{"id":122,"date":"2026-04-09T12:29:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:29:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5f286fafe4b082e810c60201"},"modified":"2026-04-09T12:29:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T12:29:04","slug":"assassins-creed-valhalla-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/assassins-creed-valhalla-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Like Assassin\u2019s Creed Odyssey and Origins before it, Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla<\/a> continues the series trajectory into a full-fledged open-world RPG. Though Ubisoft has dug up some of its stealth-action roots to make that style more appealing, Valhalla\u2019s focus is on the absolutely massive recreation of Dark Ages England, brought to life with stunning beauty and a level of detail I\u2019ve rarely seen. It\u2019s been an impressive showcase for the Xbox Series X (and presumably the PlayStation 5, but Ubisoft only gave us access to the Xbox version ahead of launch), playing in 4K and a near-constant 60 frames per second. You have to put up with some new progression system ideas that don\u2019t quite deliver, and an abundance of bugs, but there\u2019s a staggering number of things to do, explore, and discover in and around Valhalla\u2019s more atmospheric storytelling.<\/p>\n

Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla\u2019s story follows Eivor, a male or female Norse Viking who grows up with a chip on their shoulder and vengeance in their heart after some particularly dastardly events in the opening cinematic. From those starting moments, the table is set and soon you and your brother Sigurd are off on a grand adventure to England, a land ripe with wealth and glory, and already well-integrated with Danes and Norse from years of Viking invasion and conquest. That sets the stage for your arrival in England as you settle the land and forge alliances to protect and expand your fledgling homestead against the chaos and political dust storm of warring factions across England\u2019s four kingdoms: Mercia, East Anglia, Northumbria, and Wessex.<\/output>The last time Assassin\u2019s Creed tried letting us choose to play as a male or female protagonist the results were hit or miss, especially on the male side. Here, however, the performances of both the male and female versions of Eivor are admirable, though some accents drift a bit. (At one point I could\u2019ve sworn female Eivor made a stop in Boston from the way she crushed the word \u201charbor,\u201d but quickly enough it was back to Norse normal.) These brief moments are absolutely the exception to the otherwise steady and earnest delivery throughout, which is also true of most of the main characters. Outside the main cast, though some random NPCs can be a little\u2026 much. But special mention goes out to Sigurd, who channels fiery intensity and flirts with crazy in his performances, and that performance is accentuated by fascinating facial expressions that often lean uncomfortably close to the latter.<\/p>\n

The siblings\u2019 quest for wealth, glory, and power throughout England is darker, sadder, and more grounded than the tones of the past few games had led me to expect.<\/p>\n
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Even so, the siblings\u2019 quest for wealth, glory, and power throughout England is darker, sadder, and more grounded than the tones of the past few games had led me to expect. There are moments throughout where the griefstriken, bittersweet, and just plain bitter resolutions reminded me of The Witcher 3\u2019s Bloody Baron delivery. This is a dirty, dingy world where life is cheap and nearly everyone is scratching and clawing to gain power \u2013 or to keep it \u2013 regardless of who gets burned along the way.<\/p>\n

One particular instance found me helping the leader of a nearby shire \u2013 regions within the four kingdoms (no hobbits) \u2013 who had discovered a traitor in her inner circle and charged me with rooting them out because she loved each one of them as family and couldn\u2019t trust herself to see past their lies. The resulting few hours of investigation brought me to the end of the road, and I made the best decision based on the available information I had. To be honest, I\u2019m not sure I was right; I still don\u2019t know. If the person I accused was guilty, Valhalla never gave me more clarity, and the uncertainty seems very intentional. My judgment was accepted and the consequences were swiftly doled out, and that was that. I\u2019ve found myself thinking about that decision ever since. But that\u2019s the business of eighth-century England, I suppose.<\/p>\n

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A World Separated by an Ocean<\/h2>\n

Valhalla\u2019s vast interpretation of The Dark Ages of Britain is massive, and when coupled with a significant portion of Norway, Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla presents a staggeringly large playground through which you ply your trade. And no matter where you are, it\u2019s absolutely stunning.<\/p>\n

As I played it on the Xbox Series X, running 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, it may be the most beautiful Assassin\u2019s Creed world yet; certainly the most satisfying to sit back and watch. The snow-blanketed tundras and mountainous ranges of Norway are breathtaking, especially at night as the aurora illuminates the sky above. The rolling green hills of England, cut up by iconic stone walls, are a ready canvas for the rays of light that pierce through the muggy cloud cover, casting shadows that slowly roll across the landscape. It\u2019s hard to overstate how gorgeous a scene can be when the various lighting and weather effects systems are all working in unison. When I stormed the banks of a small riverside church, ready to pillage and plunder, the streaks of light bombarding the dense fog lit up the screen and enveloped the Christian cross in a scene that could\u2019ve been pulled from a Dennis Villeneuve film, only with more heavy-handedness.<\/p>\n

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Every IGN Assassin’s Creed Review<\/p>\n