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Assassin's Creed Valhalla Goes Gold, Setting Up Major Launch Title For Xbox Series X
Before the game has even released or the official arrival of next-generation consoles, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has gone Gold, putting the Xbox Series X in a good position with a third-party launch title. One of the most celebrated features in Ubisoft’s upcoming addition to its historical fiction franchise is the reintroduction of stealth as an important mechanic, as the previous two games in the series – Origins and Odyssey – focused more on open combat that assassination gameplay. Valhalla also possesses a settlement system that harkens back to the days of Assassin’s Creed II and Brotherhood.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla received a deep dive trailer a couple of days ago, revealing Asgard, Excalibur, and more. Venturing out into other forms of media – as Ubisoft did in 2016 with the Assassin’s Creed feature film – Valhalla has inspired a podcast on Spotify, enhancing the attention the game is receiving. The game is set in 873 AD, roughly 1,200 years after the events of Odyssey.
With a returned focus to popular features from previous AC installments, the official Assassin’s Creed Twitter has announced Valhalla has gone Gold, setting the Xbox Series X up for a major third-party launch title. “On behalf of everyone working on the game,” the post adds, “we can’t wait to see how your own Viking saga unfolds.” The announcement ends with a reminder that the game launches on November 10, 2020.
When the AC franchise debuted in 2007 on the PS3 and Xbox 360, it had a major focus on stealth gameplay. Stealth was fundamental to players’ success during their time controlling Altaïr, an element that continued in subsequent titles, all the way through Unity and Syndicate. It was after the franchise’s video game section went on hiatus for a year and came back with Origin that the emphasis on stealth fell by the wayside to the dismay of many fans. It makes no sense for a game, let alone an entire series, to carry the name “Assassin’s” Creed if the gameplay doesn’t live up to the first word in the title.
Combat has also always been important to the franchise, but it complemented the stealth aspect rather than supplanting it. Ubisoft returning AC to its roots with Valhalla is a promising step in the right direction, and it’s easy to see why the unreleased title has already gone Gold, especially considering it’s one of the games receiving the Smart Delivery treatment for the Xbox brand. When the game hits the shelves on November 10 with the Xbox Series X, hopefully, that Gold status will be well-earned.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla releases on November 10, 2020.
