![]() Since Valhalla continues in Odyssey’s RPG footsteps, player choice determines whether Eivor is a reaving warlord who charges axe-first into anything remotely problem-shaped or a silver-tongued tactician who charms their way to power. As the second in command of the Raven Clan, a group of Norse immigrants who dream of carving out a new home for their people in merry old England, Eivor is a fierce warrior with a sense of humor and a knack for forging lasting alliances. Credit: UbisoftĪssassin’s Creed almost always delivers likable protagonists and Valhalla’s star Eivor is no exception. That winning combination of old favorites and exciting new toys is what makes Valhalla a great game, one that earns a descriptor rarely used for the twelfth game in any series: genuinely surprising. It learns from the overstuffed quest logs and question mark–filled maps of Origins and Odyssey to streamline its exploration into more manageable, but still epic, episodes that tell a cohesive saga. It brings back real Assassins, complete with their eponymous creed, mysterious hoods, and emphasis on stealth. Though the game takes a few hours of play to hit its stride, Valhalla is by far the best Assassin’s Creed title of this era. So too does Valhalla itself, which delves back into the Assassin’s Creed playbook to bring back some of the series’ classic and lost elements to marry them with the victorious strides in combat, exploration, and storytelling seen in recent titles like Origins and Odyssey. Valhalla is by far the best Assassin’s Creed title of this era. The people of Valhalla’s England kept what was good about their country’s history and moved forward to create a foundation for their future. The 9th century new is there as well, in the form of fresh-looking cathedrals and trading towns built from wood and stone, siege engines, and familiar political drama. The old is everywhere in Valhalla, complete with tombs to explore, ancient temples hiding treasure, and crumbling castles to invade. ![]() Valhalla takes place in 9th century England, a fractured series of Saxon and Briton kingdoms built on top of the ruins of the island’s former Roman civilization. ![]() The push and pull between old standards and shiny new things is a good place to start when discussing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Other elements, such as naval combat, grappling hooks, crowd blending, and crafting have appeared and disappeared through the series’ lifetime as Ubisoft retooled their franchise through the years. Some elements of Assassin’s Creed have been around since the first game and will likely never change: historical settings, a hidden blade, and leaps of faith from global landmarks. With each new addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, the balancing act between delivering what players expect from the series and innovating enough to create a memorable experience becomes increasingly difficult.
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