Helheim Hassle
is a Side Scrolling Black Comedy Adventure Game by Perfectly Paranormal, released on August 18th, 2020. It is an interquel to their previous game, Manual Samuel.
1000 years ago, young Bjørn Hammerparty's village is faced with another giant attack, and everyone is leaping at the chance to die in glorious battle. ... except for Bjørn, who opts to sneak away while everyone's busy fighting. While escaping, he falls to his death, and- knowing that such a lame death means he gets to go to safe, boring Helheim- proudly proclaims as such to the gatekeeper. Alas, due to a technicality (turns out that landing on a bear counts as slaying it in glorious battle, who knew?) he's off to Valhalla, where he can enjoy battle 24/7 for the rest of this afterlife, isn't that great? Fast-forward 1000-ish years, and we find ourselves on a Tuesday. Pesto has to get to Hellheim to get a cool sword her boss ordered, but can't read the words the door is saying. Finding a viking skeleton- guess who?- just lying around, she decides to bring it back to life, and it looks like it works! Thing is, he didn't quite come back right...
Bjørn is capable of detaching and reattaching any of his limbs at will- once circumstances result in it being forcefully detached in the first place- and controlling them even when they detached from his body. This is used for the bulk of the puzzles, along with combining limbs in bizarre ways to get to places Bjørn can't on his own.
Helheim Hassle contains examples of:
- Aerith and Bob: Lampshaded by Pesto, an outsider from regular Hell who can't seem to adjust to Norwegian names.
- All-Loving Hero: Bjørn Hammerparty, full stop. His peaceful nature, constantly helping out and encouraging others, and his decision to fix his body before moving on so whoever finds it won't be traumatized are all proof enough that he is the sweetest character in the game.
- Came Back Wrong: Bjørn's body keeps falling apart, could be due to Pesto reviving him by rolling a shred of life into a ball and throwing it at him.
- The Cameo: War and Satan show up when Odin attacks hell thinking they stole Bjorns soul.
- Disproportionate Retribution: If Anthony wanting to kill Bjørn, a fourteen-year-old boy, for killing him on accident while trying to escape a battle wasn't enough, it turns out he's not even upset about his death. Rather, he wants revenge against Bjørn for accidentally destroying his cassette player.
- Fantastic Racism: Famine looks down on "pagan" mythological figures like the inhabitants of Helheim.
- Friend to All Living Things: Bjørn can pet nearly every animal he passes throughout the game, which is made easier if he has the Smoothie of Sidekicks. If he has all encounters with the Wise Moose before the final part of the game, the animals he can pet will all show up and assist with the puzzles, making the chase with Odin quicker and easier.
- Giggling Villain: Odin."Hee hee, hah hah, oh ho ho ho, hee hee hee!"
- Gosh Dangit To Heck: All of the characters use "Goshdarn" a lot, and Pesto lampshades the fact that her boss uses the word "Feces" a lot.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Bjørn fell to his death, landing on and killing a bear in the process. This earns him the nickname "Bjørn Bear-Slayer" from Anthony and Pesto, which he resents.
- Punch-Clock Villain: War, who refuses to deal with Odin at first during his rampage in Hell, having already done her job earlier in the day and being unwilling to let work get in the way of her free time anymore.
- Really 700 Years Old: Just about the entire cast note given that it's a game focused on the afterlife, but most notably Bjørn, who is technically over a thousand years old but is still physically fourteen.
- Slapstick: Pesto is not immune to invisible walls or electric shocks.
- The Soulsaver: Deconstructed with Odin who turns out to be a possesive asshole who refuses to let Bjorn stay in Helheim and will go to war with other afterlives if he thinks one of his souls was stolen.
- Sycophantic Servant: Famine, much to his boss Satan's annoyance.
