Over the past few years, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has taken great strides after shifting from a yearly to bi-yearly series, including games like Assassin’s Creed Origins and the very notable Odyssey. Now, as we get ready for a new generation of gaming to usher in, we have Assassin’s Creed Valhalla to look forward to. And it promises not only to innovate with gameplay and story, but also an interesting new direction when it comes to its open-world approach.
No longer is it about following the typical Assassin’s Creed formula as previous games have. Ubisoft has shaken things up a bit, and while the general goal of conquering remains the same, its open-world RPG roots are deeper than ever, indicating that you’ve got quite the challenge ahead when it comes to sacking London.
A Viking You’ll Grow With
The main character you play as is Eivor, but you have the option of either choosing a male or a female, similar to the options provided in Odyssey. But their general storyline remains about the same, as they travel from Norway with a group of soldiers and make their way to London, intent on expanding the ground for its clan.
As the story goes on, you’ll find different activities to establish Eivor’s character, from mini- games during a wedding to the ability to take part in what resembles a “rap battle,” but with Viking themes, mind you. (This ain’t 8 Mile, but far, far more epic.)
After customizing your character however you see fit (including tattoos and finding the right weapon for the job), you’ll soon set sail to London, where you’ll find many people to deal with.
There are violent ways to take them out, of course; but you can also do things diplomatically if you choose, provided you have the right negotiation skill. Otherwise, well, do what you do best.
As you go through the game, you’ll improve upon your selection of skills. This, combined with the various dual-wielding weapons available, will really expand what your character can do, along with your allies. But be forewarned – the better you get with skills, the more difficult enemy characters become. You’re in for a challenge.
What’s more, Conquest Battles will return to the series after finding success in Odyssey, letting you conquer certain settlements, provided you’re up to the challenge. And you can also enlist
your character as a computer-driven ally for others, which in turn can net you rewards, should you need to take a break for a little bit.
And, yes, you’ll be able to establish settlements, for the first time since Black Flag. But they’re far more important here than they’ve ever been, as you can expand it in a number of ways and collect more resources. The more you build, the more you get, basically.
A Next Gen Experience
While Valhalla will certainly make for a comfortable experience on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, fans can expect it to be taken to a next level on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, as it’s set to debut on those platforms shortly upon their release.
First off, the visuals should be absolutely stunning, taking advantage of the hardware with a zippy frame rate (around 60 fps in most cases, we’re guessing) and unprecedented detail that
brings out the most in London settings. You can check out the trailer below to get an idea of just how vivid everything will look. Not to mention the character designs, which should be the best we’ve seen in the Assassin’s Creed series.
And with 3D sound features on the PlayStation 5 (and similar components for Xbox Series X), the audio should be amazing. The voicework here sounds like it’ll be top notch, based on what we’ve heard so far; and of course, there will be cinematic score pieces playing throughout, so you can really feel the drama as you take part in epic battles. Add some great sound effects and you’ll have an experience you’ll enjoy. (Maybe even more so with a headset…?)
Get Your Viking On
No matter what platform you’re playing on, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla looks to be a winner for die-hard fans and casual players alike. It’ll be challenging in spots, sure, but it’ll also have amazing visuals, awesome sound, and compelling gameplay that could keep you busy for days at a time.
We’ll see how the game fares when it arrives on November 10th on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC; and PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at launch!
