Ubisoft’s upcomingAssassin’s Creed: Valhallaplaces the game in a refreshingly-new Viking setting. Players take on the role of Eivor, a Norse Viking from a clan that partook in raids against England’s King Alfred the Great. With the game placing less attention to level grind and more on its trademark stealth, players may be excited to see what Eivor and his crew of Norsemen can offer. Moreover, the return of the Hidden Blade and social stealth can add another degree of complexity to the game’s mechanics.
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However, players might still get concerned over features thatValhallamay lift from other titles. After all,AChas applied new mechanics such as allies, skill trees, and different weapon combos into recent titles. Just what features shouldValhallaavoid, and what exactly might help the game shine?
10Avoid: Prioritizing Mythos Over History
Assassin’s Creedis all history and realism until artifacts get involved, and ancient civilizations arise. While the idea of the Isu and the First Civilization add much-needed depth toAC’shistory-charged stories, it might be difficult to tread the line between fantasy and fiction, given the game’s setting. With figures such as Odin seemingly going to influenceValhalla’s events, the game might treat closer into being an action-fantasy RPG instead of stealth title.
The game can remedy this by perhaps helpingValhallashape the fledgling Hidden Ones from a historical perspective instead of focusing heavily on the game’s mythological elements.
Assassin’s Creed: OdysseyintroducedACfans to the idea of having two protagonists. InOdyssey, players can take on the role of eitherAlexios or Kassandra. Both characters had virtually no differences in terms of gameplay and subtle variations in dialogue. The real question of protagonist canonicity gets resolved at the end of the story, where the game implies Kassandra might be the canonical protagonist of the title. WithValhalla, now might be time to give just as much attention to both options available.
Odysseyshows both Alexios and Kassandra have separate endgames in their storylines, which makes the idea ofValhallareturning the focus to a singular protagonist (Eivor) a bit of an odd choice. WhileValhallaoffers the option to make Eivor a man or a woman, players might receive the title better if the other protagonist had a story of their own.
8Avoid: Dedicated Environmental Puzzles
Valhallateases the return of navigational puzzles, where Eivor has to use the environment to reach destinations in the game. The concept itself will add depth to Eivor’s surroundings, as 9th Century England offers vast landscapes and impressive architecture. However, navigational puzzles become a bummer when they become a highlight of a mission instead of being a seamless part of the experience.
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Valhallacan add emphasis to the beauty of its setting by having environmental puzzles a natural part of Eivor’s journey. For instance, Eivor could find villages protected inside forests or fortresses protected by small hills and mountain ranges. These environmental “challenges” take full advantage of the navigational puzzle feature, but they’re also natural.
The return of the Hidden Blade and social stealth can delight fans that missed insta-kills and blending well with crowds while stalking opponents. However,Valhallamight want to start adding more life to their NPCs as well.
In the real world, blending in with environments don’t just focus on “not being noticed,” but also on interacting with people to avoid attention.Valhallacan help Eivor immerse himself in 9th Century England by giving him opportunities to interact with the locals, even in social stealth. These can include simple actions such as gossiping, asking about recent news, or even simple pickpocketing.
6Avoid: Automatic Crew Mechanics
Despite the addition of settlements and recruitment options,Valhallawill most likely put a heavy focus on Eivor. This idea makes sense, asValhalla’s plot willprobably revolvearound Layla Hassan tapping into Eivor’s memories from the real world. As a result, it’s likely for the game to rely on AI for how Eivor’s crew will battle opponents. This feature shouldn’t be wrong in itself, as Eivor will likely have access to basic crew commands.
However, a game setting that emphasizes on raids and large-scale combat should at least have more advanced crew command options.Valhallacan let go of the typical attack, defend, and retreat options in most crew-based games. Instead, it can add options such as stances, or even situational commands like in other strategy titles.
Recruitment has become one of the best parts of anyAssassin’s Creedtitle. After all, it feels fantastic being able to hire townsfolk or even unique NPCs to fight for player characters.Valhallateases the return of the same mechanic, especially since Eivor will be exploring 9th Century England with his crew of Viking raiders.
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While mostACgames rely on AI to control much of the allies' actions,Valhallamight want to switch things up. GivenValhalla’s emphasis on building settlements and heavy combat, Eivor should probably have access to in-depth squad mechanics to control the actions of his Viking allies. This feature can help maximize the abilities of allies in battle and maximize Eivor’s assassination skills.
4Avoid: Emphasis On Weapon Combos
Vikings take pride in their battle prowess, which explains why Eivor and his Viking companions wield a variety of weapons. Moreover, this skill perfectly fits intoAClore, as assassins should know how to use all sorts of armaments. However, the return of the Hidden Blade hopefully puts less emphasis onother weaponsin the game.
Series fans love the firstAssassin’s Creedtrilogy thanks to its emphasis on stealth - something gameplay also takes into consideration.Valhallaand future releases should focus more on dodges, parries, and evasive maneuvers that use enemy movements and their environment against them. After all, forcing a heavy emphasis on weapon combos will makeValhallalook like a historical RPG title.
Valhallamarks the return of the series stape Hidden Blade, which didn’t make it intoOdyssey. This return, teased alongside potential personalization options, fits the game’s heavier emphasis on gear customization. However, Ubisoft can take this up a notch with a Hidden Blade with multiple attachment options.
For instance, Eivor’s Hidden Blade can have different poisons, a grappling hook option, or even a makeshift crossbow launcher. Ubisoft can present a caveat where players can only use one other Hidden Blade utility alongside the primary blade. This factor will be forcing players to choose the right component for every mission. This inclusion will separate Eivor from his combat-heavy Viking comrades, which can make players feel like they’re playing an assassin behind the frontline.
2Avoid: Small DLC Packages
DLCs have become a series staple sinceAssassin’s Creed II,so it’s going to be too much of an ask to cut the idea entirely. After all, Ubisoft already teasedValhallaDLC content. However, newcomers might find it challenging to trackValhalla’s future DLC content if Ubisoft releases them as small packs.
For instance, mostACgames have special editions with exclusive content. However, Ubisoft also releases Season Passes, individual DLC packages, and sometimes even items within said DLC packs. The upside here is that theUbisoft sitecompiles all its DLC releases in its ownAssassin’s Creedpages. Not to mention, releasing DLCs in this way allows players to personalize theirACexperience.
Ubisoft may want to opt just releasing one massive DLC expansion containing major updates forValhalla. This idea would make DLCs look seem more important, especially if plannedValhallaDLC will feature new stories and content. Moreover, this release can pose less of a burden forACfans. After all, this release means they now have to save up for just a few significant content updates.
This release format may add more value to DLC packs, as these significant updates can overhaul the way players exploreValhalla’s setting. Players may look forward to playing these larger DLC packs, especially since the purchase feels more justified.
