The Assassin’s Creed series has evolved much over the years, straying from the more linear gameplay of the Ezio and Altair days, to the modern-day experience rooted in the RPG and open-world vein. That has done little to mar the fans’ love and expectations for the franchise, as they wait in anticipation for their next adventure: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The date to mark on the calendar? Holiday 2020.
Announced at the Ubisoft Forward live stream held earlier today, the team gave a more detailed low-down of the game, alongside an official launch date to look forward to. Keeping to the two-gender system in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the newest member of the family will continue to offer players the choice of either a male or female character, as they relive the epic saga of the the Viking invasion of England.
Familiar elements from the older games have also been brought back, such as blending into the crowd a la Assassin’s Creed II, where your hood and cloak served as your best stealth companions. That’s as far as nostalgia goes, however, with a whole bunch of new features in tow, including massive siege battles, having a crew to assist in raids and stealing cargo, building settlements with acquired resources, the ability to dual wield any two weapons (yes, even two shields), and different enemy archetypes.
More on the last point: Valhalla is set to feature the most variety of enemies across the series, so unique skill sets have been assigned to each group for greater combat immersion and novelty. An example of this archetype ability, for instance, is being able to use the bodies of fallen warriors, and players will have exploit their opponent’s weaknesses in order to win, which can be done through a newly-implemented stun system, or other creative means.
It’s not a drastic overhaul of the existing system, but there should be enough new elements to explore. With the game rooted in Norse and Pagan lore, and the action-mongering, ferocious nature of the vikings, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will most certainly be a wild, adrenaline-fuelled ride for most of us. Hopefully.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Yonk
Trinity Sun
