Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Review – Of Politics and Magic

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GAME INFO

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids

May 13, 2021

Platform PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Google Stadia
Publisher Ubisoft
Developer Ubisoft

Despite the series being even further removed from its predecessors, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a game that no fan of the series who liked the previous two entries in the franchise should be able to skip, thanks to a fun story, a charming protagonist and a better thought out RPG. mechanics that kept the game from getting too gritty, such as Origins and Odyssey.

While Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has already received additional content through free game updates, Wrath of the Druid is the game’s first full-fledged expansion (sold separately or as part of the game). Season pass). The free content released so far literally pales in comparison as the expansion adds a new large map to explore, a new storyline set in 9th-century Ireland, new abilities, new weapons and even some new gameplay- mechanics and improved versions of mechanics introduced in the main game, such as the settlement building mechanism. They certainly don’t make Wrath of the Druids feel like a completely different game, but they are all worthy additions to the experience.

The Wrath of the Druid expansion can be experienced after completing either of the two storylines available in England, but regardless of the current power level reached by Eivor, the experience will always be well balanced as the expansion increases the power level of all areas found on the new map depend on the player’s. Better yet, all of Ireland’s territories will always be more difficult than the last, preventing players from leveling power and flying through challenges. It’s a nice touch that would have worked wonders for the main game as well, as dealing with ancillary content resulted in Eivor becoming way too powerful far too quickly.

As soon as the extension is accessible, Eivor will be notified of a new arrival in the settlement. The merchant Azar, from Dublin, brought with him a letter from the King of Dublin, who wishes Eivor to join him in Ireland. Following the introductory mission, in which Eivor clears the river from a blockade to build the Irish trading post in the settlement, it is revealed that the King of Dublin is Barid, Eivor’s cousin. Delighted by the fact that their cousin has become a powerful man, Eivor travels to Dublin, unaware that they will be caught up in Barid’s troubles and embroiled in a grueling battle against a mysterious Druid sect, the Children of Danu. This sect is influencing Ireland’s politics for a very dark reason, threatening not only Barid’s rule over Dublin, but that of Ireland’s newly anointed High King, Flann Sinna.

While the story of the Wrath of the Druids expansion doesn’t really stray too far from what we saw in the main campaign, it’s extremely enjoyable, with a quality on par with the best questlines in the main campaign. The actual plot is complicated enough, leaving players hungry for more with each new reveal, and most of the characters Eivor encounters during his time in Ireland are quite charming, especially Flann’s trusted bard and poet Ciara. Some of the developments at the end of the 13-hour story are also quite good, although not exactly surprising, so anyone who enjoyed Eivor’s adventures in England as they helped Danes and Saxons solve their problems while fighting the Order of the ancients will find plenty to do. as in Wrath of the Druids.

Just like for the story, the Wrath of the Druids expansion doesn’t deviate too far from the main game in terms of gameplay. Ireland’s map is not as large as England’s, but not as small as Norway’s either, with multiple territories containing the usual array of optional content in the form of Wealth, Mysteries, short side quests that provide a peek into the life and traditions of 9th-century Ireland, and artifacts. The Artifacts also include the Irish Cycle pages that provide even more information about the environment, and they are great ready for those who have invested in them. As they gain wealth in a variety of locations, including new monasteries that can be raided for resources, players can also get new books of knowledge, which unlock new ranged and melee skills, and a new weapon type, the sickle, a fast-paced weapon that also works pretty well while double-wielding a different weapon type.

The new gameplay additions of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids expansion don’t stop with new skills and new gear. The expansion also adds some new cosmetics, such as new hair and beard designs, and some new gameplay mechanics, which, while not exactly major additions, add a bit more to the experience.

Since Eivor does not have a settlement to build and improve in Ireland, it will be able to invest the resources obtained by raiding monasteries to improve ring forts across Ireland. These ring forts contain a variety of facilities that improve arrow and food supplies, improved storage for resources that can be traded with exotic materials, and more.

While supporting Barid and High-King Flann Sinna against the deadly Children of Danu is Eivor’s main priority in Ireland, they must also support other little kings through the Royal Demands system. These requests, which sometimes need to be completed to advance the story, reward players with a variety of items if they manage to complete the objectives, which range from killing enemies in a specific area, sneaking around to pick an item. get, and so on. . By completing Kings’ Pleas, which are secondary objectives, it is possible to get even better rewards, although it can be difficult to complete the stealth-based pleas as the game doesn’t really have a preference for stealthy gameplay.

The mechanics of the Order of the Ancients in the main campaign are also making a comeback in the Wrath of the Druid expansion, only this time Eivor goes after the Children of Duna, who infiltrated Irish society to destabilize it from within. As such, just like for the Order of the Ancients, Eivor will first have to find clues before he can take out a member of the Druid cult. Druids will also appear in one of the new types of side content in the expansion, the Druid Trials Battle Challenges, which will test the player’s combat skills. Even if you’ve mastered combat in the main campaign, you still need to be on your guard, at least for the first few hours as there are some new enemy types that can be a bit tedious to take out in the hottest of the fight. .

With nearly 20 hours of new content spread over the roughly 13 hours it takes to complete the main story and the roughly 7 hours it takes to clear the side content, a new, great looking map to explore, a high quality story and charming characters, the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids expansion is a more than worthy purchase for those who loved the main campaign and hadn’t had enough of Eivor’s adventures. Those who didn’t really like the main campaign don’t have a ton of reasons to join the Norwegian warrior on their journey to Ireland, as at the end of the day, the Wrath of the Druid plays exactly like the main game, the few new ones Not counting mechanics that don’t exactly turn gameplay upside down.

PC version tested. Review code provided by the publisher.

Products mentioned in this post

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
$ 39.82

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8.0

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Wrath of the Druids is a more than worthy expansion of the latest entry in the series, featuring a new beautiful map to explore, captivating story, charming characters, new abilities and a host of other new content in the form of new gear, skills and cosmetics. The new mechanics won’t fundamentally change the way the game plays, so those who didn’t initially like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla won’t change their minds with the expansion. However, everyone else will enjoy every second of their time in Ireland, as well as their time in Norway and England.

Benefits

  • New decent sized map to explore
  • Fascinating story
  • Charming characters
  • New equipment and skills

Cons

  • Even with all the additions and twists to the formula, the expansion doesn’t feel all that different from the main campaign

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