Ubisoft has revealed that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s England was designed to evoke the feeling of wandering through the ruins of a post-apocalyptic world.
During her travels through England in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Eivor can visit ancient ruins, hidden underground tunnels, giant toppled statues, and entire cities, actually built on the remains of a fallen Empire. Players can even collect Roman artifacts and bring them to Octavian’s museum in Ravensthorpe to decorate his settlement with various cosmetic items.
As part of Assassin’s Creed’s 15th anniversary celebration, its developers shared some little-known facts about the development of Valhalla. In creating England, the team aimed to achieve “a feeling of wandering through the ruins of an almost post-apocalyptic Roman world”. And it really shows: Just dare to visit a few far corners of the Valhalla map, and you’ll find yourself at the edge of the world with nothing but a sense of loneliness and desolation.
Ubisoft also revealed that the team had explored several Viking-related time periods for the game’s setting, including the Norman Invasion of 1066 and the Viking raid on Lindisfarne in 793. However, the developers decided to stick with the 870s and characters. historical figures like Alfred the Great that eventually made it to the final game.
The larger cities of Valhalla also have their stories to tell. For example, Lunden has a huge amphitheatre, where different public events were held in Roman times. People would gather to witness public executions or gladiatorial combat, although such events do not appear in Valhalla’s post-Roman era.
The Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary celebration will continue for months to come, with Ubisoft focusing on a different chapter each week. Although the next Assassin’s Creed game will be revealed in September, fans will be getting more Valhalla content updates by the end of the year, including a “rogue-lite inspired” free-to-play mode called Forgotten Saga.
