Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla | Xbox Series X Review

There are very few game series that pull me in and drive me on with a relentless addiction to complete them as fast as possible. One of these series is Assassin’s Creed from Ubisoft. With the arrival of the newest console generation, a new entry in the saga has made itself known as loud as a Viking horn, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. With this latest iteration, I knew that I had to dive into the Animus to discern its secrets as fast as possible to make sure that nothing was ruined for me. I also needed to help determine if this entry is a worthy successor to Odyssey. So join me drengr in this battle for glory to see if the fields of Valhalla call for you.

New Blood Flows

This time around in the Assassin’s Creed universe you play as Eivor. Like in Odyssey, you have the choice of either playing as a male or female. Your character is of Norse descent and the game begins in Norway. However, almost immediately a series of events occur which lead you on a path of revenge and redemption. Your travels will take you far from your homeland all the way to England where themajority of the story takes place. Like any good Norse warrior it is time then for pillaging and warfare to make this thawed country your home. 

This newest entry in the series also follows the same route in giving you very small amounts of information on the Assassins and Templars. Currently in Valhalla the Assassins are referred to as The Hidden Ones and their adversaries (The Templars) are now The Order of the Ancients. The story overall is an amazing ride of alliances and betrayals that help establish the future rule of England.

Aside from the main story there are also a plethora of side stories and missions. Some of these dive deep into Norse mythology and others are entertaining throw-aways. The level of detail that is given to some of these missions are incredible; giving deep thought to the direction in which they are taken. For instance, hidden throughout the world are weapons from Norse mythology which you can use on your quest like Mjolnir and Gungnir. If those aren’t to your liking there is plenty more to keep a player busy for hours on end.

A Sight to Behold

One of the best parts of this game is the scenery and views. The landscapes that have been constructed for this game are mind-blowing. On so many occasions while climbing to the top of a certain area just to get a better view, I found myself staring and wondering how much better graphics could possibly get. Also the level of detail given to some historical sites is a continued amazement to behold. I spent a fair amount of time just walking around the Stonehenge site and looking at it mostly because I haven’t been there in real life.

A Small Stumble

The controls in Valhalla are not as tight and clean as the last two entries. While sure you do grow used to them, it doesn’t quite feel the same. The skill tree is also a sight to behold, with over 400 different stat slots interwoven with major ability nodes to pick up. No two players will have the exact same experience (unless of course you max it out over a hundred hours later). A great many of the nodes are small increases to certain stats or weapons to help customize your play style to a much more niche experience. It almost feels like the developers were making your character more clunky and brutish due to their Viking heritage, rather than a small and quick fighter as in previous games.

And Behold Ragnarok Comes

Valhalla does have a few flaws that for some can take away from the overall experience. With games this size, I have almost grown accustomed to coming across problems and there are a few in this game. On a few occasions I would load into the game to find myself falling from an incredible height and then die. Quite a few times, I had items or quests glitch out and was forced to reload a previous save to finish the task. One of the ways I have been solving this problem with games these days is saving more often than in years past. Some of the side missions in the game also irritated me because they felt out of place, like a “baseball” mini-game in which the character is played by LA Dodger’s Cody Bellinger.

However The World Must Go On

And go on it does with plenty of post game content to keep you busy as you forge new alliances, hunt down all members of the order, and kill some savage beasts across this great land. The first major expansion has dropped, which fixed a lot of the early bugs and introduced some new ones (here’s looking at you floating Goliath enemy). It also added a limited time event in your homestead.

Winter has come to Ravensthorpe, and as your settlement has gained renown, the Yule festival now invites friends and foes alike to beat you at a skilled games of archery, drinking contests till you pass out, and a ten-round boxing match that has only two rules: win, then drink! Finishing these challenges earns you Yule Tokens that can be spent on some weapons and gear from the Yule Festival shop as well as some merry tattoo designs and settlement pieces for the season. The next big expansion is set to be released in February.  

A Last Look into the Past

Overall, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is a wonderful game that I enjoyed from start to finish. The developers also listened to the fans and gave some more weight to the modern-day storyline. So much so that looking ahead I have a feeling it will greatly impact future games. The series continues to amaze me with its unique alternate telling of some of history’s more interesting moments. There is also a small story beat that ties the previous games together in a new light. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla has been one of my favorite entries in the series to date for many reasons, and the game also has me now looking to the horizon for the next game to see how the story continues to unfold.

This review is based on an Xbox Series X copy of Assassin’s Creed: Valahala provided by Ubisoft for coverage purposes. It is also available on Playstation 4/5, Google Stadia, and Microsoft Windows.