Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Bringing Back Iconic ‘Instant Kill’ Hidden Blade
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Remember that euphoria of sinking your hidden blade into an enemy’s throat in a clean instant kill? Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is bringing it back.
In its inception, the long-running game franchise was built on social stealth, weaving in and out of crowds, bringing people to their knees in the blink of an eye. Daggers, axes and bastard swords are fun, but there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of using that trusty blade up your sleeve.
As the series has progressed, particularly with the success of Origins and Odyssey, its traditional roots have faded in aid of transforming into a denser RPG. Valhalla will continue that evolution, while acknowledging the legacy that precedes it.
The official synopsis for the game reads: ‘Become Eivor, a Viking raider raised to be a fearless warrior, and lead your clan from icy desolation in Norway to a new home amid the lush farmlands of ninth-century England. Find your settlement and conquer this hostile land by any means to earn a place in Valhalla.’
The initial cinematic trailer revealed the hidden blade, but Valhalla‘s creative director Ashraf Ismail has since confirmed its full return. ‘We wanted to look at the old games and see the greatness that those games had and acknowledge what’s great about the updated formula. There was an identity and a uniqueness that we wanted to bring back,’ he said.
In an interview with Kotaku, Ismail explained:
Eivor receives the hidden blade quite early on. We continue with the idea that Eivor is not a trained assassin. Eivor is a Viking who receives this badass weapon and has to learn very quickly. Early in the experience, Eivor will learn a technique that, with the right timing… can one-shot-kill virtually anybody.
We have a cool new spin on it. But, yes, social stealth is back. The idea that a Norse person or a Viking is in a place that they’re not wanted, for them to sort of go incognito and kind of hide in the crowd, if you will, made a lot of sense.
Valhalla looks set to be an all-time title in the franchise. Recently, Ubisoft’s German store revealed its season pass content, with a mission titled ‘The Legend of Beowulf’ raising a few excited eyebrows.
Following Odyssey, a hugely popular entry that attracted some complaint over its ginormous scale, Ubisoft has confirmed that Valhalla won’t be the biggest game in the series. You won’t need to go too far to find foes to slice, dice and impale.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will arrive on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, PC and Google Stadia ‘Holiday 2020’.
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