ASSASSIN’S CREED VALHALLA

**Eivor, a legendary Viking raider who is on a quest for glory!**

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the 12th installment and the 22nd release OVERALL in the Assassins’ Creed series! Just by that sentence alone you can see that this is one of the longest running franchises in video gaming history! See, AC (Assassins’ Creed) has always been a traditionally stealthy type of game. Not your typical Call of Duty where you come in hot on a loud, noisy helicopter or running out of a jungle with firearms blasting at enemies for control of the fight. No, this is more of a stealth game where a lot of your success is determined by how smooth and QUIET you are. With that said, I admittedly have never excelled at AC but I have always wanted to! The games always looked so cool even back to my first memory of Assassins’ Creed 1 on PS3 way back in November of 2007, it seems like a lifetime ago! Ok lets jump into what AC Valhalla is all about and see what the action is like in the Official YouTube trailer later!

**Write your Viking saga! Blaze your own path across England with advanced RPG mechanics!**

Assassins creed Valhalla is set in the time period of 873 AD, the game recounts a fictional story during the Vikings invading Britain! You will control the character Eivor, a legendary Viking raider who is on a quest for glory! Raid your enemies, grow your settlement & becomes deeply embroiled in the conflict between the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order! Explore the dynamic and open world set against the brutal backdrop of England’s Dark Ages!

At the start of the game you can choose for your character to be a male, female or neither. If you were to not pick either, it will let the game alternate between the choices on its own at key moments in the story! Fair representation, thanks UBISOFT! Valhalla will have a similar structure of main story missions and a number of optional side missions as past games. While the main storyline in past Assassin’s Creed games typically moves linearly through the main sections of the game world, Valhalla has the player often returning back to the main settlement and back to areas previously visited as information about the new areas of England are learned by the Vikings through reconnaissance or from contacts.

**Claim the riches of your enemies’ lands for your clan and expand your influence far beyond your growing settlement.**

Not all missions require violent ends, with some that can be resolved through diplomatic means. The game will also rely less on a traditional leveling system and instead focus more on the selection of skills through skill trees selected by the player as Eivor advances through the game. The difficulty posed by enemies is rated based on the player’s collection of skills. I am a HUGE fan of this game focusing more on skill trees as you advance through the game. I think this is seriously understated and should be touted as one of the key features to attract new gamers to their franchise. Valhalla also has 25 unique enemy archetypes, and each “has a unique way of challenging the player.” Enemies can also use objects in the environment to their advantage. Some enemies are also capable of adapting to the player’s actions and combat and finding ways to defend themselves. Enemies can also show personality during combat. While some might be intimidated by Eivor and fight more defensively, others might be more aggressive in their approach!

So what are you waiting for? Christmas is right around the corner so keep an eye on Manchester Ink Link’s GAME ON articles for great gaming gifts! Watch the Official Assassins’ Creed VALHALLA trailer below!
GAME ON!