Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a critically acclaimed release that includes open world combat against the backdrop of Greece. But with there being so many Assassin’s Creed games, do you need to play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey before playing Valhalla?
Valhalla can be played without having played Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Knowing the backstory is useful but it won’t harm the experience of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla even if you have never played any other Assassin’s Creed games.
Let’s look at the content of these two games, what the major differences and similarities between the two are, and whether it’s worth getting Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Can You Play Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Without Playing the Others?
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has become a standalone experience and so it’s wholly unnecessary to have played any of the games before.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is set in a different time period and geographic area with self-contained stories to that of any of the other Assassin’s Creed games.
The only Assassin’s Creed games that need to be played in order are 2017’s Assassin’s Creed and the Ezio games. These should be played in order just because the story is linked through the existence of common characters and developing plot points.
All the moves, quests and required information will be revealed to you as you progress. Any combat or information regarding past character arcs aren’t necessary in the slightest for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
What Do You Need to Know Before Playing Valhalla?
Basic loot isn’t viewable in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as now you must enter each building individually and search. The use of the tool Odin’s Sight isn’t available like in the other games.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla doesn’t carry over the assassin aspects of the others, as you instead play a Viking warrior who goes in heavy and hot.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has a much slower start than other Assassin’s Creed games. However, give it time and you develop other settlements and that’s where the game really takes off.
Take note that the Boss levels don’t seem to synchronize well with their surrounding environments, so don’t feel like you have to fight every big guy you come across and win.
Some of these can only be defeated with end-game gear when you’ve finished the main story.
There are some big item differences, mainly that health doesn’t regenerate or heal, you need to consume rations to restore any health.
There is also Flyting, a type of minigame that can buff your character’s abilities and be a good source of income. The other mini game Orlog will also progress the story.
Look for the golden book icons as this is the only way to get very powerful abilities. Check the map frequently to see if any have popped up.
In terms of looting, raiding monasteries is the only way to get raw materials, so make sure you do a search anytime near a monastery and also be careful whenever asked to spend these materials to upgrade, as they are extremely limited.
Poison gas is a common hazard to deal with, but can be removed by using your torch to burn it away.
Is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Worth Playing?
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is worth playing if you enjoy the other Assassin’s Creed games, however, there is more emphasis on an RPG aspect with leveling gear and skills.
You play third person and use a variety of weapons like swords, bows and take out enemies in a large, open world. You need to upgrade your gear to deal with increasingly more difficult enemies, and you must explore by horse or ship to see the world.
If you get the DLC Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis, you get an in-depth explanation of the storylines being developed about the Assassin’s Order.
In the case that you’ve come to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey as a general fan of the franchise, you will get a lot of story and narrative that is canon with the rest of the series.
Odyssey takes you through many famous areas of Greece, and there are massive amounts of historical information to further fill in the locations and their importance.
As the game brings in the ship mechanic, you can spend time on the land engaging in assassin and warrior techniques, and then also at sea engaging in ship maneuvers with cannons.
You will be spending your time upgrading your ship and exploring the world. There are also roaming mercenaries to defeat or you can just progress through playing the main story, DLC or even just spend your time hunting and completing side quests.
Upgrading your gear will need to be taken with care as required materials for crafting and modifying gear is very rare.
The mercenary system is good for farming materials and gear, but keep in mind that some of the mercenaries just cannot be defeated without proper gear.
Generally, the best option is to run from a mercenary that is a higher level than you unless you are set up to get them.
You may also find yourself without a weapon that can do any damage due to their various immunities.
Is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla a Standalone Game?
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a standalone game so you can play it as a fan of the Assassin’s Creed series or if this is going to be your first foray into it. It has multiple endings depending on your actions.
The story sees you take the role of a descendant of Spartan King Leonidas, Alexios, as you get embroiled in a dangerous cult as well as travel to a hidden city of legend.
The introduction of some new mechanics means the gameplay is varied and will take many hours. The Assassin’s Creed series is known for expanding the world of the particular game drastically by enabling different, faster ways to travel.
Valhalla continues this trend and you get different settlements you can fast travel between, and involves landscapes from sea battles to moving around in large villages doing quests.
The game puts you in the place of Eivor, with the majority of your time in the early game building up alliances between various regions throughout England.
It still has aspects of magic and the power of gods, and of course, features assassins as they go up against templars.
