By the time I’d called it a day in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, I’d sunk more than 60 hours into the game. I’d sailed the gorgeous blue waters of the Mediterranean, shown an insidious cult what for by introducing them to the business end of my sword and I’d tangled with mythological beasties. I left that game happy, satisfied and for the love of Zeus please don’t mention that lengthy collection of side-quests that I completely ignored.
Those less than important missions have always been a part of the overall Assassin’s Creed package, diversions whose primary benefits have been a quick injection of experience points that’ll help you earn a new skill or attribute along your quest of bloody retribution. They’re also simpler to get into, usually running along the lines of “go here, stab that”.
In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft’s looking to change the flow of side quests up. And by change, we mean not have them in the game at all. Or at least give the idea a new coat of paint. Speaking to Gamespot, narrative director Darby McDevitt explained how the traditional side quest is “almost non-existent” thanks to Eivor’s role as an invader in the British isle and having locals asking him/her to run around on a murder spree wouldn’t make much sense.
Longer story arcs will organically segue into the main questline, but other activities will reveal themselves as world events in which you’ll build an alliance. In far ore important news, you’ll be able to populate your longboat with the fiercest creature to ever exist on this planet: Your very own cat.
Eivor’s cat will be rewarded to them after you help a child out, with the ferocious feline having its own spot in your longboat as the designated rat-catcher. The “cat raider” even goes by the name of Nali and if you bastards crash your longboat there will be hell to pay I swear. Anyway, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is out on November 17, and Gavin went hands on with it. He reckons its more of the same but better, and I’ve got zero complaints about that.
Last Updated: July 13, 2020
Alien Emperor Trevor
July 13, 2020 at 13:18
I’ll miss the regular side quests. How else am I supposed to help an unappreciative NPC by killing his real mom and banging his real dad?
Seeker
July 13, 2020 at 13:50
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0a156b575996b5a137f37ec858d76b1d6b9a8f944ed6b06c97f60011449cdaf9.jpg
Original Heretic
July 13, 2020 at 13:59
Do…do you not know the ancient Greek story of Oedipus?
Seeker
July 13, 2020 at 14:04
Yah I remember the story of Oedipus. But the emperors version is so twisted. I was thinking what sort if weird games the emperor has been playing.
Original Heretic
July 13, 2020 at 14:32
Please don’t refer to Trevor as “the emperor”, he doesn’t need that kind of validation.
Also, yes, it’s twisted, but that’s just his own little take on it.
Don’t worry, he’ll go mad soon.
Gavin Mannion
July 13, 2020 at 13:05
So the way the cat quest goes is as follow.
You are riding your horse through a village and you go past a young child who is calling out. You stop and the child says his cat has run away so you decide to help him find his cat.
You then run around etc and find this cat.. then you decide it’s your cat and you send it to your boat
YOU STEAL A CHILDS CAT
Original Heretic
July 13, 2020 at 13:59
Wow…
Someone needs to tell Ubisoft that there’s a difference between being a Viking raider and just being a total dick.
Plague Doctor Who
July 13, 2020 at 16:54
Damn, I may have to pre-order this just because of how savage I can be.
The D
July 13, 2020 at 13:59
You mean that’s not normal?
Pariah
July 13, 2020 at 14:18
Yeah, who wouldn’t?
MechMachine
July 13, 2020 at 13:17
I was disgusted, disgusted beyond belief I tell you, when Phil Spencer reared his smug head/face in their event to brag about his ray-tracing. It’s almost as if that smug look is everywhere. You lift the toilet seat up, there it is. You turn on the bathroom light and look in the mirror, and you see it in the reflection behind you. You get irritated by some knob tailgating you on the road, it’s him.
That dude is like a Japanese horror movie that’s come to life to stalk non Xbox people. I bet they even have his picture on Milk cartons with the missing…
Plague Doctor Who
July 13, 2020 at 16:54
But does it have 16 times the detail – Todd Howard