Recently, I went hands-on with a build of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. With less than a month to go before release, I was excited to get some valuable time with the game and see how it has progressed.
The demo began in the settlement, the hub of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Here you can upgrade buildings, visit shops and talk to fellow clan members. My first task was to visit the great hall and speak with my intel chief Randvi before heading out on my journey.
The entire demo took place in the Mercia region, specifically the territory of Ledecestrescire. This is a territory you soon discover after arriving in England with your clan.
Check out the video below, which was directly captured during my 6 hour gameplay session. While I would love to be able to share with you the entire session, I’ve edited it to 15 minutes to give you a good idea of my experience with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Please note, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is still under development and a work in progress.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Details
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia, Amazon Luna and PC
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Developer(s): Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Action-role playing
Modes: Single-player
Live the Viking experience
In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla you play as Eivor, a fierce Viking raider raised on tales of battle and glory. The game takes you to a dynamic and beautiful open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages.
Driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in the ninth century AD, you lead your clan of Norsemen across the icy North Sea to the rich lands of England’s broken kingdoms. There you carve out a new future for your clan, reliving the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors.
As you and your clan of Vikings begin to settle into your new home, you encounter resistance from the Saxons, including King Aelfred of Wessex, who denounces you and your clan as heathens and looks to be the sole ruler of a civilized England.
Familiar and new gameplay elements
If you’ve played the last few Assassin’s Creed games, you’ll feel right at home. The game presents a skill tree that allows you to expand Evior’s abilities through skill points that are earned throughout the world by completing various tasks and defeating enemies.
As you can see from my gameplay video above, there are two types of approach you will want to consider when engaging the enemy: stealth and combat through raid. By surveying the area with your crow, you are able to safely locate, tag enemies and identify the mission objective. Your use of parkour and stealth with surprise enemies and blending into crowds when entering hostile zones. As a result, this makes it much easier to take out enemies one by one, without being spotted by other enemies.
The second type of approach when fighting your enemies is to sound the horn and call in your allies during a raid. This alerts your enemies of your presence. Also, it allows you to use the sheer numbers of your allies to overwhelm the enemy.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla launches November 10, 2020
After 6 hours with the game, there is no doubt about it, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be one of this holiday’s hottest games. I’m excited to explore the open-world, engage in world events, solve puzzles, battle bosses, fight against legendary animals and more in this alternative history of the Viking invasion of England.
If you’re a fan of the Assassin’s Creed series, you’ll want to keep your eye out for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The game launches November 10, 2020 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Amazon Luna and PC. As a side note, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla supports Microsoft’s “Smart Delivery” program, which allows you to purchase only one copy of the game that will work on both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. And, if you purchase Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on PlayStation 4 you’ll be able to upgrade to the PS5 version at no cost.
Let me know in the comments section below what you think about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. All things considered, will you be picking it up on Nov. 10?
Pre-order Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5
Pre-order Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
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