The Assassin's Creed Valhalla trailer premiered today, the cinematic debut for the franchise's Nordic installment. The footage introduces Assassin's Creed's newest hero, Eivor, and the game's general basis in historical events. Some features from previous installments are also suggested, such as homesteads and, yes, a playable female protagonist.
Falling in line with the franchise's previous titles, Valhalla's main protagonist, Eivor, is depicted as a male warrior on both the game's cover art and in the cinematic trailer, omitting the possibility of playing a heroine instead.
The Franchise Is Evolving
Assassin's Creed has increased the representation of female characters in recent games. Kassandra, from Assassin's Creed Odyssey marking the first playable lead protagonist of the franchise. With the notoriety of the Viking's tenacity for bloodshed, no matter their sex, it's high time to ask why neither this new trailer nor the game's cover art suggests the option of a female protagonist.
Gender won't be the only character customization. A selection of beards, tattoos, and face paint will also be available options. Outside of physical appearances, Viking gear and the new Viking longboat will be customizable as well. As far as features go, Assassin's Creed 3's rudimentary homestead mechanic has been revamped and reintroduced in Vahalla in the form of a bustling Viking community. Players will erect a prosperous village for their clanmates to dwell in, make game-altering decisions, and pursue romantic storylines if they so wish.
A Matter Of Marketing & Spoilers
With a more significant emphasis on choices and customization, why would the game trailer and cover art only depict a male Eivor? Ubisoft hasn't gone into too much detail about Vahalla's Viking warrior just yet. This is largely in part due to the publisher's endeavors to steer clear of spoilers regarding the storyline and new content.
Intel has also been gathered from the game's lead producer, Julien Laferrière, regarding the trailer's omission of a heroine protagonist. Like Odyssey's Alexios and Kassandra, the male and female depictions of Eivor will both be featured at different points throughout the game's marketing campaign.
Between spoiler concerns and marketing strategies, character details remain vague for the time being. But no doubt, more will come to light as the release date approaches, meaning players will be introduced to Valhalla's heroine in the near future.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is set to release over the 2020 holiday season on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Google Stadia, and PC.
Source: Eurogamer