Now thatAssassin’s Creed Valhallahas been revealed to the world, the once-rumored out-dated fan monikerAssassin’s Creed Ragnarokis no longer relevant. Still, that was pretty much always the case, as rumors should never be taken too seriously. But the title stuck around for some time, and while the name has changed, many are excited for what’s to come forAssassin’s Creed Valhalla.As poet and playwright William Shakespeare once stated, ““What’s in a name? that which we call a rose/by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Indeed, whileAssassin’s Creed ValhallaandAssassin’s Creed Ragnarokare not one and the same, it is still a beautiful rendition of theViking Erato behold. Names are still incredibly important in the franchise, though, asRoguehighlighted the new Templar character,Originshighlighted the founding of the Brotherhood, andRevelationsconnected the life and knowledge of Ezio. So how would haveAssassin’s Creed Ragnarokbeen a different side of the coin toAssassin’s Creed Valhalla?
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Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok
WhenAssassin’s Creed Ragnarokwas the go-to name for the next entry in the franchise, it was easy to seemingly draw connections to potential themes, ideas, and actions. Ragnarok, of course, is the death of the gods and an apocalyptic event. This means the name would have likely foreshadowed another world-ending event, not unlikeAssassin’s Creed 3. With several Pieces of Eden out in the wild like the all-powerful Koh-i-Noor, a modern day protagonist corrupted by the staff in a game titled “Ragnarok,” that meant a huge escalating doomsday event.
Now, that’s not to say that any of that has less potential inAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, but “Ragnarok” certainly paints things more grimly.Norse God Odinis confirmed to play a role in the game, as Eivor calls out to the god during battle, but it is also more “grounded” in the culture.” As such, it remains to be seen how heavily in Norse myth it relies, although its official name suggests it to be of equal measure.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Valhalla plays a completely different role in Norse mythology than Ragnarok. Valhalla is a majestic hall found within Asgard, a mythical afterlife ruled by Odin. Brave warriors who die in battle are led here by Valkyries, joining the others now known as Einherjar. Heroes and Kings live in these halls, with their sole purpose being to aid Odin in Ragnarok. That said, while it’s not impossible thatAssassin’s Creed Valhalladeals with the world-ending event somehow, there’s two big things to take note of.
First,Valhallaitself is a cheerier, less grim subtitle. It’s about honor, heroism, and a good death, so even if it did deal with Ragnarok, it seems like victory’s already earned. Secondly, recent comments suggest that the game is “grounded” with these gods, myths, and beliefs being worked in as a piece of culture. What that means for its potential happenings remains to be seen, but it would not be surprising for the main campaign to deal with more grounded heroics than it Ragnarok or something like that.
Looking atAssassin’s Creed Odyssey, whichValhallamay be bigger than, it would make sense for the latter to follow suite with the former. That’s to say that Odyssey feature mythology heavily, yet optionally, with the crux of its mythological importance taking place in DLC. Ubisoft has already confirmed a season pass alongside theAssassin’s Creed ValhallaGold, Ultimate, and Collector’s Editions, so DLC is practically confirmed. Much like Atlantis, the DLC could explore the Ragnarok of the Isu in this region.
It’s uncertain, ultimately, what all this means, butValhallasounds more light-heated (not to mention its light blue coloring) and culture bound than a pending apocalypse. Fans may get to see more of how this title reflects in the game whenAssassin’s Creed Valhalla’s gameplay reveal next week.
Assassin’s Creed Valhallareleases Holiday 2020 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
