As one of the biggest open world franchises in the industry, Assassin’s Creed always has a lot to live up to with its new entries where world design, variety, and atmosphere are concerned. It is an area the series has typically excelled in, and with the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft are looking to keep that trend going.
They’ve previously talked about the size of the world in Valhalla (supposedly larger than Odyssey) and the sort of locations fans can expect to find in its expanse. Speaking recently to GamingBolt, narrative director Darby McDevitt detailed that a little more, explaining that as with every game in the series, Ubisoft developed the world design of Valhalla with the intent of creating a space where they could create new mechanics that would add to the game’s Vikings setting.
“Assassin’s Creed is well-known as an open-world action-adventure franchise, and each game approaches their setting and story in their own way,” McDevitt said. “When creating the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, we focused on creating significant new gameplay features that will allow players to fully experience the role of a Viking raider and settler, and give them the tools to explore every corner of this lively, living world.”
McDevitt added that collectively, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s map will host a “stunning variety of environments, cultures, and weather.”
“While we don’t have specifics to share at this time, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla players will be able to experience a complete and captivating Viking experience, first in Norway and then in England, where the four kingdoms of Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia offer a stunning variety of environments, cultures, and weather,” he said.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla releases for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on November 17, and will also be available for PS5 and Xbox Series X at launch.
In this same interview, McDevitt also spoke to us about how the renewed focus on enemy variety impacts the combat in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and how the game would work to bridge narrative gaps in the series’ larger arc and lore. Our full interview with McDevitt will be live soon, so stay tuned for the whole thing.