It's strange to think that Assassin's Creed Valhalla only released in November 2020. Straddling the line between the old and current console generations, it feels as though an awful lot has changed in video gaming since Eivor's adventures were first enjoyed by players, and a range of DLC packs have kept Assassin's Creed Valhalla ticking along nicely. Dawn of Ragnarok is the largest, and perhaps the most ambitious for Ubisoft's open world Viking 'em up.
Dawn of Ragnarok takes the Norse myth element of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and makes it the primary focus. Eivor once again takes on their role as Odin, this time travelling to the Dwarven realm of Svartalfheim and fighting off invading Jotnars and Muspels. The goal is to rescue his son, Baldr, using the power to absorb abilities from enemies like an irate, more murderous Kirby.
By focusing on the Norse myth element of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dawn of Ragnarok gives the developers a chance to address one of the weakest parts of the original game. Although it came with plenty of potential, the Norse god elements of Valhalla never quite worked, failing to match the quality of similar titles like God of War or The Banner Saga. By removing the piecemeal structure that saw the player hopping back and forth between the mortal realm and Asgard, Dawn of Ragnarok had the potential to really delve into this area.
There are some parts of Dawn of Ragnarok that work extremely well. Visually, the expansion is truly fantastic, with a majesty that surpasses what was seen in the base game and making the player feel like they really are visiting a place where mythology is real. Meanwhile, from a gameplay perspective the DLC also succeeds thanks to a focus on weighty combat and the introduction of more magical powers than the grounded skillset that Odin/Eivor had while in Asgard in the core game.
Unfortunately, Dawn of Ragnarok is held back by the structure and restrictions placed on it by its position as an Assassin's Creed game and the templates that it remains religiously tied too. Players should expect plenty more long, slow walks behind characters as part of the mission structure, and the usual template of random activities to complete around the open world. It's perhaps more egregious here when the player is a literal god - becoming an errand boy for other characters isn't a good look for Odin, surely.
As with the other expansion packs, Dawn of Ragnarok spends a little too much time trying to replicate side content within the DLC's lens. Sinmara’s Chosen are the latest equivalent of the roving champions system that has been a part of the Assassin's Creed series for a few games now, providing tough fights in unexpected places, while there is also silica collection which acts as a mirror of the crafting system, but neither fits thematically with what Dawn of Ragnarok is about. Like with the other DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dawn of Ragnarok tries too much to be a microcosm of the original game rather than a focused blast of something new.
This leaves Dawn of Ragnarok as something of a mixed bag, and the over-reliance on the structure of Assassin's Creed Valhalla does weigh on it. A lot has changed when it comes to open world games since 2020, and the rigidity of the Ubisoft open world experience is clear here. Players will feel bad doing it, but it does compare negatively to the ingenuity of Horizon: Forbidden West, or the expansive exploration of Elden Ring, and a lot of that could have been avoided if Dawn of Ragnarok had concentrated its effort in one area over the others and broken free of any old constraints.
Overall, Dawn of Ragnarok is a decent if unessential expansion. Its game world is engaging and the new combat elements included work extremely well, but for all its size there's a distinct lack of anything new to do. Those who loved the original game's Asgard sections will likely find plenty to love, but like the other Assassin's Creed Valhalla DLC it sits firmly in the nice-to-have territory.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 download code for the purposes of this review.