A Stealthy Viking Is So Crazy That It Just Might Make 'Assassin's Creed' Awesome Again
The trailer for the latest installment of Assassin's Creed has been released, and all of our quarantined butts are ready to get up and start Ass-ass-in. The Assassin's Creed franchise hops through various periods and cultures like a murderous Marty McFly, and Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is hitting up Western Europe in the time of Vikings:
Hmmm, that was ... fine. It seemed to consist entirely of cinematic footage. That tells us very little about the game, considering we're getting a wide-angle perspective on the action, and no one plays a video game like you're viewing it from a dolly 50 yards away. We know that you'll likely be fighting against the British Empire, or at least the bad guy from Shrek judging by the King's character model. It also seems like naval battles will once again be a thing. Other than that we're left to wild speculation.
Here's why I'm still excited: I'm fascinated to find out how the concept of an assassin, -- typically a shadowy, stealthy warrior -- will interplay with the concept of a Viking - famous for doing this:
It's a curious juxtaposition - this potential "Viking ninja." It's certainly not something we've seen much before in a traditional fantasy setting. Granted, this would be a good time to tell you that Vikings aren't exactly the hulking Neanderthals that pop culture has always lead you to believe. They liked to dress fancy. They didn't have horns on their helmets. They weren't any taller than the average European. This could be just a game about regular dudes killing other regular dudes.
But Assassin's Creed is a video game and in video games, Vikings are hulking berzerkers who wield two-handed swords while taking arrows to the chest like they're saving them for later. Just imagine a game where you can sneak up on an enemy encampment with your ninja skills before switching to berserker mode and slaughtering the whole lot of them while you duel-wield axes. Or picture yourself scaling an English castle in the dead of night, assassinating a key target with your creed, and then busting your way out of there as your buckler deflects arrow after arrow. It's an incredible gameplay concept ... we just hope Ubisoft delivers on the potential. If not, then hey, at least you have some no ideas for your next Dungeons and Dragons character.
Top Image: Assassin's Creed: Valhalla/ Ubisoft
