Yesterday, Ubisoft finally unveiled the newest game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. The game, which brings you from Ancient Greece into the Viking Age, seems to show a lot of promise, and many leaks have been told about it. We have all of that information right here.
Valhalla has been rumored about for several months now under the title of Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok, with multiple alleged leaks coming out and telling us about various mechanics, though there’s no telling just yet what is actually truthful and what isn’t, since many things have already been proven wrong.
Gameplay
Ubisoft’s official Twitter has said that the game’s first gameplay trailer will be coming out on May 7 at the Xbox Event on that day, likely meaning that Valhalla will be one of the games that Microsoft shows off on the Xbox Series X’s technology.
There will also be a number of Viking-related side activities that you’ll be able to go through, including things like fishing, drinking games, and rap battles, which is referring to an ancient Viking pastime of flyting, a duel of insults.
The Hidden Blade will also return after being absent in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, though you won’t get it until a certain point in the game, much like in Assassin’s Creed 2. Cloaks and hoods that you can use to disguise yourself are also part of the game, and you also have the option to put it up or down.
The RPG setup will also be returning, and not only can you use a variety of different weapons, you’re also able to dual-wield any weapon, and you can even dual-wield shields. Skills can also be gained in a mechanic similar to a skill tree, and axe-throwing like the protagonist does in the trailer is a skill on that tree.
Along with all of that, combat has also been revamped to be both more versatile and gorier. You can now shield-base enemies, decapitate them, or dismember them. Enemy variety has also been drastically increased to keep things more surprising over the course of the game.
Story
The story of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla puts you in the role of a Viking named Eivor (pronounced Ā-vōr). Like Odyssey, players will be able to choose between a male and female protagonist, though this time there will be a good reason for the choice, according to Ubisoft. Both are also, however, canon choices.
The story in this game will be penned by Darby McDevitt, who is in charge of narrative and writing. He’s also worked on Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Black Flag, and been a consultant on Assassin’s Creed: Origins.
Customization is also a big part of the game; you’ll be able to change Eivor’s hair, beard, clothing, war paint, and more. The Raven that serves as your Eagle equivalent in this game can also have its own skin changed.
The reason that your Viking and those members of his clan cross the North Sea is to to escape from the hostile environment of Norway, where constant war and scarcity of resources make a new life in England more appealing. England will be where the majority of the game is, but you will go back and forth from Norway to England.
England in this day and age was divided into a number of kingdoms, which include Wessex, East Anglia, Northumbria, and Mercia. England will have three major cities to visit, London, Winchester, and Jorvik (the city of York), but there will also be a number of smaller settlements to visit.
Along with various raids that you can embark on, there are also story-mandated “Assault” missions, where you assault fortified positions, likely cities or something else. However, the focus point of the story is the settlement that you’ll be making.
Considering the story setup, where you and your clan leave Norway’s war and scarce resources to settle in the safer and more prosperous England. The settlement is at the center of your quests and the decisions you make, and will also allow you to see the consequences of your actions.
The story will also be significantly more nuanced than some Assassin’s Creed games. While King Alfred of Wessex, who you see in the trailer, seems like a villainous figure, both he and the Vikings will be portrayed as morally grey. After all, you are marauding invaders and he’s attempting to defend his land.
Characters
Like many Assassin’s Creed games, there will also be a large number of characters involved in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Along with Eivor, your clan mates are also going to be living in the Settlement. There will also be romance options in the game that Eivor can engage in.
Eivor themselves is also going to be slightly more expanded than Alexios or Kassandra were in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Rather than three differing responses like Odyssey’s own dialogue system, however, each response will be tailored to Eivor’s personality.
Of course, no Viking is complete without a longboat, either. Much like in Odyssey with your ship there, you will have a longship that you can use as a ferry between Norway and England, along with being able to use it to go on raids. You will also be able to pick out your crew.
Of course, we’ll also have more than a few English characters, likely, which means that King Alfred and possibly other English monarchs like the Kings of Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia might also be appearing.
Release Date
The Assassin’s Creed Valhalla release date hasn’t actually been officially stated, but Ubisoft has said that the game will be releasing sometime in the Holiday of this year. We’ll likely be waiting a bit longer, however, to find out the actual full release date.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is also a cross-gen game with Smart Delivery, meaning that you’ll be able to play it across both your Xbox One and Xbox Series X without worrying about losing progress or having to buy another copy of the game.
With all of the different things that the game promises to deliver when it releases on the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC, and on the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X.
