At first glance, Assassin's Creed Valhalla and Red Dead Redemption 2 may not strike immediate comparisons, but the two are indeed very similar. Both games are works of historical fiction, with both games having some sci-fi elements (the more present Isu vs. oddities like aliens), both games having a deeply intuitive protagonist, and more. Indeed, they even have a unique level design that fans come across throughout their playthrough: a diversion level.
Essentially, it would be odd in a game like Doom Eternal if suddenly everything were calm and peaceful, but that's exactly what each of these games do—to a certain degree. Both games remove the players from their standard environment and thrust them into a completely different region, where the exact ongoings of the world seem to no matter so much. Arguably, Red Dead 2 does this better, but both create a solid diversion for players from the standard layout of the game. For RDR2, this is Guarma; for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it's Vinland.
RDR2's Guarma: A Strange Chapter With Real Consequences
In the story of Red Dead 2, players end up shipwrecked on an island called Guarma, a strange and far cry from the wild, wild west. Players lose their horse, and as a result, one of the game's core mechanics. Guarma takes away from the open-world nature of the game, opting for a more straightforward tale within a tale. The camp is even gone, and it's easy to say that Guarma takes a lot away from the average player. However, that's just a surface level description of what happens here.
Players are removed from the "heat" they find themselves in, thrust into a story that serves as a diversion or distraction from the main game. Despite players having to see this tale within a tale to its end, players are still drawn back to the main game. In a roundabout way, this chapter shows how Dutch's dream and plans are nothing more than fairy tales, as Guarma would be a metaphor for the island Dutch van der Linde wants the gang to find peace on, yet there is no peace here. Dutch's descent truly begins here, while players are busy dealing with a different problem altogether.
Guarma can feel like a diversion, but it's also a detour. Players are getting to the same end, everything is still there, time continues to march forward, but things are completely different for the RDR2 gang. When they get back, Sadie Adler has taken charge and the story continues on. Indeed, Guarma could easily be cut from the trip, but its inclusion serves both as an emotional diversion and a literal one. Everything in the world around Arthur Morgan carries on, even as his starts to fall apart in a metaphorical way.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Vinland Has Connections, Not Consequences
On the other end of the spectrum is AC Valhalla's Vinland chapter. It's very possible for players to not even come across this level later in the game, as it requires players to complete the Lunden arc and finish off the associated Order of the Ancients chain to unlock. Players don't "shipwreck" on Vinland, but just as Arthur Morgan and gang take a weeks-long detour, so too does Eivor Varinsdottir.
Eivor travels to Vinland to seek one of the Order of the Ancients leader, but one with a personal grudge: Gorm Kjotvesson. As his surname suggests, his is the son of Kjotve the Cruel, who was responsible for the death of Eivor's parents. Eivor is here to kill two birds with one stone, but much like Guarma, the gameplay takes a detour. Eivor doesn't have any of her former weaponry, and she has to gather materials and trade for better equipment. Now, it's totally possible to cheese this section of the game, but the simplicity in said task is quite alluring.
However, unlike Guarma, the game doesn't really explain Eivor's absence. RDR2 players come back to see how Sadie led the gang for weeks, whereas practically nothing changes in AC Valhalla. As such, Vinland isn't notable for how it subtly develops the main story but instead how it connects AC Valhalla to AC3. The tribe Eivor encounters here is the same tribe that Connor will hail from many years from then, and Eivor gives the tribe the Crystal Orb (a Piece of Eden) that the tribe guards for its entire existence. In a unique juxtaposition, the modern-day story continues from the modern-day story of AC3, making Vinland a diversion that brings everything together.
Even Video Games Needs Their Own Distraction
Both RDR2's Guarma and AC Valhalla's Vinland could ultimately be removed from their corresponding game, and the narrative itself would remain unchanged. However, as a diversion from the main tract, both games accomplish something that more games should replicate. Sometimes a reprieve from the core gameplay loop, the game's core mechanics, or even the standard environment goes a long way in making games like these a much easier pill to swallow. Their open worlds are remarkable, but this is proof that small, arguably self-contained stories can still have a huge impact on the greater narrative itself, as well as the player's connection to the world they're "living" in.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.