It’s that time of year again: time for the annual recap of the greatest stuff we did this year…game edition. More specifically, we’re talking about the best WEB game of the year, specifically that which was named by Facebook, for excellence in all manner of gameplay, design, and innovation. This distinction goes to Nords: Heroes of the North this time around, and if you haven’t played it, you’ve only got a little bit more of 2015 to try it out. Of course, this game won’t disappear in 2016. With this much buzz, and with a game this fun and challenging, Nords is something we’re going to be talking about for awhile to come. Find out what all the fuss is about ASAP.
First things first, N:HotN is a strategy MMO. If that sounds familiar, it’s because there are no lack of strategy MMOs out there, even if we’re just talking about the ones that star characters the likes of Northmen, Orcs, Dragons, and Elves. But just because this a known MMO trope doesn’t mean that it can’t be done sublimely well, as it is in this case. For plot, we’ve also got some somewhat familiar terrain, but again, this is a remarkable achievement of game design, a reminder that it’s not always the story you tell but how you tell it.
We’ve got an Evil Ice Queen who commands a near infinite army of the undead. This strategy has been working for her for some time, and it’s how she keeps the entire land of Shingård engulfed in perpetual winter. This state of affairs isn’t OK with the character you choose, which can be one of three different factions (elves, northmen, orcs). The one you choose will influence how your own personal stronghold and surrounding environments will appear. From this foundation, you’ll also have personalized resource buildings, as well as barracks and storehouses and everything else you need to build an economy and an army!
Back in the day, this sort of gameplay required a powerful PC and was expensive to buy. Today, N:HotN is available on any browser, and it’s available right through Facebook. Back to the plot, all of the factions in the game universe used to be at war with each other, but the Ice Queen is so bad that they’ve got to team up together to get rid of her and her Cold Legion. You’ll battle it out with the Legion in a bunch of different scenarios, and you can even watch the ensuing melee in 3D once your battle plan has been laid out.
You’ll build and improve your stronghold, while coached by a bunch of different characters. You can also join forces with other players, to work toward the goal of destroying that vicious ice king and her dead folk. If you love strategy games or MMO, you’re surely going to flip for N:HotN. Even if you’ve never played a game like this, you’ll probably find it pretty thrilling. If you’re like just about everybody, you use Facebook quite a bit, so why not try it out for yourself? After all, it’s the best web game of 2015.