Assassin's Creed Valhalla Review: Is It Worth Playing?

Valhalla is worth buying for fans of massive, narrative-driven open-world RPGs. It refines the formula of its predecessors with a compelling Viking fantasy, deep customization, and a stunning world. While the core gameplay loop of raiding and conquering England can become repetitive, the sheer volume of quality content, engaging story arcs, and impactful settlement building offers excellent value. It's a significant time investment, so your enjoyment hinges on your appetite for a long, methodical adventure.

Completing just the main story of Assassin's Creed Valhalla takes approximately 60 hours. For players who engage with major side content, world exploration, and settlement activities, playtime extends to around 90-100 hours. Completionists aiming for 100% synchronization, including all collectibles, mysteries, and wealth, can expect to spend 140 hours or more. The game is one of the longest in the series, supported by substantial post-launch DLC expansions that add dozens more hours.

No, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a strictly single-player experience. There is no cooperative or competitive multiplayer mode. The focus is entirely on your solo journey as Eivor. However, the game does feature a community element through the 'Jomsviking' system, where you can recruit and share custom-created Viking lieutenants from other players' games, but this is an asynchronous, non-interactive feature rather than direct multiplayer gameplay.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla was released in 2020 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Ubisoft Connect & Epic Games Store), and Stadia. It is not currently available on Nintendo Switch. As for subscription services, Valhalla was part of Xbox Game Pass from December 2022 until its removal in January 2024. It is not on PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium's game catalog, but it is frequently on sale across all storefronts.

Valhalla draws clear inspiration from The Witcher 3 in its shift to a full-fledged RPG with dialogue choices, consequential side quests (World Events), and a vast, lore-rich world. However, Valhalla's core identity remains rooted in Ubisoft's open-world design, featuring more systemic activities and map markers compared to The Witcher's more organic discovery. Combat is more action-oriented and less tactical. While its narrative depth may not reach the heights of The Witcher 3, Valhalla excels in player agency, customization, and the visceral fantasy of being a Viking raider.