Beating Assassin's Creed Valhalla is no small task. The game can theoretically be done in the 50-60 hour range, but knocking out everything is a trial that will take over 120 hours, easily. So when players invest this amount of time into a game, they have some reasonably high expectations for how the endgame will look. A cheap ten-hour game might have nothing to do at the end and that's seen as acceptable.
But gamers that have spent over $100 (not including microtransactions) and buried every moment of free time into this game have some understandably high demands. Unfortunately, there are some annoying details about the endgame of Assassin's Creed Valhalla that is guaranteed to get under the skin of even the most patient and understanding player. For obvious reasons, this article will have spoilers, so beware, this is a final warning!
10 Eivor Never Becomes An Assassin
This was not one of those details that players somehow missed. It simply never happens. In spite of working with Basim and Hytham in the camp, Eivor never decides to become an assassin. In fact, Eivor rejects the offer every time it is extended.
At the end of the game, Hytham asks one final time if Eivor would reconsider. And the answer is still no. Not every game needs to have player choice, but for those who managed to take on the tall task of beating the game, the ability to accept or deny the invitation would have been warranted.
9 No Plan For The Animus Operatives
In the Assassin's Creed Series, perhaps nothing has been as consistent as Shaun and Rebecca. Even in the titles without a central protagonist like Desmond or Layla, these two are up to something both inside and outside of Abstergo.
It's a good thing the open worlds in these games are so well done because Shaun and Rebecca apparently have no idea what they are doing outside of the Animus. They have no plan. They are present, but the end of the game makes it incredibly apparent that they are just hoping information is an end unto itself.
8 The Dailies Are Repetitive
Those who actually manage to clear their quest log and map will still find something to do every day with the daily quests. So what are the rewards for doing lots of daily quests? A secret codex entry? A powerful piece of Eden?
No. The payment is in opals. Reda is an interesting character when first meeting him, but he recycles dialogue and tasks after the first few days of doing his bidding. It's really boring and stale, especially for those who want something to do after accomplishing everything else.
7 Exotic Gear Rotation
The best goods in the game are "exotic" gear sets that can be bought with opals. But they aren't just sitting there waiting to be bought. No, the shop changes daily for one item and weekly for another three. And with multiple gear sets, players are lucky to see any piece they need available in the shop that day.
Gamers that are still earning what they need will often see their item without the means to afford it that week. And then, after hours of daily chores every day for seven days, will come back and find the shop has moved on. They'll have to check back next week. The hidden items in the game are much more respectful of the player's time spent.
6 Farming The Best Set Would Take Literally Years
Those who have given up on the game due to plot holes can't be blamed for focusing on the gameplay and daily grind. It's supposed to be a haven from a story that can't always be followed. Unfortunately, even those committed to the dailies won't be resolving their journey anytime soon.
The best set in the game would many years to save up for. Trying to buy the best of each set type? It would take decades. Even with the best luck and after collecting every opal in England, players won't be able to afford a single piece for several weeks. Getting a complete set is a prohibitively long task.
5 Uncompletable Quests
More often than not, those who have completed the game entirely will still have quests in their journal. Assassin's Creed Valhalla has some awesome side quests, but when they never go away, it's annoying.
Even the luckiest player will get one or two quests that break and can't be completed. Many players had this happen for the main quest. Some entries are completed but never register that way in the journal. Players looking forward to seeing a blank to-do list will have to wait for several patches.
4 Items Glitching Into The Ground/Sky
Aside from the dailies, another endgame activity is clearing the map of every chest, codex page, ability scroll, and wealth. Gamers have plenty of questions to ask Ubisoft about Eivor, but when seeing items spawn in the sky, it's fair to say Eivor would have a few questions for them as well.
The problem is that there's no way of knowing if the chest has glitched because the game has so many underground areas. Sometimes it glitches underground in a basement that is already underground. And the icon will constantly remain on the map, reminding completionists of a glitch beyond their control.
3 Hunting The Order Out Of Order
This is an endgame problem so bad that it is legitimately ruining the game for some players. The DLC will be able to resolve many of the unanswered questions about Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but even DLC can't explain away this issue.
Most players will beat the game and then finish other questlines such as hunting down the Order of the Ancients. The problem here is that the end of this quest makes no sense after completing the final mission. There's a character that betrays him, murders his friends, and slaughters his comrades. Eivor greets him and talks to him as though none of that ever happened.
2 The Vikings Are Doomed
The game takes place only a few years before the Vikings are soundly defeated and driven out of England. So players and historians didn't exactly go into the game with the highest of expectations. But there was a hope that Eivor would get a chance to escape or start a new life back home.
Sadly, it looks like all the cards are played. There is no careful withdraw in place or at least understanding that perhaps playing kingmaker with enemies might backfire. Instead, there's just a gloomy knowledge that everyone of note in the game will be slaughtered soon.
1 There Is No Ending Cinematic
It's difficult to understand how a series with such powerful endings and boss fights completely forgot about the end for this installment. After players spent so much time, they are expecting a final confrontation, a rousing speech, and a resolution.
Instead, the game ends on a whimper. Eivor's team is in shambles, his brother is iffy about him at best, the bad guys all get away, his closest friends are murdered, and even this catastrophe doesn't get some kind of tragic finale. A congratulatory message pops up on screen, but after a resounding failure in the narrative, it's out of place and obnoxious.