Assassin’s Creed Odyssey featured Kassandra and Alexios in the starring roles when players jumped to the past, but in the present, it’s been all about Layla Hassan since Assassin’s Creed Origins. Hassan’s modern-day adventures will be returning in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but how players interact with them will be changing a bit. That was one of the many things we learned in a new interview with Narrative director Darby McDevitt, who also revealed to GameInformer that the chapter in Valhalla will conclude the modern-day story, at least regarding Hassan.
You also don’t have to interrupt your time in the Animus to play her chapters either, which is a welcome change from previous games. Here’s what McDevitt had to say.
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“The amount of time you spend in the present day would be equivalent to [Origins and Odyssey], but with the added provision that there are these Animus anomalies in the simulation layer,” McDevitt said. “You’ll find quite a lot of them; when you find them as Eivor and touch them, the whole simulation freezes and then Layla drops the disguise. She becomes Layla in the simulation, and then you have dialogue with your present-day characters there, and you have to solve puzzles, and things like that. And they are very cool, and the rewards for them are mind-blowing. So, we found a way so you don’t have to get out of the Animus at all times to do the present-day; sometimes the present-day happens in the Animus.”
The previous modern-day storyline before Origins started out promising but couldn’t stick the landing, though Hassan’s story has been compelling throughout, and hopefully won’t have the same issues. It’s also nice to look forward to some cool rewards once you complete her sections, giving players extra incentive to check out her story.
You can find the official description for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla below.
“Driven from Norway by endless wars and dwindling resources in ninth century AD, players will lead Eivor’s clan of Norsemen across the icy North Sea to the rich lands of England’s broken kingdoms. Players must carve out a new future for their clan, reliving the ruthless fighting style of Viking warriors with a revamped combat system that includes the ability to dual-wield weapons against a greater variety of enemies than ever before. To secure resources, players can lead raids to select locations using their longship to earn much-needed riches and supplies. As the Vikings begin to settle in their new home, they encounter resistance from the Saxons, including King Aelfred of Wessex, who denounces them as heathens and looks to be the sole ruler of a civilized England. Against all odds, Eivor must do what is necessary to keep Valhalla within reach.”
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla hits PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X during this year’s holiday season.
Are you excited for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla? Let us know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things Assassin’s Creed!
