Assassin's Creed Valhalla

I've been excited for this game for a long, LONG time. This might shock you, but I really liked Origins and Odyssey. I didn't love those two games, but I can see why both of them won critical acclaim and why they went into the Game Awards for game of the year. Again, I enjoyed those games, but I don't love them. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is simply amazing and exactly what I've been looking for in this new direction they're taking this series.

If you don't like RPGs, you probably won't like this game. If you don't like upgrading your character and grinding your weapons to become stronger, you probably won't like this game. If you're like me, someone who's been a fan of this franchise since Black Flag, then this is the type of game that will definitely win you over like it won me over. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is one of the greatest games in the entire franchise. I would go out my way and call it one of my favorite games of 2020.

Valhalla makes you feel like a viking, but you can upgrade your character to play like an assassin. Stealth is back and better than I imagined. No, it's not the best kind of stealth and it's not just go up to somebody and assassinate him all the time. Blending in with people? Now that's what I'm talking about, and that's what was lacking from the past two games... and it looks really good.

The storytelling is amazing. The gameplay and combat are great. The visuals are great on both the PS4/PS5 and the Xbox One/Xbox Series X. The voice acting is awesome (Come on... it's Cnut from The Last Kingdom playing Eivor? Who would say no?!). The music is masterful. The sound design is awesome. This game is just so awesome!

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is definitely a game I recommend to every AC fan and RPG fans. It's one of the best games I've ever played in 2020, it's truly amazing. Even though, in my opinion, the Ezio games are so much better, Valhalla has enough elements to allow you to enjoy it. I wholeheartedly recommend gamers this game to play and enjoy it. 10/10. Amazing game!

I like it so far don't get me wrong, but this game is lacking something for it to be an actual assassins creed game. The equipment all the same, none of it has "special qualities" and if you equip a pointless rune it may or may not trigger that special rune ability, you are dependent on if you have ability stamina for abilities which yeah good luck,. Not very good really. Definitely not loving this version at all, and the DLC content, no meat to it, not worth the extra you pay for it.

AC Valhalla starts well. Norway is a gorgeous frozen wonderland and the story is given a strong start. Travelling to England it gets even more beautiful. And that's the games best feature, it's beauty. But you soon learn that it's going to be a long slog, and here's why:

The story arcs (or counties) all have the same structure. A few quests and then an assault on a castle or monastery at the end. It gets a little monotonous especially since there are over 15 arcs.

Due to the nature of the game, it struggles to character build. I never felt invested in any of the characters.

For a game that relies so heavily on swinging axe and hammer, the combat is outdated, lacks impact and never feels intuitive. It got a little better as Eivor progressed, but never felt good.

The skill tree is confusing and convoluted. Getting skill points never felt exciting because the upgrades are meaningless.

The game is stretched thin by forcing the player to search for materials for upgrades. Materials which are in a locked chest, behind a locked door, which you need a key for, which is behind another barred door 30 meters down the road. Frustrating.

I did enjoy the ending to the main storyline. It's last few hours were were fun, even if they didn't give a satisfying conclusion.

Verdict:

A decent start and a good ending aren't enough to save this monstrous games bloated mid section.

There are parts I enjoyed, but a lot I didn't. It's nice to look at and if you enjoy spending vast amounts of time exploring sprawling vistas then go for it. But I just feel neither the story or the gameplay are good enough to sustain the enormous length of time it takes to beat.

Decent gameplay, buggy at times. Butchers the history.

This was a beautifully made game. Amazing graphics, good ideas, brilliant design and colours and textures. I was happier with this instalment than the last as it is actually related to the assassins creed world. There were assassins, hidden blades, templars, a big alien temple and an actual ending of sorts with a lead into the next game.

While I did enjoy this game and its story The downsides to this game were extensive. This game was way too long, by the time I had finished my gameplay hours had reached over 200. There was still absolutely no story outside of the animus, they appear to have just given up with that completely now which is a real shame. I'm still sick of this optional choice gameplay. It's meant to be a reenactment of history, a story that's already happened but there giving you choices on what to say and do on every interaction. They also still let you choose the gender. Can't you just write in two characters like with syndicate? Or make a game centred around a woman for once? But my biggest complaint is, when I started this game I had no idea what was going on. This is because I hadn't bought the overly priced optional DLC for the previous game which actually has the games ending in it. And after completing over 200 hours of gameplay on this game I discover there's another £50 worth of add on missions to buy. Well no. It wasn't even that enjoyable anyway.

I also got annoyed by all the over the top outfits. I attempted to play this game while keeping my character looking consistent to the setting and timeframe while Ubisoft are changing even the basic characteristics of an assassins creed game. I'm missing the original hooded costumes and the easier stealth mode. For the last 3 games including this one there more focused on loud over the top combat and less on what made the AC games unique, which was the stealth gameplay.

Some more positive notes:

• The controls themselves were pretty easy to use.

• I enjoyed the era and the location
• a diverse and choice of weapons and outfits despite my personal dislike for a fair few of them
• enjoyed the cameos of some more historical figures.