After debuting in 2007, the Assassin's Creed series had gone in a certain direction, however, 2017's Origins changed the course of the franchise. Now, the series is doing some even newer things with Valhalla on that course.
As most players are still getting used to the changes introduced by Valhalla, it's natural some will make mistakes while they learn to play the game properly. New mechanics bring on new mistakes, and here are the big ones that players make.
10 Not Spending Skill Points
Unlike the last two games, Valhalla doesn't put an emphasis on using skill points. It provides a little indicator on the screen to show how many points someone has, but it never makes a point to tell or remind the player to use them.
Oftentimes players bank points without knowing it, then wonder why they're not doing heavy damage or struggling to absorb it. Players won't have shortages of skill points either, as the game hands them out like candy.
9 Forgetting To Upgrade Abilities
Much like skill points, the game doesn't give the player much of a reminder to look for or to upgrade abilities. This can force some to run into a number of mistakes that limit combat and make it harder. Players might also miss out on some crazy finishers.
The game doesn't give the player a good idea of what "the books of power" are, which are the power the players can get to compliment Eivor's fighting style. Someone playing the game may go through the entire game without picking one up just because the game didn't explain it to them.
8 Taking On High-Level Areas Too Soon
Valhalla is a completionist's dream that lasts over a hundred hours. However, since the leveling system was introduced, it made exploration different. In the last game, players had to upgrade or grind to match an area's level. In Valhalla, it's different because the game-makers refer to the level system as 'power'-based. Like the other games, however, there is a warning if the area might be too much for you, so players should heed warnings.
7 Missing The Cultist Clues
The inclusion of investigating and looking for hints has turned the series into somewhat of a detective game as well. Although exploration is a big portion of the game, players may come across a cultist clue. In this case, they're so out of sight, the player will need to use Odin Vision more than once and really study the area. Often they can be found near mysteries or chests.
While some of the cultists are part of the story, the others require players to go on their own to find clues. Do not make the mistake of thinking all the cultists are included in the main narrative.
6 Raiding Alone
Raiding is a feature included in Valhalla that fans wanted. In order to start a raid, the player has to select the "start raid" option in the quick menu wheel. This makes it easier to start the event on the go.
Now, what makes it confusing is that the normal horn option is also on the same side of the wheel, so it would confuse players on which one to use. Plus certain larger raids can only be completed with the crew as certain chests and other things need more than one person to open. Only smaller raids should be taken on alone.
5 Forgetting About The Homebase
When players first arrive in England, they create a home for themselves called Ravensthorpe. Maintaining this isn't hard, it's just easy to forget. By raiding and getting resources from elsewhere, players can upgrade the homestead. But the mistake is that the game offers all the important upgrades at the start.
Examples include a military barracks and an assassin bureau, while the rest after that are optional. During the initial announcement of the game, Ubisoft said it would be a big part of the game, but what the game offers is not mandatory and doesn't matter after level four.
4 Using All The Resources
Most of the time, players will find the gear that's better than what they have, but what happens if there's an ax or shield the player really likes? The player can use their resources they are collecting to upgrade gear and often players don't do that.
The game even says sometimes upgrading gear is better than finding new ones. The only hard part is getting resources to do those upgrades. Ingots are what can level your gear, so these are what you need.
3 Not Getting All The Viewpoints
Getting the viewpoints in the series has become a hallmark for the franchise. It opens the map and gives more things to do for the player. Valhalla has some of the best-looking and highest vistas in the series, so to nab those points would be a disservice to the game.
However, in the past players would need to get the viewpoints to open the map, so it was worth it. Since Origins, players unlock the map as they explorer a new area, so getting those viewpoints isn't as important as they once were. Viewpoints operate differently now by unlocking secrets instead, so it makes sense for players to forget about it because it's not as emphasized.
2 Social Stealth
This is one of the pillars that makes any Assassins' Creed game. Unlike the older games, Valhalla doesn't rely on it that much since Vikings weren't the sneaky type. When areas require some sort of discretion, it brings back memories of the first four games.
However, it does give the option to use stealth or be a loud Viking. Some like the idea of having those options, others feel it's moving away from the assassin mindset of being quiet and stealthy, to something loud and brash. Many are saying this because the last two were starting the move away from that.
1 Stamina
Over the course of the years, Ubisoft keeps adding in new mechanics that keep the series fresh. A key new feature this time around is the introduction of stamina. While other games in the same genre already have that, it's new for the series.
When the other games were more forgiving, the stamina feature will force players to rethink how they play the game. Now almost every movement is being dictated by how much stamina the player is using. From blocks to light attacks and to dodging, conserving stamina is becoming a must in-game especially later on.