The first three screenshots for the pre-alpha version of the upcoming Rune: Ragnarok have been made available. The upcoming open-world, survival RPG puts players in the shoes of a fearless Viking warrior taking on Norse gods, beasts, and other legendary icons from the old mythology.

Much like other survival RPGs out there, your objective will be to scavenge the land, gather supplies, craft weapons, make better armor, and go around kicking butt and taking names. You’ll even have to pledge allegiance to one of the ancient gods in order to gain favor and abilities to make your village-raiding, boss-fighting, resource-pillaging and territory-conquering ways so much easier than before.

To help give gamers a small glimpse into what they can expect from Rune: Ragnarok, Human Head Studios revealed three new screenshots for the upcoming game. Check them out below.

The first shot here shows two rival groups firing arrows at one another on the misty-morning sea. You can see the tattered flags from a battle worn late into the night and into the crack of dawn. Blood splatters on the bow of the ship reveal a desperate and violent encounter between the two tribes.

The real-time lighting and high-quality model work helps give the game some serious distinction from close competitors like Conan: Exiles.

This next shot is nothing short of epic. A giant looms over a broken ship as a lone Viking stands at the ready with a flaming sword in hand. His comrades fallen and floating in the bloody waters beneath his feet. Even with the odds of survival stacked against him, the lone warrior readies himself for Valhalla, but is intent on taking the giant (or perhaps a limb or two) with him.

It’s a very striking shot because it doesn’t even look like a video game. The actual volumetric mist scuttles over the remains of a vicious battle like a purveyor of destruction, while the overcast above blots out any passage or hope of sunlight down onto the Earth below.

It’s a nice showcase of both the beauty and the dread that encounters in Rune: Ragnarok will hopefully encompass during the actual gameplay.

The final shot is a heroic one.

Two Vikings stand at the ready, willing to take on anything that comes their way.

The screenshot could be surmised as “particles, particles everywhere!”

The ember effects from the raging fire in the backdrop help give life and atmosphere to the dynamic scene. We see some high quality grass off to the far left side of the screen in the foreground, and faded mountains with barren trees in the background. A perfect stage for a battleground.

The fire effects look especially good here because you can see they aren’t just standard light emitters with an orange glow wrapped around a yellow ball. There’s actual substance and volume to the flames shooting up from the graveyard of spears.

And yes, there is physically-based rendering taking place with the light sources, as we can see the orange hues dancing across the edges of the Vikings’ helmets, while the reflective glow of the cascading fire manages to bounce off the rounded tip of the axe head.

All in all, Rune: Ragnarok looks good.

The art is solid and the atmosphere shows great character.

You can sign up for the beta for this survival RPG by visiting the official Rune: Ragnarok website.