starts in Norway, spends most of its time in 9th century England, and even has some optional detours to the present day or mythical Asgard if you fancy it. But the latest entry in Ubisoft’s used-to-be-annual franchise about stabbing your way through history just kept making me think of Texas, for two reasons. The first, and most obvious, is Texas as in “everything’s bigger in”. Valhalla just feels like it has more> of everything.
The map is huge, with each area having its own mini-saga of warring locals and power struggles to complete to get them on side. There’s a whole menu of evil Templar agents to hunt down, a la Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey. There are themed gear sets to collect and upgrade. There are side missions a-plenty, ranging from stealing clothes from nudists, to tripping on mushrooms, to collecting Roman artefacts. And stealthy assassinations are back, too. Valhalla is daunting and messy, but it’s also a pick ‘n’ mix of all the best bits from the series. With cool Viking haircuts thrown in.
