The first trailer for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla dropped and while it didn’t show any gameplay, it provide look at the Viking life-style and battles that players could expect. Perhaps most intriguing is that Eivor, the main protagonist who was male in the cinematic trailer, can also be female. Lead producer Julien Laferrière confirmed this when speaking to Eurogamer.
If you’re wondering why the female Eivor wasn’t showcased, don’t worry – Laferrière said that the marketing “showcase both at different points” as with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Along with choosing one’s gender (which is the only real part of the character that can be customized), players will have different tattoos, beards and war paint. Gear can be customized as well as the Viking longboat.
The raven seen in the trailer will function like the eagles from previous games but it will have new abilities. “We used it as a reason to re-explore the way players can explore the world so it is less reliant on UI. If you notice a distraction somewhere it’s probably because there’s some content there,” said Laferrière.
What about naval battles? They won’t be here but you’ll explore the world with your Viking longboat as well as on foot. As for the open world, Laferrière said, “We want to make a world that rewards players for their curiosity. It links in with Vikings being great explorers – so the world is meant to be meaningful.”
Just because there’s no naval combat doesn’t mean you won’t places to fight out on the water. “Any military location you encounter on the rivers of England is fully raidable. We want you to be playing the ultimate Viking fantasy, so you’ll get to have your Viking buddies going with you on a longship. Sometimes you’ll get resources to take back and upgrade your settlement, or maybe additional firepower to help take down higher level bandits in the region.”
It’s all fairly intriguing and ropes back into customizing one’s settlement all the more. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will release this holiday season for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.