Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn Of Ragnarok Preview – Myths And Powers

We got the first few details of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok a couple of months ago alongside news of the game’s Odyssey crossover. In the 35-hour expansion, Eivor is portrayed as Odin and travels through Svartalfheim, a newly invaded dwarven realm. Odin fights through the magma-infused Muspels, ice-encrusted Jotnar to stop the Fire Giant Surtr from capturing the god Baldr.

One month remains until Dawn of Ragnarok’s release. We got an exclusive look at it. This unique adventure is based on mythology and aims to provide a memorable experience. “The expansion will refresh the experience of the main game and will expand the Viking fantasy going deep into the Norse mythology,” says producer Mariana Gosteva. This will hopefully give the game’s nearly two-year-old fans a reason for picking up their controllers again.

We began our preview by taking a leap from the top a large, massive, dwarven sculpture. The green landscape below looked deceptively ordinary until the camera panned up at a mountain laced with gold. The sky behind it is enlivened with the branches from Yggdrasil. The player can choose to make Odin male or female in Dawn of Ragnarok, but no matter your decision, Odin doesn’t have much time for exploration. Svartalfheim is already home to the Jotnar, and Muspel.

The god is waiting for the new boar mount, which has a complex web of Norse designs, to transport him to his Shelter. Dwarves seek refuge from invaders. Shelters line the maps, serving as an area for players to buy gear and quests. Hugr-Rip is a unique piece of equipment that grants Odin the ability to fight various enemy Powers.

The five Powers of Dawn of Ragnarok are more powerful than Abilities and Skills, but they allow Odin to do extraordinary feats. You must gather Hugr to activate the Powers. One interesting way to do this is to stop at a Shrine of Yggdrasil, sacrificing a hefty amount of Odin’s health to the world tree in return for the needed energy. In the preview, we first see these Powers in action while Odin searches the city of Uldar – a Dwarven mining city now overrun by Muspels.

Uldar lies high on the mountainside, surrounded by gold-colored mountains. There is one main entrance to Uldar’s castle. The bridge leads to the second. Odin kills large birds to avoid being seen by his defenders and grabs the Power of the Raven. This lets the god take the creature’s form and fly over the unsuspecting town, but you can’t fly forever. Powers only last for so long, as shown by a timer in the bottom right, so be careful time doesn’t run out as you’re soaring through the sky.

There’s also a strategic element to acquiring these Powers. Odin only can hold one Power at a given time, although you can get them from any foe scattered across levels. The preview shows Odin finding the Power of Muspelheim. This allows players to turn into fiery Muspels. In this form, Muspels won’t attack you. If you change form mid-fight, hostile creatures will cease fighting. You can also walk on the lava. You will soon encounter an enemy that has the Power of Rebirth. It reanimates your defeated enemies and allows you to fight them. Odin has the Power of the Raven, and the Power of Muspelheim. The player needs to decide what Power to keep. Now the player must decide if they want an undead army, flying ability, or lava walking.

Fighting the city’s hordes also offers us a chance to check out a new weapon and enemy type. Dawn of Ragnarok players will soon be able add the Atgeir to their weaponry. It is a deadly-looking two-handed weapon. This is helpful against Flame-Keepers and otherworldly enemies such as those in the Muspel ranks. The formidable foe can summon a stream of explosive minions to revive defeated enemies and then take your flesh in melee combat.

The demo will include a unique part. Game Informer got a glimpse of Dawn of Ragnarok’s Valkyrie Arena. Its storyline is fascinating. Each fight is framed as a reenactment of one of Odin’s heroic battles. A tale played out in combat performed for the Valkyrie Kára and the warriors of Valhalla to inspire them to train hard for Ragnarok. The player can also add a couple of boasts to the story. The players who enter an arena may choose to face different challenges.

For instance, we saw a boast called Ability Trade-Off, which makes foes’ attacks stronger after you’ve used an Ability, and another called Enemy Stun Resistance. Even though we only witnessed two of these boasts in action, it is possible to apply as many as 14 for each combat. Different boasts per fight will not only make your encounters unique, but it also makes the Valkyrie happier and gives you a greater reward.

“Players can spend the Tokens of Kára at her shop,” explains Gosteva. “There, they can acquire new gear and weapons, as well as awesome new cosmetic items. They will also be able to purchase some of the new Odin runes, as well as upgrade materials.”

But Dawn of Ragnarok isn’t all about fighting; the preview event also showed off the game’s exploration elements. This included some of the locations of big quests, like Hreidmar Palace, where Glod, the son of the giant Surtr, dwells. However, getting there proved challenging, as the palace towers above the landscape on a rock so tall it dwarfs the surrounding mountains. The Power of the Raven was especially helpful here. But side content was also filled with exploration opportunities, including puzzles with tempting rewards.

We saw, for example, Hreidmar’s Groft, an underground cave filled with fire and ice which hides an armor piece. Power of Jotunheim, the team’s fourth and final Power of the demonstration was shown here. It transforms you into an mythical creature like Power of Muspelheim. However, this time it is a frost giant. This Power allows you to travel anywhere in the world. While you are able to dodging and rolling short distances, you will also be able to travel further distances if an arrow is shot at World Knots. By using the Power of Jotunheim and Muspelheim back and forth, you’ll be able to delve into the heart of the cave. You will see a small piece of Dwarven Blacksmith armor, one of five that has been added to the expansion.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok releases March 10 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as Stadia, PC, and Amazon Luna. You can start the $40 expansion by heading to the seer in Ravensthorpe, and while the team recommends players reach power level 340 for the adventure, don’t worry. If you’re new to the game or don’t want to wait to jump in, under-powered players will get a boost when they enter the Dwarven realm.