Eivor heads to Ireland in the Wrath of the Druids, the first expansion for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which brings with it a new location, a new society to hunt and take down, new characters to meet, and a whole new outpost system to dive into along with all the gameplay you already enjoyed in Valhalla. Those new elements won’t completely rewrite the game or its mechanics, but they will provide compelling reasons to jump back into the systems you already loved and inject the battles to come with enough freshness to keep you engaged, and any fan of Valhalla is not going to want to miss out.
Wrath of the Druids makes an immediate impression with its locale. Ireland is stunning, with picturesque vistas and rolling hills broken up by ports, trade outposts, and almost-hidden pockets of beauty in the form of vibrant villages, tucked away homes, and scenic waterfalls. Those elements of beauty are broken up by the Druids, or more specifically, the Children of Danu, who have claimed land throughout Ireland that can be quickly spotted because of the thick, greenish fog that surrounds them.
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These areas help break up the world a bit, and introduce some added tension as well, both from a visual and gameplay perspective. It’s a tension that previously only popped up in the more difficult restricted areas or the Cursed areas found throughout England, and it’s due to several factors. First, that fog is actually an advantage for the Children of Danu, with a hallucinogenic quality that makes the enemies within appear more imposing and helps disorient you in combat. The glowing red eyes in the midst of that fog are a bit creepy, and that’s before you factor in the lethal werewolves, a brand-new enemy in Valhalla that can take immense punishment and does lethal damage if you aren’t constantly on your toes.
You’ll also find pockets of them roaming the world, and if you pass them they will activate that fog around them. Again, it just breaks up the scenic locale and adds a bit of spice to the world. The Children of Danu also factor into the story heavily, though don’t expect the same sort of length compared to the Order of the Ancients hunt in the core game. You’ll end up taking quite a few of them down just by exploring the world, and sometimes without even knowing it until the confirm kill option comes up. There’s not as much strategy in this hunt as in the core experience, but, then again, there might be some who actually prefer that quickened pace.
The main new mechanic in Wrath of the Druids is Outposts, which, when reopened, allows you access to new trade goods, and that allows you to complete quests that will net you resources to upgrade your Outposts and sweet gear. The process of clearing out an Outpost is pretty straightforward, but what I loved is how there’s more of an investigation element to it, as you have to find some sort of hint or clue (usually in the form of a letter somewhere) that alerts you to the next step to claim the deed for the land. Then you have to hunt that down and obtain it before you can start building an outpost. There’s also a reason to spend resources on upgrades at these Outposts, as you can add ways to replenish your health and arrows at some while others increase your trade production, and it all coalesces into a very satisfying gameplay loop.
What sticks out most, though, is how all of these various loops reward devoted players with some sort of story payoff. Completing the trading missions will unlock an all-new mission that lets Eivor help Azar with that old partner you keep hearing about while taking out all of the Children of Danu will unlock the chance to take on the powerful Balor. These activities are rewarding on their own, but it’s nice to have such an enticing carrot on the stick if you will.
Mechanics are important, but for me, the essence of a true Assassin’s Creed experience is found in its story, and Wrath of the Druids delivers an entertaining tale of alliances, tradition, and intrigue. Azar and Ciara are the true standouts, but Barid and Flann Sinna have stellar moments as well. When Ciara is the focus, though, the story shines, as it’s her ties to the Danu and the new King that keeps the story moving and the mystery building. I wouldn’t put this story on the same level as the main storyline involving Sigurd, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit, and there are enough twists and turns to make it worth your while.
Wrath of the Druids is a perfect excuse to dive back into the world of Valhalla, and those who enjoy the game’s many systems and its approach to storytelling will not regret jumping back in. The new systems and characters do enough to keep things fresh, and the Children of the Danu are compelling new enemies to sharpen your skills against. That said, the story aspects aren’t quite as strong as the main campaign, and the Children of Danu start to fall at a quickened pace if you start knocking out the various Outposts. Even so, Ireland and all of the mystery and quirky characters it contains truly do shine here, and Assassin’s Creed fans will no doubt enjoy their time back in this magnificent world.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids is available now, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on Xbox Series X, PS5, Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
