Valheim is one of the best things that popped up out of nowhere on Steam. It’s an open-world survival game that puts a lot of focus on player freedom. I like to call it, 3D Terraria with slightly less content than Terraria. But that’s ok, as Valheim is a game that’s still in its early stages of life, and the devs seem like people that will give us lots of content and updates in the future.
Before we talk about anything else, let’s see what happened with the game in the last couple of months. That’s right, we’re about to discuss Valheim updates and future plans first. Then we talk about Valheim and whether you should still buy it in 2022.
Hearth and Home Valheim Update
Heart and Home is a Valheim update that added new recipes, ingredients, and cooking stations, and it completely overhauled the food system. While it was the first big Valheim update, it was also the one that got a lot of mixed opinions. Stamina and health are dictated by your food. The devs had to quickly tweak the new system as it caused a huge uproar in the community.
Iron Gate Studios didn’t expect this kind of backlash, so a ton of mini adjustments followed. In the end, Hearth and Home was quite a controversial Valheim update, but the community’s outrage quickly disappeared. The change to the food system and having to pick between health or stamina boosts is something many still struggle to adjust to today. That’s why we have Valheim mods, and there are some out there that revert this change to back how it was before the Hearth and Home update.
Mistlands Valheim Update
Mistlands is Valheim’s next update. One that should have arrived last year. But, Covid keeps messing up everything, so Mistlands got a delay. Since Valheim is a game that only gets more and more attention, aka more players, the devs focused on smaller patches before releasing another big update.
Mistlands are a Valheim biome that is pretty scarce and barren. Seems like the area went through multiple phases. The first time we saw it, it was pretty gloomy and full of spooky trees and giant spiderwebs.
New screenshots of the Mistlands show a much more moist and grassy area. But even this isn’t the final look of the Mistlands, as the devs said that they’re still thinking about Mistlands and its look.
Because the Hearth and Home update didn’t add new areas, Mistlands will be the latest biome to get featured in Valheim since the game launched in Early Access. As you know, all biomes come with their own unique region, enemies, and a final boss. That’s why when it comes to Valheim updates, the Mistlands update is the most eagerly awaited one. Unfortunately, Iron Gate Studios still don’t have a release window for this particular update. But considering how much time the update spent in the oven, we should expect to see the Mistlands updates real soon.
Mountain biome caverns, Cult of the Wolf, Ships of the Sea
The new Mountain biome caverns is coming sometime this year. If it doesn’t get delayed like the rest did. The next thing on the Valheim roadmap is the Cult of the Wolf. Sounds like an update or expansion that’s going to center around new bosses and more enemies.
After that, we have the Ships of the Sea update. As you can imagine, this will focus on naval exploration and other things that have to do with the sea.
Small Valheim Updates and what they brought to the game
As stated before, the game got several small updates after the Hearth and Home update arrived. Let’s see what the game got in its smaller updates.
Valheim Swamp update
The Valheim Swamp update added multiple enemies and some new loot to obtain. The first notable addition is the Abominations. They are the Swamp’s mini-bosses that spawn in open water and look like eerie tree stumps. Once you slay an Abomination, you get the Abomination Trophy and Root, a new material dropped only by these bad boys. Root Armor is a new armor set made from Roots, Ancient Bark, and Deer Hide.
Armor Stand update
The second small update didn’t add any enemies, but it gave us Armor Stands. It’s a heavily requested feature that the devs finally brought to the game. In addition to having the option of finally putting your armor on display, the armor stand update also added seasonal items like the Yule tree and Yule hat.
Get eight pieces of Fine Wood, two Leather Scraps, and four Iron Nails and you can create your own Armor Stand.
Valheim Frost Caves update
The final of the small Valheim updates, the Frost Caves brings new creatures, items, and resources. You can visit the Frost Caves by visiting the Mountain Biome that was previously unexplored. There you can find the Frost Cave mini-dungeon. It’s very similar to the Sunken Crypts, full of loot and enemies like the Bats, Ulv, and Cultists.
You can also craft the Fenris Armor now. It makes you look like a badass wolf AND it protects you from fire damage. Flesh Rippers are a Fists-based weapon made from materials found in the Mountains biome.
Lastly, you have new decorations like the Standing Brazier, Red Curtains, and the Red Carpet.
Should you buy Valheim in 2022?
Valheim is still a lot of fun in 2022. The only problem is the slow development of new content. After a while, you will explore everything the game has to offer. It doesn’t take one player long to defeat all of the Valheim bosses. And while Valheim has a big map, it won’t keep you occupied for longer than 30-50 hours.
Of course, Valhaim has co-op, and the game is a lot more fun if you play it with friends. But since the Valheim roadmap got announced, we’ve seen only a few updates since. The Hearth and Home update don’t count since it barely adds any substantial content to the game.
You can still buy Valheim in 2022 and have a blast with it, but the game’s current fanbase isn’t very happy with the game’s development. This is mostly a side-effect of finding a game so cool that you can’t stop playing it. And to do that, you need more new and fresh content to keep things interested. But, Terraria was also like this, and today, 10 years after the game originally came out it’s still getting updates.
Final Verdict – Valheim is still a lot of fun in 2022
I understand the sorrow behind the community’s disappointment with the slow development times. You want more of your favorite game, and the updates aren’t coming fast enough. But Valheim is still a newborn baby. Don’t forget that it’s still in Early Access and that the team behind the game is very small. They got more people to work on Valheim and its updates, but it isn’t a team of 20 people, so be patient.
Don’t forget that Valheim has mods, and there’s a lot you can do in the game to pass the time. In the end, you can always leave the game for the time being and come back to it later once more updates arrive.
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