Assassin’s Creed is one of the biggest video game franchises in the world and its newest installment, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla just hit the stores. It gives players the control of Eivor, a Viking who is raiding England in the Dark Ages.
Although the Assassin's Creed franchise has been around since 2007, the new generation of games began in 2017 with Assassin's Creed: Origins. It featured the first assassin Bayek, a medjay of Ancient Egypt. Both games have intriguing settings, interesting characters, and they represent the best of what the new generation of Assassin's Creed games have to offer. Fans of the series have been eager to compare the unique assassins over the course of the series but two standouts are the leads of these new games. When put up against each other, which lead would come out on top?
10 Eivor: Exploring The World Is A Dream That Many Hold
The idea of setting out to explore a new world is both fun and intriguing. Many people spend their lives dreaming of exploring the far corners of the globe and the idea of following a character who gets the privilege of exploring a new world is appealing to many players. The story of Eivor revolves around that very concept and is a joy to play around with. To travel across England and forge alliances and raid monastery’s is a ton of fun and gives Eivor a chance to be both diplomatic and combative.
It is a fun experience to have to help the many leaders of England in order to secure a home for your people.
9 Bayek: He Is A Good Father
The story of a parent and their child is something that a lot of people can relate too. Seeing Bayek teach his son life lessons, and expericening his pain and anguish at losing him helps players connect to his story so much more.
Being able to have emotions and feelings that the wider audience can relate to helps to build Bayek into an extremely intriguing character.
8 Eivor: He Gets To Navigate The Mystical World As Well
The mystical world has become a huge part of the new iteration of Assassin's Creed games. From interacting with visions of a giant snake, to fighting Medusa and the Cyclops. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla by far handles the mystic world the best.
By providing Asgard as a fully explorable world with its own story for Eivor, it makes it feel like a fluid experience for Eivor and less shoe-horned in.
7 Bayek: It Is Exciting To Meet The Founder And See How It All Began
It is always exciting to explore how things began, to see where the favourite franchises got their beginnings, and although not all prequels stories work out for the better, Assassin's Creed Origins does not disappoint.
Bayek is the first assassin, or hidden one as they are originally called. He and his wife Aya aka Amunet, start the order and lay down its creed, and the players get to be along for the whole ride and see the founding of the order.
6 Eivor: Their Connection To Other Games Is Fascinating
During Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Eivor finds themselves in a new country called Vinland. While players know that this is in North America, there is also a very cool connection to Assassin's Creed III.
While Eivor is in Vinland they encounter a group of First Nations people, this turns out to be the same people that the familiar character of Connor is from. In ACIII, players discover that Connor and his people have been protecting a Piece of Eden for generations, it turns out Eivor is the one that gave them it to protect.
5 Bayek: His Career Was Interesting To Follow
Long before he started the Hidden Ones with Aya, Bayek was already protecting the people of Egypt and the Siwa Oasis as their Medjay. A Medjay was a protector, a servant of the pharaoh and the people of Egypt.
As a Medjay, Bayek devoted his life to keeping people safe and handing out fair judgement, these principals play directly into the tenets of the Assassin's Creed.
4 Eivor: Their Weapons of Choice Are Impressive
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is amazing and one of the coolest aspects is the array of weapons the player has access too. From the war axe to the fail to duel wielding shields, all the weapons provide a different experience. One of the even better aspects is that a player can chose a weapon from the start and bring it through the game with them, making the weapon an integral part of their own game experience.
It just one small aspect that elevates this game among of Assassin's Creed games.
3 Bayek: His Motivations Can Deeply Move The Player
While Eivor is only out to win honour for themselves and their clan, Bayek has more intense and deeper motivations. His son was killed by the Order of the Ancients and this kicked off his quest for revenge.
For years afterwards he hunted the Order, the fire of vengeance burning inside him, never forgetting what they did to his son. The concept of the Order of Ancients killing a loved one of the protagonist would be an excellent kick off for the Netflix's Assassin's Creed show.
2 Eivor: Helping Out The Townspeople Is Admirable
One of Eivor's best qualities is the way he helps out the townspeople of Ravensthorpe, their settlement in England. From side quests to building new buildings, the small interactions that Eivor experiences with the other NPC's helps add new levels to the game experience by making it seem like Eivor has real relationships.
It shows different aspects of Eivor's personality that makes them so much more relatable and real to the player.
1 Bayek: Unshakeable Morals Are Worthy Of Respect
Throughout the game, Bayek faces many situations that would make a lesser man shy away from his responsibilities and moral code, but he does not falter. Even when he is pressured by Cleopatra, he stands tall and sticks to his guns.
He is unshakeable in his belief in what is right and wrong, and it allows the player to feel noble and just in all their decisions they make throughout the game.