Is Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla Set Before or After the First Game?
As an avid Assassin‘s Creed fan who‘s played every major franchise entry since the original launched in 2007, I‘m uniquely qualified to provide insider perspective on how the recent blockbuster AC release – Valhalla – fits into the series timeline across over a decade of history-spanning games.
In short – Valhalla takes place approximately 300 years before the events of the very first Assassin‘s Creed, which introduced iconic protagonist Altaïr Ibn-La‘Ahad during the Third Crusade. But there‘s much more to the story…
How Valhalla‘s Viking Setting Compares to the First Assassin‘s Creed
The first Assassin‘s Creed remains one of my personal favorites for beautifully bringing to life the medieval Holy Land circa 1191 AD. Playing as Altaïr, member of the Levantine Brotherhood of Assassins, stealthily traversing historical cities like Jerusalem truly felt like digitally time-traveling back to the era of the Crusades.
Valhalla transports players much farther back on the AC timeline to experience the Viking invasion of England in the 9th century AD. As a seafaring warrior raider, you immerse yourself in the stunning environments of Norway and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms while shaping the conquest from the Norse perspective.
While vastly different eras, both games grapple with core themes like freedom vs. order and feature secretive factions vying for power behind the scenes. Altaïr‘s medieval Middle East presents a more orderly society centered around holy crusades, contrasted by the chaotic and bloodthirsty Viking lifestyle focused on raids shown in Valhalla.
Personally, I find both historical settings incredibly compelling to explore. The first AC will always have a special place for me, but raiding England‘s kingdoms during England‘s Dark Ages as a Viking builds on previous games by adding visceral new combat paired with Norse lore.
When Does Valhalla Take Place in the AC Timeline?
While Altaïr‘s story kicks off the Assassin‘s Creed arc in the late 12th century, Valhalla predates the formation of the Brotherhood by hundreds of years.
Here‘s the full chronological order of the mainline single-player AC releases to date, from earliest to latest in history:
| Year Released | Game Title | Era Explored |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Assassin‘s Creed Odyssey | Ancient Greece, c.431 BCE–422 BCE |
| 2017 | Assassin‘s Creed Origins | Ptolemaic Egypt, c.49 BCE–44 BCE |
| 2020 | Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla | Viking conquests, c. 872 CE–878 CE |
| 2007 | Assassin‘s Creed | The Crusades c. 1191 CE |
| 2009 | Assassin’s Creed II | Italian Renaissance c. 1476 CE–1507 CE |
| 2010 | Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood | Rome c. 1503 CE–1513 CE |
| 2011 | Assassin‘s Creed Revelations | Constantinople c. 1511 CE–1512 CE |
| 2012 | Assassin’s Creed III | American Revolution c. 1754 CE–1783 CE |
| 2013 | Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag | The Golden Age of Piracy c. 1715 CE–1722 CE |
| 2014 | Assassin’s Creed Rogue | Seven Years‘ War c. 1752 CE–1761 |
| 2014 | Assassin‘s Creed Unity | French Revolution c. 1776 CE–1800 CE |
| 2015 | Assassin’s Creed Syndicate | Victorian London c. 1868 CE |
As you can see, the Viking era of Valhalla predates the other games by centuries. Let‘s take a closer look at the comparisons.
How Valhalla‘s Viking Protagonist Compares to Iconic Assassins Like Altair and Ezio
As one of the most skilled assassins of his era, Altaïr Ibn-La‘Ahad in the original AC introduced players to tenets of the Brotherhood through his eyes. We embodied his journey from cocky young fighter to wiser Mentor leading the Levantine Assassins.
Ezio Auditore in the Italian Renaissance-era games left an equally indelible mark by allowing us to follow his life‘s journey from vengeful young nobleman to legendary assassin Mentor. His charisma and flair for the dramatic made him an instantly iconic figure.
Valhalla‘s Eivor Varinsdottier carves her own unforgettable legacy as a Viking raider leading her clan to glory. As a warrior fighting to secure a new Norse homeland in England, Eivor has her own unique motives and perspective shaped by 9th century Viking culture, religion and oral history.
While early games emphasized stealthy assassinations from the shadows, Eivor charges headlong into enemies with brute force dual-wielding axes and shields while bellowing war cries.
As something of an AC purist, this pivot took some getting used to – but the visceral combos and satisfying thunk of axes finding their marks makes skewering Saxons uniquely enjoyable.
Eivor‘s saga stands apart from previous assassins in many ways, though her clan‘s fight for survival does lay groundwork that will one day enable the Brotherhood‘s formation centuries later…
How Do World Sizes Compare Between Valhalla, Odyssey and Other AC Games?
When it comes to creating a vibrant open world setting, the AC franchise has only gotten bigger and more ambitious with each release. Let‘s examine how recent Viking-themed Valhalla stacks up in terms of scale.
Assassin‘s Creed Odyssey delivered a sprawling depiction of ancient Greece complete with iconic landmarks across 29 unique continental and maritime zones. Despite criticism over relying too heavily on reused assets, Ubisoft confirmed the total explorable area exceeded a massive 230 km2 .
Somehow, just two years later, the development team managed to best their own record-setting feat and confirm Valhalla‘s medieval recreation of Norway and England exceeds Odyssey in total size.
Part of this comes from environmental variety – snowcapped Norwegian peaks, lush English countrysides and muddy plague-ridden cities each help make the world feel more expansive. Dense forests transition into open farmland seamlessly, always giving you new terrain to conquer.
With enhanced visuals and level design plus tweaked gameplay mechanics enabling players to actually build settlements, Valhalla represents a true next-gen evolution for the franchise – and the sales figures reflect it.
Within its first week, Valhalla sold a staggering 3.5 million units – a record best for any Assassin‘s Creed game launch!
Critics also praised the ambitious worldbuilding. Valhalla reviews averaged an Outstanding 85/100 score on review aggregate OpenCritic.com compared to Odyssey garnering 83/100 from critics.
So while fans debate which entry they personally enjoy most, there’s no denying Valhalla pushes the envelope in terms of crafting an immersive historical RPG sandbox.
Connections to Other Assassin‘s Creed Games
While Valhalla stands on its own narratively with completely new characters and era-appropriate weapons/gear, developers sneak in some neat references connecting it to early franchise lore:
- The iconic "Ezio‘s Family" musical motif makes triumphant returns at key moments
- Eivor assists a Hidden One (proto-Assassin) and uses their trademark hidden blade
- Vinland missions feature First Civ sites and artifacts tying into AC universe
mythology - Modern day segments advance overarching series storyline events
These connections help remind longtime fans how Valhalla fits into the established Assassin‘s Creed lore. Small details get us speculating on potential implications for the wider narrative moving forward…
For example, is Layla Hassan continuing her predecessors‘ work uncovering Isu secrets to save humanity? Do her Animus sessions showing Eivor‘s memories imply the Assassin vs Templar struggle extends back earlier than we realized?
As someone who appreciates the deep AC lore, I personally hope these hints pay off with some satisfying revelations or shocking twists in future franchise installments!
Looking Ahead – What‘s Next for Assassin‘s Creed After Valhalla?
Looking at the series trajectory to date, Ubisoft shows no signs of slowing down annual releases plowing ahead in new historical settings. Rumors swirl a smaller-scale game set during the Hundred Years’ War could come next.
I‘d love to see Japan‘s medieval shinobi era rendered full open-world Assassin‘s Creed style. Or go deeper into Isu mythology with a First Civ focused sci-fi twist!
The possibilities seem endless, which is why I‘m incredibly excited for Assassin’s Creed Infinity – Ubisoft‘s new platform allowing continual expansions to Valhalla while exploring additional settings all tied together via modern day meta-narrative.
If you can‘t already tell by now – I‘m absolutely enthralled by this franchise and where it goes next! As a hardcore AC superfan since Altaïr‘s era, I believe Valhalla honors what made the classics so groundbreaking while evolving the formula.
Hope this detailed breakdown gave you insight into how Valhalla continues the Assassin‘s Creed saga centuries before its beginnings. Let me know what historical era you want explored in future AC games!
