As Beowulf, the player fights their way through a number of episodes commanding their band of merry Thanes via a small selection of commands. The player can chant with their band to boost morale and max out damage out, triggered through a rhythm button mashing mini-game. There are more mini-games similar to chanting throughout the game.
Beowulf can lift enemies with brute strength and hurl them in any direction, even at other enemies. They can also alternate weapons by picking up new ones, lying discarded on the ground, or from racks of weapons that may be found in many places. In combat, Beowulf can enter Carnal Mode that increases strength but demoralizes Thanes, so players won't be able to use it frequently. The player must find paths in certain areas to continue, sometimes by climbing walls and grabbing small ledges.