Gaming Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Hoof the ball

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The departure from the traditional AC style never bothered me. Let's face it, we all have short memory here because from my recollection people were fatigued by the mechanics which had run all the way through to Syndicate from AC1. Also, from a chronological standpoint it even makes sense to have a departure from Creed mechanics since we're talking about a pre-Creed world where that kind of training and heritage didn't exist, so the combat style reflected that better in an ancient world. Now we have Valhalla and AC Creed mechanics are being interwoven back in, which makes sense since the Creed itself is brought back into the contemporary period of the game's setting.
 

el3mel

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With Cyberpunk delayed I have nothing else to buy now except this or Spiderman, but since this will be longer than Spidey, I'll go for this first, then buy Spidey after.
 

Paxi

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Seems like it's very buggy. I'll wait for a few months when its on sale.
 

el3mel

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The departure from the traditional AC style never bothered me. Let's face it, we all have short memory here because from my recollection people were fatigued by the mechanics which had run all the way through to Syndicate from AC1. Also, from a chronological standpoint it even makes sense to have a departure from Creed mechanics since we're talking about a pre-Creed world where that kind of training and heritage didn't exist, so the combat style reflected that better in an ancient world. Now we have Valhalla and AC Creed mechanics are being interwoven back in, which makes sense since the Creed itself is brought back into the contemporary period of the game's setting.
I wanted to reply on this. IMO Unity was the best Assassin's Creed formula we have got for ages and it provided the needed changes while preserving the core and main identity of the series. Changing assassination missions to a big sandbox area with multiple routes and ways and special opportunities to eliminate the target give the game a very strong "Hitman" feeling and suited the series so well. The rest of the missions were like usual Assassin's Creed but longer and bigger. They reduced missions in sequences to 2 or 3 at best but all long enough, and the last one is always the big sandbox assassination mission. Beside, the city were very alive. Not just that there were ton of people in street, but you can also enter the majority of the building, and many windows were open and leading to interior rooms with secrets to explore. It was crazy. There was no RPG and levels bullshit and the game didn't need them to feel unique change while preserving the main identity.

Unfortunately, the game flopped miserably just because it was a technical mess. Everyone and his dog focused on the technical problems, glitches, bugs and frame drops, and gave the game crap rating. Thus Ubisoft decided this one didn't work and threw all of its ideas out of the window. Syndicate was a very watered down version of Unity, then the full complete change to a Witcher clone, instead of what Unity tried to do by making it closer to Hitman.

The series should have built on what was developed in Unity but as I said, technical problems fecked the game up and then Ubisoft decided to go 180 degrees and change everything.

It's really my biggest regret about this series.
 
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DWelbz19

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I need something to play for the next month or so until we (hopefully?) get Cyberpunk so I’ll probably pick this up. Reviews look promising, but I’ve gone into every recent AC game expecting a 7.5/10 and not been disappointed, really. They certainly have their flaws, but they do some things fantastically that gets pushed to the side a little.
 

Stactix

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Looking into Uplay + on PC. This on the new Watch Dogs for a £12 monthly fee? seems like a great deal, I wont need more than a month.
Oh jeez that is good. Annoying I was resisting the urge to play anything other than Divinity so I can finish that but now I may get side tracked again. Gah! :lol:

'Oooo shiny' no wonder I never finish any games.
 

Hoof the ball

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I need something to play for the next month or so until we (hopefully?) get Cyberpunk so I’ll probably pick this up. Reviews look promising, but I’ve gone into every recent AC game expecting a 7.5/10 and not been disappointed, really. They certainly have their flaws, but they do some things fantastically that gets pushed to the side a little.
Honestly, I'm just a history geek and I get a lot out of every Assassin's Creed game. I don't think people realise just how much historical input Ubisoft get from top-tier historians before creating their games. You'd be remiss for not appreciating it if you didn't know much about that particular era and location, but roaming the map is a hugely enjoyable thing for me.
 

Hoof the ball

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I wanted to reply on this. IMO Unity was the best Assassin's Creed formula we have got for ages and it provided the needed changes while preserving the core and main identity of the series. Changing assassination missions to a big sandbox area with multiple routes and ways and special opportunities to eliminate the target give the game a very strong "Hitman" feeling and suited the series so well. The rest of the missions were like usual Assassin's Creed but longer and bigger. They reduced missions in sequences to 2 or 3 at best but all long enough, and the last one is always the big sandbox assassination mission. Beside, the city were very alive. Not just that there were ton of people in street, but you can also enter the majority of the building, and many windows were open and leading to interior rooms with secrets to explore. It was crazy. There was no RPG and levels bullshit and the game didn't need them to feel unique change while preserving the main identity.

Unfortunately, the game flopped miserably just because it was a technical mess. Everyone and his dog focused on the technical problems, glitches, bugs and frame drops, and gave the game crap rating. Thus Ubisoft decided this one didn't work and through all of its ideas out of the window. Syndicate was a very watered down version of Unity, then the full complete change to a Witcher clone, instead of what Unity tried to do by making it closer to Hitman.

The series should have built on what was developed in Unity but as I said, technical problems fecked the game up and then Ubisoft decided to go 180 degrees and change everything.

It's really my biggest regret about this series.
Unity was perhaps my favourite game after Assassin's Creed 2. It was probably the most ambitious game they've done, that's for sure. The vast variation of approaches to any given situation was astounding. I'll never forget that Unity was the densest city in AC history. So many people and so much happening. It really was quite an imaginative attempt at a game. Knowing that it's possible to play it on 60fps on next-gen backwards compatibility fills me with joy.
 

2mufc0

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I quite liked Unity too, the one based in London had its flaws but I enjoyed that too as they were 'proper' AC games.
 

Organic Potatoes

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Honestly, I'm just a history geek and I get a lot out of every Assassin's Creed game. I don't think people realise just how much historical input Ubisoft get from top-tier historians before creating their games. You'd be remiss for not appreciating it if you didn't know much about that particular era and location, but roaming the map is a hugely enjoyable thing for me.
Some YouTuber was showing tours of Ancient Greece via AC and it was impressive, at least as far as I could tell.

Regarding this one, ACG’s rating of Wait For Sale on a scale from ‘buy now to pass‘ seems about right for Valhalla.
 

gormless

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Honestly, I'm just a history geek and I get a lot out of every Assassin's Creed game. I don't think people realise just how much historical input Ubisoft get from top-tier historians before creating their games. You'd be remiss for not appreciating it if you didn't know much about that particular era and location, but roaming the map is a hugely enjoyable thing for me.
i think that’s why I enjoyed the Egypt one so much. I do enjoy the history aspect of it
 

DWelbz19

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Honestly, I'm just a history geek and I get a lot out of every Assassin's Creed game. I don't think people realise just how much historical input Ubisoft get from top-tier historians before creating their games. You'd be remiss for not appreciating it if you didn't know much about that particular era and location, but roaming the map is a hugely enjoyable thing for me.
The maps are great, yeah. Just idyllic and vibrant — Mykonos, Lakonia, Sparta etc in Odyssey; Alexandria, Giza, The Hippodrome in Origins... Gorgeous.

The part I like more is definitely the mythology though. So in the DLC for Odyssey I was buzzing in going to Persephone’s garden in the underworld, or to Atlantis with Poseidon.

Apparently these are a few of the trophies in the game:
Caladfwlch: Draw Excalibur from the Stone
Godly Reward: Obtain Thor’s Helmet
Worthy: Wield Mjolnir

So some Nordic and Arthurian myth would be very nice!
 

dannyrhinos89

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I was going to platinum this game like I did with odyssey....that is until I learned there’s 780 collectibles :houllier:

I hope they’re easy to come by and not a chore.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Have read that the combat is weak. As expected from Ubisoft.
 

MattofManchester

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I'll retract my previous statement that it's underwhelming.

It's actually a good game.

The problem for me is that it's just not Assassin's Creed.
Origins, Odyssey and so on are good games.
But they're not what Ubisoft originally gave us with the AC series. Which is actually why I don't play it anymore.
 

AaronRedDevil

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I'll retract my previous statement that it's underwhelming.

It's actually a good game.

The problem for me is that it's just not Assassin's Creed.
Origins, Odyssey and so on are good games.
But they're not what Ubisoft originally gave us with the AC series. Which is actually why I don't play it anymore.
Yeah I miss the old style. Ezio and the AC3 fella. Black flag is where it started to go downhill as an assassins storyline. I feel like I’m the only one the liked the Animus outside world story as well.
 

MattofManchester

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Yeah I miss the old style. Ezio and the AC3 fella. Black flag is where it started to go downhill as an assassins storyline. I feel like I’m the only one the liked the Animus outside world story as well.
I liked Desmond's story because it felt like there was a substance to it.
When he died, I was like wtf, okay, where are they going with this?

Apparently Ubisoft didn't know where they were going with it either.
 

Hoof the ball

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Have read that the combat is weak. As expected from Ubisoft.
It’s fine. Not as good as odyssey but It’s not an issue.

I’m enjoying it so far I’ve played about 3 hours.
A reviewer said the same thing until he mentioned that getting the books of knowledge is the game changer so far as combat is concerned because then it unlocks mid-fight and end-fight finishers as well as a vast array of special moves! He heavily recommended finding them ASAP.
 

AaronRedDevil

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I liked Desmond's story because it felt like there was a substance to it.
When he died, I was like wtf, okay, where are they going with this?

Apparently Ubisoft didn't know where they were going with it either.
yeah the shouldn't have sacked the guy who made the story in the first place because he wanted to end it at AC3 I think. It was the most interesting. Gods going to destroy the world and such. Though it's making me mad that they keep putting in the animus story with very little movement. Just dont put it in and continue with the different era without the animus stuff. Its become pointless.
 

bosnian_red

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Can't wait for this. Loved the last few. Black flag possibly the most memorable one for me, but Origins up there as well as my favorite. Odyssey was great, but way too big and way too long in the end. I love how they've incorporated mythology in the last few, and doing Norse mythology now is the perfect follow up. Its like a warm up for the next God of War.
 

Gehrman

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Is it worth waiting for the PS5 version for this?
 

bosnian_red

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Is it worth waiting for the PS5 version for this?
I would say definitely, if you're getting the ps5 right away... no point in playing the lower quality version for 2-3 days when the game will likely take 100+ hours to beat and the ps5 is our on Thursday.
 

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One day they'll do a proper remake (not another remaster) of the Ezio trilogy. The gold standard of the series.
They'd have to do some serious work on AC:1... even at the time people said it was a very repetitive game.

2 and 3 were class though.
 

Shane88

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Have read that the combat is weak. As expected from Ubisoft.
Has any AC game had satisfying combat? I remember the early games being especially bad. Felt like you were hitting enemies with twigs. The only thing that was satisfying was the hidden blade kills.

The Ezio trilogy doesn't include 1, does it? I'm sure it's 2, Brotherhood and Revelations.
 

One Night Only

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They'd have to do some serious work on AC:1... even at the time people said it was a very repetitive game.

2 and 3 were class though.
People wanting remakes / remasters will soon realise the games are quite poor compared to today's games. A lot of games have borrowed from AC and improved upon them.

At the time AC and AC2 were ace, because they done new things, or things were done in a way we hadn't seen before. Now it's all just a bit samey.

Nostalgia effect.

AC was my most anticipated game leading upto the run up for the PS3, I watched endless videos waiting for it. However I doubt i would be excited to replay it again.
 

Gehrman

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I would say definitely, if you're getting the ps5 right away... no point in playing the lower quality version for 2-3 days when the game will likely take 100+ hours to beat and the ps5 is our on Thursday.
Well I contacted the store where I made I pre-order and they said they don't know when they will have ps5 on stock, so I don't know when I will be getting one.
 

bosnian_red

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For most of us, we have to wait another seven days on top of that.
Ouf. Well... either way, the last few assassins creed games took more than a couple of weeks to get through! And I bet that it'll be worth it to wait for the PS5 to play it rather than starting over.
 

bosnian_red

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Well I contacted the store where I made I pre-order and they said they don't know when they will have ps5 on stock, so I don't know when I will be getting one.
Rough. No estimate at all? Then I guess it would depend on what other games you have to go through and how much time you'll have. Not sure if its anything other than feeling smoother/sharper graphics on the ps5, so I'm sure it'll still be good on the ps4.

Last few AC games I waited until they were on sale to get them, most kinks are usually sorted out by then and some DLC's are released. Getting this one from the start though.
 

el3mel

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I have decided to postpone buying PS5 for now. Most games coming are either on PC or PS4, beside next year I'll finally start my medical job career so probably won't have much time any more for 1 or 2 years, so gonna be a little bit of a waste of money. I'll keep on with PS4 and PC for now.

I bought the game yesterday to get the pre-order bonus and currently downloading.
 

Cascarino

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I’ve never really been able to get into the AC games (bar drinking rum while watching my housemate play black flag), but I love the setting of this one
Honestly, I'm just a history geek and I get a lot out of every Assassin's Creed game. I don't think people realise just how much historical input Ubisoft get from top-tier historians before creating their games. You'd be remiss for not appreciating it if you didn't know much about that particular era and location, but roaming the map is a hugely enjoyable thing for me.
so this has me pretty excited. I’m cheap as hell so I’ll probably wait a bit but looking forward to giving it a go. Shame you can’t venture into Wales though
 

Hoof the ball

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People wanting remakes / remasters will soon realise the games are quite poor compared to today's games. A lot of games have borrowed from AC and improved upon them.

At the time AC and AC2 were ace, because they done new things, or things were done in a way we hadn't seen before. Now it's all just a bit samey.

Nostalgia effect.

AC was my most anticipated game leading upto the run up for the PS3, I watched endless videos waiting for it. However I doubt i would be excited to replay it again.
What makes AC2 series so great wasn't just the big leap from AC1, but mostly it's the story itself. AC2 is damn near perfect, and Brotherhood isn't far behind. A remake of those games with superior from-the-ground-up graphics and mechanics system that's somewhere between the classic and modern approach would be interesting.
 

dannyrhinos89

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So I'm now 7 hours in and I can tell that its going to be a 100+ hour game.

Story is entertaining, stealth or fighting is fluid as usual. No complaints from me.