Though it’s something that many have stopped keeping track of, Assassin’s Creed’s larger lore still serves as a throughline for the entire series, acting as the framework within which all of the series’ unique stories, settings, characters, and styles fall. In recent years, with Origins and Odyssey, the series’ larger narrative and lore have become somewhat detached from earlier games in the series. But with the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Valhalla being that much closer to the first game in the series in terms of chronology, will we be seeing the series’ story come together a little bit better?
Speaking to GamingBolt in a recent interview, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla narrative director Darby McDevitt said that that will indeed be the case, echoing similar statements he’s made earlier. He explained that the game makes use of the fact the Roman Empire had faded away in the time that it takes place, and uses that to “tell the stories of the eternal war that underpins our series.”
“Absolutely,” McDevitt said, when asked if Valhalla’s story will bridge the gap between Origins and Odyssey on one had and all previous games in the series on the other. “In 9th century England we found the perfect opportunity to introduce players to ideas and narrative threads that were only hinted at in Origins, set in the first century BC, and obscure in the first Assassin’s Creed, set in the Holy Land in the 12th century.
“Our bridge ended up being the Roman Empire, nascent in Origins, and now broken into shards in Valhalla. But when the Empire went, so did the precursors to our Assassins and Templars, and we use that historical fact to leave lots of historical residue, to tell the stories of the eternal war that underpins our series. Fans who are invested in the lore of our series will find a lot to chew on in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, if they’re willing to seek it out.”
Given how long it’s been going on and how many turns and evolutions it has gone through, Assassin’s Creed’s larger narrative and lore have become more than a little convoluted by now. Even though Origins and Odyssey have brought them into greater focus, they’ve felt a bit disconnected from the rest of the series so far. If Valhalla does successfully address that, it might have a lot of payoff for many series fans.
In this same interview, McDevitt also spoke to us about the emphasis on enemy variety in Valhalla, and how that impacts combat. You can read more on that through here. Our full interview with McDevitt will be live soon, so stay tuned.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla launches for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on November 17. The game will also be coming to Xbox Series X and PS5 when the next-gen duo becomes available. You can check out over 30 minutes of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gameplay footage through here.
