Introduction

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. The game is set in the Dark Ages during the Viking Age, covering the kingdoms of old England and Norway. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, the story follows the character Eivor, who begins their journey in Norway before traveling to England to build a settlement for their people. Eivor’s character can be customized as male or female, which does not affect the storyline but offers freedom in playing. The game begins with Eivor seeking revenge on Kjotve, who killed their family. After years, Eivor kills Kjotve and then unites the lands under one ruler before traveling to England to start a new settlement and ally with the sons of Ragnar to expand their kingdom.

Story and World

The game world is vast, vibrant, and filled with life, but also dark and brutal at times. As you explore, you will encounter many side activities, such as flyting (poetry duels), where you have to complete a verse in rhyme with the given theme. The game features various regions, like Norway, which is cold and harsh with snowy mountains, and England with different kingdoms like Mercia, known for its natural landscapes and sunlight, Northumbria with its many churches and religious statues, and Asgard, the world of gods, which is beautifully crafted.

The story of Valhalla is similar to the popular show “Vikings,” and the game immerses you deeply in this world. The game allows you to switch between male and female Eivor without affecting the story but with choices that shape how the plot unfolds. Your character’s charisma can also open new dialogues as you perform side quests. The return of the Templars, represented by characters like Hytham and Basim, adds depth to the story.

You can also customize Eivor’s appearance, including outfits, hair, and tattoos.

Gameplay

The leveling system has been replaced with a new “Power” system. Instead of leveling up, you gain points through story progression and side missions that you spend on the skill tree (Skill Tree) with three main categories: Melee, Stealth, and Range. These categories overlap, allowing you to enhance your abilities, such as damage, range, and stealth. The Hidden Blade has also returned.

However, I encountered some issues with this system, particularly when gathering Books of Knowledge (Books of Knowledge), which are scattered across the world and required to unlock skills. Finding them is tedious and can be frustrating, which felt like a waste of time. Combat has also been updated, allowing you to wield two weapons at once or a weapon and shield for normal and heavy attacks. Stamina plays a role in combat, affecting your ability to perform moves.

The new addition to the game is Raids, where you attack other territories to gather resources for your settlement. The horn signifies the start of a raid or the defense of your settlement. Raids are fun but become repetitive, and the enemy AI is often weak, making the combat feel stagnant at times.

Fast Travel is seamless, and once you explore a location, you can quickly travel there without needing to travel by horse or boat again. The horse mechanics are average and not comparable to games like Red Dead Redemption 2, making horseback riding less enjoyable.

Side Quests are not as engaging, often feeling disconnected from the main story. I found myself ignoring them in favor of focusing on the main narrative.

Odin Sight allows you to scan the environment and reveal enemies, while Raven Eye is a crow used to scout areas from a high vantage point, helping you locate hidden objectives and enemies.

The sound design is great, with epic music accompanying raids and battles, enhancing the game’s atmosphere and matching the Viking age theme. The voice acting is also well-done and fits the character dialogues.

Performance and Graphics

On the PS4 Pro, the game runs at Dynamic 4K with 30 frames per second. The graphics are impressive, with vibrant colors and beautifully rendered environments, especially England. However, there were some technical issues like frame drops and glitches, which are typical in Ubisoft games.

Positives

– Great story
– Enjoyable settlement-building mechanics
– Good graphics performance
– Epic, immersive music
– Return of the Hidden Blade
– Return of the Templars
– Well-designed characters and dialogue

Negatives

– Poor AI that feels dumb
– Slow-paced story with some repetitive side quests
– Horseback riding mechanics are underwhelming
– Technical issues like glitches
– The Power system doesn’t feel much different from the old leveling system

Final Verdict:

8.0/10