Assassin's Creed Valhalla certainly caters to the basic desires of the franchise's fan base. As always, gamers will get their fix of using their parkour skills up the sides of buildings, jumping down on unsuspecting templars, and tracking down hidden treasures. With every wall climbed, every enemy assassinated, and every animus entered, Valhalla shows that it is an Assassin's Creed game that knows its audience.
However, Ubisoft is not resting on its laurels. There are mechanics and features added to the game that Eivor must learn to master. And for a game that can easily take over one-hundred hours, there are still activities that most players won't find until they converse and share their discoveries with other players.
10 Anthropology & Archeology
Assassin's Creed has always been a journey into the past with architecture and history coming to life; it's one of the things that makes gamers so dedicated to the series. Discovering Edward Kenway's Caribbean Islands still feels magical and this magic is still present in Eivor's England.
But Eivor is not only invested in gathering up codex entries for the England of his time period. He occasionally stumbles upon relics, Roman and otherwise. Reading these notes and looking at the artifacts reveals much the history within the history of 9th Century England.
9 Pet Animals
Animal lovers might be initially disappointed with all of the wild enemies that Eivor has to kill (or be killed by). Assassin's Creed Valhalla might not top the list for video games targeting animal lovers, but it is not without some nods.
When given the opportunity, Eivor is really great with domesticated creatures. Not content to simply pat them on the had, Eivor can give dogs a good scratch. So good that they respond with a brief, furry hug. Friendly cats even let Eivor hold them for a full-body snuggle.
8 Harpoon Fish
Fishing isn't an activity generally associated with an action-packed game. Indeed, typical fishing is possible in the game, but the franchise has yet to make the action so hot that it is featured in one of their awesome, heart-pounding, cinematic trailers.
Eivor jokes early on that he/she would be better off shooting at the fish than fishing conventionally. It's played off as a joke, but this is actually the truth; the fish in the game can be shot and looted for a faster, more entertaining angling experience.
7 Read Deleted Messages
Fans dying to know more about Ezio should pay careful attention to Layla's journey outside of the animus. There is a completely optional laptop left open in the cabin that will add some information about him and other assassins that players have come to know.
Most people skip over the laptop entirely, but even those who check the laptop will often miss checking the trash icon on the lower-righthand side. In it are some eerie and strange messages that will no doubt come into play later on in the series.
6 Sit In Water & Think About Life
Gamers have spent plenty of time in forums and chatrooms contemplating how the great female characters of Assassin's Creed deserved more screen time. In England in the 800s, there was no online presence to consider such dilemmas.
But Eivor still needs some time to think about life. Behind the Seer's Hut, there is a perfect spot to squat down in a pond in front of a waterfall, gazing at Eivor's own reflection, and think about life's perplexing mysteries.
5 Catch & Release Fireflies
Only the most dedicated of achievement hunters will know about catching fireflies (don't worry PC gamers, the achievements are coming soon) because they are so small, completely unlabeled on the map, and never play into the plot.
Eivor isn't opposed to reconnecting with childhood games. As an alternative to playing with a ball of yarn, the player can hunt down and catch fireflies. This isn't a cruel fascination with insects either, as Eivor hopes to release them in that same pond behind the Seer's Hut for a better life.
4 Cheat
Assassin's Creed Valhalla has made strides in terms of being an RPG, but it's still missing a thing or two before it moves from an action-adventure game into a full-on RPG. Ubisoft has not gone the way of BioWare when it comes to romance, but they did take the next step on this frontier.
Several flings are offered throughout the journey, just like in other Assassin's Creed titles, but Eivor can actually enter into one of the multiple dedicated relationships within the game. They are easily missed since they come up in side quests and sometimes are only offered by talking to characters for no reason at all. This doesn't stop Eivor from pursuing these flings, however.
3 Deep-Sea Diving
Players might save up enough of their real-life currency to buy a few maps that reveal the presence of every major piece of treasure in the game. But there are a great many pieces of minor treasure hidden in unconventional locations around the world.
Underwater wrecks usually have runes and silver as a reward for their troubles. The rivers have plenty of sunken ships to loot from, but don't ignore the coast while exploring either; some of the best runes in the game are in these unmarked wrecks deep under the water.
2 Archery On Fire
Archery is a huge part of Valhalla's combat, and being set on fire is also sometimes an unavoidable part of the game. Those who learn to put the two together will quickly turn an unfortunate accident into a happy perk.
Despite being staggered by almost every other attack, Eivor is unphased by being set ablaze. When this happens, gamers should switch from whatever weapon they are using and whip out the bow; Eivor will use his/her own fiery body to light up a stream of fire arrows.
1 Catch Up
Completion of a pledge signals the end of an area for most players. Outside of going back to track down an occasional zealot or hidden treasure, Eivor usually keeps his/her eyes on the horizon and doesn't look back.
This cuts out a good chunk of the lore, however, as Eivor can go back and revisit the characters that have come to love him/her. The player is rewarded by hearing some unique dialogue that is pertinent to the place in the story that Eivor is at.