Assassin's Creed Valhalla is just a few weeks away from its November 10 release date, but fans still have some questions about the new game's story. Specifically, fans are curious about Valhalla's modern-day portions. Ubisoft has previously confirmed that Assassin's Creed Valhalla will absolutely continue the modern-day story started in Assassin's Creed Origins. But in-game footage of the modern-day has been lacking. To make up for the void, it now appears someone has leaked several images, confirming the return of a key character.
That character is, of course, Layla Hassan. Layla has had a significant role in both Assassin's Creed Origins and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. She's also already been confirmed to have a similarly significant role in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Now Assassin's Creed fans will be able to see how Layla looks in Valhalla, it seems. The six leaked images show direct screenshots of a Layla gameplay section. More specifically, it looks like Layla taking part in one of the teased Animus Anomalies.
Specifically, it looks like an early chapter in the game, perhaps the first one featuring Layla. The player appears to only just take control of Layla, followed by some exposition as she starts to make her way in the level. She says, "I can see a loose data packet close by. I'll see if I can reach it," followed by Rebecca responding, "Yeah, it's weird. An anomaly of some kind. The rest of your simulation is frozen." Rebecca could potentially be the missing character Rebecca Crane, who played a major role in the original Assassin's Creed trilogy.
In the distance, players see a variety of floating digital blocks, with a gridlike structure further back. The blocks look traversable and the one furthest away has a bright light shooting up into the sky. Presumably, Layla Hassan will have to make her way across the blocks in order to reach the final light. Exactly what she's pursuing, as well as what surprises lie in wait between her and her goal, remain unclear. The images serve as an effective teaser in that regard.
To clarify, it was Assassin's Creed Valhalla's narrative director Darby McDevitt who confirmed not only that Layla would return, but that there would be a new Animus Anomaly feature. Animus Anomalies will be found in Valhalla's "simulation layer" and McDevitt says to expect a lot of them. Basically, the protagonist Eivor touches the anomaly, the simulation freezes, and Layla takes over. McDevitt explains that this is a way to make it so the "present-day happens in the Animus."
As such, these screenshots only offer the briefest of glimpses at what Assassin's Creed Valhalla players will experience with regards to the game's modern-day story. Layla will flash into the world when the player discovers something mysterious. But what those mysteries build up to is for the player to discover.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases November 10 on PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS5 support following on November 12.
Source: Reddit