Assassin's Creed took two games to perfect its transition from third-person action-adventure to something with RPG elements. While there were a lot of pros, the cons made the previous installments difficult to return to. Assassin's Creed Odyssey suffered more from this than its predecessor, Assassin's Creed Origins. This is partly due to the former game's lack of consistent updates.
Odyssey offered more story add-ons that continued the franchise's lore. While the DLC provided welcomed additions, it didn't do much to maintain fans beyond that. However, Assassin's Creed Valhalla has changed almost everything about the franchise for the better. In just the handful of months since its release, Valhalla has already outsold every game in the franchise. Now, new updates are proving that its creators are learning from their past mistakes.
The new additions have included a Yule celebration update during December, which offered fun activities for players to interact with. They could also use rewards to buy new gear and weapons. This update also changed how Ravensthorpe looked and gave the homestead a festive winter setting. Little did players know, this would be the first of many more updates.
Not only did the Yule Festival introduce a unique Winter event, it also kickstarted more add-ons like the River Raid. The update was released on February 16 and stayed in line with the Yule season, introducing a new character who offered new areas of the map and new raids that offer more challenges and gear.
These updates have been free to players and have brought in new and returning gamers. Not only does it expand the player base, but it also builds upon the world and offers up new and exciting things for fans to discover. Eivor has been one of the most distinctive protagonists in the series, and it's great that the creators are allowing players to continue going on new adventures with them.
For now, Ubisoft has not announced a roadmap of things to come. It is also unclear whether or not the updates will continue to be free. However, seeing the community be so active and the game always having something to offer shows that creators want this title to last for a long time.
It has been a long journey to bring Assassin's Creed Valhalla to life, and the only thing that developers and fans can do is celebrate its arrival. Creating all of these new updates and features -- and making them free -- ensures that no fan will be left out of the festivities. It also makes it seem like Ubisoft is committed to Valhalla in a way that fans haven't felt in a long time. Valhalla has a lot to offer its fans, and seeing its creators feed that curiosity and learn from the series' past missteps is a great thing.