My supposedly unending thirst for an amazing new game has finally been sated thanks to this game...
Everything is perfect. Even the janks, bugs and glitches are commendable.

Honestly, this game sets you in a fictitious realm based in the Norse mythos and is in other terms a land of purgatory where once dead soldiers must fight once again to aid and impress Odin by slaying monstrosities of all kinds and shapes. This alone sets the tone off in a great mood as the bountiful Norse mythology is full of loads of awesome stories, creatures, magic and well, of course, vikings!

This game gives you a few tools that can literally mould the landscape! The hoe is my second hand when it comes to base building due to the terrain levelling feature. The hammer is the main tool however for actual building and there are a lot of options for objects to build from wooden dragon heads to log poles! Another great niche which does seem to be missing fro ma few popular survival games is the feature to rotate your objects 360° whilst also having a snapping feature to precisely place objects too. In result; building is extremely fun and you never get bored of making a new base.
Personally I love the style of the building pieces visually and the amount of customisability avaliable.

I cannot recall another game that recreates the same crafting as Valheim off of the top of my head and that truly is special. Due to your recent departure from Midgard you have actually forgotten how to make items; it is only when you hold the materials in your hand that you recall how to craft once again! - In other terms you learn the recipes for structure parts and items as you pick up their materials for the first time. On a first playthrough this insentivises the player to explore the world and look for new materials such as a new glowy thistle or a shiny piece of metal beneath some mud.

The crafting gets even more exciting when you take a look at the multiple crafting stations you use to progress with in the game. Each one can be upgraded several times by placing 'star upgrades' (items in the build menu with a star above them) near the retrospective crafting table. You can use upgraded crafting stations not only to make new items but to also upgrade your existing gear even further (up to the star level of the crafting station) to improve its stats.
The crafting system feels very fresh and produces a feeling of true discovery.

The combat system in Valheim is very simple and utilises iframes (invincibility frames (are often present while something uses a dodging animation)) and animations that reveal a spot to be dangerous or safe very clearly. An example of this is every bipedal enemy leaning backwards whilst wavering to signify that their defences are exposed after you break their guard or a shaman stretching forwards slowly to show that they are using their dangerous poison attack. Both of these signatures are great for building trust with the player and that is something i love. Trust. A game can be challenging but you always know how or why you failed and how to beat the challenge the next time.

The actual outputs that are possible in combat are attack, block, special, dodge and if applicable aim. There isn't a lot in terms of moves however each weapon makes it's own mark in the move set in its own way. Especially with the special attack that few weapons have but all seem to be effective (you can do a 'spartan-esque' kick when unarmed or throw spears for eg.) in a unique way. Another move that you unlock after defeating each boss is their special blessing abilities which can be activated with the F key. These are very useful and full of flavour, adding even more variation for a whole variety of potential builds. In turn - combat is simple yet challenging enough to keep you engaged and if you fight an enemy that is particularly tough it certainly is rewarding!
'It's just like dark souls' Right? Righttt??

This game honestly has so much depth and I recommend it to everyone. There are events that can be tied to story progression or how many of a single mob you kill, a dynamic weather system with directional wind for using boats and rafts, in game tips and guidance [pieces of text, a skills system, item recovery after death and so much more!