The latest Assassin's Creed release features epic Viking raids, ancient Norse mythology, and unforgettable clan culture. To the untrained eye, it may seem like this franchise is moving farther away from its Assassin roots. But true fans know better.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla is actually filled with tributes to previous releases. These games take place across a variety of historical periods, but Ubisoft always includes some of the same features. You may not like all of them. Luckily, most of the popular Assassin's Creed themes made it into the newest title.

10 Throwback Assassin Armor

Assassins Creed Valhalla Basim Original Armor

When you start your Viking adventure as Eivor, it won't take long for you to encounter some mysterious 'friends' in white robes, leather armor, and red sashes. This is a beautiful nod to the Assassins' original appearance. If you are a "true OG" player of the series, you'll be brought right back to Altair's gear from the first Assassin's Creed.

The Order's traditional uniform reflects its core values: humility, subtlety, and righteousness. This contrasts pretty sharply against your rugged Viking settlement, but Basim and his secretive apprentice are a nice reminder of how Ubisoft continues to stay true to its origins.

9 The Death Scene

Assassins Creed Valhalla Death Vision Soldiers

Remember when you stabbed some poor guy and you were transported to a creepy vision where you talked with him after he died? Yeah, that took some getting used to. In case you didn't know, the post-assassination 'death scene' has been in almost every Assassin's Creed game since its first release in 2007. Maybe Ubisoft wants to give every villain a chance for one last dialogue.

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Either way, these dark scenes are used for your character to get vital information from the target, to scold them for their actions, or even to seek their forgiveness. They're also full of symbolism that relates to the story. Make sure you pay attention during any death sequence; you can miss some vital clues that will come in handy later.

8 Assassins' Ultra-Secrecy

Assassins Creed Valhalla Assassin Apprentice Walking

The Order of Assassins is very secretive. That's no secret. Therefore, you shouldn't be surprised that your new white-robed friends in Assassin's Creed Valhalla prefer to dodge questions instead of answering them. This is a tribute to the Assassins' signature motto, which has been told and re-told since the franchise's first game: "We work in the Dark, to serve the Light."

In this particular title, Basim won't even divulge the name of their group! They call themselves the 'Hidden Ones' and their Templar enemies are the 'Order of the Ancients.' You should see right through this if you're a true fan.

7 Historical Cameos

Assassins Creed Valhalla Asgard Bridge Reindeer

Ubisoft loves to incorporate historical and mythological figures into its titles; this gives life to each game's time period and location setting. After all, who doesn't love to solve mysteries with Edgar Allen Poe, or test experiments with Leonardo Da Vinci, or battle Hades in the Underworld?

Assassin's Creed Valhalla showcases several figures from Norse mythology. You'll encounter the wolf Fernir, the warrior-queen Frejya, the lightning God Thor, and the all-father Odin, among others. You should expect nothing less from Ubisoft in their latest Assassin's Creed release.

6 The Animus

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Animus

Do you get extremely frustrated every time you're forced to jump out of the Animus and into a modern storyline? You're not alone. Unfortunately, Assassin's Creed players have been forced to complete story missions in the mundane 'real' world since the series' first game. The NUMBERS, Desmond, what do they mean?

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In all seriousness, the Animus is a key component of every Assassin's Creed story. Each game of the series involves an ancient warrior's descendant using the Animus to synchronize their genes and relive the memories of their ancestors. Most franchise players groan every time they must exit the Animus, but they also accept that it's necessary. Even if it's usually boring and annoying.

5 Crowd Blending

Assassins Creed Valhalla Crowd Cloaked Stealth

Crowd blending is finally back! This was a popular ability from the first few Assassin's Creed games but it has been left out of recent releases. So go ahead and pull up your hood, walk with a group of monks, pretend to cook by the fire, or lounge on a bench. These tactics will make you almost invisible to nearby enemies.

Crowd blending is especially helpful in newly-added 'Distrust' areas, places where civilians are allowed and guards won't immediately attack you, but they'll be suspicious of any sudden movements or other unusual activities. Try this stealthy approach instead of fighting a village's entire army.

4 Leap of Faith

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Leap of Faith

Scared of heights? Then this probably isn't the game series for you. In fact, the only way to uncover hidden areas of the game map is to synchronize a high viewpoint. So after you've climbed a giant tower, and you're in a hurry to do some more raiding, the fastest way back down is to perform the Assassin's famous Leap of Faith. Which is a fancy term for jumping off a cliff and landing in a pile of hay.

Though it should obviously be impossible to land unharmed, this move still looks awesome. Access your inner acrobat and fly through the air like a true Assassin. However, make sure you have a safe landing spot below you, or you'll definitely be killed.

3 Assassination Tree Clues

Assassins Creed Valhalla Order Members Map

If you played Assassin's Creed Odyssey, you'll probably recognize the Order menu. This tree of interconnected Order members (a.k.a. Templars) shows all of your potential targets. As an ally of the Hidden Ones (a.k.a. Assassins), you are asked to help take down key members of the Order to cripple their England operations. But this isn't as easy as a to-do list.

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When you begin Assassin's Creed Valhalla, most targets' identities will be hidden. To figure out who and where they are, you'll need to find a series of clues and piece them together. You can gather clues by participating in drinking costs, playing dice, killing Zealots and other high-level enemies, or reading letters.

2 Eagle Vision

Assassins Creed Valhalla Eagle Vision

This feature has also been around since the very first game of the series and it is, by far, the most helpful. Each protagonist in the Assassin's Creed titles has the ability to see enemies and other items of interest from far away. Or through walls. You know the saying "eyes in the back of your head," right? That's pretty much what this ability feels like.

Except it's now called Odin's Vision in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. No matter how overpowered you designed your character, Odin's Vision will help you avoid being surprised by hidden enemies.

1 Bird Scouting

Assassins Creed Valhalla Eagle Scouting

Your feathery friend is one of the most helpful tools in the Assassin's Creed games. Since Assassin's Creed Origins, you are able to swap views with your eagle and scout an enemy camp, look for faraway treasures, or locate quest objectives.

Assassin's Creed Vahalla puts a twist on this by giving you a raven instead of an eagle. And it looks super cool when you stand still for a while and your raven lands on your shoulder. Watch the talons.

NEXT: The 10 Best Side Quests In Assassin's Creed Valhalla