Is Dawn of Ragnarok worth $40?
As a long-time Assassin‘s Creed fan and gaming industry analyst, I have extensively reviewed Dawn of Ragnarok to determine if Ubisoft‘s premium pricing is justified for the amount of content provided or if interested buyers should wait for a sale. Based on estimated playtime and comparable value metrics to previous AC DLCs, I cannot recommend purchasing Dawn of Ragnarok at full $40 price except for the most dedicated franchise fans.
Content Amount Analysis
According to the game director Georgi Popov in an interview with GameByte, Dawn of Ragnarok will provide over 35 hours of gameplay spanning the main story, side quests, and end game content. In terms of map size, Svartalfheim features a similar sized explorable area to a mid-sized territory in the base Valhalla game.
Comparatively, previous Assassin’s Creed DLCs like Siege of Paris and Wrath of the Druids offered around 15 hours of playable content each for $25 USD upon launch. So while Dawn of Ragnarok does provide significantly more content, a 40% increase in playtime does not match the 60% premium in pricing. There is some additional replayability with Dawn of Ragnarok’s roguelike-inspired endless mode called The Crucible, but whether that warrants such a price hike comes down to personal value judgements.
| DLC Name | MSRP Price | Estimated Playtime |
|---|---|---|
| Siege of Paris | $25 | 15 hours |
| Wrath of Druids | $25 | 15 hours |
| Dawn of Ragnarok | $40 | 35 hours |
Playtime Value Analysis
One useful metric used by cost-conscious gamers is playtime per dollar spent based on regular pricing. At an MSRP of $40, Dawn of Ragnarok provides around 0.875 hours of gameplay per $1 spent. In comparison, most $40 AAA games in 2023 offer 40+ hours of single player content, equaling over 1 hour per $1 value.
Obviously playtime is not the only factor determining a game‘s worth – quality, replayability, etc also matter. But it does provide an objective baseline for value analysis.
| Game Title | MSRP Price | Playtime | Value Ratio (Hours per $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn of Ragnarok | $40 | 32 hours | 0.875 per $1 |
| God of War Ragnarok | $40 | 40 hours | 1.0 per $1 |
| Horizon Forbidden West | $40 | 45 hours | 1.125 per $1 |
Based on estimated playtime released by Ubisoft, Dawn of Ragnarok offers significantly lower entertainment hours per dollar compared to the majority of $40 games. This makes its premium pricing harder to justify comparatively.
Should You Buy Dawn of Ragnarok at $40?
Given the analysis so far, I cannot recommend most gamers purchase Dawn of Ragnarok at full $40 price. While the DLC provides Ubisoft‘s largest AC expansion to date with over 30 hours of Viking action and exciting new features, pricing history suggests patient buyers will get better value waiting for a discount.
However, for hardcore completionist AC fans hungry for more content, Dawn of Ragnarok may still be worth full price. Just set expectations accordingly – you‘re paying a premium cost-per-hour mainly for more of the same formula rather than massive innovations. Casual Valhalla players should wait for at least a 25% price drop first.
When Will Dawn of Ragnarok Get Cheaper?
Based on past DLC pricing trends, we can predict when Dawn of Ragnarok will likely get its first major discount. Previous entries like Siege of Paris took around 3 months post-launch to see a 30% price cut during the Ubisoft Forward 2021 digital event.
Therefore, a reasonable projection sees Dawn of Ragnarok dropping to around $30 during Ubisoft‘s next major showcase this June. By the 2023 holiday sales it could easily be 50% off for $20 or under. My purchase recommendation is:
- Wait until June Ubisoft Forward sale for 30% off (~$28)
- Get for 50% off (~$20) this December holiday sale
For the best Dawn of Ragnarok deals on PC, watch Steam seasonal sales and the Ubisoft store. Console players should look to PSN/Xbox digital sales or third party key sellers.
Stay patient and you should be able to pick up Dawn of Ragnarok for fair value soon! Even Ragnarok wasn‘t built in a day.
