The Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Secret Death Stranding Fans Shouldn't Miss

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla players who played through 2019's Death Stranding are in for a treat, as the former game makes an homage to the latter, according to Kotaku. The result is a side mission reminiscent of Death Stranding's memorable gameplay mechanics.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla contains a specific Easter egg quest-line that requires the player to deliver various items to different NPCs around the game world. To start this quest-line, players are required to install a trading post in a settlement after capturing it early on in the game.

In the back of the trading post, players will be able to find a list titled "Pending Deliveries." The list contains the names of customers who need specific items, and it is found along with the items themselves, which can be carried by hand. Upon consulting the trading post owner, Yanli, players will then be prompted to deliver the items to the customers on the list.

The items on the list, which include an anvil, a jar of mead, a crate of bowls, and a stone slab, are fairly heavy. As such, players will have to carry them on foot, as their horse can't bear the weight of the objects. Alternatively, players can use rowboats or longboats to carry the items from the shop to the customers on the list, which is more efficient than traveling on foot with the items.

This is a pretty significant reference to Death Stranding per the default option of carrying items on foot between the shop and customers. Death Stranding's main gameplay mechanic involved player character Sam Porter transporting items on foot, which many found arduous and akin to a walking simulator, even if it was intended as the inception of a new genre. However, the mechanic was demonstrably memorable enough to warrant a reference in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla released last week on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X to mostly positive reviews from critics. The game has received fairly high aggregate scores on Metacritic, with a peak score of 85 on Xbox Series X. For many, the game's mechanics have been a highlight, as it shifts away from the series' stealth focus onto combat and pillaging settlements. The game's Viking theme has also been touted as being unique for the series.

The game currently has post-launch content planned for it. The trailer for the upcoming content released in mid-October suggests players will eventually be able to travel to new locations, like Ireland and France, the latter being the location of 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity. The first season of the post-launch content, which includes the "Yule Festival" add-on, will release in December.