Assassin's Creed Valhalla is finally becoming available this week, releasing for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC(Epic, Ubisoft Store, Windows 10) tomorrow Tuesday the 10th of November, while the PlayStation 5 version of the upcoming title will be releasing this Thursday the 12th of November.
Now that the game is only hours away from releasing — depending on the platform of your choosing, of course — there isn't much more that the developers could reveal about Assassin's Creed Valhalla that they haven't already shared; at least, not without spoiling the game.
We have known for a while that Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be bringing back the hidden blade — which, although being the series' signature weapon, hasn't really been prominently featured in Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed Odyssey; the latest entries in the series.
In a recent interview with Video Games Chronicle, Assassin's Creed Valhalla Producer Julien Laferrière revealed some interesting details about bringing some elements back from previous titles in the series, such as settlements and the fan-favourite hidden blade, which also made the developers focus on the game's stealth element.
"We're fortunate enough to be building on an established franchise, which means that when we look behind us there's some good stuff there that fans really love. I worked on Assassin's Creed 2, which was the first to introduce the concept of the home villa, and we pushed that forward in Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed 3. But in those games it was always seen as side content. So although there was a lot of good content there, a lot of people ended up not doing it. This time we thought if we bring back this concept we should make it the heart of the experience, and it changed the way we crafted the game," revealed Laferrière.
Laferrière also mentions that Assassin's Creed Valhalla is still a game about Vikings, and this was the perfect chance for them to bring back the series' signature hidden blade in a way that felt more organic, as it is a weapon that fits perfectly with the events that take place in the game, especially since the Vikings are invading England.
He then adds: "Also, while we wanted to make a game about Vikings, we still wanted it to be about Vikings in an Assassin's Creed world. So we tapped into the lore, and giving the main character a hidden blade and a hood and having the social stealth element fits with the time period when you think about it, because you're living in a hostile land and sometimes you can't always just fight your way through. Blending in, trying to avoid conflict, or sneaking your way out of things has to be an option. The major cities in the game are all tributes to that type of gameplay that was introduced in the original Assassin's Creed.
"So we definitely tried to take the best the past has to offer, but it's also important to maintain the level of coherency, so it doesn’t feel like we're just slapping on features just for the sake of it. It has to be relevant to the game that we're making."
Assassin's Creed Valhalla definitely looks like a return to form for the series in many regards. Every single one of the trailers have given players a pretty good idea of what to expect from this long-awaited new entry, and it seems like the game will not disappoint, especially long-time fans who have been wanting to see the series going back to its roots.
In Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla, you are Eivor, a fierce Viking warrior raised on tales of battle and glory. Explore a dynamic and beautiful open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages. Raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power in your quest to earn your place among the gods in Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is expected to release for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC(Epic, Ubisoft Store, Windows 10) on Tuesday the 10th of November; PlayStation 5 version to release on Thursday the 12th of November.