Assassin's Creed Valhalla fully embraces the series' heritage. The 12th major Assassin's Creed game shows a keen awareness of the history and gameplay innovations of the saga, and it feels like a love letter to the franchise as a whole. This makes the game a far more rewarding experience for longtime fans, though newcomers can still enjoy Valhalla's combat, emphasis on exploration, and mystery-driven narrative without years of time spent in the Animus.

In Valhalla, you once again play as present-day protagonist Layla Hassan, who's still a bit shaken up after the unfortunate events at the end of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's second DLC, The Fate of Atlantis. Understandably ostracized from her old team, she's now partnered with fellow Assassins Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane. The trio find themselves facing the daunting task of needing to save the world, and their only clue as to how is a mysterious message of unknown origin that contains coordinates to a grave. With no other leads, Layla hops into the Animus machine with a DNA sample taken from the skeletal remains, allowing her to relive their life in the distant past. This time she'll be Eivor, a Viking who lived during the ninth century.

The Assassin's Creed games have traditionally struggled with the modern-day storyline that runs alongside the stories that take place in the past, and Valhalla is no different. However, its modern-day plot is the most focused it has been in years. There's a clear and present danger, and a nice setup for the throughline of the game's campaign: the concept of fate.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla fully embraces the series' heritage. The 12th major Assassin's Creed game shows a keen awareness of the history and gameplay innovations of the saga, and it feels like a love letter to the franchise as a whole. This makes the game a far more rewarding experience for longtime fans, though newcomers can still enjoy Valhalla's combat, emphasis on exploration, and mystery-driven narrative without years of time spent in the Animus.

In Valhalla, you once again play as present-day protagonist Layla Hassan, who's still a bit shaken up after the unfortunate events at the end of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's second DLC, The Fate of Atlantis. Understandably ostracized from her old team, she's now partnered with fellow Assassins Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane. The trio find themselves facing the daunting task of needing to save the world, and their only clue as to how is a mysterious message of unknown origin that contains coordinates to a grave. With no other leads, Layla hops into the Animus machine with a DNA sample taken from the skeletal remains, allowing her to relive their life in the distant past. This time she'll be Eivor, a Viking who lived during the ninth century.

The Assassin's Creed games have traditionally struggled with the modern-day storyline that runs alongside the stories that take place in the past, and Valhalla is no different. However, its modern-day plot is the most focused it has been in years. There's a clear and present danger, and a nice setup for the throughline of the game's campaign: the concept of fate.