On April 29, the whole world was able to witness the official reveal of the new chapter of Assassin's Creed which will be called Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The announcement was given in a very particular form: on the main social channels of Ubisoft in fact, a live broadcast lasting about 8 hours was broadcast where a world-famous artist, known by the name of Bosslogic, has created the main artwork of the title showing once and for all the existence of this new adventure and highlighting the chosen setting, that is the Viking era. This historical setting has been requested several times over the years by many fans, being the period much appreciated by a huge slice of users not only in the gaming field, but also in literature, cinema and television.
There are many shows that have been successful thanks to this historical setting that tells the stories of fearless men and women, navigators and conquerors who, in a specific period between the early 800s and the late 1100s, raided and plundered good part of northern Europe by conquering and settling in lands on the coasts of the British Isles, France and other coastal areas. Not only wars and conquests, but also the Norse mythology, characteristic and unique of its kind, it is often used in numerous contexts, especially within video games. Characters such as Odin, Thor, Loki, Freia and many others are nowadays known by everyone thanks to numerous titles or films released in theaters. But what are all these works that have spread the stories of the Vikings and Nordic mythology even more in recent years, to the point of “surpassing” the much loved and classic Greek myth? Let's see some together TV series, films, and video games that have brought the aforementioned elements to the stage, all while waiting for Assassin's Creed Valhalla to enter the scene.
The Banner Saga (video game)
This little gem, considered a true masterpiece, is a gripping Viking RPG narrative series that has won countless awards and has even been awarded at 4 GOOD LUCK. The Banner Saga is a tactical role-playing video game, developed by Stoic Studio, which mainly deals with mythological themes, in some ways fantasy, of which Norse mythology is composed at the expense of a minor naked and raw action component to which we are used to approach it. Here too, similarly to "Jotun", we are faced with an excellent artistic work, with hand-made drawings and evocative music like few titles can do. The game is obviously inspired by Norse mythology, but without going too far into what is the history of the Viking era. Composed of three chapters that are each the continuation of the other and from a detached online experience (released at a later time), The Banner Saga is an adventure that absolutely deserves to be tried, even more so if you are curious about what Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be able to offer.
Vikings (TV series)
Probably the most loved TV show ever that deals with the exploits of the Viking age, and perhaps also the one that comes closest to what we will see in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. This Canadian-born TV series has been around for 7 years now and is now in its sixth season. It tells the adventures of the warrior who became king Ragnarr Loðbrók (Travis Fimmel), in a fairly fictional way, which seems to have reigned over Sweden and Denmark towards the end of the XNUMXth century. The show is highly appreciated both at the critical level but above all by the public, although it is not free from a number of defects, in particular historical ones: Ragnarr e Rollo they are brothers in the TV series, but almost certainly they were not in reality (among other things, Ragnarr was never understood if he really lived or not); or even the helmet, ascertained that the famous horns of the Vikings never existed (but these are still often represented like this today), is an object completely absent during the fighting, and the clothes used are completely anachronistic. Among the important characters, both on a mythological and television level, we point out: Lagherta, Floki, Aslaug e Bjorn (one of Ragnarr's sons) all featured on the show.
Jotun (video game)
Identifying itself as the best titles of recent years made by the Canadian software house Thunder Lotus Games and released on PC, MAC, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U and Nintendo Switch, Jotun is a jewel capable of mixing historical events, action / platform-style game mechanics and fights in a choral and poetic way. The protagonist is a young warrior who, following a death that did not occur in battle which therefore precludes her from entering the Valhalla, she was given a second chance to redeem herself before the eyes of Odin. To succeed in this task, the warrior will have to kill all Jotun, the fearsome giants that haunt the kingdom of the gods. From here begins the long journey of Thora made up of dangers, fights and mythological figures.
Norsemen (TV series)
Totally different from the show "Vikings" is the TV series Norsemen, now in its 3rd season and viewable on Netflix. This Viking-themed television series is about a group of men living in the village of Norheim around the year 800. The main differentiation from the major show is the totally comic key that this latter production, of Danish origin, has chosen to embrace. Although it does not enjoy the same notoriety as Vikings, Norsemen has received a lot of praise from numerous newspapers that have also awarded it as best comedy and nominated for best soundtrack. An added peculiarity of the show is the acting both in English and Norwegian, so much so that in the original language (i.e. Danish) it is known by the name of Vikingane and not of Norsemen.
Beowulf (film)
There are several films based on the famous epic poem, however the one considered by critics as the best film adaptation (and consequently also more faithful to Viking history) is "The Beowulf Legend“: Animated film directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump; Polar Express). Although there is no certain evidence of this manuscript belonging to Norse mythology, B it has now become a symbol of Nordic and English culture, in turn inspiring many authors and literaries who have created new products inherent to the culture of the Vikings and beyond. The plot of the film sees the kingdom of Denmark being hit by Grendel, a fearsome bloodthirsty monster. To the aid of King Hrothgar and his people has arrived Beowulf, a Viking warrior with superhuman strength capable of slaying the threat, but Grendel's mother now calls for revenge.
Runes (video game)
Another video game that has been able to stand out among others by exploiting Norse mythology in its favor and giving the public a good title that can be enjoyed both in terms of plot and gameplay is Runes, third person action game developed by Human Head Studios that will put us in the shoes of Ragnarr, last descendant of the family who was entrusted with the task of protecting the Sacred Runes placed on earth by the god Odin himself. After a decidedly turbulent and bloody beginning of the adventure, the father of all gods appears to the young Ragnarr who entrusts him with the mission of killing Conrack and to prevent the liberation of the mighty and terrible Loki from the underground where he was imprisoned. From here he will begin his bloody adventure made of battles, blood and violence against obstacles of all kinds such as undead creatures and superhuman beings. The title is certainly not among the most recent productions, but not for this a fan of the Nordic myth should put it aside and indeed, we highly recommend it to all those who can't wait to launch into Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
The Last Kingdom (TV series)
This latest British-born TV series, now in its fourth season, is based on the "Stories of the Saxon Kings" novel series written by Bernard Cornwell. For those unfamiliar with this series of stories, know that it began in 2004 and, to date, has 12 books. The story is obviously set in the years of the Viking era, around the 7th century, during the invasion of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (divided at the time into XNUMX separate kingdoms) by the Danes ending with the reconquest started by Alfredo the great. The reign of the Wessex it is the last stronghold still standing, and the protagonist of the events, a certain Uhtred di Bebbanburg, he was kidnapped by the Danish army and later trained as one of them. Unique peculiarity of this show concerns the creator of the novels Bernard Cornwell who is actually a descendant of them and has decided to make these stories based on real historical events and facts. Here too there is no shortage of the most classic of historical / mythological characters such as King Alfred, Ragnarr, Brida Hastein and many others.
Vikings: Wolves of Midgard (video game)
Made by a small Slovak development team, Games Farm, this work is very reminiscent of other much more famous productions such as Diablo 3 and Bastion although it does not share the same manufacturing quality. It is a game that has several technical flaws, but if the Viking story appeals to you more than it can destabilize a dancer frame rate or a few less polygons, then this title is the Viking-themed action game you will want to play. Action, fighting Hack and slash, elements RPG, magic and monsters are the pure blood of Vikings: Wolves of Midgard, available for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. If the playful setting of Assassin's Creed Valhalla isn't your thing, this production could represent an intriguing alternative.
How to Train Your Dragon (movie)
Another series of animated films, this time much more recent from which a series of cartoons has also been taken, is "How to Train Your Dragon", distributed by DreamWorks Animation with the title of How to Train Your Dragon. It too, as often happens, is taken from a book of the same name. The three films that make up these fun and fast-paced animated films have all been directed by Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch). The main film in the series is about a young boy, Hiccup, belonging to a Viking village that struggles to acclimatise and demonstrate their physical, courageous and warlike abilities as any other of his "fellow citizens" does by capturing dragons (this is the main occupation of all of them). When, by sheer luck, he manages to trap the “Night Fury” (the most fearful dragon there is), he will do everything to keep it hidden from others by trying to make friends. There is not much of a Viking in this animated film - and even with Assassin's Creed Valhalla does not have much to share - if not some makeover to the clothes, the temper of the protagonists and the classic Nordic settings rich in green valleys alternating with immense glaciers. All three films have received numerous awards and as many nominations as the one for best animated film at the Oscars.
God of War (video game)
Last, but certainly not least, is the acclaimed title of one of the most loved and famous sagas in the history of video games: God of War. After the original trilogy and numerous spin-offs they have seen Kratos rise to the God of War and challenge every god of Mount Olympus, in this new chapter of the game (considered the "fourth" at the plot level) the adventures have moved to the northern lands, definitively abandoning the classic setting of the Greek era. Together with his young son Atreus, for the first time our beloved protagonist will be accompanied during all or almost the continuation of the story that will see both fighters honor the desire to Faye, the mother of the "boy" and wife of the Spartan who, before dying, had asked both of them to scatter her ashes on the highest mountain of the Nine Kingdoms. The game has received numerous awards and has been acclaimed by critics and audiences. Among other things, it is also not difficult to imagine that the success of the title has led Ubisoft to push towards the Norse setting for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
Waiting for Assassin's Creed Valhalla
As we have just seen, the Viking age is a theme dealt with over and over again so much that it is extrapolated from its context and sometimes inserted into a world that often does not even belong to it: in some cases succeeding in the enterprise, in other occasions failing miserably. However, Nordic mythology has always been an element appreciated by many people, which is the reason that pushes the productions of films, video games and more to create products of this type. Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft's ambitious new project that was shown later on during the Inside Xbox revealing some glimpses of gameplay, it seems to have what it takes to show itself as a product worthy of the name it bears. Finally, being able to exploit the appeal that the history of the Vikings is able to give, we hope that the next adventures of Eivor will be among the most beautiful ever seen in Viking land.
