The Assassin’s Creed franchise has taken gamers around the world, and now fans of the historical fiction series can venture into the rugged medieval landscapes of England and Norway in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It promises to be one of the most expansive and unique games in a long line of genre-defining titles, featuring a massive open-world map and a wealth of engaging stories and activities to engage in. Valhalla builds upon many of the mechanics players first saw in Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Odyssey, adding more RPG elements, a variety of combat styles, and plenty of upgrades.

I've been playing the game for a few days on PC, but it's also available on all other major platforms, including the upcoming Xbox Series X, Xbox One, the upcoming PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.

There’s a lot to say here, but not much that can be said without spoilers. Considering how engrossing I found the plot, it would be a shame to spoil it in any way. Suffice it to say that while it starts out as a typical revenge tale, it quickly becomes more complex and interesting. You play as Eivor, a male or female warrior who plunders England during the reign of Alfred the Great.

In addition to the historical basis, there are fascinating mythological elements in the storyline and of course a lot of attention has been paid to creating an authentic reconstruction of the cultures represented here. The game does a good job of focusing on telling a Viking story, while incorporating the series' namesake, "Assassins", into the mix in a plausible way.