Valhalla is heaven for Assassin’s Creed fans
ASSASSIN’S CREED: VALHALLA (PEGI 18) PS5, PS4, XBOX ONE, XBOX SERIES X/S, PC
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AS A SERIES, Assassin’s Creed’s stories have spanned almost all the ages of man. From the crusades, and the Renaissance, to pirates on the high seas in the 18th century, and crime gangs of Victorian London – players have dipped their toes in a wealth of human history.
So what could possibly be left? I’ll tell you what – Vikings.
Valhalla is the 12th mainline entry in the Assassin’s Creed series, and much like its subject, is huge and ambitious.
The story follows Eivor, leader of the Raven clan (you choose at the start whether to play Eivor as male or female), who decides to move people from an overcrowded Norway, to settle in new lands in Anglo-saxon England.
As you can imagine, the fledgling Brits don’t take too kindly to the new arrivals, and the Ravens face strong opposition – not just from the leaders of the kingdoms they march through, but from the warring sons of legendary Viking warrior Ragnar Lothbrok, and his Great Heathen Army.
And if all that isn’t enough, they also cross paths with the Hidden Ones, the first official incarnation of the Assassin Brotherhood.
Like Odyssey and Origins before it, Valhalla is a beautifully realised, fully-fledged open-world RPG, structured around several main story quests and numerous optional side missions. The attention to detail is stunning – you can almost smell the lush, green forests, and feel the damp inside the mossy ruins of structures as you make your way across Dark Ages Britain.
If the thought of walking your way from the English Channel to York is too much, don’t worry, the Ravens spend a lot of time on their longboat, winding their way through rivers and courses.
On land, you can take the weight off by catching a ride on your mount – which takes the form of a giant wolf.
The focus is on stealth as a tactic and moving through the gaming environment is much stronger here than in previous titles. And there’s the welcome return of ‘social stealth’, the ability for you to put up your hood, and melt away into crowds.
But they’re not the only devious tactics in your arsenal.
Eivor can feign death or use a raven to distract guards, allowing the Viking leader to either slip past, or sneak up and use the hidden wrist blade to swiftly and silently dispatch them.
As you can imagine, combat is incredibly gory, Eivor and the clan showing no mercy to the dwellers of the settlements they stumble upon.
Combat is not subtle, the axes you wield make every blow you land feel vital, and between the cumbersome weaponry and heavy furs Eivor wears, you feel heavy, making it almost difficult to dodge and parry incoming attacks.
Nothing quite gets the bloodlust raging than crashing the longboat ashore, and charging up the hill with your clan – the primal roars as you descend upon the unfortunate settlers of a village.
Life as a Viking is not all about waging war though, and the game’s developers have done an incredible job of fleshing out the world they inhabit.
When you’re not unleashing hell on the locals, the Ravens enjoy games of dice and fishing, you can even take part in ‘flyting’ – short rhyming battles, which see you
basically trying to ‘out rap’ each other.
There’s also a strong spiritual element running through the game. Viking culture was heavily interwoven with religion and mysticism, and Valhalla (itself named after the mythical hall in Asgard where warriors believed they travelled after death) integrates this beautifully into the game.
From cursed symbols left out by the Saxons, to building stone cairns to mark spots of significance, you get a real sense of what it meant to be a viking.
I’ve not had the pleasure of experiencing this game on the new generation consoles, but even on the Xbox One, this was jawdroppingly gorgeous.
Time and effort has gone into creating a world that feels real, the bonds that tie you to your clan are tangible, the complex and grubby political structure of early England, feeling almost like a history lesson.
This is a stellar addition to the Assassin’s Creed series, and one which will keep you embroiled for a very long time.
Buy it: