Assassin's Creed Valhalla joins Game Pass today, here's why you should play it

If you're unsure whether to venture to the viking world, here's why we think you should try Assassin's Creed Valhalla now it's on Xbox Game Pass!

Opinion by Heidi Nicholas

Published 09 Jan 2024

Ok, we know: the holiday period is over. There’s not as much time for long gaming sessions or hefty RPGs — we’re meant to put down Baldur’s Gate 3 until the evenings or weekends, and return to the sunlit world. But. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla joins Game Pass today, and hear me out: now’s a great time to play it.

It’s a big addition to Game Pass, sure, and in more ways than one. Assassin’s Creed is a big get for Microsoft, but it’s also a massive game in terms of playtime and map size too. Here on TrueAchievements, there's an estimated completion time of 100 to 120 hours for the Assassin's Creed Valhalla achievements, and then you’ve got to take into account all the distractions you’ll come across in its many huge maps. Those expansive maps will scratch the RPG/open-world itch, but while Valhalla does have the huge cast of characters and the epic-scale story you might expect from more demanding games, it’s also much easier to pick up and play for however much free time you have. No complex battle systems, intimidating stats, or alarming inventory management, just pick up your axe and go hack away at someone (before belatedly remembering that this is meant to be an Assassin’s Creed game and you can also try to be stealthy).

There’s enough to do in Valhalla that you’re pretty much always making progress or coming across fun distractions, even if you can’t play for long. There’s some great equipment to hunt down for Eivor, countless mysteries scattered across the map, and mini activities like the dice game Orlog. The customisation options are also enjoyable: Eivor can change up their hair and tattoos, and also get some cool armor, but you can also get some great new styles for your longship and raven, and equipment for your horse. The gameplay loop of finding, clearing, and looting enemy bases is always enjoyable, and Eivor's got some interesting combat abilities to mix up your fighting style. And, of course, there's the actual assassination stuff too.

Then there’s the settlement feature. Valhalla has some of the issues of other more recent AC games, but the settlement was a great addition to this particular instalment. It ties everything together, gives you a hub to return to instead of just roaming that endless map, and makes your story more impactful. It's where you'll plan which region to tackle next. Your settlement also features all the shops you'll need, and functions as a place to advance the story, hear news from other characters, or even just to gather everyone for a feast. Having the option to expand or improve your settlement gives the game a satisfying impact when you're able to raise new useful buildings, or even just give your clan a better place to live. Plus it’s adorable to see this battle-hardened viking carefully placing decorations around their village.

Basically, Valhalla is great for whatever type of gaming session you’re in the mood for. There are enough goals to chase that you can still make progress if you want to just half-concentrate and collect stuff — or to clear a little bit of that huge map — but also an epic-scale story for if you’re planning an invested “right, let’s sort out England” evening.

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Written by Heidi Nicholas

Heidi tends to lean towards indie games, RPGs, and open-world games on Xbox, and when not playing Disney Dreamlight Valley, happily installs every new wholesome game that appears on Xbox Game Pass, before diving back into favorites like The Witcher 3. She's looking forward to Age of Mythology Retold, Everwild, Fable, and Avowed on the Xbox horizon. Heidi graduated with an MA in English Literature before joining the TrueAchievements team.