There will be pillaging and raiding.
April 30, 2020 6:17 PM Subscribe
Assassin's Creed Valhalla [Official Game Trailer] “Ubisoft is adding Vikings to its Assassin series. Valhalla stars Eivor, a Viking raider, as he or she (players will be able to chose the gender of their character, as well as customize their look) leads clans “from the harsh shores of Norway to a new home amid the lush farmlands of ninth-century England.” From there, players will build settlements through customization and upgrades, while also raiding fortresses and forging alliances. The game is expected for launch for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Stadia, as well as Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.” [via: The Verge]
Bonus: In the lead up to the Assasin's Creed Valhalla reveal, Ubisoft live streamed a digital painting in real time. 8 hours later, Assassin's Creed Valhalla was announced. You can watch the entire thing here.
Bonus: In the lead up to the Assasin's Creed Valhalla reveal, Ubisoft live streamed a digital painting in real time. 8 hours later, Assassin's Creed Valhalla was announced. You can watch the entire thing here.
I'm hoping there's a bit more to the gameplay than Odyssey. I thought the Greece they created for Odyssey was utterly amazing, but the writing and acting (apart from a few of the main characters) was so bad, and the gameplay so nonsensical in many ways, that I was put off from finishing or even getting close to the end. I'll probably pick it up again later, and I'm looking forward to Valhalla, but I hope it's not quite so... dumb as Odyssey.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 6:31 PM on April 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 6:31 PM on April 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've really enjoyed Syndicate, Origins and Odyssey. They are large and clunky and flabby but also beautiful and relaxing.
I'm very glad they retained the gender choice from Odyssey. Especially since you know the male character is going to be the most bro bro they can possibly create in medieval Norway.
Ubisoft always talks big when their games are in preview, but they basically always turn out as theme parks that are a mile wide and an inch deep. So I'm going to keep my expectations moderate.
posted by selfnoise at 6:55 PM on April 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
I'm very glad they retained the gender choice from Odyssey. Especially since you know the male character is going to be the most bro bro they can possibly create in medieval Norway.
Ubisoft always talks big when their games are in preview, but they basically always turn out as theme parks that are a mile wide and an inch deep. So I'm going to keep my expectations moderate.
posted by selfnoise at 6:55 PM on April 30, 2020 [5 favorites]
I liked Black Flag, Syndicate (I so wished that world had been bigger) and Origins/Odyssey were fantastic. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time on the last two and the exploring and sneaking/fighting balance was great as well as the complete freedom.
I am really hoping they are able to finish the new one with work from home because I blew through Tomb Raider (Shadow of) in a disappointingly short time. I ran out of game so fast compared to an AC game. Good game, just too short.
posted by Brockles at 7:52 PM on April 30, 2020
I am really hoping they are able to finish the new one with work from home because I blew through Tomb Raider (Shadow of) in a disappointingly short time. I ran out of game so fast compared to an AC game. Good game, just too short.
posted by Brockles at 7:52 PM on April 30, 2020
Forget Vikings. I backed off long ago when their theme seemed to shift to jumping of sharks.
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:04 PM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by RolandOfEld at 8:04 PM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Looking forward to this, especially the base building part which is a new for AC (Black Flag's base building doesn't really count).
The big question with any AC game is: which game mechanics has Ubi implemented perfectly and which have they forgotten about? Every game in the series that I've played has been challenged by introducing new mechanics but also forgetting about existing ones from previous titles.
Take Odyssey. It is the ultimate amalgamation of AC games in terms of game mechanics (stealth! open world! pirating! mercenaries!) but implemented almost everything just adequately, rarely shining in any department. They also messed up the random side quests like I've never seen before in the series (you seriously want me to just hand some NPC 50 bucks? That's just lazy).
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:06 PM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
The big question with any AC game is: which game mechanics has Ubi implemented perfectly and which have they forgotten about? Every game in the series that I've played has been challenged by introducing new mechanics but also forgetting about existing ones from previous titles.
Take Odyssey. It is the ultimate amalgamation of AC games in terms of game mechanics (stealth! open world! pirating! mercenaries!) but implemented almost everything just adequately, rarely shining in any department. They also messed up the random side quests like I've never seen before in the series (you seriously want me to just hand some NPC 50 bucks? That's just lazy).
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:06 PM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
"you seriously want me to just hand some NPC 50 bucks? That's just lazy"
I always assumed that was some kind of 'character judgement' style mechanic where it affected how likely people were to view you favourably or not later on in the game. Lots of comments about your character and who you are/forgiving streak etc so I kind of hoped they all tied in.
If not, I'm out about 800 bucks for nothing. I like helping people when I'm a bad ass woman assassin. Because I'm usually none of those 4 things so it is a nice break.
posted by Brockles at 8:11 PM on April 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
I always assumed that was some kind of 'character judgement' style mechanic where it affected how likely people were to view you favourably or not later on in the game. Lots of comments about your character and who you are/forgiving streak etc so I kind of hoped they all tied in.
If not, I'm out about 800 bucks for nothing. I like helping people when I'm a bad ass woman assassin. Because I'm usually none of those 4 things so it is a nice break.
posted by Brockles at 8:11 PM on April 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm gonna miss the ability to stab fucking Spartan shitheads right through their torso and out the other side.
I also still resent the fact that I can't pile up a bunch of dead Spartans on a bonfire and let them burn as a warning to their countrymen.
...and I further resent the fact that after murdering three thousand Spartans in cold blood they didn't learn to flee in abject terror at the sight of my glorious flowing mane. Seriously Light Soldier Dude? You just saw me murder three guys in less than fifteen seconds, and you're gonna run at me with a spear? LOOK AT THIS HAIR! BEHOLD, I AM DEATH!
...and yes, I wanted the bodies to persist longer. When I murder every Spartan in a ten block radius, I want the glorious evidence of my emancipation to remain. At least until the body carts could arrive.
(finally, yes, I resent that I was forced by the plot to kill Athenians, when I could have spent that time more profitably by murdering yet more Spartans.)
posted by aramaic at 8:27 PM on April 30, 2020 [23 favorites]
I also still resent the fact that I can't pile up a bunch of dead Spartans on a bonfire and let them burn as a warning to their countrymen.
...and I further resent the fact that after murdering three thousand Spartans in cold blood they didn't learn to flee in abject terror at the sight of my glorious flowing mane. Seriously Light Soldier Dude? You just saw me murder three guys in less than fifteen seconds, and you're gonna run at me with a spear? LOOK AT THIS HAIR! BEHOLD, I AM DEATH!
...and yes, I wanted the bodies to persist longer. When I murder every Spartan in a ten block radius, I want the glorious evidence of my emancipation to remain. At least until the body carts could arrive.
(finally, yes, I resent that I was forced by the plot to kill Athenians, when I could have spent that time more profitably by murdering yet more Spartans.)
posted by aramaic at 8:27 PM on April 30, 2020 [23 favorites]
my brain is mush so I initially read this as Animal Crossing Valhalla & now I want whatever that game is
posted by taquito sunrise at 8:55 PM on April 30, 2020 [32 favorites]
posted by taquito sunrise at 8:55 PM on April 30, 2020 [32 favorites]
I'm looking forward to playing some of the more modern AC games, but I've still got Black Flag in my backlog and am looking forward to giving that one a try first.
But I remember when one of the first trailers came out for Origins. It started with a breathtaking overview of the Egyptian environments and characters -- clearly an ambitiously fresh new take on the Assassin's Creed franchise.
And then this amazing-looking Egyptian dude drops into a crouch, scrambles up a building, and runs across the rooftop doing a pitch-perfect imitation of Ezio Auditore, and I laughed out loud.
posted by straight at 9:06 PM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
But I remember when one of the first trailers came out for Origins. It started with a breathtaking overview of the Egyptian environments and characters -- clearly an ambitiously fresh new take on the Assassin's Creed franchise.
And then this amazing-looking Egyptian dude drops into a crouch, scrambles up a building, and runs across the rooftop doing a pitch-perfect imitation of Ezio Auditore, and I laughed out loud.
posted by straight at 9:06 PM on April 30, 2020 [1 favorite]
Ezio > Kassandra > Bayak > Edward > The Rest > The dude version of Kassandra
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:13 AM on May 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by Paladin1138 at 4:13 AM on May 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
Stadia is still a thing? I thought it was already part of Google's wall of abandoned projects.
posted by signal at 5:24 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by signal at 5:24 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Kassandra was pretty good - I thought the DLC did her dirty. Abukabar Salim was an amazing Bayek, however.
posted by um at 6:21 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by um at 6:21 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I used to be really into the weird Scifi backstory around the time of ACII and Brotherhood but by this point I'd be fine if they dropped the animus thing altogether and just made a series of historical open world chop-em-ups.
posted by thecjm at 6:24 AM on May 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
There will be pillaging
and raiding
all over En-ga-land
this yearrrrrr
we are gonna make it
through this year
and then kill them
posted by curious nu at 6:25 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
and raiding
all over En-ga-land
this yearrrrrr
we are gonna make it
through this year
and then kill them
posted by curious nu at 6:25 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
I realise this series has gone in a different direction than my own tastes, but I miss the rooftop climbing gameplay of AC2 and Unity and Syndicate, and the ability to one-stab kill most enemies early in the game. I really don't want to be grinding shit so my Level 5 spear can chip away at an enemy's health bar 10% faster.
posted by adrianhon at 6:32 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by adrianhon at 6:32 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
The writing in Odyssey was all over the place. And some of it is heavily cringe-worthy.
The game is just too damn big for its own good. The fact that they sell "time savers" XP boosts for real world money gives that away. They made it way too big, and they made it that way on purpose.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:10 AM on May 1, 2020
The game is just too damn big for its own good. The fact that they sell "time savers" XP boosts for real world money gives that away. They made it way too big, and they made it that way on purpose.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:10 AM on May 1, 2020
Also, this is worth adding. Ubisoft is not perfect, but I do appreciate this:
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Devs Preemptively Shut Down Bullshit Concerns About Female Vikings [Kotaku]
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Devs Preemptively Shut Down Bullshit Concerns About Female Vikings [Kotaku]
““The archaeological sources are highly debated on that specific issue,” said Thierry Noël, historian and advisor in Ubisoft’s editorial research unit, via an official Q&A. “But the fact is, and I think what’s really important, is that it was part of their conception of the world. Sagas and myths from Norse society are full of tough female characters and warriors. It was part of their idea of the world, that women and men are equally formidable in battle, and that’s something that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will reflect.” [...] Were there female Viking warriors? Who gives a fuck! We love gaming because it allows us—developers and players alike—to do whatever we like. I can play as a powerful gorilla escaping a testing facility or a scared child evading brain worm-infested pigs. I can kill time at the doctor’s office with a puzzle game or spend hours emotionally invested in a sprawling RPG. It may be hard to understand by people who, like me, have been catered to their whole lives, but seeing a woman as a playable character in a video game can be the first step toward someone new joining our hobby. We should all embrace that.posted by Fizz at 7:11 AM on May 1, 2020 [10 favorites]
Ubisoft’s decision to include two fully developed characters in Odyssey and now Valhalla should be a win-win for everyone. Not only does it technically double the amount of game, it also gives a whole new group of players the ability to see themselves in a powerful, compelling Assassin’s Creed protagonist.”
by this point I'd be fine if they dropped the animus thing altogether and just made a series of historical open world chop-em-ups.
I tried to go back and play some of the older Ezio games and the whole animus bullshit was so tiresome and annoying to me that I just gave up. It's not too much of a big deal in Black Flag, but playing anything prior to that, it's just so god damn annoying. I'm not here for some mysterious future assassin's cult, I'm here to cosplay in a historical setting and run around murdering dudebros who have it coming.
posted by Fizz at 7:14 AM on May 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
I tried to go back and play some of the older Ezio games and the whole animus bullshit was so tiresome and annoying to me that I just gave up. It's not too much of a big deal in Black Flag, but playing anything prior to that, it's just so god damn annoying. I'm not here for some mysterious future assassin's cult, I'm here to cosplay in a historical setting and run around murdering dudebros who have it coming.
posted by Fizz at 7:14 AM on May 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
Agreed about the Animus stuff. At this point they're just using the name Assassin's Creed as a sales device. There was only a tiny amount of Animus Sci-Fi in Odyssey.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:22 AM on May 1, 2020
posted by SoberHighland at 7:22 AM on May 1, 2020
I'm a Viking
from the North...
I rob, and kill,
and so forth...
posted by SoberHighland at 7:24 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
from the North...
I rob, and kill,
and so forth...
posted by SoberHighland at 7:24 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Back when you could travel, I went to Venice. Coincidentally, I'd been playing AC2 in the months leading up and discovered that I could actually find my way around Venice based on the video game. Sadly, I did not attempt to climb any buildings to murder a pope. But it did cross my mind.
I'm so very excited for this game. I adooooored Odyssey and Kassandra and as a lifelong gamer and someone with ladybits, I always welcome the opportunity to play a character that looks a little bit like me.
posted by teleri025 at 7:26 AM on May 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
I'm so very excited for this game. I adooooored Odyssey and Kassandra and as a lifelong gamer and someone with ladybits, I always welcome the opportunity to play a character that looks a little bit like me.
posted by teleri025 at 7:26 AM on May 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
The AC franchise is interesting in how Ubisoft keeps reinventing it. They've come a long way from "climbing puzzles with crowd based stealth assassinations". I kinda miss that old game but I'm sure Norway is not going to support it. Real lack of 100+ foot tall buildings in the Nordic countries.
The game's story looks to be examining the Norse invasion of England and a conflict between paganism and Christianity with the Christians being nominally the bad guys. That should be fun and interesting. I'm kind of hoping there's actual divine powers at play, like Odin favoring you tossing lightning bolts around or something.
Judging by the king's logo "Red Rex" I wonder if he's meant to be William II of the 11th century. I know nothing about the man but I'm encouraged by suggestions of cryptohomosexuality and the quote that he was "addicted to every kind of vice, particularly lust and especially sodomy". Maybe he'll turn out to be the good guy afterall. OTOH Internet nerds say the coin was meant to read Alfred Rex, as in Alfred the Great of the 9th century. He's characterized as " a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who encouraged education". Screw that, bring me the Sodomite King.
I did really like the very early sci-fi stories, particularly the big reveal in AC2 about Adam and Eve and the progenitors. It was all so wildly fantastic! But the Animus and overstory has been reduced to this weird vestigal annoying 5 minute thing you do once and are done. Too bad.
Also lost, the multiplayer game. It was never very popular. But it was so much fun! Finally a deathmatch style FPS where subtlety was required rather than running around blasting everyone.
posted by Nelson at 7:48 AM on May 1, 2020
The game's story looks to be examining the Norse invasion of England and a conflict between paganism and Christianity with the Christians being nominally the bad guys. That should be fun and interesting. I'm kind of hoping there's actual divine powers at play, like Odin favoring you tossing lightning bolts around or something.
Judging by the king's logo "Red Rex" I wonder if he's meant to be William II of the 11th century. I know nothing about the man but I'm encouraged by suggestions of cryptohomosexuality and the quote that he was "addicted to every kind of vice, particularly lust and especially sodomy". Maybe he'll turn out to be the good guy afterall. OTOH Internet nerds say the coin was meant to read Alfred Rex, as in Alfred the Great of the 9th century. He's characterized as " a learned and merciful man of a gracious and level-headed nature who encouraged education". Screw that, bring me the Sodomite King.
I did really like the very early sci-fi stories, particularly the big reveal in AC2 about Adam and Eve and the progenitors. It was all so wildly fantastic! But the Animus and overstory has been reduced to this weird vestigal annoying 5 minute thing you do once and are done. Too bad.
Also lost, the multiplayer game. It was never very popular. But it was so much fun! Finally a deathmatch style FPS where subtlety was required rather than running around blasting everyone.
posted by Nelson at 7:48 AM on May 1, 2020
Huh, I've often thought that the second or third game should have had the real-world stuff in a reasonably far future. So you're controlling Mary Sue Scifi who lives in a habitat around Blorpitron-14 or on the Spice Moon of Gringlebop doing familiarish cyberpunky-hacky-heisty stuff, and the person you're controlling in the animus is Desmond.
I kinda miss that old game but I'm sure Norway is not going to support it
Apart from some intro stuff, isn't the game going to be set in England? [timeteam phil] We're right down on the Saxon! [/ttp]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 7:50 AM on May 1, 2020
I kinda miss that old game but I'm sure Norway is not going to support it
Apart from some intro stuff, isn't the game going to be set in England? [timeteam phil] We're right down on the Saxon! [/ttp]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 7:50 AM on May 1, 2020
Kassandra is the exact opposite of the default angsty grizzled game protagonist: She's either enjoying herself doing what she does best, or she's stabbing the poor soul who dared darken her skies. Some games you wonder if the hero is really a hero, but not this one.
Odyssey revived my interest in Assassin's Creed, particularly how every quest is fully voiced and has a unique plotline, which helps mask the repetition inherent in open world games. I didn't care for the RPG levelling mechanics though. I'd rather occasionally encounter an invisible wall gating my progress like the old games rather than spend ten minutes stealthing through a fortress to find I can't backstab the bad guy because I'm not supposed to be there yet.
posted by Eleven at 7:52 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
Odyssey revived my interest in Assassin's Creed, particularly how every quest is fully voiced and has a unique plotline, which helps mask the repetition inherent in open world games. I didn't care for the RPG levelling mechanics though. I'd rather occasionally encounter an invisible wall gating my progress like the old games rather than spend ten minutes stealthing through a fortress to find I can't backstab the bad guy because I'm not supposed to be there yet.
posted by Eleven at 7:52 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
isn't the game going to be set in England?
True! Maybe we'll see some two story buildings then.
posted by Nelson at 7:52 AM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
True! Maybe we'll see some two story buildings then.
posted by Nelson at 7:52 AM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
my favourite thing so far aside from everything is the angry brits in the tumblr asscreed tag saying "why are we the villains" in a total and abject absence of any sort of historical awareness at all
chefkiss dot gif
anyway im already preordered as always
posted by poffin boffin at 8:28 AM on May 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
chefkiss dot gif
anyway im already preordered as always
posted by poffin boffin at 8:28 AM on May 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
I am reinstalling Odyssey and plan on playing later this evening. I dropped off because my brain is wired to always hunt for some other type of game, but I want to just explore in that environment because it's pretty to jump around inside of.
posted by Fizz at 8:38 AM on May 1, 2020
posted by Fizz at 8:38 AM on May 1, 2020
also i guess it's?? kind of weird to me?? when ppl are like "i miss [old game]" as though that's a reason that new game should not be new game or not exist or something? go play old game! you are allowed! i am replaying ac brotherhood right now just to recruit lady assassins and leave the men to die! but also to punch the pope.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:41 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by poffin boffin at 8:41 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
So, to allow me to last until 'holiday season' (which is presumably a hand wavey "Thanksgiving if we can work effectively at home or New Year-ish if it all goes to shit for longer") is playing as the dude in Odyssey significantly different than as Kasandra? Or not? I played as Kasandra because she is a total badass, and now the game is a bit boring because everything is done (Atlantis and all the extras too). I toyed with playing through again but am not sure if it won't be annoying to grind again. But if it isn't just a 'the characters are the same but have male/female skins over them' it might be fun to play as the guy to get back into that world.
posted by Brockles at 8:56 AM on May 1, 2020
posted by Brockles at 8:56 AM on May 1, 2020
my brain is mush so I initially read this as Animal Crossing Valhalla & now I want whatever that game is
I just had the image of the player taking the helm of their ship to wreak havoc on the high seas, and the crew giving a hearty rendition of the old traditional sea shanty:
O eep mee na, aa eep na wee
posted by MrBadExample at 9:26 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I just had the image of the player taking the helm of their ship to wreak havoc on the high seas, and the crew giving a hearty rendition of the old traditional sea shanty:
O eep mee na, aa eep na wee
posted by MrBadExample at 9:26 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Kassandra / Alexios is almost entirely the same game in Odyssey, sorry. No big story differences. Everyone in the game is bisexual (AFAIK) so there's not even a difference in the horny moments. (Yay progress?) There are some differences in the animation and voice acting, this articles does a good job looking at that in detail, but basically the game plays the same as either character.
Other than the script running through your own head though. I was definitely Xena, Warrior Princess in my playthrough as Kassandra.
posted by Nelson at 9:37 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Other than the script running through your own head though. I was definitely Xena, Warrior Princess in my playthrough as Kassandra.
posted by Nelson at 9:37 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I was definitely Xena, Warrior Princess in my playthrough as Kassandra.
I've been playing her as Wonder Woman.
I plan on playing Assassin's Creed Valhalla as Lagertha.
posted by Fizz at 9:42 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've been playing her as Wonder Woman.
I plan on playing Assassin's Creed Valhalla as Lagertha.
posted by Fizz at 9:42 AM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm (still) playing Odyssey as Kassandra. I read that her voice actor was better and just went with the choice. After Mass Effect, where the female voice actor was just objectively better (seriously, the quality in voice acting from the woman actor for the Mass Effect games is astonishing), I have enjoyed playing fem-based video game characters in general.
I got to level 25 or so and restarted Odyssey, because I sucked so hard at it when I started. I have been able to quickly get back to about the same level, but, sheesh, my enthusiasm for the game just dropped off. It's too damn big for its own good. Around level 30, you can play for hours and hours and not gain a level, or even find better equipment.
I like the game. I still play it now and then. I find it relaxing, even with all the murder and mayhem. It's beautiful to look at. But I can't help but think that it's a watered-down version of Witcher 3 with much better graphics. The writing is just very weak in Odyssey. None of the characters outside of Kassandra are interesting. When I played Witcher 3, I got to actually enjoy hanging out with some of the side characters! It was a new experience for me. I started liking all the "hanging out" parts and got tired of the action stuff with W3.
There's too many "wacky stereotype" characters in Odyssey, with goofy voices defining their characters. I do like the game, and I'm looking forward to Viking Simulator... though honestly, I'm pretty tired of snow, ice and burly guys with horned helmets raging on about Ragnarok. The Viking milieu has been rubbed into the dirt.
We had pseudo Vikings in Witcher 3, God of War reboot, Skyrim, etc.
posted by SoberHighland at 10:28 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I got to level 25 or so and restarted Odyssey, because I sucked so hard at it when I started. I have been able to quickly get back to about the same level, but, sheesh, my enthusiasm for the game just dropped off. It's too damn big for its own good. Around level 30, you can play for hours and hours and not gain a level, or even find better equipment.
I like the game. I still play it now and then. I find it relaxing, even with all the murder and mayhem. It's beautiful to look at. But I can't help but think that it's a watered-down version of Witcher 3 with much better graphics. The writing is just very weak in Odyssey. None of the characters outside of Kassandra are interesting. When I played Witcher 3, I got to actually enjoy hanging out with some of the side characters! It was a new experience for me. I started liking all the "hanging out" parts and got tired of the action stuff with W3.
There's too many "wacky stereotype" characters in Odyssey, with goofy voices defining their characters. I do like the game, and I'm looking forward to Viking Simulator... though honestly, I'm pretty tired of snow, ice and burly guys with horned helmets raging on about Ragnarok. The Viking milieu has been rubbed into the dirt.
We had pseudo Vikings in Witcher 3, God of War reboot, Skyrim, etc.
posted by SoberHighland at 10:28 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Around level 30, you can play for hours and hours and not gain a level, or even find better equipment.
??? you can level up in like an hour doing conquest battles?? i level up too fast doing them and then end up having to hit a bunch of fortresses in order to be able to afford leveling up my gear.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:53 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
??? you can level up in like an hour doing conquest battles?? i level up too fast doing them and then end up having to hit a bunch of fortresses in order to be able to afford leveling up my gear.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:53 AM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Fair point about conquest battles. I haven't done many of them as I don't enjoy them at all. Maybe I should just plow through a few of them.
posted by SoberHighland at 10:59 AM on May 1, 2020
posted by SoberHighland at 10:59 AM on May 1, 2020
I didn't struggle levelling up, either, but then I really liked just wandering about and finding stuff and hitting camps and places. I only bothered updating my gear when I was getting nailed too easily in combat.
posted by Brockles at 11:04 AM on May 1, 2020
posted by Brockles at 11:04 AM on May 1, 2020
Kassandra's voice actor in AC: Odyssey is Melissanthi Mahut. FemShep's voice actress in Mass Effect is Jennifer Hale, who's about as famous as you can be as a voice actor without having done Looney Tunes. AC Valhalla's protagonist voice actors will be Magnus Brunn (male) and Cecilie Stenspil (female).
posted by Nelson at 11:05 AM on May 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 11:05 AM on May 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
I look forward to being able to say, "Oh Boy, Assassin's Creed! That's where I'm a viking!" and then watch the controversy unfold.
posted by crLLC at 11:49 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by crLLC at 11:49 AM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
Levels are borderline irrelevant in AC:O, as long as you simply advance the plot and THEN make sure to grab every single one of the Stelae you run across. If you see a tomb, go in there. They're mildly irksome (goddamn snakes) but none of them are particularly hard, and you get a skillpoint. It won't take long before you're just an unholy murder machine (mind, I always spec for Magic Sniper, but even so I've got enough points that I rip faces off in stand-up combat).
Also, start a new game as NG+ so you keep your skills and stuff. Then you can just wander the world, ignoring the plot, committing Nation-State levels of homicide.
posted by aramaic at 12:28 PM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
Also, start a new game as NG+ so you keep your skills and stuff. Then you can just wander the world, ignoring the plot, committing Nation-State levels of homicide.
posted by aramaic at 12:28 PM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
One good thing about the Animus framing story is it gives them an easy way to kick "historical accuracy" to the curb if it doesn't benefit the game. If somebody whines about whether a female Viking protagonist is realistic, they can just say, "The Animus is a simulation." Why can't I do this or go over there (yet)? "It's a simulation."
posted by straight at 2:05 PM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by straight at 2:05 PM on May 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
But I hope they do keep the historically accurate reasons for the conflict between the English and the Vikings -- that the English were jealous of how stupid sexy the Vikings were with their unreasonably fussy bathing and grooming regimine.
According to the Benedictine monk John of Wallingford of the Abbey of St Albans:
According to the Benedictine monk John of Wallingford of the Abbey of St Albans:
The Danes, thanks to their habit of combing their hair every day, of bathing every Saturday and regularly changing their clothes, were able to undermine the virtue of married women and even seduce the daughters of nobles to be their mistresses.posted by straight at 2:12 PM on May 1, 2020 [5 favorites]
I felt the level-gating in Odyssey made the game feel bigger than it actually was. Not level 20 yet? better do some side-missions. That's okay though. My main beef with the side missions was that there were too few of them, and not enough of them featured that gorgeous manslut Alcibiades.
Also the island mission, with the kid you help 'make friends'. I CHOSE THE WRONG OPTION AND NOW SHE HAS NO FRIENDS FOREVER. UBISOFT I NEED TO FIX THIS.
posted by um at 4:11 PM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
Also the island mission, with the kid you help 'make friends'. I CHOSE THE WRONG OPTION AND NOW SHE HAS NO FRIENDS FOREVER. UBISOFT I NEED TO FIX THIS.
posted by um at 4:11 PM on May 1, 2020 [4 favorites]
I feel your pain. When I played AC2 for the first time, I didn't press the "Hug Leonardo Da Vinci" button in time, and his reaction just crushed me.
posted by MrBadExample at 5:02 PM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by MrBadExample at 5:02 PM on May 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
The antagonist king in the trailer is Alfred the Great and if you want to learn more about him and the era the game is set in before it is released, I highly recommend you get started on Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles which novelizes this whole period in quite an entertaining fashion. There's also a tv series based on the books called The Last Kingdom, but I haven't seen it, so can't vouch for quality. If you're a fan of historical fiction the books are well worth your quarantine time though (Cornwell also wrote the Richard Sharpe novels set during the Napoleonic Wars).
posted by longdaysjourney at 8:11 PM on May 1, 2020
posted by longdaysjourney at 8:11 PM on May 1, 2020
(also, if Heilung doesn't handle at least 50% of the musical track I will burn all the cities of men.)
posted by aramaic at 10:54 PM on May 1, 2020
posted by aramaic at 10:54 PM on May 1, 2020
Fuck yeah! i loved Odyssey. Give me the same awesome melee combat mechanics in a Viking game and take my money. I don't care if it makes no sense.
posted by Dumsnill at 12:54 AM on May 2, 2020
posted by Dumsnill at 12:54 AM on May 2, 2020
Hey I work on this! Loved to read your reactions.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 7:16 AM on May 2, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by WaterAndPixels at 7:16 AM on May 2, 2020 [5 favorites]
I adore Assassin's Creed, and I've been longing for some Last Kingdom style medieval stealth trickery in game form ever since I got into that show, so this is perfect.
posted by EatTheWeek at 6:04 PM on May 2, 2020
posted by EatTheWeek at 6:04 PM on May 2, 2020
My main beef with the side missions was that there were too few of them, and not enough of them featured that gorgeous manslut Alcibiades.
i like the island full of dead bodies and level 50 murder chickens
i died so many times, screaming
posted by poffin boffin at 12:27 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
i like the island full of dead bodies and level 50 murder chickens
i died so many times, screaming
posted by poffin boffin at 12:27 AM on May 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I love the clips and pictures I see of various Assasins Creeds games that I see on-line, but my gaming skills are more of the Lego Avengers / Animal Crossing New Horizons level. Would I like these games, or is there a lot of time spent making sure you have the right gun out of your arsenal of twenty guns?
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:09 AM on May 3, 2020
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:09 AM on May 3, 2020
I love the clips and pictures I see of various Assasins Creeds games that I see on-line, but my gaming skills are more of the Lego Avengers / Animal Crossing New Horizons level. Would I like these games, or is there a lot of time spent making sure you have the right gun out of your arsenal of twenty guns?
I haven't played either of the latter days Creeds (Origins or Odyssey), but you might enjoy trying any of the earlier ones. Something I value highly about AC is that you can play the majority of most of them very slowly. Indeed, I would argue that approaching them this way enhances the experience, and usually best sets you up for success. Most quests will have "100% Sync" stretch goals if you're looking for an extra challenge, but you can ignore the ones you don't like without losing anything but extra points, and sometimes not even that.
Quick reflexes can be important, but if you're a careful and observant assassin, you can often plan a caper in such a way that you can - and perhaps even should - slowly walk through it. Brotherhood is particularly successful in this regard - once you have your merry band of assassins built up, it can play almost like a 3rd person strategy game. Ezio can pick his way carefully along, ordering his crew to take out this or that guard, providing covering fire with his (frankly somewhat OP) crossbow or a helpful smoke bomb as needed. Unity and Syndicate slow down even further in their murder mystery quest chains. Success in these is, again, about going slow and paying attention. Most of them don't even have a chase sequence to worry about. I can't recall ever needing a single weapon in any of them.
There are also no pressure challenges in every one of these games that will build your skills. I was pretty nervous about doing well in the parkour, for instance, when I started playing them. But there will always be some sort of hidden package item scattered across the map, some in tricky places, that you can pursue at your leisure and in so doing slowly come to understand the possibilities of how your character moves. Furthermore, there is also often some kind of secret bit of powerful equipment that you can only gain by exploring the environment very carefully and solving a series of riddles. I try to do these as early in the game as I can, so I can play the rest of it with the advantage of both whatever the secret item turns out to be, and the often more useful knowledge of how the city is put together, and where to find shortcuts and convenient hiding spots.
The way AC is marketed kind of drives me crazy, to be honest. The trailers are usually full of combat and messy chases and yes, both of those will happen in any playthrough, especially early on. But the most important skills in the ones I've played have been being careful and paying attention. Spending as much time in noisy combat as the trailer assassins do is arguably evidence of someone who kind of sucks at Assassin's Creed.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:52 AM on May 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
I haven't played either of the latter days Creeds (Origins or Odyssey), but you might enjoy trying any of the earlier ones. Something I value highly about AC is that you can play the majority of most of them very slowly. Indeed, I would argue that approaching them this way enhances the experience, and usually best sets you up for success. Most quests will have "100% Sync" stretch goals if you're looking for an extra challenge, but you can ignore the ones you don't like without losing anything but extra points, and sometimes not even that.
Quick reflexes can be important, but if you're a careful and observant assassin, you can often plan a caper in such a way that you can - and perhaps even should - slowly walk through it. Brotherhood is particularly successful in this regard - once you have your merry band of assassins built up, it can play almost like a 3rd person strategy game. Ezio can pick his way carefully along, ordering his crew to take out this or that guard, providing covering fire with his (frankly somewhat OP) crossbow or a helpful smoke bomb as needed. Unity and Syndicate slow down even further in their murder mystery quest chains. Success in these is, again, about going slow and paying attention. Most of them don't even have a chase sequence to worry about. I can't recall ever needing a single weapon in any of them.
There are also no pressure challenges in every one of these games that will build your skills. I was pretty nervous about doing well in the parkour, for instance, when I started playing them. But there will always be some sort of hidden package item scattered across the map, some in tricky places, that you can pursue at your leisure and in so doing slowly come to understand the possibilities of how your character moves. Furthermore, there is also often some kind of secret bit of powerful equipment that you can only gain by exploring the environment very carefully and solving a series of riddles. I try to do these as early in the game as I can, so I can play the rest of it with the advantage of both whatever the secret item turns out to be, and the often more useful knowledge of how the city is put together, and where to find shortcuts and convenient hiding spots.
The way AC is marketed kind of drives me crazy, to be honest. The trailers are usually full of combat and messy chases and yes, both of those will happen in any playthrough, especially early on. But the most important skills in the ones I've played have been being careful and paying attention. Spending as much time in noisy combat as the trailer assassins do is arguably evidence of someone who kind of sucks at Assassin's Creed.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:52 AM on May 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
On top of that, Assassins Creed Origins (the one set in ancient Egypt) has a Discovery Tour Mode (also can be bought separately for less than the full game), which has no combat at all, but just lets you wander around all the pretty environments and read historical stuff about them.
Looks like they did one for Odyssey, the one set in ancient Greece, as well.
posted by straight at 3:30 PM on May 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
Looks like they did one for Odyssey, the one set in ancient Greece, as well.
posted by straight at 3:30 PM on May 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
Would I like these games, or is there a lot of time spent making sure you have the right gun out of your arsenal of twenty guns?
Not at all. You can mostly avoid conflict if you want to. The only surprises you get are the occasional wild animal (bears and wild boar are annoying) but I never really changed weapons - just kept my main sword upgraded once and then used a heavy axe when a decent one became available. You can quick select one of your two main weapons, but honestly I so rarely used it I kept forgetting the buttons. You are very much in charge of the pace of the game in terms of when you run or walk into battle or sneak past it, for the majority of it.
posted by Brockles at 4:18 PM on May 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
Not at all. You can mostly avoid conflict if you want to. The only surprises you get are the occasional wild animal (bears and wild boar are annoying) but I never really changed weapons - just kept my main sword upgraded once and then used a heavy axe when a decent one became available. You can quick select one of your two main weapons, but honestly I so rarely used it I kept forgetting the buttons. You are very much in charge of the pace of the game in terms of when you run or walk into battle or sneak past it, for the majority of it.
posted by Brockles at 4:18 PM on May 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
My gaming skills are more of the Lego Avengers / Animal Crossing New Horizons level. Would I like these games, or is there a lot of time spent making sure you have the right gun out of your arsenal of twenty guns?
I consider myself an extremely casual gamer (love me some Animal Crossing) and I found the original Assassin's Creed unplayable and obnoxious with a story so threadbare that it was 100% not worth it. Your mileage may vary, but you can probably find the original on sale for $1.00 and find out for yourself. I've also heard the game has gotten considerably better since the bad old days of the Bush administration.
posted by zeusianfog at 5:03 PM on May 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
I consider myself an extremely casual gamer (love me some Animal Crossing) and I found the original Assassin's Creed unplayable and obnoxious with a story so threadbare that it was 100% not worth it. Your mileage may vary, but you can probably find the original on sale for $1.00 and find out for yourself. I've also heard the game has gotten considerably better since the bad old days of the Bush administration.
posted by zeusianfog at 5:03 PM on May 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Do not play the first Assassin's Creed game unless you just have way more interest in a virtual tour of 12th century Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus than any of the other places you can visit in Assassin's Creed games. All the subsequent games are MUCH better than the first one.
posted by straight at 9:27 PM on May 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by straight at 9:27 PM on May 4, 2020 [2 favorites]
I am the kind of person who is interested in a virtual tour of 12th century Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus, but the gameplay is so repetitive! By contrast, AC2 was the first game I started using as a rebuttal against the people who argued that video games aren't art.
Am I the only person who liked AC: Rogue? Let me rephrase that: am I the only person who played AC: Rogue?
posted by MrBadExample at 10:21 PM on May 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Am I the only person who liked AC: Rogue? Let me rephrase that: am I the only person who played AC: Rogue?
posted by MrBadExample at 10:21 PM on May 4, 2020 [1 favorite]
Am I the only person who liked AC: Rogue? Let me rephrase that: am I the only person who played AC: Rogue?
Grabbed it on sale over the weekend, and it will be next up after I finish Syndicate. I'm excited for it, but I'm going to miss the grappling hook.
Your mileage may vary, but you can probably find the original on sale for $1.00 and find out for yourself. I've also heard the game has gotten considerably better since the bad old days of the Bush administration.
I had a good time with the first one, but it did feel like it wasn't quite done cooking. It was clear that Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell had welcomed a beautiful baby into the world, but it had a little bit of growing up to do. It would be interesting to return to now, but I think the sheer volume of Desmond content would be pretty jarring at this point. I do hope the series returns to the Middle East one day, or honestly any non-Eurocentric setting. That's part of why I was drawn to part one - not many games out there about exploring Damascus.
I'm also ready for one set in the much hinted-at scifi future, with lots of cool cyberpunk stuff to go along with all the jumping and the stabbing. The little tastes of it in part 3 were fun, but I want one where that's the whole game.
posted by EatTheWeek at 11:48 PM on May 4, 2020
Grabbed it on sale over the weekend, and it will be next up after I finish Syndicate. I'm excited for it, but I'm going to miss the grappling hook.
Your mileage may vary, but you can probably find the original on sale for $1.00 and find out for yourself. I've also heard the game has gotten considerably better since the bad old days of the Bush administration.
I had a good time with the first one, but it did feel like it wasn't quite done cooking. It was clear that Prince of Persia and Splinter Cell had welcomed a beautiful baby into the world, but it had a little bit of growing up to do. It would be interesting to return to now, but I think the sheer volume of Desmond content would be pretty jarring at this point. I do hope the series returns to the Middle East one day, or honestly any non-Eurocentric setting. That's part of why I was drawn to part one - not many games out there about exploring Damascus.
I'm also ready for one set in the much hinted-at scifi future, with lots of cool cyberpunk stuff to go along with all the jumping and the stabbing. The little tastes of it in part 3 were fun, but I want one where that's the whole game.
posted by EatTheWeek at 11:48 PM on May 4, 2020
Ubisoft is giving away for free the "tourist-mode" versions of Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey (Egypt and Greece) this week.
I feel extremely mixed because I was thinking I wanted to play these, but am not sure I can resist an opportunity to binge visit all the beautiful places. Which seems like it would take a lot of the fun out of going back and playing the games themselves.
Maybe tour Egypt but wait for Kassandra to have good times in Greece?
posted by straight at 3:12 PM on May 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
I feel extremely mixed because I was thinking I wanted to play these, but am not sure I can resist an opportunity to binge visit all the beautiful places. Which seems like it would take a lot of the fun out of going back and playing the games themselves.
Maybe tour Egypt but wait for Kassandra to have good times in Greece?
posted by straight at 3:12 PM on May 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
« Older The Islamic History of Coffee | Bad Seed TeeVee Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by Ashwagandha at 6:28 PM on April 30, 2020 [5 favorites]