Assassin's Creed Valhalla

I’ve been a massive Assassin’s Creed fan since AC1, and after almost 100 hours in Valhalla, I can honestly say I like this game a lot. I can also say that the sheer amount of content managed to wear out the completionist in me. That takes some doing. But let’s get this out of the way: this isn’t an assassin game. This is a Viking game. It carries the Assassin’s Creed name and has connections to the larger story, but the experience itself is very much about the Viking fantasy. As someone who has loved this series since the beginning, that distinction matters. It doesn’t make Valhalla a bad game, but it does make it a different experience from what made me fall in love with AC in the first place. The beginning had me genuinely hyped, and the ending absolutely delivered that same excitement, especially if you’re into the Isu lore. That side of Assassin’s Creed is something I love, and the ending left me really wanting to see where they would take it next. Unfortunately, it’s fall 2026 as I’m writing this, and I’m still waiting for a proper follow-up. Hopefully they will actually continue what they set up here, because I definitely haven’t forgotten about it. The game itself plays smoothly and feels amazing. Combat is simple and doesn’t have much depth, but it makes you feel like a god. You’re not necessarily enjoying it because of some incredibly complex system you’re slowly mastering. You’re enjoying it because being this powerful feels good. And honestly, that worked for me. England is also genuinely fun to explore. I enjoyed being in this world and working my way through it, which is probably why I kept going despite the absolutely insane amount of things on the map. There is always something else to do, another marker to clear, another thing standing between you and a completed territory. And yes, I did it all. Every territory in the base game cleared. I saw that ridiculous map and apparently decided that absolutely none of it was optional. But even I needed a pause after finishing the base game. There’s still more content to tackle, and instead of immediately jumping into it, I needed to step away for a while. Not because I disliked the game, but because I had already spent so much time completing everything. Enjoying a game and having had enough of it for the moment can apparently happen at the same time. That’s where I land with Valhalla. Definitely recommended, with the understanding that you’re getting a massive Viking adventure rather than a traditional assassin experience. I had a lot of fun, loved the power fantasy, and the Isu story left me wanting more. I just needed a break before “more” meant another map full of things to complete.