Ubisoft’s newest games in the Assassin’s Creed series (historical fiction video games) have been well received, but occasionally controversial. Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla are their newest titles – all made in similar styles to one another and placing less emphasis on the “assassin” part of Assassin’s Creed.
Valhalla was the most recent release, and fans seem to be enjoying it immensely. Regardless, it has not avoided teasing, poking, and prodding from its fans online. These memes are a few of the best concerning Odyssey and Valhalla together since they did come out one after the other.
5 It’s The Thought That Counts
One of the largest criticisms for AC: Valhalla and AC: Odyssey (and AC: Origins, to be honest) was that they’re very similar to one another. People made the same comparison between Odyssey and Origins.
The formula certainly seems reliable, considering that each game has sold well, but one wonders how long Ubisoft thinks it can go on like this. The similarities - like the literal eagle vision, protagonist Layla Hassan, and skill tree system - are getting a little old by now.
4 The Female Main Character Can’t Hurt You
An (unfortunately vocal) minority of male fans were angry that Assassin’s Creed allowed players to choose the protagonist’s gender in Odyssey, and then in Valhalla. It’s not even the first Assassin’s Creed to feature a male and female protagonist choice. AC: Syndicate allowed the player to play as whichever sibling they preferred.
But it is the first where the decision can’t be changed during the game, and the player only ever plays one gender. For most people, it seems like an obvious change to the franchise as the gaming community grows to accept that gamers are approximately 50/50 male and female.
3 Odin (?) Will Guide Us
AC Odyssey and AC Valhalla both took characters and Gods from the mythology of their setting to incorporate into their games’ lore. While Barnabas was a historical figure, he certainly wasn’t a god.
The ‘Odin is with us!’ line appears all over the internet, as a powerful war cry to rally gamers behind a cause. It would be fun to hear it in Alexius’ voice since it’s agreed that quality voice acting is one of the things that Odyssey undoubtedly had over Valhalla.
2 Do You Think We’re Dumb Now?
Both these games place less emphasis on the sneaky, stealth, ‘Assassin’ part of the franchise. Though players can take a stealthy approach if they prefer it, the games allow, encourage, and even occasionally require a more headstrong approach.
Despite this, the stories themselves have not necessarily gotten more headstrong and straightforward. They often pause and contemplate themselves and the narratives they are living out in a way that engages the players in their actions.
1 The Canon Debate
The debate about the canon protagonist is a heated one. AC Odyssey was meant to star only Kassandra as the protagonist, not allowing the player to choose Alexios, but Ubisoft executives didn’t think that a female-led game would sell. As a compromise, the game launched with both siblings as playable characters, but with Kassandra as the “canon” protagonist.
Though women were still sad they didn’t get a solely female-led game, they appreciated this - but a vocal minority of male fans were outraged. Their complaints led to both Eivors being considered the “canon” protagonist.
Fans who have played the game seem to say that there are moments where the facade breaks, and it’s clear the primary protagonist (sole or just “canon,” we don’t know) was intended to be the female Eivor - but that was changed by the male fans’ outrage.
NEXT: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: 14 Things To Do After You Beat The Game
