The latest entry in the Assassin's Creed series, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, is steeped in themes of Norse mythology and classical Viking culture - naturally so, since it takes place during the peak of the Viking invasions of England during the 800s. But Assassin's Creed Valhalla is far from the only game out there with a strong Nordic theme and feel. From popular RPGs like the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim to more obscure epics like The Banner Saga, there are many video game epics that draw on both the the fantasy and real-world concept of Vikings for flavor and flair.
Why are Vikings so cool in the eyes of many? The answer probably lies in their unique blend of heroic and villainous qualities, as recorded in medieval histories, the Prose Edda, and period s of the people who suffered from their numerous raids and invasions between the 790s and 1066 A.D. Through these sources, a picture emerges of the archetypical Norse Viking: irable for their bravery in battle, cleverness in tactics, and desire to live gloriously, while also despicable for their plundering, conquest, slave-trading, and pillaging of defenseless villages and monasteries. Focus on the better qualities of the Vikings, as Assassin's Creed Valhalla's story does, and they can be barbarian warriors seeking prosperity for their people. Focus on the Vikings' more negative qualities, and they can be merciless pirates from beyond the sea with a disdain for learning and bloodthirsty moral values.
The following games, like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, strongly draw from both the historical and pop culture conception of the Vikings, referencing interesting historical details like longboat construction, religions, runes, berserkers, shield maidens, meads, and feasting halls, while also including ahistorical stereotypes, such as dual-wielding axes, excessive tattoos, horned helmets, and armor made entirely of uncured fur hides. Like historians who try to read their primary sources critically, it's good practice for gamers to play these Viking-themed games with a discerning eye, enjoying the mythical Viking aesthetic presented while not blindly accepting the more sensationalized details as historical fact.
Viking Games Like AC Valhalla - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Nord people of the Elder Scrolls setting were always presented as the fantasy equivalent of the Norse cultures seen in historical Scandinavia and Denmark, and the the Old English poem Beowulf.
Viking Games Like AC Valhalla - The Banner Saga Trilogy
Many Norse mythology-themed video games, The Banner Saga trilogy of tactical RPGs form a saga about what happens after Ragnarok; in a broken world where the gods have died and the sun has stopped in the sky, a band of warriors and refugees flees across the frozen landscapes of the north from the relentless armies of the Dredge, searching for a way to overcome their steady extinction. Compared to other Norse-themed video games, the beautifully illustrated heroes and fighters of The Banner Saga wear fairly realistic chain mail/quilted armor and wield practical-looking weapons: a non-human race of horned giants called the Varl pay also homage the now-discredited concept of the Viking horned helmet while still preserving the game's grounded art aesthetic.
Viking Games Like AC Valhalla - Bad North: Jotunn Edition
The historical real-time strategy game Bad North: Jotunn Edition is one of the few games out there that firmly places the Viking in the roles of antagonists. Players take on the role of the heir to a kingdom of abstractly rendered islands currently being invaded by hordes of longboats filled with raiding Vikings. Like in the attrition-based strategy game Into The Breach, the player's is goal to carefully invest the resources of their islands and use efficient tactics to keep the relentless Vikings at bay, even as they wear armies of archers, swordsmen and pikemen down.
Viking Games Like AC Valhalla - Expeditions: Vikings
A more obscure game released in 2017, Expeditions: Vikings blends turn-based tactical combat with intricate kingdom management gameplay, players taking on the role of a newly minted chieftain of an ailing Danish village named Skjern. Over the course of a playthrough, players will seek to restore their village and clan to their formal greatness through a combination of trading, alliance brokering, and raids against the local kingdoms of Britain and Scotland, potentially re-writing history in the process. The story of Expeditions: Vikings draws a lot from historical lore, with references to historical characters, Norse myths and traditions, and even a specialized "Old Norse" language setting. Unlike Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Expeditions: Vikings doesn't shy away from the village-burning, slave-taking, and general ruthlessness of Viking raiders, giving players the choice of whether to embrace or defy these violent practices.
