{"id":2546,"date":"2022-01-02T14:08:38","date_gmt":"2022-01-02T20:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/ggndev\/?p=2546"},"modified":"2022-05-09T18:12:20","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T23:12:20","slug":"is-ac-valhalla-worth-playing-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ghostgamer.news\/is-ac-valhalla-worth-playing-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Is AC Valhalla Worth Playing in 2022?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Is Assassin&#039;s Creed Valhalla Worth Playing in 2022?\" width=\"1778\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zCNwnHXXQcI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption><em>Don&#8217;t want to watch the video? Read the full transcript below!<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Assassin\u2019s Creed has had a bit of a rocky transition since Origins first came out, and as the modern incarnation of the series has progressed it has become more of an RPG than a traditional Assassin\u2019s Creed game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla cemented this idea when it was released in November 2020. Stealth mechanics and verticality still existed, but it was much more subdued than even Odyssey. Pure \u201cassassin\u201d builds became almost impossible due to changes in the world design and stealth mechanics, not to mention bugs that made enemies occasionally notice you through walls or instantly spot you from some distance away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just over a year later, however, AC Valhalla has really grown and developed into something much more playable for people who enjoy stealth, as long as you adjust your preconceptions on how stealth itself should work in an Assassin\u2019s Creed game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s talk about whether you should be playing Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Valhalla\u2019s experience: Rich and free from handholding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla has a heavy story with plenty of dark notes, but what really makes it stand out is that you really get to do whatever you want here, when you want to. You\u2019re not locked into a specific region once you make it to England; you are free to explore the entire world at your leisure. Some DLC content will require you to unlock certain parts of your home base or storyline, but otherwise you can just experience the world at the pace you determine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What makes this even more impressive is that there is much less handholding than in previous titles. Even in the main quest you\u2019ll be doing investigations to find targets, exploring the map and solving puzzles in order to accomplish your goals. In fact, in most cases once you complete a region you\u2019re free to choose the next you want to pursue whenever you like.. Or not at all. Side quests themselves are left for you to discover, and the only time you\u2019ll be hounded to do something is during special time-limited events, such as the Yule Festival event going on as of publishing this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of side quests, there is a lot to do in Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla. River Raids, contracts, new DLCs, numerous quests and areas to explore and more. You\u2019ve got a large palette of choices here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When working on a quest, most of the time you can decide just how you want to accomplish the tasks needed to complete it. While you are relegated to some larger-scale combat and boss fights, the bulk of the world can be approached however you choose, leading us to probably the most important part of this 2022 review for Ghost Gamer News watchers: how has stealth improved in Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gg_ads_midLeaderboard1\" class=\"gg_ads__adSpot gg_ads__adSpot--midLeaderboard\">\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8114869302769879\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br>\n<!-- Home Leaderboard 1 --><br>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8114869302769879\" data-ad-slot=\"3023354288\" data-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br>\n<script><br \/>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<br \/>\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fixing the stealthy approach in AC Valhalla<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At launch bugs plagued the stealth features of Valhalla, which made it even harder to enjoy as a stealthy player when you factor in the much more open region design and less convenient placement of foes in the various locations you need to infiltrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On top of that, skills and abilities were much more available for brute force or archery-focused combat rather than the classic assassin style, and very little equipment was created with a useful focus on stealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The stealth bugs that had been present for over a year have finally been resolved, and new equipment has been added to help stealthy players via DLC, but the rest is still a concern. While new skills and abilities are also available, most are still avoiding the stealthy approach favored by most Assassin\u2019s Creed classic fans.. Unless you like to get a little clever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Archery itself becomes a much stronger proposition for stealthy players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever played Horizon Zero Dawn, you\u2019ll probably find the stealth gameplay of AC Valhalla much more comfortable. By approaching your encounters with both your hidden blade and your bow ready, you\u2019ll be much more capable as an assassin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This makes sense with the setting, and Eivor\u2019s own disdain for using the hidden blade the \u201ctraditional\u201d way; lopping off a finger just didn\u2019t seem like a smart decision for the Viking protagonist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I <a href=\"https:\/\/ghostgamer.news\/assassins-creed-valhalla-review\/\">previously reviewed the stealth in AC Valhalla<\/a>, I gave it a 7 out of 10. After recent updates, I\u2019d modify that to be just barely an 8. I\u2019d feel more comfortable with giving it an 8 if new abilities and skills were added that really increased the viability of stealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just a tip for stealthy players: Complete the Wrath of the Druids DLC as soon as you can. There is a certain set of equipment that I strongly encourage you acquire ASAP, as it\u2019ll make the rest of your experience in Valhalla much better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A sign of things to come, or a short detour for the AC world?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla, as I noted previously, feels more like Skyrim or Horizon Zero Dawn than an Assassin\u2019s Creed game. The question we have to ask ourselves is this: Will Ubisoft continue to deviate from the classic AC gameplay, or is this just a brief sojourn to test the waters in the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only time will tell; Ubisoft is tight-lipped about future projects in AC. While we still have at least one major DLC left to be released for AC Valhalla as of publication, we may see further content updates in the form of crossovers like we just experienced with AC Odyssey. The AC Infinity project may further develop the integration between storylines, possibly bringing more varied gameplay for both fans of classic Assassin\u2019s Creed as well as the new ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, AC Valhalla isn\u2019t a horrible entry in the series, as long as you can accept the alternative gameplay experience. If you enjoyed Odyssey or Origins, AC Valhalla isn\u2019t a bad choice once you start getting comfortable with the world and the changes needed to play stealthily. There is a huge amount of content here, which will keep you playing for quite a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d rather play a more classic Assassin\u2019s Creed, however, you\u2019ll most likely want to stay far away from Valhalla.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Assassin\u2019s Creed has had a bit of a rocky transition since Origins first came out, and as the modern incarnation of the series has progressed it has become more of an RPG than a traditional Assassin\u2019s Creed game. Assassin\u2019s Creed Valhalla cemented this idea when it was released in November 2020. Stealth mechanics and verticality <a href=\"https:\/\/ghostgamer.news\/is-ac-valhalla-worth-playing-in-2022\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2547,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[5,3],"games":[29],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is AC Valhalla Worth Playing in 2022? - Ghost Gamer News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ghostgamer.news\/is-ac-valhalla-worth-playing-in-2022\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is AC Valhalla Worth Playing in 2022? - Ghost Gamer News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Assassin\u2019s Creed has had a bit of a rocky transition since Origins first came out, and as the modern incarnation of the series has progressed it has become more of an RPG than a traditional Assassin\u2019s Creed game. 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