(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Conquer England Viking style

Throw an ax, drink a horn of mead, and harass the locals, do it all as a Viking in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Experience the finest looking game in the series that is also the best-selling Assassin’s Creed in first week of sales. In fact, it is also Ubisoft’s best opening week for any game, according to Ubisoft Reports AC Valhalla Sales. It starts out with intense Viking action and adds classic AC gameplay while being one of the most accessible titles made. There are issues across multiple systems including some minor graphics problems such as unintended glitching NPCs and accessories that float. However, a recent patch should have resolved most issues. Despite those hiccups, the game and open world map are as extensive as a long house, and every enemy settlement can be raided with the right gear and clan.

The game starts with one short child mission during a festival that ends in tragedy at the hands of Kjotve the Cruel. Without getting the chance to chase a chicken but nearly getting killed by wolves, the narrative jumps quickly to the main character Eivor as a grown adult. Explore Norway under the protection of King Styrbjorn of the Raven Clan, until venturing out to England for new territory with Sigurd, his son. Along the way meet Norsemen and women who have an odd and aggressive way of expressing their desires, there are some cringe-worthy Norsemen pickup lines. How Eivor handles those conversations can affect the outcome.

That only covers a small portion of the main storyline without getting into the modern era section outside of the Animus. The main questline alone can take several days to complete, and my curiosity for the unknown made it take 10 hours before I got to the opening title. The side quests make the game significantly longer, including missions that are mini-campaigns with unique maps. Some defeated and friendly villages offer drinking challenges and Orlog, a dice rolling game unique to AC Valhalla. While Flyting can be competed in several villages, which is a Viking rap battle that is two parts Shakespeare with timber and tone mixed with one part Eminem style dissing lyrics.

Defeating settlements through raids is one of the most epic parts of AC Valhalla. Bringing in the rest of the clan with one loud bone-rattling blow of the horn kept my axes sharp. It was gratifying ramming the gate with other Vikings as arrows rain down from above and buildings burn in the quest for a greater bounty. After the more intense raids there were usually tougher enemies guarding the spoils that helped having some friendly cover against. The Viking clan can be upgraded in several ways. First, adding a barracks allows the player to assign and customize a Jornsviking, a lieutenant that will eventually gain Ranks after an update during Season 1. Second, there are unique Norsemen to recruit through the main story or other special missions who add more depth to the raid squad when acquired.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

At first it seemed as if I could only handle raids and encounters that were close to Eivor’s level. Harder characters have additional abilities and weapons unlike other titles, where tougher enemies just have extra health and damage. Once additional abilities are unlocked through books scattered across the map, Eivor could conquer enemies far above my current level. Although wandering carelessly through any region was still treacherous because of random bandits lying in wait for revenge on any passing Viking.

The noticeable difficulty changes within just a few enemy levels shows that the gameplay in AC Valhalla is vast. Whether defending the clan with the raw skill of a Viking ax and shield, duel-wielding daggers, or swinging a stamina killing two-handed weapon, Eivor’s enemies run in fear or are chopped to pieces. Familiar Brotherhood arms and maneuvers are subtly weaved throughout the story and never feel forced. Assassin abilities of hiding in crowds and dagger assassinations are among the first available, but the assassin is never limited to one play style.

Sometimes the leveling mechanics seemed overwhelming, and when bonuses are stacked together right Eivor gets better focused. The skill tree is complex and frustrating to decipher specific abilities, as a result Ubisoft has put out an update that allows the player to select an upgrade and see its requirements. No choice is permanent and can be changed without costing any precious resources, making replaying tough battles easier after dying repeatedly. Mixing the tree just right gave me the edge Eivor needed if learned skills were not cutting it.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Unlike those skill trees, it was easy to see the brilliant 4k textures in the buildings and wilderness surrounding Norway and England. Leaving the Animus to the modern era seemed unnecessary and became an easily forgotten feature. Why leave the past era when around every river bend there where additional glens and dales to explore? The buildings are all rich with details, especially any of the Roman ruins like Hadrian’s Wall. Exposed bricks and plaster do not look tiled or out of place, making every building individualized and unique. The little huts and fishing encampments were ripe with personality from the thatched roofs to the dirt floors.

Intense environmental and combat graphics caused issues on the next-gen consoles. Users reported that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S framerates were dropping far below 60 fps. The developers released a patch to combat this, so now console players have two options: Quality or Performance. Quality enables enhanced visuals but at a framerate of 30 fps, while Performance setting will drop visuals at times to maintain 60 frames per second. Neither answer may be what gamers want but at least the cloud save issues should be gone, read the full list of fixes on Ubisoft’s AC Valhalla Title Update 1.0.4.

Despite the framerate issues, AC Valhalla is also one of the most accessible games released. Ubisoft Montreal has optimized it for accessibility including full closed captions and adjustable quick time events, the complete list of changes can be found on Ubisoft Support AC Valhalla Accessibility Features. In fact, the developers have been nominated for The Game Awards 2020 Innovation in Accessibility award, check out the full nominee list on The Game Awards nominee page. There are even some advanced support features, including the Tobii eye tracking system that allows users to play with just their eyes, more can be found at Tobii’s AC Valhalla page.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the best AC in many ways, I spent hours wandering the beauty of Norway and England, and then occasionally advanced the main storyline when the feeling struck me. There was little pressure to move the story forward and the world is so expansive that it was worth completely exploring. The depth of the side quests does not help make the game any shorter, and 60 hours with Eivor is truly not enough time. Ubisoft Montreal team took special care to study Viking culture in Norway, and that passion shows in the history, equipment, and lore. I am excited for Season 1 that is right around the corner, and even more for the Wrath of the Druids dlc which arrives early next year.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

• Publisher: Ubisoft

• Release Date: November 11, 2020