Assassin¡¯s Creed is one of Ubisoft¡¯s biggest franchises, beloved and adored by the gaming community worldwide. For over a decade, it has offered us a glimpse into past heroes and myths surrounded by an amazing story, with signature moves like jumping off rooftops without a scratch and stealthily killing antagonists. And when you add Vikings into the mix, you get Assassin¡¯s Creed: Valhalla.?
I¡¯ve been excited about this game since I got to see its artwork for the first time, created by the very own BossLogic. So when I got a chance to review AC Valhalla, I took no time in accepting the opportunity and the experience was crazy and overwhelming, to say the least.?
You play the game as Eivor The Wolf Kissed -- a legendary warrior who is badass not just by the way she (or he, depending on the Animus or avatar you pick) looks but also the way she fights.?
The game starts with a bang as Eivor is trying to prove her mettle by moving to England from Norway after the kingdom was taken over by King Harald. I won¡¯t dive too deep into the story as each cutscene teases new layers of the larger narrative and that's an experience that I don¡¯t want to rob you off.?
Eivor comes to England, with her own band of Vikings and their leader, Sigurd, where they continue raiding villages for resources. However, another major part of Eivor is to make the neighbouring kingdoms (led by Danes and Saxons) as their allies. And each kingdom has its own series of missions that progresses the story further.? ?
In case you're someone who is fascinated by the Nordic lore, Assassin's Creed Valhalla makes it come alive in a way you can only dream of.?
Whether it¡¯s talking to Odin himself or hearing people praise Thor, curse Loki among so many things, you¡¯re surely in for a treat diving headlong into medieval Nordic society, knitted through expertly in Valhalla's artistic endeavour.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla puts a strong emphasis on your choices. At several stages through the game or specific quests, you are given multiple choices to choose a path or solve a problem. And each and every one of these choices will result in an entirely different outcome in the game -- in some cases it can even be a matter of life and death.?
Seeing the outcome the choices can make and their impact on dictating turn of events, it would be wise for you to spend a minute or two picking the right move for your character, which is part of AC Valhalla's fun.
Ubisoft is not new in creating beautiful open-world games (we¡¯ve already seen what they¡¯ve done with Far Cry, Division and other franchises).?
Moreover, it has done so with previous Assassin¡¯s Creed games too, and with Valhalla it takes all this to a whole new level. Whether it is the freezing icy regions of Norway or the lush green regions of England, the game looks absolutely breathtaking to immerse yourself in.?
Take a look across the vast lands by sending your raven into the sky and you¡¯ll notice picturesque horizons tempting you to leave your quests and take a stroll on a horse. Whether you¡¯re going through bright sunlight, unforgiving rain or a misty forest, trying to find your way, the game looks amazing in each of its facets.?
However, in case you¡¯re not in the mood for a horse-ride, you can gather your warriors and wander in the river while looking for spots to raid and have some fun. While controlling the boat, your crew entertains you with folk music or fascinating tales of bravery that will make you take longer routes to your destination just to extend the moment a bit longer.?
While strolling through the woods, you are sure to come across some bad guys and in case you love gory and jaw-dropping combats, Assassin's Valhalla has the perfect combination. From chopping the legs and heads of soldiers in the blink of an eye, or cracking their skulls open with a battle axe, Valhalla¡¯s combat doesn¡¯t disappoint in its medieval savagery.?
You get an array of weapons to choose from. You start with a bow and axe, however, as you progress you get better, more badass weapons with special abilities to keep you sharp.?
You can either go with a dual-wield weapon to get more creative with your combat or a single heavy one that would take both of your hands (in my case it was the long axe), or pick the classic sword and shield, the choice is yours, and each will offer a different combat experience that won¡¯t take you forever to get used to.?
Trust me, after a bad day, fighting off bad guys (or rather, chopping them in pieces) in this game was oddly enjoyable and just what the doctor ordered.?
As you progress through the game, you are awarded skill points, which you can use to upgrade your skills tree. These can include getting better melee attacks or able to do greater damage as well as getting better at stealth and stealth kills. This is also how you level up and the game constantly shows you skill points that you can claim to get better.
Additionally, the game also offers abilities that you can find while exploring the vast open world. These abilities help you get more powerful combat skills that can really make the whole Vikings way of life more fun.?
When you hear ¡®Assassin¡¯s Creed¡¯, you¡¯re reminded of a hooded warrior who jumps through tall buildings and rooftops while it stealthily kills the bad guys. However, while playing AC Valhalla, these moments are few and far in between.?
Don¡¯t get me wrong, you do get to do things like staying hooded while passing enemy territories or jumping on a rope or poles like a ninja. However, you rarely get to do the iconic death-defying jumps from rooftops as most buildings aren¡¯t as tall or do an entire playthrough with just stealth mode on -- of course, the Vikings weren't exactly known for their stealth assassin kills, if you look through history.
Even the aspect of making silent kills using the hidden blade exists, but I didn¡¯t get many chances to use it since the moment I did this, I was attacked by other soldiers, busting the stealth nature of the fight. Maybe I just suck at it, but I felt that the game was sort of drifting away from its core in this aspect.?
Despite its minor flaws, Assassins Creed: Valhalla is a game that is not just fun to play, but also entertaining with its quests, combat and rich exploration-based storytelling. The game offers so many things for you to try out resulting in gameplay that can seem almost never-ending.?The combat doesn¡¯t get monotonous and the ability to craft your own ending as you progress through the game is something that truly makes the experience, one¡¯s own.?
In the end, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a game that will keep you hooked for hours, giving you a unique immersive experience into Viking culture and way of life, and it carries forward the Assassin's Creed franchise into a brave new world of possibilities -- even if it doesn't a few signature elements of the past, it sure as heck is a fun adventure.