Cloudheim

Cloudheim is a visually appealing and charming action RPG with physics-based combat, crafting, and base-building elements, blending exploration and shopkeeping in an instanced open-world setting. Players appreciate its vibrant art style, fluid and chaotic combat mechanics, and the rewarding gameplay loop of looting, crafting, and upgrading a home base. The game supports multiplayer co-op but progression is currently tied to the host's save file, which limits shared progression and character portability, causing frustration among some players.

While the combat is fun and offers room for depth, it can feel floaty and chaotic, occasionally making fights frustrating. The crafting and shopkeeping systems are simple but effective. The game is still in Early Access, with ongoing improvements and developer responsiveness praised. However, some technical issues like frame drops, bugs, and a clunky UI remain. Overall, Cloudheim offers a cozy, entertaining experience with great potential, especially for players who enjoy cooperative play with friends in a contained world.

Highlights

Players praise Cloudheim's gorgeous, vibrant visuals and distinctive art style that leans into a mythical Norse aesthetic. The physics-based combat is noted for its chaotic fun, with satisfying enemy interactions and combo possibilities. Exploration is rewarding with large, well-designed instanced zones full of secrets and puzzles. The base-building and crafting mechanics provide a cozy, engaging shopkeeping experience. Developer responsiveness and continuous improvements during Early Access have been positively recognized, enhancing gameplay and performance. The game also offers a unique blend of shop sim and action RPG, appealing to fans of both genres.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the progression system being tied exclusively to the host's save, preventing character and gear portability in multiplayer, which hampers co-op flexibility. Combat, while fun, can feel floaty and chaotic, sometimes making fights frustrating due to inconsistent hit registration and lack of telegraphs on enemy attacks. The UI and inventory management are clunky and unfinished, with confusing item notifications. Technical issues such as frame rate drops, crashes, and bugs persist. Some players find the grind for character unlocks excessive, and the game lacks a deeper story and immersive equipment visuals. Lastly, always-online requirements and lack of offline playability raise concerns about game preservation.