Ubisoft is well-known for spending significant time researching before creating a new installment for their award-winning historical action-adventure video game series, Assassin’s Creed. With the latest installment, Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, Ubisoft once again delivered historically accurate 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age. Not many people know that this game was initially going to be an expansion for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but was later reworked into a standalone title.
Just like Mirage, Ubisoft put historians and researchers to work to accurately portray Vikings in the years 872-878 AD. At the time of its release, players were confused as to why Ubisoft chose this period as it is not widely known that Vikings also used stealth strategies. A common misconception is that Vikings relied on more direct combat, but there is proof that this community had sneaky approaches as well. The game’s senior writer, Alain Mercieca, revealed that he was also surprised to find this out.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla did not portray inaccurate Vikings
Since the Assassin’s Creed franchise is well known for featuring elements like combat, stealth, and exploration, including the use of parkour to navigate the environment, fans were confused why they centered Assassin’s Creed Valhalla around Vikings as they are known for having a more aggressive approach rather than stealth approach. Apparently, this is a misconception and Valhalla senior writer, Alain Mercieca, also thought the same until he started working on the game. In an interview with The Gamer, Mercieca said,
“We didn’t want to sugarcoat the depiction of Vikings – However, it is surprising how much you discover about them when you really dig. For me, the biggest revelation was that stealth warfare was something the Norse practiced, and isn’t a stretch.”
There is evidence that Vikings practiced stealth approaches so the depiction in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is indeed very accurate.
In the game, players control Eivor Varinsdottir, a Viking raider. 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage was supposed to be an expansion of Valhalla but Ubisoft decided to create it as a standalone title.
There was a lot of pressure during the production of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Valhalla also featured a framing story, set in the 21st century, which focused on Layla Hassan, an Assassin who relives Eivor’s memories and uses them to save the Earth from destruction. Further in the interview, Mercieca explained that there was a lot of pressure while they were working on the game,
“There is always pressure to write a great game, and so in that regard there was pressure – Otherwise it is always a fine line, trying to please fans while exciting newcomers about the brand. We constantly strived to make the story less convoluted, fun, refreshing, and excite fans instead of making them roll their eyes at it. It all happened symbiotically in that the setting fed the present day and vice versa until we felt we had a balance. There was always an intention to make the present day shine.”
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Stadia on November 10, 2020. Subsequently, the PlayStation 5 version was released on November 12.
