Since its 2020 release, Ubisoft’s latest entry into the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Valhalla, is still going strong thanks to solid post-launch content. The newest DLC, Dawn of Ragnarök, looks to give the game more legs well into 2022.
Assassin’s Creed has always given its fans a mix of historical stealth action with a dab of mythology. With the Dawn of Ragnarök expansion, Ubisoft Sofia is doing things differently by fully embracing the Norse mythology introduced by Valhalla by allowing players to take control of the most legendary deity ever, Odin.
In Valhalla, your character Eivor could speak with Valka the Seer, who blesses you with her special brew that allows you to take a trippy trip to Asgard and Jotunheim. During your optional out-of-body experience, Eivor relives the memories of Odin and other gods as they deal with the impending doom that is Ragnarök (the end of the world for both gods and men) coping with the deceit caused by the trickster Loki and Jotun.
Now, Valhalla fans will be able to take control of Odin as he embarks on a journey somewhat similar to a famous demi-god named Kratos embarked on. No, Odin won’t be traversing the land of man while yelling at his son, but Odin’s mission, like Kratos, is paternal in nature because Odin is searching for their son Baldr. At the same time, the dwarven realm of Svartalfheim has been invaded by rival powers, the Jotnar (those giant blue ice dwarves) and the fire-wielding Muspels led by Surtr, the unkillable god. This is all going down as Ragnarök approaches, only adding to the long list of things the powerful god has to worry about.
Hip-Hop Wired had the opportunity to see some gameplay from the upcoming expansion and what we observed is that your time as Odin will not be like the typical Assassin’s Creed experience. Not only will you still have the skills of an Assassin, but you will also possess god-like abilities adding more flair to your combat skills and giving you a totally different way to embark on your journey. Odin can now fly, literally, by shapeshifting into a bird, a much better way of navigating the sprawling world of Svartalfheim.
Odin will also be blessed with a mythical bracer called the Hugr-Rip, which will allow Odin not only to take out foes but absorb their abilities endowing Odin with either ice or fire abilities to aid him on his quest. Odin will also have the ability to instantly teleport and raise dead foes taken out by the god, allowing them to now fight by Odin’s side.
Just based on what we saw, it’s a considerable departure from the gameplay we have grown accustomed to from previous Assassin’s Creed games. Dawn of Ragnarök isn’t going to be just a small expansion. Players can expect “over 35 hours of content” that will be a much more streamlined experience while staying true to Assassin’s Creed formula. t should keep your interest and not overwhelm you like the mainline game does with its countless number of side missions.
Dawn of Ragnarök arrives on March 10. You can learn even more about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s latest expansion with the deep-dive trailer below.
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Photo: Ubisoft / Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarök
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