With Assassin's Creed Valhalla still a few months way from release, fans eager for some kind of related content can get into the Viking spirit with an album that will feature songs from the game's soundtrack, including one from a drummer who used to play for Norwegian black metal band Gorgoroth.
The album will be made available tomorrow, but fans can already enjoy a preview courtesy of composer Sarah Schachner, who has shared one of her tracks, 'The Sceptred Isle" on YouTube.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the third entry in the series that Schachner has composed music before, having previously worked on Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Origins. She has also worked for EA and Activision, having provided music for Anthem and 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
In an interview, Schachner provided some insight into how she composed music for Valhalla, explaining that she wanted to combine the Viking and Anglo-Saxon cultures to represent how the Vikings conquered and integrated themselves into the latter's society.
"My score for Valhalla portrays the different cultures of the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons but also merges the two together, reflecting the Vikings’ evolution as they invade and conquer, then integrate into Anglo-Scandinavian society and even convert to Christianity. On 'The Sceptered Isle’ I wanted to blend both cultures to foreshadow that history. The lyrics are from an old Norse runestone inscription sung over an anglicized religious harmony."
Schachner isn't the only composer contributing music to the game, as she is joined by Jesper Kyd. Kyd is another series veteran, having worked on the soundtracks for the first four mainline games, from the original Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed Revelations. He has also provided music for the Hitman series and all of the Borderlands games.
Aside from the album, a prequel comic book from Dark Horse is set to release on October 21st, a month before the game's release. Details are still scarce, aside from the fact that it will likely focus on main character Eivor. With the front cover featuring both genders, though, it's unknown whether it will only focus on one of them or somehow integrate both.
We do know that, in the game itself, players will be able to switch between the two different genders whenever they want, with it having no effect on the rest of the story.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey players can also look forward to a Valhalla-inspired armor set that will be included in the game later today, though details about how it can be acquired are currently unknown.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla will release on November 17th for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Collider