Assassin's Creed Valhalla PS5 PlayStation 5 1

If, like this author, you’re one of many people who dived headfirst into Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on the back of last week’s Valhalla hype, you’re probably wondering one thing: why the outrageous grind? One of the biggest criticisms of Ubisoft’s enormous open worlder is that there are moments where you can’t continue the story because you’re required to level up your character and engage in general busywork to progress to the next plot beat.

The publisher’s upcoming Viking adventure won’t be like that. Speaking with Press Start Australia, creative director Ashraf Ismail explained: “Our goal is to just let players play the content they want. So, people want to focus on narrative, there’s no issue there. People want to focus on their settlement, again, no issue there. It’s really up to players to decide how they want to consume the content. That’s always been our angle.”

One thing you will have to deal with is modern day content, as the franchise’s most divisive element will once again make a return. “We've found a way to blend the present day into a new type of experience for players,” lead producer Julien Laferrière told Eurogamer.net. “And present day is playable, I can confirm that.”

[source press-start.com.au, via playstationlifestyle.net]