Vikings: Wolves of Midgard has been out since 2017, and though it hasn't managed to set down roots in the mainstream gaming consciousness, it's still a game with a lot to offer. Fans of Action RPGs will be able to jump right in without much difficulty, but newcomers to the genre will still find it perfectly enjoyable and accessible.

RELATED: Diablo 2 Resurrected is a Perfect Reminder of a More Hardcore Time

It's got everything one needs in an immersive battle-forward experience: great action, great sound effects, and lots of blood from splattered enemies! The fact that it is set in the fascinating world of Norse Mythology is a fantastic bonus that gives the gameplay a nice layer of added depth. Those who have been reluctant to try Vikings: Wolves of Midgard are encouraged to dive right in equipped with these 10 helpful tips and tricks to get started.

10 Smash Everything For Resources

Gathering loot is an obsession to some and an obligation to others. Whatever the preference, it's vital to understand that players will have a difficult time progressing in a dungeon crawler unless they constantly leverage free loot into better gear, weapons, and upgrades.

The game's environment is rife with destructible objects, from huts, to trees, to piles of rocks. There are even special stone formations called "menhirs" which are gray rocks with a skull in front of them. They're easy to miss since the game's lighting is on the darker side, but they are worth double-checking an area for to get the free goodies inside of them.

9 Pay Attention to Environmental Damage

As soon as the first raid mission, players will notice a blue meter filling up at the bottom of the screen as they roam around the map. What this denotes, is the environmental cold damage being taken as the character spends more and more time in the snow. Other examples of this kind of damage come in the forms of electricity, poison, or fire.

RELATED: Diablo 2: 10 Things That Can Ruin Your Playthrough

One way to passively mitigate this annoyance would be to keep items handy that protect against certain types of environmental damage. For example, to protect against the cold temperatures of the first raid, it would be best to equip boots, helmets, or armor with additional cold resistance.

8 AOE Attacks Can Damage Allies

Playing dungeon crawlers with friends is an incredible way to enhance the experience. It's fun mowing down hordes of monsters solo, but having an ally there to have one's back when enemies start implementing more crowd control tactics like stuns and disables relieves a lot of stress.

It's important to be aware, though, of the friendly fire element in the game, because a big area of effect skill can end up hurting allies. It's incredibly satisfying to take down a mob of goblins closing in on a stunned hero with a big 360-degree slash, but it feels bad when it comes at the cost of an ally's health pool.

7 Characters Aren't Limited to One Class

In Vikings: Wolves of Midgard, players will end up aligning with certain Norse Gods depending on their playstyle. For example, if someone likes massive two-handed weapons, they activate the Thor skill tree with its specific upgrades and skills.

RELATED: Why Diablo 4's Rogue Reveal Makes the Fifth Class More Exciting

For the min-maxers, focusing on one class will be the obvious choice, but after hitting level 30, an entire skill tree can get fully upgraded. After that point, players can upgrade however they like for more dynamic gameplay and switch freely between classes by simply equipping different weapon types.

6 Fountains Only Refill Healing Items Once

Characters get healed from the blood of fallen enemies, but sometimes having the playstyle of an actual Viking can lead to taking too much damage too quickly. Fortunately, there are blood fountains strewn across the map to boost the health pool back to full.

Another great perk that comes with them is that they can refill talisman healing charges, but only once. This mechanic incentivizes a proactive use of talisman healing charges since they can be replenished periodically anyway. Players should think of every use of the fountains as a waste if some of it does not go to recharging one of the only active healing skills available in the game.

5 Repeat the First Raid...A Lot

On the first raid, players have the option to opt-out of immediately fighting the first boss of the game and return to the village instead. What this allows, is for players to reset the level and stack experience and resources as many times as they need to level up at a comfortable pace. Not to mention, raiding is just about the most Viking-like thing one can do.

RELATED: Diablo 2 Game Mechanics Players Might Have Forgotten About

This doesn't mean that progress gets reset, and that is the beauty of this tactic. For example, there are 5 levers hidden throughout the first map that need to be pulled to access a secret chest. Even if four out of five get pulled on the first run-through before returning to the village, they will remain activated so that only one more needs to be found.

4 Spend Gold Often

The town merchant, once unlocked, will become a player's most trusty resource for better loot. Sure, there is plenty of loot to be plundered from the enemies and treasure chests across the land, but real gamers know that RNG is unkind more often than not. At a certain point in the game, players will have amassed a mountain of resources that would do more good being traded to the merchant than sitting in storage.

If weapons and armor are not good enough, they should be sold for better ones. Every little advantage counts for something in Action RPGs because of how unforgiving hordes of opponents can become. Furthermore, players should be encouraged to buy other items like runes and Jotunjarn crystals when applicable, too.

3 Logging Out of the Game Refreshes The Merchant

This is a nifty little trick to implement when players don't feel like waiting around for the next time they are in the village. The Merchant will randomly generate a whole new set of goods when players simply log out of the game and return to the village through the save file.

It might feel like cheating, but it's important to gain the edge over the enemies, especially on solo runs. Leveling up and progressing down a skill tree is great, but adding precious percentage-based boosts from weapons greatly increases damage output, especially since 50-75 points of damage could be the difference between life and death.

2 Stash Good Items in Case of Death

The stash, like in other dungeon crawlers, is a useful tool for sharing items with oneself. On a first run-through as a melee hero, finding an awesome bow might not be of any use in the course of the game. Keeping it tucked away in the stash can make a world of difference on the second playthrough if one decides to give ranged playstyle a try.

On Hardcore mode, this is especially helpful because death in the game means complete death of the character and complete loss of items and resources gained in that game. Making sure awesome legendary items are stashed away allows the next character to not have to start from square one, since they'll have a weapon and maybe some decent armor to help cut through the beefy enemies of the higher difficulty.

1 All Bosses Are Straightforward Except For Two

There are two bosses who are exceptions to the button-mash approach. The Bishop of the Sky boss needs to be avoided like the plague because he is invulnerable to normal strikes. Instead, destroy the three stones protecting him and then break the scaffolding he's standing on to best him.

The boss Grimnir's second form is also invulnerable. He will continue to attack in this form so there is no other option than to dodge and wait for the opportunity to strike. That opportunity comes when he plunges his arm into the ground and raises small tendrils from below to attack. Slash at these limbs when they emerge to do damage to Grimnir, but do it patiently and cautiously because he has a large health pool.

NEXT: Norse Games Are Growing Tired, Yet There's So Much Potential for More