When looking at the DLC inAssassin’s Creedy OdysseyandAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, it’s very clear how the two took mostly different roads.Odysseyinvested heavily in Greek mythand how the Isu were part of that, with Layla eventually finding her way to Atlantis, attempting to control the staff, and meeting Kassandra in the flesh. On the other hand,Valhallawas very much invested in real historical events (except for the last DLC, of course), and this seemed to give it the upper hand, at first.
Mythology inAssassin’s Creedis a mixed bag among fans. Some don’t mind it as long as it’s used properly, while others would rather seeACfocus on more historical depictions. That’s a matter of taste, of course, butValhalladrops the ball when it comes to DLC no matter how it’s looked at. Not because of its historical focus, but because of how stagnant the DLC as a whole makesAssassin’s Creed Valhallafeel.
RELATED:Assassin’s Creed Fan Beats All Main Series Games Without Taking Damage
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla DLC Doesn’t Fill in Gaps or Make New Holes, It’s Just There
Traveling to Ireland and partaking in theSiege of Parisare interesting events that it’s great to see Eivor take part in. They’re fun, nice additions to the franchise. However, they are the definition of inconsequential. Players could play none of them andAssassin’s Creed Valhallawould be in the same boat as it is now—this is not true ofOdyssey’s DLC, which establishes several story elements later realized inValhalla.
Valhalla’s DLC doesn’t expand on the franchise whatsoever, with each being an inconsequential addition. With it seemingly over, it doesn’t seem fans will learnwhy Eivor is buried in Vinlandfor some time, which is easily one ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla’s biggest mysteries. There’s no real progression after the ending for Eivor, unlike Kassandra. One could argue that it brings Layla’s story to a close, while teasing more for the future, but in terms of Eivor’s story, there’s not really a satisfying end when compared to Kassandra’s. This is true when counting theOdyssey-Valhallacrossover, or when not counting it even.
The DLC could have at least explored more of the Templars or Hidden Ones, but it doesn’t. It just drops an “A.C.” Easter Eggthat may feel a little disrespectful to some fans, instead of honoring them in any real way.Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s DLC doesn’t fill in any of the gaps created by the narrative thus far, nor does it really set up anything interesting for the future. That can’t be said aboutAC Odyssey,and this creates an unsatisfying ending feeling for Valhalla.
Now, with Valhalla seemingly behind fans now, the future is seemingly tied to three projects:Assassin’s Creed Rift, which is reported to feature Basim;Assassin’s Creed Nexus, which just appears to be a collection of past Assassin missions in VR; andAssassin’s Creed Infinity, the in-development full-blown live-service title. Hopefully,Assassin’s Creed Riftfleshes out more of whatValhallaset up, if unlikely, andAC Infinity’s support comes with actual consequences.
Assassin’s Creed Valhallais available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
MORE:Incredible UE5 Video Shows What Assassin’s Creed in Japan Could Look Like
