Assassins Creed Valhalla (Vikings)

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 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 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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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

Is there any advantage to get the ps5 version of this? Ps4 comes with promise of free update to ps5 version, so can effectively play on either system. Ps5 disk will be restricted to ps5 only.

It only a small thing, but for any console hoarders who might have both in the house come November, am I missing something?

Do we know if it's going to be the next gen version for XSX/S on release date, or just supported? I find it strange if the XSX/S has the next gen version and PS5 will only have support for the PS4 version, unless that's actually what's happening with the Xbox too? Can't find anything concrete on t'interwebz.

That's what I was thinking. I'd nearly hold off for the PS5 version, as I don't have a great track record of replaying games again, even if it's shinier and fancier. Think we'll hear a good announcement soon after the release date for the current gen ones.