Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Secrets Harry Potter Fans Shouldn't Miss
Games, movies, and television shows often include Easter eggs, little references that viewers have to search to find. In the recently released Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, there are some Easter eggs that fans of a certain teen wizard will likely appreciate.
Ubisoft and Assassin's Creed have long been on the Easter egg train. In past games, the developer placed Easter eggs not only from its own catalog, but from franchises like The Lord of the Rings and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few. This time, it seems Ubisoft has chosen Harry Potter as a treat for players. Here's what you can find in Valhalla.
According to GameRant, in the London area you can encounter a snake guarding a cabin — possibly a nod to Voldemort's snake Nagini and Hagrid's hut, respectively. Once you defeat the snake and enter the cabin, you'll find a strange list of items: diary, ring, locket, cup, diadem, snake, and ???. As Harry Potter fans know, these correspond to the seven Horcruxes, the last one being Harry himself. Players will also find a cup, a necklace, a book, a tiara, and a wand in the cabin, along with four colored banners: red, green, yellow, and blue, which represent the four Hogwarts Houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw.
These inclusions could be references to the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy action role-playing game from Avalanche Software and Portkey Games ... or maybe someone at Ubisoft just really likes Harry Potter. Whatever the reason, gamers can appreciate the dedication and time it takes even to sneak something small like a wand into a big game like Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.
Valhalla itself is a single-player open world action-adventure game. Players take on the role of Eivor, a Viking raider, leading a band of fellow Vikings against Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. There is a moderate amount of customization in this game: you can play Eivor as either male or female, and personalize clothing, armor, and tattoos. Valhalla is similar to past Assassin's Creed games in that it follows a main story with numerous optional side-quests. The difference is in its circular storyline; while many Assassin's Creed games are linear, Valhalla often has Eivor returning to the main settlement or previously visited areas as new information is learned. Many elements from past Assassin's Creed titles have returned for Valhalla: Conquest Battles from Odyssey, settlements from Black Flag, and naval transport, although naval battle has been scaled down and ships are mainly used for transportation in Valhalla.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has received generally positive reviews, although Rock Paper Shotgun asserted Valhalla would likely be overwhelming for anyone who hasn't played an Assassin's Creed game before.