Ubisoft finally gave us a first look at gameplay from its highly anticipated Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and there was plenty to see throughout the new footage, though they also threw in some brand new images as well. There wasn't as much of an emphasis on real-time gameplay, but the trailer did show what the game will look like on Xbox Series X, and gave us a look at sailing on your ship, some of the characters you'll meet along the way, Eivor leading his team in fortress crashing raids, and more, including a look at what Eivor and his Raven buddy look like in-engine. We even got to see Eivor utilizing one of his newest tricks, the ability to hurl axes at ranged enemies, and you can find some of our favorite moments from the new footage starting on the next slide!
The trailer begins by showing Eivor and his people feasting in a longhouse, where we also get a close-up look at Eivor's hidden blade (via Xbox). We then see a view of England and a Viking altar, followed by a look at the warriors of King Alfred. Things switch to Eivor and his men, who are approaching a Saxon Fortress, and Eivor leaps and dishes out a brutal knee to the face of an enemy soldier in the attack.
We then see Eivor hurling his axe towards an enemy with a cinematic flair, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We see shots of sailing on the open seas, new characters, and more, and you can find some of our favorite images from the trailer starting on the next slide.
"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!
This closeup of Eivor seems to be the default character design, but we know that you can find a tattoo artist who will give you access to other designs.
The new trailer showed quite a bit of ships at sea, so we imagine you'll be spending a lot of time sailing from place to play, much like Odyssey before it. The brief glimpses of this in action look impressive, so that's not a bad thing in the slightest.
We're not quite sure who this is, but despite looking like a young King Alfred we imagine he is someone different. His prominent spotlight in the trailer suggests someone important to Eivor's world though, so we hope to learn more soon.
This shot shows what might be the opening of a regular cinematic fight, but it could also be the beginning of a Conquest Battle, which allowed you to overtake areas of the map for one faction or another. In this case, maybe it's for your own gain, but we're interested to see how one of these sequences plays out in the full game regardless.
This one seems to show the beginning of a raid on a fortress, though it looks like quite a bit of damage has already been done to the building at this point.
Just like in Odyssey, you'll be able to tweak elements of your ship, both cosmetically and regarding its stats to better prepare it for combat or when you have to dock at a particularly dangerous place.
This image showcases Eivor leading his team into battle from their ship with axe in hand. We also know from the trailer that Eivor has the ability to throw that axe if he so chooses in gameplay, which should make for some pretty cool moments in combat.
