Hammer of The Gods

Hammer of the Gods is a 1994 turn-based strategy game developed by New World Computing specifically for the MS-DOS format. It is a typical expansion style, take-over-the-earth game that centres around a group of Viking warriors. It is primarily a game of military conquest, but players can undertake in trading and there is some diplomatic skill necessary as well.
The warriors have been set to several tasks by their Norse gods. They have to strike a balance by completing these tasks to please the gods, and expanding their empire to please themselves as well.

The ultimate goal to win the game is somewhat different than other games of this nature where the gamer is either the last man standing or has the highest point total etc. To conquer Hammer of the Gods, the group controlled by the gamer must complete Odin’s Quest.
This game offers many options to make it more customizable, replayable and interesting. The player can choose from and control the four races of: human, elf, troll or dwarf. As usual, each race has its own strengths and weaknesses on the battlefield. The races are well-balanced however, and it is just a matter of choosing what type of attack you prefer (ranged or hand-to-hand, for example). The player can also choose the style of map. Players can choose a randomly generated computer map that will be different with each campaign, or can choose from a historically near-accurate rendering of an ancient land, such as Scandinavia or Iceland. For added options, Hammer of the Gods can be played in both single player and multi-player modes.
Battles are rudimentary and the graphics show the date of this game, but they are still intense and interesting. Units attack hexes that are located adjacent to their position on the map, unless they possess ranged attacks or magical spells that can be cast from range. The goal of the battle is simply to win by having living units when the last enemy falls. In this manner, territories, including castles and defensive points are taken and added to the empire. Between military turns, the player will see a graphic of a tree and will have to choose a god and hear his or her quest. This is the subplot of the game, with the main focus being on military conquest. However, as previously mentioned, Odin’s specific quest must be solved in order to complete the game. Some quests are easy and others are challenging, but all add an extra element to the game play.