Thanks to those with early access to Assassin's Creed Valhalla, future players can start planning their trip back in time early with newly revealed full maps of the playable areas of the open-world RPG - including the game's mythical areas, Asgard and Jotunheim. The third installment in the Assasin's Creed franchise's new direction, Assassin's Creed Valhalla initially takes the action to Norway in the age of Vikings. Lead character Eivor (who can canonically be either male or female) eventually ventures past their homeland onto England and other countries, as well as a couple realms beyond where man can normally go and live to tell the tale. The name Valhalla certainly gives a hint that Eivor will be interacting with plenty of mythical figures, and the game does indeed seem to lean towards the same fantastical encounters as Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey.
Ubisoft, never one to disappoint with delays during a console launch, has prepared versions of Assassin's Creed Valhalla for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 as well as next-gen releases on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. On new consoles, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is promising 4K 60fps gameplay and much-improved loading times compared to current-gen versions. The PlayStation 5 version is also said to support the console's Tempest 3D Audio, which enables players with headphones or high-quality surround sound to hear every crossed sword and arrow slung from any direction.
Whether players choose the current-gen or the next-gen version, PowerPyx has already shared a set of maps that will help players plan out their travels around Assassin's Creed Valhalla sprawling playable areas. This include Norway (where players will spend the early hours), the main open world of England, and smaller areas in Vinland, Asgard, Jotunheim. Of the three smaller areas, Vinland is an unspecified historical area where Vikings were known to dwell, while Asgard and Jotunheim are legendary locations of Norse mythology where Eivor will likely meet and fight gods.
Looking at the maps, players can get a preview of some of the mission types they can expect in the new Assassin's Creed experience. The vantage points are denoted with the same eagle as from Assassin's Creed Odyssey, while the pawprints typically denote hunting challenges of some sort. Main missions also share that same fancy diamond as the previous game, and several new icons are waiting to be discovered by players. Ubisoft previously stated that it would use fewer icons for Assassin's Creed Valhalla's map, replacing them with dots that encourage exploration. Icon overload is one of the reasons players burn out on the publisher's open worlds, so it's a sound strategy that players can see in play here.
Between Assassin's Creed Valhalla and the recently released Watch Dogs Legion, players who enjoy what Ubisoft brings to the table will have plenty to enjoy on their next-gen machines in the coming week. While massive playable spaces like those shown in these maps can be daunting at first, treating the game like a serialized TV show makes it all manageable. These are huge experiences with plenty of enjoyable chunks. Don't rush through the experience when the slow burn is just as fun.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla will release on PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia on November 10, 2020.
Source: PowerPyx