Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Preview of the new Ubisoft title

After a long wait, we are finally here: Assassin's Creed Valhalla he showed himself to the whole world, first with a cinematic trailer and then with a (short) gameplay teaser during the'Inside Xbox May Episode. The saga of Assassin's Creed has been going on for thirteen years, when in 2007 the very first chapter of the series was released starring the now iconic Altair. Since then, water under the bridge has passed, and with the passage of time the saga has evolved drastically, displeasing many fans but making others happy, now saturated with the classic game formula of the series. So what should we expect from Assassin's Creed Valhalla? Let's find out in this preview!

The setting

The Assassin's Creed saga has become famous above all because of the various historical contexts in which the various killers were lowered. From third crusade toRenaissance Italy, From American war of independence to the French Revolution, From 'Ptolemaic Egypt toAncient Greece. This time the boys of Ubisoft decided to set the new chapter of Assassin's Creed in 873 AD during theViking era, a choice that is linked to the trend of the moment given that the Norse context is going a lot in fashion in recent years, just think of the TV series Vikings or the last chapter of the saga of God of War.

In this regard, the Narrative Director Darby McDevitt said he was not worried about the comparison with the title developed by Santa Monica:

God of War is great, I played it. That's great, but I wouldn't say I'm worried, because most games push hard on mythology when they address this topic. So this is the main feature of God of War: you play it knowing that you can punch Baldur in the face, meet all these characters and travel to fantastic settings.

If there's one thing Ubisoft has always managed to do in various Assassin's Creed, it is enhance the setting in which the gamer is dropped, a striking example of this seen in Assassin's Creed II and in its direct sequel Brotherhood. From the first images seen so far, it seems that once again Ubisoft has given its best, just see the splendid realization of the snow-covered lands of Norway. Among the various places that can be visited in the game, it will also be possible to visit the famous site of Stonehnge, but also other areas ofEngland.

As for the setting, the Communications Manager of Ubisoft in the area of Middle East Malek Taffaha, via your Twitter account, stated that the new chapter of the Assassin's Creed saga will be less extensive than the previous two chapters:

For your information, Assassin's Creed Valhalla won't be the longest or biggest game in the series. The critical issues on this juncture have been addressed.

This choice could mean that the developers have decided to favor more attention to detail than a vastness for its own sake. We will probably have a smaller but denser game map. We'll see.

The gameplay

As for the pad game in hand, in the current state of things we have seen very little, thanks to the latest trailer that has embittered many fans in this regard. Given the (legitimate) disappointment with information and more detailed images of the game system that have not been shown, he recently intervened Ashraf Ismail, the Creative Director of Valhalla. Through his official Twitter account, the developer has reassured fans by promising them that more details will be shown in the future:

Hello everybody. Legitimately, you expected to see more today. We have a long marketing campaign ahead of us, you will see in-depth gameplay and you will have access to much more information about the title. Thanks for your enthusiasm and your passion! Be patient with us and be kind. It will be worth it !.

Always Ismail, during a recent interview with the microphones of Game Informer, spoke in depth on the new RPG elements present in Valhalla. Compared to the two previous chapters, the level system will be put aside, one of the most criticized points of the new course taken by the Ubisoft saga. Each tool that the player will find will be unique and we will be able to carry the same equipment until the end of the game (since from a certain point on they will also be customizable).

As for the skills, there will be a skill tree through which the player can decide whether to make his Viking a stealthy character, or perhaps to adopt a more violent fighting style. As for the combat system, the return of the hidden blade, absent in the previous two chapters of the series (apart from a DLC of Odyssey). Furthermore, as we have seen in the few images shown so far, the protagonist Eivor (which can be both a man and a woman, depending on the player's choice), he can also fight in Dual Wielding.

The possibility of being able to wield two weapons will not only concern the offensive ones, but also the defensive ones. In fact, the player will be given the opportunity to use two shields at the same time, which could hypothetically allow us to dive into the heart of the battle without anyone getting in our way.

The already mentioned Darby McDebit, during an interview with the Stevivor website, talked about some features that will be featured in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Among the various elements of the gameplay, McDevitt focused on navigation, which will be one of the cornerstones of the gaming experience, although it will differ a lot from what was seen in Assassin's Creed III, Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag e Assassin's Creed Rogue. Here are his statements on the matter:

Ships are used to go up rivers or across lakes, to prepare for raids and explore. […] It's different from Assassin's Creed IV, where everything was about the open sea. We could call these ships 'river horses'. They are used to navigate within the territories. […] No, it is not a question of sailing in the open sea: although these are the same technologies used by the Vikings to cross the ocean, what these ships did best was to go up rivers quickly.

In addition, McDevitt dwelt on the aforementioned "RAID"

Get on a ship, get to a place where you raid yourself, steal things as fast as you can and run away. They're hit-and-run tactics, that kind of thing. While the pirates were lawless criminals trying to survive on the open sea, the Norsemen stole to survive because of their culture and the extremely hostile place they came from. We've been working on raids for quite some time - you can start one, leave and go and complete it. What happens during the raids will be part of a unique package and will be very exciting indeed.

As for the online component of the title, there will not be a mode multiplayer, but it will be possible to create and personalize your own Viking raider for then share it with other players. The player can then to recruit fighters designed by other users, who can then help him in battle.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be a title cross-gen, and therefore will be available for consoles of this generation and the next. Specifically, the title will be available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Google Stadia and PC. The title is expected to hit stores later this year.