After 180 hours, I think I'm finally done with Assassin's Creed Valhalla. I've gobbled up every map marker, every side quest, every trophy. Absorbed every iota of new storyline from the DLC expansions so far, and even reinstalled Assassin's Creed Odyssey to enjoy the recent crossover tales with Eivor and Kassandra. And what's more, I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute. And yet, the new DLC Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok feels stale and unappealing, in a way that nothing else has for this title to date. Perhaps, after all this time, I've had enough – and I think maybe the game has too.
Part of the problem is its positioning. Dawn of Ragnarok is the start of the Year 2 content for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and so falls outside the content included with the game's original Season Pass. Thus, in order to dive into this mythological tale, you've got to pay £32.99 / $39.99 to gain access. Yes, for that price you're getting 30 hours of content, but if you're diving into this after gulping up everything else Valhalla has had to offer so far, you're going to be distinctly disappointed.
It doesn't help that the main allure of this new premium DLC is playing as Odin, or Havi, as they are also known. Like you'll have done before in the main game, you access the new area of Svartalfheim via a dream state, and this time it's a quest to rescue Odin's son Baldr from Sutr and the fire giants. To do so, Odin must enlist the help of the Svartalfheim dwarves, and this is essentially where the story begins. Odin's a character we've played as before, as part of the narrative threads that take you through Asgard and Jotunheim leading to the Assassin's Cred Valhalla ending, but there's something so disconnecting about being Odin after so long spent telling Eivor's story. I just don't care as much about Odin's more personal plight.
So Odin-ary
Perhaps I'd care more if Odin's story was as malleable as Eivor's, but Dawn of Ragnarok lacks narrative choice. For a game that's always had players deliberating over who to save, or what to do next, it's oddly bland. In fact, the opening few missions are more focused on finding hidden bases and resources on the map than pushing the narrative forward. There is some interesting story there, but it's hidden behind countless quests that ask you to follow an incredibly slow-moving character from A to B, carry someone else over there, and follow golden arrows across the environment.
Dawn of Ragnarok's opening hours are full of tedious tasks, doing little to entice you to head deeper into its mysteries, and that's only made worse by the action itself. Maybe it's unfair to ask a game's fourth major DLC to innovate, but it definitely needs a stronger hook. You'll solve puzzles using the awkward light beam mechanic, have to avoid rats – the bane of the Siege of Paris DLC – and you'll still be dragging the same old boxes and crates around to reach new areas. Maybe if you haven't played all the DLC and updates so far, it won't feel so tired, but if you have, there's little new for you here.
Come and find out where Assassin's Creed Valhalla ranks in our list of the best Assassin's Creed games of all-time.
What is fresh though, is Odin's new gizmo that allows them to absorb the powers of the fiery Muspels that plague the lands of Svartalfheim. One lets you transform into a white bird, another will turn you into a badass-looking Muspel yourself, able to walk across the fire and lava that's oozing from the land. Although they're a key part of the experience, with gathering magic or Hugr another resource to manage, it doesn't feel enough to justify an entire DLC, and a premium purchase offering at that.
It's also launched at one of the busiest release windows we've seen for years, with Dawn of Ragnarok competing with the likes of Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, and Dying Light 2 – each offering their own take on an open-world RPG. Of course, they're not similarly priced, but with players asked to choose where to place their financial bets, they will be disappointed they've sunk their cash into this expansion unless they're incredibly dedicated to the Assassin's Creed Valhalla formula.
It's not a great start to the Year 2 Assassin's Creed: Ragnarok content, but hopefully, there are more inspired things to come for Eivor ahead of whatever is next for the series.
Also feeling like you're done with Valhalla? Why not try one of these games like Assassin's Creed instead.
