Assassin's Creed Valhalla meets Skyrim in open-world Viking RPG you can play free now

I know historically speaking vikings maybe weren't the best bunch, what with all the raiding and killing and so on and so forth. But darn it all if they aren't a ton of fun to play as in a video game.

Whether you're trekking through the clearly Scandinavian-inspired wintry peaks of Skyrim, or finding your own slice of English paradise in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, there's always a good time to be had when you're a viking. Heck, even For Honor offers some bone-crunchingly slick viking action that's well worth a look.

Anyway, if you're looking that next viking fix (or you're just tired of Skyrim and want something a little different) then there's a brand-new game on Steam that you can check out for free right now. It's an open-world viking RPG that looks like the lovechild of The Elder Scrolls and Assassin's Creed, with a little pinch of Far Cry Primal thrown in for funsies.

The game in question is called Viking Frontiers, and it currently has a free demo as part of Steam Next Fest that I think you'll definitely want to check out.

"A series of unfortunate events has brought you to an unknown shore, and it is your task to transform it into your new home and fortress," reads the game's Steam description. "Can you rally the remnants of your clan? Can you handle the hardships of nature? And most importantly - can you maintain the old traditions and faith despite hostile Christian zealots*? The fate of your people rests on your shoulders."

Viking Frontiers promises plenty of quests and deep survival mechanics as you explore and work to build a home for your people. It could very well end up falling between the cracks and into the hell where the other several thousand rubbish survival games on Steam lives, but Viking Frontiers seems to have some things going for it. We'll know for sure when the full game launches, though the release date is currently TBC.

*This sounds a lot like where I grew up in the East Midlands to be honest.