Assassin's Creed has gone through dramatic change over the last generation, becoming a full-fledge RPG with Origins and Odyssey. Ubisoft has revealed the next step in the series as Assassin's Creed Valhalla, taking the story to ninth-century England and a Viking protagonist.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla looks to continue the gameplay elements that the last two games set up, and it once again lets players choose between a male and female protagonist.
Valhalla looks to be an utterly massive game with fifteen different dev studios working on it, compared to the seven that worked on Odyssey. Ubisoft shared a ton of information since the announcement of Valhalla, so there's plenty to dive into.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Release Date
The first cinematic trailer for Assassin's Creed Valhalla laid everything out, including a release window. The game is currently planned for release in Holiday 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, PS5, and Xbox Series X. Ubisoft hasn't given an exact date, but that will likely come once Sony and Microsoft have announced the respective release dates for PS5 and Xbox Series X. At the moment it's unknown how Valhalla will be enhanced or improved on the next-gen consoles.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla also has multiple editions available for pre-order through the Ubisoft store. This includes a Gold Edition for $99.99, Ultimate Edition for $119.99, and a Collector's Edition for $199.99.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Story
Assassin's Creed Valhalla takes place in 9th century Britain, amidst the Viking invasions of Saxon kingdoms. Players assume the role of Eivor, a Viking warrior raised on tales of glory and valor. As seen in the trailer, after the death of their father Eivor has to assume command of the clan, and said clan plays a vital role in both the story and gameplay of Valhalla. Opposing the Vikings is King Alfred the Great, who seems to be involved with the Templars in one way or another.
Valhalla takes place across Britain, Norway, and Scandanavia and has a huge emphasis on building a settlement while using diplomacy or force to interact with other Viking clans. Ubisoft says that choice will be a huge aspect of Valhalla, as per their announcement post "Shifting England’s balance of power and expanding your influence through diplomacy will likely make you more friends than brute force. Every political alliance you build, combat strategy you employ, and dialogue choice you make will alter your journey."
The player's settlement is where everything major will happen in Valhalla. Players build it up through the decisions they make, and its where major quests and story arcs will begin and end. Lead Producer Julien Laferrière detailed the settlement a little more in an interview with Eurogamer, saying,
"Big story arcs will begin and end here, the impact of your decisions rippling through your growing community. You'll see the effects of alliances - such as weddings to forge relationships between clans - and the consequences of "harsh choices you have to face". It's also where you'll see some of the game's romances play out (if you choose to indulge in those)." Valhalla also seems to be looping in elements of Norse mythology, like Odyssey did with Greek mythology, as evidenced by a figure that appears to be Odin the reveal trailer.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Gameplay
Assassin's Creed Valhalla uses the same systems from previous games as a basis to build on. Combat has been redesigned to be more visceral, and Eivor can use weapons like dual axes, swords, shields, and even the iconic hidden blade. Players will be able to customize most of their gear, along with the beard and tattoos of their character. As mentioned earlier, choice will play a major part in Valhalla and it can change the outcome of the story in major ways. Just like the eagles in the past two games, players will also have a raven companion to accompany them.
Valhalla will feature travel on land and sea, using those iconic Viking longboats. Ubisoft is also trying to recreate a major part of Viking history, raids. Ubisoft says raids are "more action-packed and brutal than anything Assassin’s Creed has seen before" and it seems like they'll be a big part of the overall gameplay loop. Players will be able to recruit fighters to their settlement and improve it with buildings like a blacksmith, barracks, and tattoo parlor. Valhalla is a single-player focused experience but the description in the reveal trailer does say that players will create be able to create their own unique Viking raider, then share it online with their friends to use in their own raids.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla launches Holiday 2020 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
