Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Dawn of Ragnarok Preview: Odin's New Adventure Promises Biggest Valhalla Thrills Yet
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is ready to kick off a second year of content with its largest expansion yet, and it's titled Dawn of Ragnarok. As the name suggests, the expansion dips back into the world of Gods and giants once more, with players taking control of Odin for the majority of the story as they move through Svartalfheim to ultimately battle Surtr and his son Glod to save Odin's son Baldr. Dawn of Ragnarok expands the world of Valhalla yet again with compelling storylines and quirky characters, but it also introduces a new power set and absorbing mechanic that should liven up battles and allow the player access to new strategies when approaching any situation. We had a chance to check out a preview of Valhalla's newest expansion, and there is quite a bit to get excited about.
Dawn of Ragnarok is impressive in its size and scale, as the expansion is set to deliver more than 35 hours of content and features a map that's around a third of the size of England. It also brings the focus back to the Asguardian and mythological side of Valhalla, putting you in the role of Odin as he travels through an oppressed Svartalfheim and meets the scattered Dwarven collectives throughout the land.
We got a look at some of those interactions, and while many know who Odin is, not everyone is that impressed. One interaction early on shows the effects the Muspel takeover has had on the Dwarven population, who have hidden throughout Svartelheim and are just trying to maintain their way of life and survive. You'll meet more helpful characters along the way as well, including a delightful duo named Tara and Fritjof, and hopefully, this pair will pop up more than once in the story.
The biggest changes in Dawn of Ragnarok have to do with the powers you'll wield and the enemies you'll face, so let's dive into the power set first. Odin has a new weapon named the Hugr-Rip, and in addition to it being an effective dealer of death up-close and at range, it allows you access to a new set of abilities. These powers can be absorbed on the fly as you defeat enemies and move throughout the world, though you can only have one active at any given time. These new powers open up new avenues in combat and exploration, especially when trying to move through enemy territory.
There are five powers total, though the preview focused on three. These included the Power of the Raven, the Power of Muspelheim, and the Power of Rebirth, and each one offers a new spin to gameplay. These powers present themselves as green orbs above fallen enemies, and you'll walk up and interact with them to absorb them. You can have two powers memorized and one active at any time, but if don't have the power you need in either of those slots, you'll need to go acquire it again.
As for the powers themselves, The Power of the Raven lives up to its name by allowing Odin to assume the form of a Raven, allowing you to fly to dizzying heights. You can also upgrade this ability to allow for Raven Assassinations, which you can get a look at in the video above.
Then there's the Power of Muspelheim, which allows you to take the form of a Muspel and blend in with them if you happen to be in their territory. As long as you don't do anything overtly suspicious, you're good to go, but this works the other way as well, as if you find yourself in the middle of an overwhelming battle, you can use this ability to buy you some time and get you away from the fight.
The most intriguing power however was the Power of Rebirth, which allows you to resurrect fallen enemies and control them as your own small Muspel army. As you can see in the video above, this ability is incredibly handy in the midst of a battle, but it is also perfect for preparing for one, as you can head into a challenging fight with some welcome backup. This is easily the one I'm most excited to try, and upgrades will only make it more useful.
Dawn of Ragnarok also brings new enemies into the mix with the fiery Muspels, though you'll also face the Frost Giant Jotuns in the expansion as well. Muspels come in several varieties and wield some heavy-duty weapons, but one of the biggest problems you'll face are the Fire Keepers. Fire Keepers have the ability to revive fallen Muspels, so if you're not careful a fight can quickly get out of hand and overwhelm you if you don't get them out of the picture early.
Then we got a look at Glod and what appears to be your first interaction with him in the expansion, and the half Muspel half Jotun seems to be a force to be reckoned with, even for Odin. Glod is just a precursor to Surtr too, so major challenges await, but Odin's expanded abilities and skill tree (which is getting a host of new additions too) should make you more than up for the challenge.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarok lands on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PC on March 10th.
Are you excited for Dawn of Ragnarok? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things Assassin's Creed with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!
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