Out there somewhere, in some land of theoretical games that should be made, there’s anAssassin’s CreedRPG that perfectly marries the progression and abilities system seen inAssassin’s Creed Valhalla(as well asAC OriginsandAC Odyssey) with the classic stealth elements of the franchise.AC Valhalladoes attempt this by bringing back insta-kill Hidden Blades, some elements of social stealth, and more, but it still falls into the same trap of being more open-world RPG than anything else. The stealth bits take a backseat, Eivor is really not an Assassin instead picking apart the Order for her own reasons, and the parkour pales in comparison to past games.
However, despite this potential identity confusion inValhalla, there’s definitely hope for it. WithWrath of the Druids launching on April 29, many details about this DLC are already set in stone, but in this theoretical land of make-believe, there’s a lot a simple DLC could do.
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Assassin vs. The Children of Danu
Eivor is not joining the Assassins, something very obvious when Hytham extends the invitation, but that doesn’t mean she can’t learn from them. Eivor will continue the hunt against the Children of Danu in this DLC, meaning a new tree of assassination targets await. Generally, while these types of targets are somewhat related to the overarching story, there’s really nothing to them.Assassin’s Creed Valhallaplayers simple find some clues, go to a spot, and take them out; it’s really too simplified.
This almostNemesis-like system for Assassin’s Creedhas a ton of potential, though. Instead everything being about clues or whatnot, players should be encouraged to tail specific cultists or NPCs for information. It could still use this style but bring back the epic chases that lead to satisfying kills, it could lead players to unique map locations where they have to stealth their way through to the ultimate target, and more. This system for assassination targets could be a huge boon for futureAssassin’s CreedRPGs to give players that social stealth, stealth, and assassination vibe, whether in Wrath of the Druids or elsewhere.
Parkour in Ireland and Beyond
From the onset, it’s pretty clear thatIreland may just be more England, but that’s a terrible way of looking at Ireland. There’s little doubt it’ll be a more open setting than normal, but that’s no reason to not update the parkour mechanics and provide better opportunities in Ireland. There could be several developing port cities that all but beg for parkour perfection, with Eivor traveling to, exploring, and eliminating the cult as she makes alliances with Gaelic kings. Really, there’s no reason that a city can’t be designed for story and parkour.
While it may seem thatAssassin’s Creedneeds a powerful city to deliver fun parkour, it’s worth noting that earlier games had open areas in-between big cities; it’s certainly not the first game of the franchise to deal with this aspect. Just as Altair, Ezio, or evenEdward Kenwaydealt with the same in-between areas that didn’t really allow for much parkour, they took advantage of the the cities to essentially make them their playgrounds. Ireland can be Eivor’s playground in this sense.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen what Wrath of the Druids brings to the table, but it’s unlikely to really hone in on these features any more than the base game. Perhaps it’ll happen in future games, but at the very least, it does seemAssassin’s Creed Valhallatook the first steps in reconciling the RPGapproach with the franchise’s identity. PerhapsAssassin’s Creed 2022will feature a bonafide Assassin characters, with all the skills, abilities, parkour moves, and all that from past franchises wrapped up as a nice gift with RPG tidings.
Assassin’s Creed Valhallais available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
