The latest entry in Ubisoft’s long-running action RPG series, Assassin’s Creed, has arrived to mostly positive reviews. And according to the developer/publisher, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s day-one player count is nearly double that of its predecessor, Odyssey.
This means that a lot of your are playing it, so hopefully you can benefit from some early tips. With that in mind, here are a few pointers to get your Viking journey off to smooth sailing (pun not intended).
Embrace the Combat
Yes, this series has always been about stealth. Striking from the shadows, sneaking along the rooftops, hiding in piles of hay; you get it. For Valhalla, though, Ubisoft understood that they were developing a game about Vikings and, appropriately, leaned into the combat.
Combat has been overhauled in a major way, and not only is it a lot more fun, but it feels like a much more viable choice than ever before. That’s not to say stealth isn’t just as important as ever (it is, because combat is challenging), but choosing the straightforward approach no longer feels like you’re playing the game wrong.
This goes doubly so for the first few hours, before your character is really equipped for stealth. Don’t hesitate to simply charge into battle, axes swinging. The series is more open-ended than ever when it comes to play style. Embrace it.
Make Upgrading Your Rations Pouch a Priority
Like the other games in the series, you can upgrade almost all of your stuff, from your weapons to your armor. Upgrading your rations pouch allows you to carry more rations, which you can use to heal.
Rations are plentiful. Between harvesting plants, hunting animals, and just straight up stealing food from others, it’s not hard to find rations.
However, that abundance doesn’t really help you in the middle of battle. When you’re surrounded by enemies, you’re not going to break away to hunt a deer. You need to rely on the rations in your pouch to keep your health up, and the more that pouch holds, the longer you can hold out.
When you start, you can only hold one ration. That won’t do you much good, so rectify it as soon as possible.
Be Sure to Follow Your Waypoint, Not The Road/River/Coast
Auto-travel is back, which lets you kick back as Eivor makes his or her way to the next destination. When you hop on your horse, you can follow the road. When you take command of a ship, you can follow a river or the coastline.
If you currently have a waypoint selected, you can travel to the waypoint. Always select that one.
Being able to automatically follow the road, river, or coast has its uses, but bear in mind that without a waypoint to arrive it, your character will simply keep traveling. If you let your mind wander as your character auto-travels, you might overshoot your destination and then some.
