The next chapter in the Assassin's Creed series will be Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which will see players visiting the Viking Age.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla has players step into the boots of Viking raider Eivor, who leads a beardy clan from their native home of Norway to the shores of Dark Ages England - with a hope of settling down for good. But resistance from the Saxons won't exactly make it easy.
With less of an emphasis on stealth, Valhalla introduces new features such as raids, settlement management and customization. It looks like the bloodiest entry to date and we can't wait to get our hands on it when it releases for current and next-gen consoles on November 17, 2020.
So, without further ado, here's everything we know so far about Assassin's Creed Valhalla, including our own impressions from three hours of hands-on time with the game.
[Update: A new gameplay trailer has given us a look at some of the mythical beasts we'll encounter in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Watch it for yourself below.]
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next chapter in the Assassin's Creed series
- When can I play it? November 17, 2020
- What can I play it on? Xbox Series X, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, Stadia and PC. It's also a Smart Delivery game, meaning if you buy it on Xbox One, you'll automatically get an Xbox Series X version, too. According to Ubisoft, upgrading from PS4 to PS5 will also be free of charge.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla release date
Assassin's Creed Valhalla will on November 17, 2020 for Xbox Series X, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, Stadia and PC, and will be an Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store exclusive on PC.
In addition, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be available on Ubisoft's subscription service UPLAY+, and will offer free next-gen upgrades on Xbox Series X and PS5.
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: what we know so far
Assassin's Creed Valhalla pre-orders, special editions and bonuses
Here are the best prices for Assassin's Creed Valhalla pre-orders in your region:
There are three editions of the game to choose from: Gold, Ultimate, and Collector’s, each with its own bonuses.
The Gold Edition of the game includes the base game and the Season Pass. The Ultimate Edition includes the base game, the Season Pass and the Ultimate Pack giving access to players to exclusive customization content: the Berserker Gear Pack, the Berserker Settlement Pack, the Berserker Longship Pack, along with a Set of Runes to improve weapons or gears.
The Collector’s Edition includes the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack, the high-end Ubicollectibles replica of Eivor and her Drakkar, a Collector’s Case, a Steelbook with a unique artwork, a numbered certificate of authenticity, a Viking Statuette of Eivor with his raven and Dane axe, exclusive lithographs as well as a Selected Soundtrack of the game. The Collector’s Edition is available exclusively on the Ubisoft Store.
In addition, fans who pre-order Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will receive at launch an additional mission 'The Way of the Berserker', in which players will join a legendary Norse Berserker on his quest for revenge.
It should be noted that Ubisoft has made a change to the Xbox Collector's Editions for UK customers. Those who pre-order the Collector's Edition on Xbox will now receive a digital copy of the game rather than a physical copy. In a brief post detailing the change, Ubisoft hasn't given a reason for it. It will, apparently only affect UK customers as North American customers will still receive physical copies of the game. The change doesn't apply to PS4 versions in either territory as these will still have physical games.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla trailers
A new Assassin's Creed: Valhalla gameplay trailer was shown at the Future Games Show, in which we get a glimpse at some of the mythical beasts and characters we can expect to encounter as we play the game. These include the large black dog known as Black Shuck; the Daughters of Lerion who are an "homage" to the three daughters of Shakespeare's King Lear (a character already modelled on a legendary historical figure); and the lost Drengr of Ragnar Lothbrok, six warriors left behind in England by the dreaded Lothbrok, each looking to die in a glorious battle.
Ubisoft has released a new version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's reveal trailer, this time starring the female Eivor. The trailer, described as the Official Soundtrack Cinematic trailer, shows the same events, just with a different version of Eivor. The trailer following the same path fits with recent attempts to explain that both male and female Eivor are considered canon and that players will be able to toggle between them as they play.
Another trailer gives fans a look into who Eivor is and their fate. The description reads: "As Eivor, embark on a quest for glory, power and prosperity. Your journey will take you far from your home - and it could cost you everything."
Check out the Assassin's Creed Valhalla character trailer below:
Ubisoft revealed a deep-dive Assassin's Creed Valhalla trailer during Ubisoft Forward on July 12. The video gives us a closer look at Valhalla gameplay, including combat, stealth and exploration.
Check it out below:
Here's your first look at Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay, courtesy of a trailer showed during Microsoft's first Xbox Series X gameplay reveal event:
The vibe, we think it's fair to say, is Assassin's Creed meets Skyrim, with a bit of British coutnryside thrown in. There's very little of the series' once-signature stealth action on show, with the game instead focussing on large scale battles and raids.
There's still nautical action, in the shape of taking the helm of a Viking longship, as well as getting a birds eye view of the action through a feathered friend (here a raven as opposed to the Assassin's Creed's usual eagles).
Compared to the sun-kissed locales of Origins and Odyssey, the two previous Assassin's Creed titles, there's a moodier, darker feel to what's been shown of Valhalla, with plenty of burning villages, brutal axe attacks and snowy vistas. It's also a bit greener too, with Britain's once-lush countryside on full display, including a cameo by the Stonehenge historical site. We'd imagine this hints at some sort of pagan worship featuring in the game too – in keeping with the mix of history, religion, myth and mystery of the series.
Ubisoft debuted the Assassin's Creed Valhalla world premiere trailer on April 30. Check it out below:
Assassin's Creed Valhalla preview
We've played three hours of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and, while parts of the game are fun, memorable and genuinely exciting to play, it's possible that bad glitches and rough voice acting could strip this Viking saga of its epic status.
Here's what we said in our hands on review:
"With fun combat and even better side quests, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is shaping up to be quite the Viking saga. The region of East Anglia that we saw during our demo is brimming with potential… even if a lot of the space isn’t quite used to its maximum potential quite yet."
Check out our full Hands on: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla review.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla news and rumors
Below we've gathered all the biggest news and rumors about Assassin's Creed Valhalla for your perusal:
Mythical creatures and stories based in legend can be found off the beaten path
As well as dabbling in history, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will have some creatures and stories based in folklore and mythology. In a recent trailer shown as part of the Future Games Show the game's narrative director Darby McDevitt showed three encounters players can expect to have.
These include Black Shuck, a huge black shaggy dog that's believed to be "the devil incarnate"; the daughters of Lerion - Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril - who are a reference to the daughters of Shakespeare's King Lear who is, in turn, based on the historical figure Leir of Britain; and the Lost Drengr of Ragnar Lothbrok who are six abandoned warriors looking to die in glorious battles so that they can join their leader in Valhalla.
Encounters such as these, according to McDevitt, won't be found in the main story. Instead, they're rewards for players who get off the beaten path and roam the game's large map to find them.
Possible to toggle between male and female Eivor
Unlike previous entries in the series, Ubisoft has confirmed that both male and female Eivor are considered canon in Assassin's Creed Valhalla and that players won't be tied to one gender as they play the game. Instead, it'll be possible to toggle between the two Eivors by switching DNA streams in the Animus. More details on how this aspect of the animus works are expected in the game's story.
DNA STREAM SELECTIONThis was described by Narrative Director Darby McDevitt as a new feature that ensures both male and female versions of Eivor are considered canon.The feature is backed up by new lore that upgrades the abilities of the Animus#AssassinsCreed Valhalla pic.twitter.com/SlV5Q0Bh7vJuly 21, 2020
Despite this, the game's official graphic novel prequel titled Song of Glory, has chosen to depict a female Eivor (via Eurogamer). The prequel will give more insight into Eivor's life before the game with details on their family.
Side quests replaced with 'World Events'
Assassin's Creed Valhalla sees the series' usual side quests replaced with 'World Events' instead - with side quests "almost nonexistent". Speaking to Gamespot, narrative director Darby McDevitt explained that these 'World Events' are more spontaneous and aren't something players can seek out.
Skill trees
You'' be able to assign skill points in one of three skill trees: Wolf powers, Raven powers and Bear powers, that roughly correspond to agility, stealth and strength. Each skill on the tree is either a buff, like extra health, or a new special move to use in combat.
Combat features
Eivor will be able to dual-wield weapons, with little limit on weapon combinations. In addition, Eivor also has a hidden blade (in class AC style).
Voice actors revealed
Creative Director Ashraf Ismail has revealed the voice actors for female and male Eivor: Danish actors Cecilie Stenspil and Magnus Buun. With Ubisoft leaning into the RPG elements of Assassin's Creed and making dialogue choices really matter, it's likely we'll be hearing a lot of them.
For #AssassinsCreedValhalla here are our phenomenal leads, Female and Male Eivor 🤩❤️Cecilie Stenspil - https://ift.tt/3df1nVx Bruun - @Magnus__Bruun pic.twitter.com/kfVfXSLqkIMay 1, 2020
Norway and England will feature
In an interview with BBC Click, creative director Ashraf Ismail has confirmed that the game, set in the 9th century, will take players between Norway and England, with the majority of the action taking place in England's four different kingdoms.
“Norway is quite big on its own but if we talk about England specifically, that's where the majority of the game takes place. We have four kingdoms in England so it's Northumbria, East Anglia, Mercia, and Wessex. We have major cities like Winchester, London, York - or Jorvik at the time period.”
Present day playable
In an interview with Eurogamer, lead producer Julien Laferrière confirmed the present day will be playable.
"We've found a way to blend the present day into a new type of experience for players," Laferrière said. "And present day is playable - I can confirm that."
No co-op
Ubisoft has confirmed Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a single-player game.
Raven animal companion
In Assassin's Creed Odyssey, players had an eagle companion that could scout out areas from above. In Assassin's Creed Valhalla, you'll have a raven companion which will have new abilities.
Romance available
Assassin's Creed Valhalla will have romance options, however it's not clear whether players will be able to romance everyone, regardless of gender.
Epic Games Store exclusive
The PC version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla is only available on Epic Game Store and Uplay, which we expect will ruffle more than a few feathers.
Choices matter
Elements such as political alliances, combat decisions, and dialogue choices will influence the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla - so choose carefully.
Bloodier than ever
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is considerably more brutal than previous entries in the series, with the trailer depicting bloody massacres on English soil. It seems like stealth is no longer the priority in this game and instead we'll see more in the way of violent raids and destruction.
More RPG elements
Valhalla introduces new features such as raids, the ability to grow your settlement and build power, and the ability to increase your influence in this new brutal, dark world. These raids will allow you to collect resources needed to upgrade your settlement.
As your village grows, you'll be able to add new buildings such as a barracks, blacksmith and tattoo parlour - all available to customize and ugprade.
Customization
Players will have the option to play as either a male or female Eivor, with new customization options being introduced that allow you to customize your Eivor's hair, tattoos, war paint and gear.
Story
Here's Ubisoft's description of the story:
"Driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in the ninth century AD, players will lead Eivor’s clan of Norsemen across the icy North Sea to the rich lands of England’s broken kingdoms.
"Players must carve out a new future for their clan, reliving the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped combat system that includes the ability to dual-wield weapons against a greater variety of enemies than ever before.
"To secure resources players can lead raids to select locations using their longship to earn much-needed riches and resources. As the Vikings begin to settle in their new home, they encounter resistance from the Saxons including King Aelfred of Wessex, who denounces them as heathens and looks to be the sole ruler of a civilized England. Against all odds, Eivor must do what is necessary to keep Valhalla within reach."
- New games 2020: the biggest games coming to console and PC
from TechRadar - All the latest technology news https://ift.tt/38NSlOp
0 Comments