Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Review Date: 28/01/2021
We will dine … IN VALHALLA!!! This has been loooooong overdue people, but here we go, this is the crazy Assassin’s Creed fan’s review of Ubisoft’s latest masterpiece, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. After 100 hours playing the game, I think it is safe to say that I have experienced this game in all it’s glory and … well Ubisoft … take a bow. You guys fucking nailed it!
Starting the Journey
Beginning in Norway, in a very small playable area, I had logged 20 hours traversing the land, completing world events, collecting the different collectables (I mean what else would you do with them you moron) and taking part in all of the various activities, AC Valhalla already left a sweet taste in my mouth, wanting to explore more. But we know for a fact that Norway is not the country that was advertised in the game, no no no. It was Merry ol’ England.
Now before I go any further, I will say this, if you have played Assassin’s Creed Origins or Odyssey and thought, “Damn, the world is big!” Then you will be freaking shocked by the size of England. Ladies and gentlemen, AC Valhalla’s map is so fucking big that you want to take every chance you get to traverse this world and interact with it in every way possible. Now although big maps in games can be appealing, recent games have had a problem with making the world feel lived in. And that is where I feel Ubisoft achieved the bare minimum. I found the world diverse, lived in and filled with animals, enemies, civilians and that I was never alone, but at the same time, nearing the end of the game, because I like to explore and get the best of the best in terms of weapons, armour and the highest level, I found myself finding the map a tad bit annoyingly large. But that is just me. Maybe you guys and girls will have a better experience.
But map size aside, the world is beautiful and playing it on the PS5 and a 4K TV at 60fps with no lag (yes this is a huge flex, but I don’t care) I found this game immaculate.
Fighting for Valhalla
Over the last three releases in the series, namely Origins, Odyssey and now Valhalla; the Assassin’s Creed series has seen a massive overhaul from a general open-world sandbox to a true RPG open-world game that can rival some of the best out there. That being said, the hidden blade took a leave of absence for the last two games but baby is it back and better than ever.
Now a quick background for the those who don’t know, the hidden blade is the signature trademark weapon of the Assassins and worn on the underside of the hand. Well Eivor said fuck it and wears it on the outer side of his arm showing off the weapon and using it whenever he can.
Now that being said, let’s talk combat. In Odyssey, inventory management was a bit of a pain, given weapons were common and repeated and you could take a set of weapons you liked and kept upgrading till the end. Well in Valhalla, each weapon has differences, and I highly recommend giving them all a try, either dual wielding or single. Your choices of weapons and how you fight is completely up to you. For me, I played, grinded until I could dual wield Excalibur and Mjolnir. So, I beg of you … come at me bro!
Magnificently Gory
And that is the perfect way to lead into the story and overall feel. For me, I can describe the game, the combat and animations (especially the fighting and finishers) as magnificently violent and bloody. Watching Eivor stamp an elite soldiers’ helmet in, or beheading him or even using a two-handed longsword and swinging it on the guy’s head like a lumberjack attacking a tree. I won’t lie that last one always made me laugh, because it was just beautiful.
But the story sees a very in-depth telling of the Vikings time in England and weaving in the Creed and the Order (Templars) into the story. The kicker for me, was a secret ending/side mission that kind of changes things in my opinion on the overall lore of the First Civilization and the Isu, but hey, I read the books, played the games, have the jacket and hoodie, at this point, you could slap the Assassin’s Creed logo on a box of tissues and I would probably buy it.
Final Judgement
Overall Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a magnificent game with a tremendous open-world, excellent combat and a story set with the theme of Norse mythology that will keep you hooked and wanting more. With plenty of Easter Eggs like One-Punch man, or references to Assassin’s Creed Origins or even one of the trophies being titles “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature”, Ubisoft have taken the genre to new heights and new standards and for me, will undoubtedly be listed as one of my all time favourites.
Truthfully, there are things I wanted to say in this review that I felt may spoil it for some, such as locations and things to do, but since I’m a nice guy, I’ll let you experience that for yourself. Till next time my vikingr, JoKishler out! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻)