Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the highly anticipated followup to one of the longest running triple-A series in modern video games, and there is endless speculation about how it will play compared to the previous two Assassin's Creed games, which pioneered the RPG formula that Valhalla will be building on. From what has been announced, there will be several slight tweaks to the design of this Assassin's Creed title, but it remains to be seen how well the game is executed. Certainly, the RPG style of AC games has been a divisive move, with valid complaints from long-time fans matched in equal measure with massive success that has completely revitalized the series.
Assassin's Creed has been a notably fraught franchise, with consistent, almost yearly releases resulting in quite inconsistent quality over the series' run of over a decade. Even so, the high points that Assassin's Creed games achieved are not immeasurable, leaving Assassin's Creed Valhalla to follow afterward. Open worlds with maps unlocked by towers, climbing and parkour for traversal, action-game combat, deep historical settings, eagle vision-like mechanics, and stealth-action have all been irrevocably shaped by the Assassin's Creed franchise, making their way into countless other titles to the point that many of these design elements are practically ubiquitous today.
What many people may forget, though, is that the iconic Assassin's Creed formula got old, and combined with the failures of Assassin's Creed 3 and Assassin's Creed Unity, led to Ubisoft completely rethinking the entire formula. The release of Assassin's Creed Origins was a watershed moment after a lengthy break for the series, and Origins was a completely different experience from any Assassin's Creed game before. Odyssey, and now Valhalla, built off of the RPG-heavy formula that Origins introduced, but if there's one thing that Ubisoft should have learned from previous AC games, it's that it needs to shake up the formula relatively frequently. To prevent the RPG formula from causing another Assassin's Creed burnout, the next AC game after Valhalla will need to be very different. The question is, where will Assassin's Creed go next?
From Stealth-Action to RPG
Many common video game mechanics owe their presence to Assassin's Creed. Eagle Vision-type mechanics were borrowed in the Batman Arkham games, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War, as well as countless others. Climbing towers to unlock portions of the world map is so common now that it ends up in games where it isn't even fun or doesn't make sense. The popularization of open-world games, the distinct feel of stealth and action game combat, and industry-wide notions about how triple-A games should look and feel all have direct, distinct influences from Assassin's Creed. Despite being so influential though, Assassin's Creed games did have some major stumbling blocks.
NPC-tailing missions, repetitive side content, boring collectibles, bloated design, a lack of serious challenge, annoying puzzles, and a convoluted story are only some of the major complaints that players had with Assassin's Creed after years of playing remarkably similar titles. Year after year, a new AC game would come out with the same great mechanics, but also the same failures. Especially after the series' most iconic protagonist, Ezio, was no longer present, players became increasingly tired of repetitive gameplay with no significant changes year over year.
Assassin's Creed 3 marked a low point in popularity, but the rushed, buggy mess that was AC Unity was the final nail in the coffin for the franchise. Even though the refreshing concept of a co-op Assassin's Creed was exactly what the series needed, its execution was one of the most infamous blunders in franchise history. Assassin's Creed Syndicate was a good game and a return to form, but it was too little, too late. General opinion was no longer in AC's favor.
Enter Assassin's Creed Origins. After a lengthy break during which the developers re-examined what made AC good and what had gotten stale, it released a totally different type of game. It was so different, in fact, that it was hardly recognizable. Many fans felt that it shouldn't have even been called Assassin's Creed, but despite the controversial new formula, Origins had massive success. The setting was fascinating enough to draw in even the most skeptical fans, the level of detail and historical accuracy was completely unrivaled, and the promise of something new from one of the most iconic game franchises ultimately paid off.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey was an even bigger success, in part due to the popularity of its setting but also because of the way that it honed in on the mechanics that Origins introduced. The core of these games is the ability to explore a rich historical setting while grinding out levels, completing quests, and collecting loot in one of the most tried-and-true popular video game genres out there. Assassin's Creed Valhalla will be the third RPG-style Assassin's Creed game, but it is already set to have a few changes back towards classic AC mechanics.
The biggest shifts are a more deadly, one-shot hidden blade and power based more on gear and abilities than on levels. How all of these changes are executed will likely determine how players feel about the RPG Assassin's Creed formula going forward.
What's Next for Assassin's Creed?
Now that the third Assassin's Creed game with RPG elements is confirmed, the cracks in the "new" formula are starting to appear for many players. Much like the former AC games of yesteryear, the changes between these new titles have been relatively incremental, which allows their flaws to become more and more apparent over time. As much as historical accuracy, freedom of exploration, and variety have been the strong suits of the RPG-style AC games, there are plenty of gripes to be found.
Repetitive side content remains, "open" areas made inaccessible by over-leveled enemies are annoying and break immersion, and the concept of "time-savers," which allow players to pay real money to not have to play the game they already bought, is incredibly unpopular and self-explanatory (reports indicate Valhalla will not have these). Primarily, though, combat is floaty, unsatisfying, and pales in comparison to the crisp fluidity of previous AC games and even other RPGs that the new Assassin's Creeds emulate.
Even if Assassin's Creed Valhalla fixes most or all of these issues, many players will want another big shift in mechanics for Assassin's Creed games of the future. Valhalla will still see massive success even if it doesn't fix the issues, though. The popularity of Viking and Norse settings is only expanding, and the formula hasn't quite reached the maximum of its potential yet. Changes to eagle vision, a focus on weightier combat, and pulling back on the significance of levels and random loot are all great signs that indicate Ubisoft's attention to player complaints. However, the minds behind Assassin's Creed would be extremely foolish to make the same mistake twice. Complacency is what led to the need to revitalize the franchise before, and if they do not do enough to freshen up the series after Valhalla, it will certainly happen again.
There is plenty of speculation about what setting will be next after Assassin's Creed Valhalla. One of the most-requested settings is feudal Japan, and there have been plenty of hints over the years pointing to a Japanese-setting Assassin's Creed game. However, the most important next moves for the franchise will be in the realm of mechanics. Some iconic features should stay. As much as some people disparage climbing towers to unlock the map, the gorgeous vistas they provide are a highlight. Smooth parkour and free-running traversal will never get old. Richly detailed historical settings are perhaps the most important selling point of any AC game. All of these things should stay, but Ubisoft must once again re-examine what truly makes Assassin's Creed fun.
Perhaps it could lean further into the personal element that the RPG formula has lacked so far. Deeper, more fully realized NPCs with meaningful relationships to the player character could breath new life into historical settings. A return to stealth gameplay would also be welcome. There is a serious dearth of good stealth games these days, and Assassin's Creed was one of the last major franchises with any real stealth influence.
Even then, AC stealth was surface-level. A Japanese setting might be the perfect opportunity to delve into a rich, challenging, and engaging stealth revival. Taking out the RPG elements and focusing in on deep, satisfying combat, much like Sekiro did for Souls-likes would end complaints about spongy enemies and lackluster fights. Focusing in on a signature mechanic like parkour and making it deeper, more challenging, and more important to progression has massive potential too. And, lastly, perhaps the developers will finally create a new and innovative way to unlock the map, at long last put a moratorium on climbing countless towers.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.