Assassin's Creed Valhalla is an absolutely huge game. There's so much to do, so many icons to find, and so many puzzles to solve that it seems nearly impossible to finish it all and want more. In classic Assassin's Creed fashion, however, you'll receive more. The first major DLC, titled Wrath of the Druids, is out now and lets you continue your artifact-collecting and head-slaying exploits in yet another new location: Ireland.
It's a fascinating new setting that's not unlike the rolling hills and forests of England that make up much of the base game. However, Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids offers just enough new stuff to make us want to lace up Eivor's boots and go raiding again.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids DLC Review – Explorer l’île d’Émeraude
Once you have installed the DLC, you will receive a prompt regarding new visitors to your clan's camp. Upon arrival, you will meet some new faces and learn that Eivor has a connection to the power struggle taking place in Ireland. A few introductory quests later, and you'll find yourself in this new land, with a huge collection of objectives to complete.
You won't notice a huge difference in how Ireland locations look in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Things are a bit greener and a bit less forested than England, but overall it all looks pretty similar. This is especially the case when you compare it to the striking change from Norway to England that takes place early in the base game's story. Where you'll notice most of the difference is in the towns and people you meet.
There is more emphasis on spirituality and folklore in the Irish countryside. Where AC Valhalla's England is a constant struggle between Norse culture and Christian culture, Ireland feels much more tolerant of Vikings. One of the first major characters you meet talks about having a place in his heart for both the Christian God and Odin. Of course, you'll find all sorts of unique scenarios and cultures as you explore and unlock new quests.
Wrath of the Druids' story isn't entirely original but, like Valhalla, it features well-written characters and fun twists. Eivor is, as always, a joy, and there are plenty of sections in this DLC that allow you to play around a bit and create whatever protagonist you want. There's also, as you'd expect, a huge assortment of new skills, skins, weapons, treasures, and more to find and use to build your perfect Viking.
There are a few new elements introduced in Wrath of the Druids that will keep you on your toes, even if you've already gone through dozens of hours of Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
One of the main new types of quests is to set up trading posts all over Ireland. As you go on raids and find supplies, you'll unlock better access to rare goods that can only be accessed through these trading posts. Essentially, if you liked the village-building aspect of the base game, this mechanic allows you to continue these types of quests in a slightly different way, earning you fancy items.
You'll encounter plenty of additional enemies on your journey through Ireland, and if you pay attention, you'll probably guess the title druids will make an appearance.
I don't want to say too much, but they are fun enemies with unique mechanics that you will have to adapt to. Again, it's not groundbreaking, but it's enough of a tweak to make diving into this world worthwhile.
One element that doesn't seem to work as well, however, is Wrath of the Druids' "automatic difficulty." On paper, the DLC adjusts its difficulty to suit your power level, rather than blocking out different regions of Ireland. I expected to have a little rust to brush off, but I immediately – and single-handedly – invaded castles like I had been in the base game. If you're looking for tough endgame content after already working through the base game, Wrath of the Druids isn't for you. It's not a big deal, but it's something to watch out for.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids DLC – The Bottom Line
Advantages:
- Just different enough to keep you surprised
- A good continuation of the story for old characters and well-written new ones
- The twists on combat and colony building are strong
- A good amount of content overall
The inconvenients:
- Not particularly difficult
Even if you thought you were "done" with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Wrath of the Druids has more than enough items to bring you back. crossing friend and foe and taking part in more drinking contests is fun and a well done addition to an already great game.
[Note: Ubisoft provided the copy of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids used for this review.]
