Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay and combat was finally revealed in today's Ubisoft Forward conference. Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the upcoming release in the long-running Assassin's Creed series, which takes players across the world as they take control of Assassins in some of the most dramatic and influential periods of history. Announced last April, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is set in Viking Age Britain and Norway, a world map even bigger than Assassin's Creed Odyssey's.

While the setting and launch window were revealed with the game's announcement, details about gameplay and new features were slow to come. The hidden blade will make its return, an iconic weapon from the earlier games that hadn't been seen after the gameplay shake-up of Assassin's Creed Origins. A "gameplay reveal" at the Xbox 20/20 May presentation hardly showed any gameplay at all, which further angered fans. Now, today's Ubisoft Forward show finally gave fans a closer look at Viking Age England.

From Ubisoft's showcase today, roughly 30 minutes of gameplay from the upcoming open world game was shown. Combat is similar to the last two games, with added features such as dual-wielding (even shields), decapitations, a stun system, and the Viking harpoon, which drags enemies closer to Eivor similar to Scorpion from the Mortal Kombat series. Other gameplay mechanics shown off were Raids, where Eivor's crew pillages and razes a village to later make it their own, and Assaults on Saxon castles. Besides the hidden blade, another classic Assassin's Creed mechanic returns in the form of "social stealth", where the player can hide within groups of people. Naval combat was also shown, which looks similar to past games. Much of what was on display was leaked earlier this week.


Ubisoft added more details in a press release, stating players can "customize their character’s hair, tattoos, war paint, weapons and gear, in addition to the option of switching between male or female Eivor at any time." Other mechanics not shown during the showcase include impactful choices: "Political alliances, combat decisions and dialogue choices can influence the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, so players must choose wisely to protect their clan’s home and future." The release date leaked yesterday, November 17, was confirmed. PS5 and Xbox Series X editions will release when those console launch, and owners of the current-gen versions can upgrade at no cost. The game is now available to pre-order with a bonus mission, and the soundtrack and several tie-in novels and comics can also be pre-ordered.

Much of the element of surprise was taken away by the huge leaks leading up to this event, but fans of the series will be happy to finally get a decent look at the next Assassin's Creed game, which is also one of the biggest launch titles for the new consoles. While boasting some gorgeous scenery and interesting new mechanics like the castle assaults, those skeptical that the series is becoming formulaic again will likely not have been dissuaded by the gameplay reveal. Only time will tell how much Assassin's Creed: Valhalla stands apart from its counterparts when it invades shelves on November 17th.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla releases in November 17, 2020 on PC/Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Stadia.