fynestuff
If you’ve never heard of Swedish metal band Amon Amarth – you’re about to, because they just upped the ante on every Norse mythology game you’ve ever played. The five member-band known for hits like Twilights of the Thunder Gods and Surtur Rising, has launched their own mobile video game, also named Amon Amarth, which is set up in a Vikings world, and lets the player assume the identity of the Marvel-lous Thor.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s start from the beginning. Here’s what you need to know about the fierce new game.
Why is it Called ‘Amon Amarth’?
The game is named after the band (obviously) probably to appeal to their fans, and headbangers who game. Amon Amarth – the band – was formed in 1992. It had emerged from the ‘80s death metal band Scum, which broke up in 1991. They now publish with Metal Blade Records. Amon Amarth is Sidarin for the famous Mountain of Doom, the devastating volcano from J R R Tolkien’s world, and is located in the fictional land of Mordor. Interestingly, Amon Amarth is heavily inspired by Viking mythology, and most of their lyrics will tell you so.
In the new 8-bit side-scrolling video game, the player is tasked with guiding the ultimate Norse hero Thor across Midgard, combatting foes with his trusted hammer Mjolnir. The band Amon Amarth is currently touring Europe to raise money for their 2016 studio album Jomsgiving, and this game might have taken some inspiration from that too.
Where Can You Find It?
The game is available on iOS and Android devices for $8.99.
So What’s This Death Metal Band Going to Make a Game About?
The game features four worlds and 12 levels. Each of the four worlds has 18 enemies to battle with and it even features 13 of the Amon Amarth’s songs in the background which have been redone in chiptune form. Find the best bone conduction headphones to enjoy this game at it’s fullest.
In the game, you are Thor and your mission is to rid Midgard of the evil monsters – kind of like a Norse Batman, if you will. You will face enemies some of which you have already seen in Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor movies, like the most recent Thor: Ragnarok. The list of enemies include Fenris, Hel and Surtur, the latter being the main baddie of Ragnarok.
Thor – in this case – you, will be equipped with your hammer, Mjolnir and you can obviously control thunder and lightning to your advantage.
The Inspiration Behind Amon Amarth
The game has been created by Amon Amarth, in collaboration with Ride & Crash games. The game has a classic retro look of a Nintendo game, and also might be its biggest USP. “The band met the development team continuously during the development process to ensure the end product would stay true to the initial vision of the game. This is an authentic Amon Amarth product,” reads a line from the press release released by the band.
Interestingly, Amon Amarth is not the first metal band to launch its own video game. American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold released a mobile game a few years ago, called Hail to the King: Deathbat. Iconic band Iron Maiden also made a game called Legacy of the Beast. Recently, guitar legend Dave Mustaine revealed that a Megadeth video game is in the works.
Amon Amarth has also released a trailer for the game. Check it out:
The Future of Music, Mobile Games and Interactive Marketing
Amon Amarth isn’t the first and isn’t going to be the last foray into the world of gaming from bands that want to interact with their fans. Gaming is a huge field for marketers, and is a great way for brands, organizations and yes, even death metal bands, to create interaction with their fans at a deeper level than social media or podcasts. Is the Android game a marketing tool for Amon Amarth’s new tool? Possibly. Is it working? Well, we’re writing an article about it, so definitely. Other bands take note!
