Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Has Features You've Never Seen Before

For those gamers who are wondering what makes Assassin's Creed: Valhalla different than its predecessors, look no further. Over the course of 11 games, Assassin's Creed has given players the chance to take on the roles of various characters throughout history. Players have stepped into roles like Renaissance noble, pirate, and Spartan warrior. Now in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, they can play as a Viking, which makes for some pretty interesting new and unique gameplay that Assassin's Creed fans have not yet experienced.

Since its beginnings, the Assassin's Creed franchise has strived to find a way to make each new game unique. Assassin's Creed 3 gave players a ship to sail, Unity allowed them to invest in a cafe, and Odyssey introduced a romance system, just to name a few examples. With Assassin's Creed: Valhalla coming on Nov. 10, it looks like Ubisoft has really outdone itself by adding many exciting changes in its newest adventure.

One of the big major changes in the game is the raid missions — it wouldn't be a game about Vikings if it didn't include a good old-fashioned pillage, right? In Valhalla, Eivor — the game's main character — can lead his or her followers in an assault on enemy fortresses and take over their land and riches. With the resources players gain from the raids, they can form new settlements for their clan to grow and prosper. Included with the new settlements will be an Alliance Map, that will be a guide to show players what they have conquered so far, the allies they have made, and what new opportunities are in store.

The new Assassin's Creed: Valhalla also allows for a true dual-wield system, which enables Eivor to use any two weapons the player chooses to take down enemies. Axes, swords, harpoon, shields — any of these and more can be mixed and matched however the player wishes, including dual shields. In a new feature of the stealth system, the cloak and hood is more than just for looks; wearing a hood will now allow Eivor to hide in plain sight when the player needs to traverse the dangers of populated areas guarded by English soldiers.

Another change in Valhalla is the opportunity to collect Books of Knowledge, which will give players new special abilities that they can then upgrade as they sit fit, just as they can with a regular skill tree ability.

One major change that might disappoint some fans is that the health bar will no longer replenish itself over time. Instead, Eivor will be forced to gain health by hunting, fishing, and foraging for food. But what might make up for this seeming setback is the addition of some fun and unique minigames — including flyting, which has been described as a form of Viking "rap battle." Players will have the chance to challenge NPCs to these little banter competitions, in which Eivor and their opponent will trade insults in the form of rhythm and rhyme. Other minigames included in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla are building cairns (or rock piles) and a dice game called Orlag,

For the first time in an Assassin's Creed game, the player will have the option to customize the main character's looks by changing hair and beard styles, as well as being given the option of a variety of tattoos. There is also a new option to create a Jomsviking, a customizable mercenary character that a player can share online to be used by other players. And for the gamers who are also animal lovers, within the settlements are some furry friends — and, yes, you can pet them.

Another unique addition to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is the option for the player to indulge in magic mushrooms. Yes, that's right. The game offers something called a Hallucination Challenge, where players will ingest psychedelic flora and be taken to a realm of strange sightings, including a helpful guardian seal. The challenge is a sort of puzzle that the player must solve in order to return to reality and sobriety.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla appears to be a game unlike players have ever seen before in the Assassin's Creed series – not only with the gorgeous setting of the unspoiled English countryside and the rich, enchanting lore of the Viking culture, but with the many new gameplay options available. Players will have only a short time to wait to explore all the new changes in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla on Nov. 10.