

Hel was not always evil, but she was banished by Odin, some say, for plotting with her father to overthrow Midgard; others say for asking too many questions about the nature of the Gods and Valhalla. The more common belief is that she annoyed Freya, primarily because Hel used to be very beautiful, and it was Freya who orchestrated the whole thing.

Like Freya, Hel cannot interfere directly with Midgard, but she does have supreme power in the Underworld and, like Freya, she can also influence others to work for her.

As part of her curse Hel cannot assume the shape of a mortal in the same way that other Gods and Goddesses (Freya) can. Instead she must literally take over mortals’ bodies. And although she chooses the most beautiful maidens on Midgard, Hel’s proximity to Evil and the Underworld means that it’s only a matter of time before they start to become withered and corrupted - a literal representation of what she has lost and what she has become.

Hel believes the Asgardian Gods to be vain, selfish, arrogant and extremely elitist. This belief is typified by man’s afterlife in Valhalla. Hel believes that this ‘heaven’ should be open for all not reserved for the select – who just spend their days drinking and eating! She desires to initiate the age of the Underworld Gods and create a New Valhalla that is open to all whether they died a ‘valiant’ death or not.

Unfortunately what seems like a reasonable belief has been twisted into a fairly warped obsession and consequently Hel has started killing indiscriminately to bolster her underworld army. She’s not even waiting for mortals to die natural deaths.

Hel is also very jealous and bitter towards Freya, especially as she blames Freya for getting her kicked out of Asgard in the first place. This only fuels her desire to take over Midgard and swing the balance of power in her favour.

Although she is essentially evil, Hel is far more of a tragic figure – in line with Medusa in Greek mythology.

Features

• The story of a Viking Hero. Skarin is an uncompromising force. A plaything of the gods rebelling against their selfish agenda. The definitive Viking warrior.
• Rich Viking Lore. The violent and glorious world of Viking mythology brought to stunning life. Players will write their own legends to be told around the campfire.
• Vast open world environments. Explore, uncover and fight your way across huge next gen worlds full of combat, exploration and quests.
• High impact, brutal combat engine. Experience intensely physical melee combat. Dismember enemies with deadly combat moves in a whirlwind of death.
• Mythical Powers. Tame dragons and command them to rain fire upon your enemies. Call on magic and the power of the gods to win the mortal war.
• Free your people. Liberate your Viking kinsmen from the clutches of Hel. Earn their trust and their sword arm. Fight alongside them in battle.
• Fpic Battles. Lay the foundations for huge battles featuring hundreds of dynamic NPC warriors. Subtly influence the battle through targeted assassination or wade in to save stricken allies. Become one amongst many and turn the tide in favour of your kinsmen.

Viking: Battle For Asgard is due for release on Xbox 360 and PS3 28th March, 2008.