Assassins Creed Valhalla (Vikings)

marcbrophy · 12-07-2020 1:27am

Hopefully it's wrong cos they usually come out in October!
But with everything being delayed this year, November is grand!
Don't really care about Cyberpunk anyway, so bring on Valhalla

Sephiroth_dude · 12-07-2020 9:40am

marcbrophy wrote: »

Hopefully it's wrong cos they usually come out in October!
But with everything being delayed this year, November is grand!
Don't really care about Cyberpunk anyway, so bring on Valhalla

Hopefully the weekend of the long weekend.

EoinMcLovin · 12-07-2020 8:35pm

November 17th release date

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdzcijLhQV8

Sephiroth_dude · 12-07-2020 8:41pm

Two days before cyberpunk? brave.

EoinMcLovin · 12-07-2020 9:03pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGyM5Xh7Jf0

EoinMcLovin · 12-07-2020 9:16pm

You can swap back and forth between the male and female versions of Eivor, seemingly at will. I played most of the demo as the female Eivor. Toward the end of my session I noticed an option to press up on the D-pad while toggling between menus. Doing so let me interface with the Animus and start playing as the male Eivor moments later, complete with new animations and a different voice. The whole thing was seamless, at least in the demo.

https://kotaku.com/everything-we-learned-about-assassin-s-creed-valhalla-a-1844355373

Ridley · 12-07-2020 9:56pm

...came away feeling like Valhalla was an open world viking RPG that was an Assassin’s Creed seemingly in name only.

The traditional Assassin's Creed isn't Assassin's Creed take is how you know it's Assassin's Creed.

Not looking forward to schlepping around for health.

marcbrophy · 12-07-2020 11:35pm

Yeah, this one has taken a step too far into RPG territory for my liking.
I hate the mechanic of non restoring health, looking for items to replenish it!
Unless you can regen with a power you unlock, I won't last.
I'll still buy the game, hoping they'll have a "legacy" mode that allows health to regen or something!
They might add it back in if fans kick up a fuss, they are pretty good at listening to their audience

Penn · 13-07-2020 8:47am

Yeah the whole looting or fishing for items to replenish health seems like an annoyance. The combat doesn't seem to have any weight to it at all except for the last hit of your combo. Grinding for materials to build up settlements sounds like it'll be even worse than upgrading your ship in Odyssey. And the landscape looks pretty dull compared to the sunny tropics of Odyssey which just looked stunning throughout and encouraged exploration.

I'm still interested because of how much I enjoyed Odyssey, but they really haven't sold me at this stage. Might be something I wait to go on sale before picking it up, where I can get the 'Super Ultimate Gold... no wait platinum is worth more than gold, isn't it.... PLATINUM Deluxe Collectors Edition'.

tusk · 13-07-2020 10:12am

Not super impressed now after that tbh.

Markitron · 13-07-2020 10:32am

Looked exactly how I expected it to, which is 100% fine as I really like the direction change they took with Origins.

Penn · 13-07-2020 11:53am

EoinMcLovin wrote: »

https://kotaku.com/everything-we-learned-about-assassin-s-creed-valhalla-a-1844355373

I like that. Hard to know which voice actor will be better when selecting at the start and could be too deep into the game before deciding the other is probably better. Being able to switch as you please is a great move.

J. Marston · 13-07-2020 1:55pm

It's a game, I'm not expecting much in the way of historical accuracy but I have to laugh how you seem to be portrayed as the good guys.

"Your goal is to build a thriving Norse settlement in a hostile land."

There's probably a good reason why the land is hostile!

Markitron · 13-07-2020 2:22pm

J. Marston wrote: »

It's a game, I'm not expecting much in the way of historical accuracy but I have to laugh how you seem to be portrayed as the good guys.

"Your goal is to build a thriving Norse settlement in a hostile land."

There's probably a good reason why the land is hostile!

The stream they did was hilarious

'Not all Vikings were bloodthirsty raiders, they just wanted to farm' immediately cut to them raiding a village and murdering everyone in it.

Penn · 13-07-2020 2:23pm

Markitron · 13-07-2020 2:27pm

Tbf us lot are not exactly the target audience for a game where you play as a viking raider, the only way they could get any worse is if they did made an RPG where you play as Oliver Cromwell or a football game where you could only play as Thierry Henry's left arm.

quokula · 13-07-2020 2:36pm

Penn wrote: »

I like that. Hard to know which voice actor will be better when selecting at the start and could be too deep into the game before deciding the other is probably better. Being able to switch as you please is a great move.

I wouldn't be surprised if that's a demo-only feature so they can show both versions of the character easily when demoing it to different journalists though.

Penn · 13-07-2020 2:40pm

quokula wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if that's a demo-only feature so they can show both versions of the character easily when demoing it to different journalists though.

Dunno, the way it sas it interfaces with the Animus seems to imply it's a feature that's been programmed in rather than an option just provided for the demo, but suppose we'll have to wait for confirmation. Can't remember them saying anything about being able to switch within the game.

Dr. Bre · 13-07-2020 3:50pm

The vikings were not a great bunch of lads

Sonics2k · 13-07-2020 6:38pm

I just really, really want a proper Assassin game!

Penn · 13-07-2020 7:13pm

Penn wrote: »

Dunno, the way it sas it interfaces with the Animus seems to imply it's a feature that's been programmed in rather than an option just provided for the demo, but suppose we'll have to wait for confirmation. Can't remember them saying anything about being able to switch within the game.

Has been confirmed as a feature

https://twitter.com/IGN/status/1282736818031648768?s=19

Also says in the article that the modern day side of the story will actually see Layla entering the Animus to explore and fix things in the Eivor's world herself, so that actually sounds decent enough. Better than checking her emails.

Ridley · 13-07-2020 7:19pm

Markitron wrote: »

Tbf us lot are not exactly the target audience for a game where you play as a viking raider, the only way they could get any worse is if they did made an RPG where you play as Oliver Cromwell or a football game where you could only play as Thierry Henry's left arm.

What the AC developers say in-game has been at odds with how the marketing team sells them before. I assume Darby McDevitt still wants to write an Irish Assassin's Creed.

Although history does allow for Vikings up the Liffey (or Seine) should the DLC want to go there and not Asgard or whatever. Skellig Michael is also crying out for that cairn building mechanic.

Penn wrote: »

Also says in the article that the modern day side of the story will actually see Layla entering the Animus to explore and fix things in the Eivor's world herself, so that actually sounds decent enough. Better than checking her emails.

Paying off those hints that Layla's Animus can hack reality then. An explanation for

how Alexios can be outside the Animus

in Odyssey and why I thought the answer to the "Is male or female Eivor the canon gender?" question would be "yes."

ERG89 · 13-07-2020 7:33pm

No wonder Phil Spencer looked half asleep introducing Valhalla cause its just not very exciting to introduce something that looked so similar to the last two games.
Genuinely feels like Vikings were only chosen because of raids not because of an interesting story or immersing yourself in a nordic setting. Looks like a lot of the game is going to be based in England trying to build a settlement.

Potential-Monke · 13-07-2020 9:43pm

I'm far from bothered about historical accuracy. Shur every group of people from them times were barbaric in their own ways. The English had the church and all the atrocities they committed, they're no better than the Vikings in that regard, just that Christianity outlived the Nordic gods and we accepted (past tense) they were the 'better' or 'good' guys. And to be honest, a 'realistic' Viking game would be boring as fcuk, spend most of it on a boat at sea, spend a lot of it in a barren, cold land (reason for travelling and raiding), or spend a small fraction in a foreign land before getting kicked back out again.

I love that AC is exploring the mythology of these times, and linking them to the First Civilisation. Keeping the same format as the first, what, 16 or so games was definitely stale, and the new version is a good step in the right direction imo. Yeah, it's not 'Assassins Creed' anymore, but it's exploring the lore behind it and I like that. The combat looks a lot faster than I thought tbh, I thought it was going to be meatier, but it's a bit early to say that for definite. Seems gory enough too, was worried they'd downplay it but decapitations and amputations galore there.

I'll be getting it either way.

Markitron · 14-07-2020 8:17am

Ridley wrote: »

Paying off those hints that Layla's Animus can hack reality then. An explanation for
how Alexios can be outside the Animus
in Odyssey

If we are thinking about the same part

They already explained that didn't they? Pythagorus' staff gives whoever holds it eternal life. Kassandra/Alexios just lived on until the modern day when they met Layla for real

Ridley · 14-07-2020 11:15am

Markitron wrote: »

If we are thinking about the same part
They already explained that didn't they? Pythagorus' staff gives whoever holds it eternal life. Kassandra/Alexios just lived on until the modern day when they met Layla for real

It is the same part but Kassandra's the canon protagonist in Odyssey for reference material so Alexios shouldn't be able to be there. At least not without (divine?) intervention.

Would be neat if

one or t'other cameo'd based on your Odyssey save game

in Valhalla.

Markitron · 14-07-2020 11:46am

Ridley wrote: »

It is the same part but Kassandra's the canon protagonist in Odyssey for reference material so Alexios shouldn't be able to be there. At least not without (divine?) intervention.

Would be neat if
one or t'other cameo'd based on your Odyssey save game
in Valhalla.

I suppose it doesn't really matter then, if its not cannon they don't really need to explain it as it never actually 'happened'. Could drive yourself mad thinking about that.

Ridley · 14-07-2020 11:59am

Markitron wrote: »

I suppose it doesn't really matter then, if its not cannon they don't really need to explain it as it never actually 'happened'. Could drive yourself mad thinking about that.

I think what they're aiming for in the end is that all players' experiences are alternate realities and will come in handy for reboot talk if They ever point out that Layla's Animus is always rewriting the past.

I suspect that's partly why the Atlantis DLC is basically an Animus within an Animus. Helps keep the Isu/precursors mysterious but also leaning into the "nothing is true, everything is permitted" of the Creed.

Though I've just come back here from finding out the Dark Horse prequel is going with female Eivor so I guess my nose is bleeding.

Markitron · 14-07-2020 12:29pm

Ridley wrote: »

I think what they're aiming for in the end is that all players' experiences are alternate realities and will come in handy for reboot talk if They ever point out that Layla's Animus is always rewriting the past.

I suspect that's partly why the Atlantis DLC is basically an Animus within an Animus. Helps keep the Isu/precursors mysterious but also leaning into the "nothing is true, everything is permitted" of the Creed.

Though I've just come back here from finding out the Dark Horse prequel is going with female Eivor so I guess my nose is bleeding.

Trying to make sense of AC's overarching story is a fools game. I have actually always liked the modern day stuff but since AC3 they have been clearly making it up on a game by game basis with no pre-planning.

Ridley · 14-07-2020 3:06pm

Markitron wrote: »

Trying to make sense of AC's overarching story is a fools game. I have actually always liked the modern day stuff but since AC3 they have been clearly making it up on a game by game basis with no pre-planning.

The modern day lost focus after Desmond and I didn't care for Juno stuff being not wrapped up in a game, but I think it's unfair to suggest they're not consciously giving Layla an arc.

"Reality is a simulation" is in The Empirical Truth from Origins and Reality as a Simulation is in Odyssey. They're doing Something.

Penn · 14-07-2020 3:17pm

Ridley wrote: »

The modern day lost focus after Desmond and I didn't care for Juno stuff being wrapped up in a game, but I think it's unfair to suggest they're not consciously giving Layla an arc.

"Reality is a simulation" is in The Empirical Truth from Origins and Reality as a Simulation is in Odyssey. They're doing Something.

Yeah it does sound like they're going to push the modern-day aspect further in his game and try to properly integrate it into the entire story. I skipped Origins but all I remember from the modern-day stuff in Odyssey was checking Layla's emails a few times and then retracing a few small steps of Kassandra's into the vault and climbing something to finish a puzzle. It was completely bland and uninteresting.

For the modern-day story in this game, I'll keep low expectations which they'll hopefully exceed.

Ridley · 14-07-2020 5:13pm

Penn wrote: »

Yeah it does sound like they're going to push the modern-day aspect further in his game and try to properly integrate it into the entire story. I skipped Origins but all I remember from the modern-day stuff in Odyssey was checking Layla's emails a few times and then retracing a few small steps of Kassandra's into the vault and climbing something to finish a puzzle. It was completely bland and uninteresting.

For the modern-day story in this game, I'll keep low expectations which they'll hopefully exceed.

https://assassinscreed.fandom.com/wiki/The_Empirical_Truth

If you want the experience without the gameplay!

Exclamation Marc · 14-07-2020 5:31pm

Markitron wrote: »

Trying to make sense of AC's overarching story is a fools game. I have actually always liked the modern day stuff but since AC3 they have been clearly making it up on a game by game basis with no pre-planning.

Yeah I'm the same, I really enjoyed the modern day stuff and enjoyed playing as Desmond whether it was in the Colosseum or in the stadium in Brazil; there was something really enjoyable about it.

I'm sure it was probably difficult to map out a full game based on 'modern times' but the core story was great and I remember being genuinely shocked at times, like when Desmond was forced to stab Lucy. It felt like they could at least continue the narrative in chunk through games (outside of the absolutely dire first person office work stuff) but clearly decided they weren't bothered and now its just a construct they feel they have to keep in to explain the broader parameters of what you can and cant do but it's so jarring these days when you're pulled out to play as Layla.

Potential-Monke · 14-07-2020 8:50pm

I reckon the reason they haven't gone with a modern day game yet is because it will be very hard to make it with modern weaponry and tech. Melee combat doesn't really make sense, in a large scale, in modern times. I also reckon that's why they haven't gone beyond the 1860's (not including the Russian one). Modern weapons and assassiney stuff don't mix well imo, and the only reason it was bearable in 3/4 etc is because of single use firearms and the time it takes to reload. Doesn't matter how good of an Assassin you are, you're not going to dodge all the bullets from an MP7 or M4!

Anyway, it's not until someone mentions it that I remember there was a modern day part in Odyssey, but saying that I still haven't finished/started the Atlantis DLC (I started to lose interest after getting the Plat...)

Ridley · 14-07-2020 11:50pm

The Phantom Pain wrote: »

Please explain what they are doing?
Layla's animus makes no sense in lore terms. The way they tried to explain away how you can play as either male or female in Odyssey is laughable. Atlantis basically messed up the lore as well with far too many plot holes to take seriously.

I loved the modern day, the problem is rather than fleshing it out they did away with it completely and now only include it here and there to placate those that miss the way it used to be but a half assed present day story line is worse than none at all imo.

They seem to be building towards Layla Hassan using the Animus to hack reality/change history.

*Some First Civilization/Isu members can view time simultaneously.
*Isu Aletheia ("truth") is described by Layla as a hacker and it's theorised in-game that she can perceive multiple realities.
*The Atlantis of the DLC, a city rebooting every seven years, is Layla in the Animus as [Kassandra] in an Aletheia simulation built from of Isu memories so what actually happened is muddied.

Plus

*Tech capable of time travel has existed since the first game in the modern day emails of that. "Corporate policy remains in place: any objects found to interfere with or manipulate time must be contained."
*Alternate realities is the Assassin's Creed III DLC.

I'm not saying they've been planning this since the start, mind.

Origins:

But the Animus bears a fatal flaw. It follows the rules from those who embrace Order just as we did. It allows you to witness – but not alter.
Your Animus is different. As is the mind that imagined it. It could escape the code. It could do that leap, and make possible a decision that defies the order of things that are.

Part of The Empirical Truth saying Animus is too Templar when it should be more Assassin: "Nothing is true, everything is permitted."

Penn wrote: »

Also says in the article that the modern day side of the story will actually see Layla entering the Animus to explore and fix things in the Eivor's world herself, so that actually sounds decent enough. Better than checking her emails.

"You can go into the Animus layer of our game," [Darby McDevitt] said. "There's an option to change the memory stream. To explain why would spoil a long-running secret, but I will say that the whole reason for why you can switch [Eivor’s gender] back and forth fully embraces the often overlooked science fiction nature of our series."

[Insert Always Sunny in Philadelphia conspiracy gif here]

nix · 15-07-2020 12:09am

Why they still bother with the modern day animus crap is beyond me, does anybody even like it? Even the Desmond stuff was a loada sh!te :rolleyes:

johnnysmack · 15-07-2020 3:49am

nix wrote: »

Why they still bother with the modern day animus crap is beyond me, does anybody even like it? Even the Desmond stuff was a loada sh!te :rolleyes:

Love the modern day stuff and hope they flesh it out a bit more!

Sephiroth_dude · 15-07-2020 9:47am

nix wrote: »

Why they still bother with the modern day animus crap is beyond me, does anybody even like it? Even the Desmond stuff was a loada sh!te :rolleyes:

They left it out of Odyssey if I remember correctly.

Penn · 15-07-2020 9:55am

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

They left it out of Odyssey if I remember correctly.

No it was definitely in Odyssey. A few main story missions ended with you being pulled out of the Animus for a quick chat with someone as Layla or checking her emails, or a small platforming section to get Layla into Pythagoras' chamber thing by retracing Kassandra/Alexio's steps.

Again though, unmemorable, short and something which was tacked-on. If they properly expand and integrate it in gameplay, it might be decent.

Markitron · 15-07-2020 9:58am

Penn wrote: »

No it was definitely in Odyssey. A few main story missions ended with you being pulled out of the Animus for a quick chat with someone as Layla or checking her emails, or a small platforming section to get Layla into Pythagoras' chamber thing by retracing Kassandra/Alexio's steps.

Again though, unmemorable, short and something which was tacked-on. If they properly expand and integrate it in gameplay, it might be decent.

It was a fairly big part of the Atlantis DLC as well. If anything I would say the modern day stuff was getting more prominent.

Sephiroth_dude · 15-07-2020 10:04am

Penn wrote: »

No it was definitely in Odyssey. A few main story missions ended with you being pulled out of the Animus for a quick chat with someone as Layla or checking her emails, or a small platforming section to get Layla into Pythagoras' chamber thing by retracing Kassandra/Alexio's steps.

Again though, unmemorable, short and something which was tacked-on. If they properly expand and integrate it in gameplay, it might be decent.

Hmm I can't remember that at all, I remember it was in origins, they were in a cave or whatever.

Penn · 15-07-2020 10:06am

Markitron wrote: »

It was a fairly big part of the Atlantis DLC as well. If anything I would say the modern day stuff was getting more prominent.

Skipped the DLC so fair enough. I'll probably watch the cutscenes on Youtube prior to getting the next game just as a catchup.

Markitron · 15-07-2020 10:10am

Penn wrote: »

Skipped the DLC so fair enough. I'll probably watch the cutscenes on Youtube prior to getting the next game just as a catchup.

Yea that is a good idea, as its events will probably become relevant. As an aside, the Atlantis DLC is really good, well worth a go. If you are into the ISU side of things it is near-essential.

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

Hmm I can't remember that at all, I remember it was in origins, they were in a cave or whatever.

You start off in an apartment and end up in a huge underground cavern. There is a very memorable scene that takes place there at the end of the Pythagoras questline.

Mr Crispy · 15-07-2020 10:14am

Here's a taste of Jesper Kyd's soundtrack;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPNJDJwhFFw

Penn · 15-07-2020 10:15am

Markitron wrote: »

Yea that is a good idea, as its events will probably become relevant. As an aside, the Atlantis DLC is really good, well worth a go. If you are into the ISU side of things it is near-essential.

My issue is I went back to Odyssey after a break and learned about a farming thing to level up quickly, so went from Level 50 to Level 99.

However, I forgot it meant all my items and weapons were then severely underlevelled and nowhere near enough resources to upgrade them without some serious farming, so I doubt I'll bother go back to playing it again.

Markitron · 15-07-2020 10:29am

Penn wrote: »

My issue is I went back to Odyssey after a break and learned about a farming thing to level up quickly, so went from Level 50 to Level 99.

However, I forgot it meant all my items and weapons were then severely underlevelled and nowhere near enough resources to upgrade them without some serious farming, so I doubt I'll bother go back to playing it again.

If you get the DLC you will be inundated with new items and resources, I really do not see it being a problem. You can even make your new items look identical to the old underlevelled ones.

CatInABox · 16-07-2020 4:27pm

Mr Crispy wrote: »

Here's a taste of Jesper Kyd's soundtrack;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPNJDJwhFFw

Jesper Kyd is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to this, his work on the Hitman series was incredible.

_CreeD_ · 17-07-2020 5:29pm

CatInABox wrote: »

Jesper Kyd is one of the reasons I'm looking forward to this, his work on the Hitman series was incredible.

Nah, THIS is his finest work

EoinMcLovin · 09-09-2020 2:47pm

Assassin's Creed Valhalla now releasing week earlier
https://twitter.com/assassinscreed/status/1303685357335187458?s=19

Niska · 17-09-2020 10:49am

Ridley wrote: »

That one Viking name other than Ragnarok then.

I think God of War : Ragnarok (though with added umlaut) reveal kinda proves this point!!

Assassins Creed Valhalla (Vikings)

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