Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: A Starving Skill Tree
When it comes to skill trees, Valhalla adopts a philosophy of quantity over quality, but it’s only a few steps away from something worthy of Asgard. For starters, there are two separate trees, one for “Abilities” and one for “Skills.” Admittedly, the design choice of using constellations as the backdrop for the hub-and-spoke Skills section fits well visually, but it lacks any real substance when it comes to true character progression. Instead, Ubisoft falls into a design trap that is increasingly common among modern RPG’s: character progression through arbitrary stats.
Skills
The three prongs of the Skills tree start with the right approach, with each direction focusing on one of the core combat mechanics of the game: melee, ranged, and stealth. Within each branch there are “talents” (for lack of a better word), larger nodes which offer (mainly) passive abilities, most of which the protagonist Eivor, who is established as an experienced warrior, would already know. It feels cheap to force the player to unlock such basic maneuvers as stomping on a downed foe, smashing into an enemy while sprinting, or rolling out of a long fall. The smaller “spoke” skills that surround the talents are even more tedious, serving as fractional stat buffs such as “+ 0.4 ranged damage” or “-3% stamina on hit” which feel completely unnoticeable.
Combine this with the already number-heavy stats provided by each piece of gear, as well as the bonuses from Runes that can be slotted into that gear, and you’re left with a data-heavy Excel spreadsheet to meticulously manage (or just ignore entirely). Even the game itself seems to acknowledge how meaningless this system feels, awarding 2 skill points to spend each time you level up as if it’s trying to speed up its own process. All of this data management becomes so cumbersome, that I often found myself spending skills at random just to get back to the game. What’s more, you can reset your skill points at any time, without penalty. If you’ve forged a brawling melee badass but find yourself facing down a rampart of archers, you can just re-spec into a precise and patient sniper. Rather than offering opportunities for the player to get creative with the version of Eivor they’ve carefully crafted, Valhalla’s skill system gives the player an “easy-reset” button, which robs it of any meaningful character progression.
Abilities
The Abilities tree avoids the mathematical labyrinth of the Skill tree section, but falls short when it comes to a diverse move set. Almost half of the unlockable abilities are (near) identical copies of each other, with two axe throwing abilities, two run-and-punch abilities, and mirror-image poison, fire, and time-slowing abilities for both range and melee. While only 8 abilities can be equipped at any one time (4 ranged and 4 melee), there are really only 4 or 5 that are rewarding enough to use. Most simply lack the epic and gritty flare that the game’s release trailer seemed to suggest, and at times they can even become downright penalizing to use when they don’t behave as expected (i.e., charging at an enemy directly in front of you and missing, forcing Eivor to stand still for a few seconds while getting pumped full of projectiles).
This problem traces back to the same roots choked the fun out of the Skills module, which is that Valhalla seems to be trying to cram in as much content as possible, rather than trying to maximize the value out of what already exists. Abilities are unlocked by finding books of knowledge hidden around the map, rather than gaining experience or progressing through the story. To its credit, this is one of the ways Valhalla effectively promotes exploration, as the promise of a cool new power-up is enough to make me want to stop and slaughter the roses on my way to the next main questline. Unfortunately, the payoff simply isn’t always there, and I often felt cheated when raiding a Pict stronghold to see what new Viking battle-skill awaited me resulted in the ability to charge up a heavy melee attack (something that comes standard with most other combat games in the genre, including Valhalla’s own predecessor Odyssey).
Not only is it a crapshoot as to whether you find something cool (like impaling an enemy with a harpoon) or something lame (like literally playing dead), each ability has an almost pointless second tier to unlock. This feels more like an attempt to stretch out an already thin move set (effectively doubling the number of icons to go hunt for), rather than giving the player a rewarding set of increasingly epic feats. With the notable exception of the afore mentioned harpoon (which gives Eivor a sweet decapitation option), there is almost no noticeable difference between the first a second tiers of upgrades, neither in the animation nor in the effect. This is especially disappointing given the myriad of exciting and unique opportunities the combat-centered setting of Viking & Norse lore.
Improvements
Even despite the missteps in the Skill and Ability trees, the game as a whole is absolutely playable, and I’ve sunk well over 100 enjoyable hours into it. There are, however, a few key changes that would shift it from surviving to thriving.
1. Combine
There is absolutely no reason that a game like this needs two skill trees (even Yggdrasil’s branches all sprouted from the same trunk). The first step to improving the overall experience is to combine both modules into a single set of unlockable abilities. This eliminates some of the back-and-forth menu scrolling that distracts from the core gameplay, while also setting a single-minded progression track for the player. The three-pronged options can still exist, but having a central source for combat improvements creates a stronger sense of who Eivor is, and what she/he can do.
2. Condense
Rip out anything that has a number in it (which eliminates nearly all the “spoke” skills), and combine any duplicate abilities (one axe-throw, one exploding fire arrow, one time-slow).
This also means changing some basic skills to innate mechanics (stomp, heavy melee attack, counter roll, breakfall) and eliminating some altogether (parry damage, hunter bow combo, charged shot)
.What’s left is a heavily trimmed-down set of diverse moves which add distinct options to gameplay. Not all of these abilities need to become adrenaline-consuming either, many can remain passive or retain their situational functionality (missile reversal, guided arrow, chain assassination).
The key difference is that each upgrade feels significant and meaningful to the player.
3. Convert
There are some aspects of Valhalla’s skill-tree structure that work well. The “Skill-Discovery” framework can be easily adapted to provide even greater combat rewards to the player, while still incentivizing exploration. Books of Knowledge should no longer server as a currency needed to unlock an ability, but as a catalyst that alters the effect.
For example, discovering a Book of Knowledge could alter the Man’s Best friend ability to summon a bear instead of a wolf, which could draw attention away from Eivor and attack multiple enemies at once. Perhaps one Book modifies the Dive of the Valkyries ability to shoot sparks of electricity out from the ground to stun nearby enemies (reminiscent of Thor’s hammer).
These modifiers are not intended to represent completely new abilities, but they should alter the existing skill enough that it feels unique and valuable to the player. This creates a sense of rarity and mystery, rewarding players who take the time to go exploring by giving them something fun and useful to utilize in future combat scenarios.
4. Conjure
Even after creating a unified tree with a lean skillset and an adapted reward system that encourages exploration, AC Valhalla still needs a bit more magic to make its combat truly shine. This doesn’t mean flooding it with dozens of new outlandish abilities, but it does mean adding some more meaty skills that round out the fearsome Viking playstyle.
One skill that seems an obvious addition would be a variation of the Heroic Strike from Odyssey. Something that serves as an eye-candy attack, and which varies based on the weapon being used. Especially considering how unintuitive and random the finishing moves are during regular combat, it would be nice to have something flashy to help spice up Eivor’s bloody dance.
Another missed opportunity is the addition of a shield-based ability. Either to circumvent an opponent’s shield by running overtop it, or perhaps a God-of-War-esque slam using Eivor’s own shield. Either way, the option to turn a defensive tool into an offensive strike is a must-have for a brutal Viking warrior.
Valhalla’s combat is meant to feel gritty and grounded, but there’s no reason that some of Eivor’s abilities can’t draw on Norse mythology for inspiration, especially considering the multiple story arcs that take place in Asgard and Jotunheim. I would have loved to see at least one ability that incorporates lightning. Whether it’s an arrow that sparks when it hits, or a ground blast from a weapon to slam a nearby foe, I’d love to unlock something Thor-inspired.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is still a highly entertaining game with an intriguing plot, an engaging combat system, and a colorful world to explore. While the skill tree systems aren’t terrible, they are a far cry from their potential. In a game marketed as an epic saga told through the eyes of a battle-hungry Viking, it’s a shame that the combat abilities don’t offer players a more glorious way to engage in the bloodlust. I for one will still enjoy the wild wilderness of England, but I will still be dreaming of what could have been: a skill tree worthy of a seat in Valhalla’s hall of kings.
