Live the life of a marauding Viking: sail, trade, manage armies and fleets of boats, and then get stuck into some third-person combat when the need arises. It's The Viking Way, an upcoming sandbox sim that looks on the surface to be a lot like Mount and Blade but with a lot of axes and extra pillaging.
The game promises "groundbreaking naval combat" in addition to detailed trading systems and, of course, lots of conquest. There is a story mode that involves completing missions for NPCs to become "the most powerful Viking leader", but it looks as though you can freely sail around the world building a Viking empire, via peaceful means or otherwise.
There are RPG elements too as you build your chief into the best Viking he can be. You can "attribute skill points" and "loot legendary medieval weapons". There are also hidden questlines that can lead you to ancient loot, just be sure to tip the bartenders well to get the best rumours.
The game is due to arrive on Steam Early Access soon, and the developers plan to keep it there for 18 months so they can gather feedback and tweak accordingly.
According to Ice Lava Games “the full version will have a complete campaign mode with numerous NPC characters, quests, an extended overworld map, more weapons, units, and naval vessels. The final version will also have improved skirmish, naval and siege combat.”
For more, take a look at the official site.
