The Ubisoft Forward showcase was packed with Assassin's Creed shaped announcements, but one held my attention unexpectedly. "I have done all I can for my people", Eivor declared in the trailer for Assassin's Creed Valhalla The Last Chapter. "It is time to say goodbye and set forth to distant shores and new adventures." The upcoming free DLC is set to wrap up the adventure, and as bittersweet as goodbyes generally are, I'm actually relieved to hear Eivor speak such words.
Following its original launch in 2020, we've seen a number of expansions and updates come to Assassin's Creed Valhalla that have added to the already massive RPG. In that time, I've spent a lot of time with the Viking assassin in the sprawling landscapes of England, building up my settlement, taking part in raids, adventuring through quests, and exploring mythological Norse realms. And thanks to two sizable expansions that brought me back for more quality time with Eivor by taking on druids in Ireland and laying Siege to the city of Paris in West Francia, I most recently revisited the adventure once again with the arrival of the free roguelite experience, The Forgotten Saga. After being in its virtual world for so long, now feels like the right time to hang up my Viking axe once and for all. While we don't yet know just how the Last Chapter will round off the adventure, I'm looking forward to seeing how Eivor's story will come to a close.
Tying up loose ends
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At this point, it's no exaggeration to say Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a massive game. After diving into the adventure time and again to experience all of its new additions, it's actually somewhat of a relief to know that the next expansion will see out Eivor's journey. When I last revisited Valhalla, I couldn't help but feel like I was ready to officially move on from the game to pastures new, and happily The Last Chapter looks set to let me do exactly that. Game director Gareth Glover said the upcoming DLC "nicely ties up some of the storylines established throughout the game". I'm already intrigued to see just how the expansion will add some more full stops to the storylines of Eivor's adventures, and I hope it will help me part ways with the Viking assassin with the knowledge that I've seen their story through to the very end.
While my excitement about the Last Chapter does partly stem from a sense of fatigue, I'm happy to see a character I've become so attached to get a proper send off. I've spent so much time in the Viking boots of Eivor over the past two years, and it feels only right that I get to say goodbye to them properly. With only the trailer to go on for the time being, there's definitely a sense of ominous finality to the conversation Eivor has with Odin. With Eivor now claiming they've done all they can for their people, and with thoughts now turning to "distant shores", could our hero be heading to the final destination all Viking warriors strive to end up in? Will Eivor meet a glorious end and be welcomed into Valhalla? Only time will tell, but the tone of the trailer has my imagination running wild.
The Ubisoft Forward certainly gave Assassin's Creed fans everywhere lots to look forward to in the near and distant future. With lots new adventures in the pipeline, such as codename Red that will take us Japan, and codename Jade that will bring an open-world experience to mobile, we'll also get to see Valhalla's Basim before he become the master assassin we come to know in Assassin's Creed Mirage. But even with all of these new projects on the horizon, I'm happy to see Ubisoft wind down the content for Assassin's Creed Valhalla and bring the adventure to what will hopefully be a definitive close.
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