Although the game looks promising and we should really wait till the gameplay footage, here are things from Origin and Odyssey that I hope Valhalla will keep, and things the game could learn from
Keep #1: Impressive looking location and landscapes
Okay, this is probably going to be a no-brainer, but I hope ACV will continue the franchise tradition of having impressive looking locations. Recreation of Northern European Seas, islands, mountains, villages, etc. Aurora will probably look like a killer during the night cycle. Now with the rise of next-gen consoles, I hope the game will take advantage of their 4k hardware. I
Fix #1: Needlessly big open world
That being said, I also hope the game won't be needlessly too big. In Origin and Odyssey, until the fast travel location is discovered, you may need to travel quite a bit. I guess the intent was to take in the location and landscapes, but come on. How many times do we need to travel same-looking scenery? and even when you unlock the next fast travel, it defeats the whole purpose of having a scenery in the big open world!
I am not saying Valhalla should be small; The game can be as big as it wants, but not too big to overwhelm the players
Keep #2: Weapon and gear varieties
Ever since AC2, the games always had a variety of weapons and gears for you to use. This was further expanded in AC Origins, where there were several weapon types for the revamped combat. I hope Valhalla will fully utilize all fo Viking weapons; Axes, swords, spears, bow, etc. Couple that with some badass-looking armor sets.
Fix #2:Loot system
On the other hand, there is the loot system. I really hate this idea where a "legendary loot" can be replaced by a low-tier gear at high level based on damage. It completely defeats the purpose of discovering a legendary in the first place! Not to mention of all the junk loots that is only good for selling and dismantling. I like discovering powerful gear, but I wish for Valhalla to tone down on junk loots, make legendary gears bit more of hassle to get not by grinding, but maybe series of activities and quests like the Altair armor in AC2.
Keep #3: Male/female choice, and dialog system
From the trailer, it looks like we might be back to a male protagonist again, but it will definitely be cool to see a female Viking warrior (see For Honor for the reference). Whatever the case, I hope there will be the dialog system giving the player how to react to what NPCs are saying. Expand upon Odyssey, and lead to alternative consequences for what was said.
Fix #3: Meeting NPCs characters that are boring
In AC3, the templar order members weren't just about controls; they actually had some personalities. I consider Haythem to be one of the best villains in the series. In origin, all of the targets felt one-dimensional. They always talk about how "control is the only way. I could've brought so much change!" before dying. Even Cleopatra, someone who I was really excited to meet, didn't leave much of an impact. And the way she treats you later in the game....Yeah, who didn't see that coming? Valhalla really should have more meaningful NPCs. I am not familiar with Viking and Northern European history, but here's hoping the historical figures you meet will be interesting.
Keep #4: Naval combat from Origins, and boss fights from Odyssey
The Naval combat in Origins was really fun. Not as good as Black flag, but still fun. Maybe I enjoyed it more due to the fact that Unity and Syndicate didn't have naval combat. If Valhalla expands upon this, and feature true Viking naval combat, it will definitely be amazing. Using arrows to damage enemy ships, and then clash onto them and board them. Odyssey decided to go bit more fantastical with boss fights compared to Origins, featuring the monsters from Greek myth. Valhalla should totally feature Norse myth monster boss fights as well (see God Of War for reference)
Fix #4: Repetitive side quests and objectives
Almost all of Origins and Odyssey side quests were repetitive. Go here and kill this person, rescue that guy, etc. All the location objectives were repetitive as well. Imagine my disappointment when I saw an enemy outpost in Origins and expecting Far Cry-style of taking over the outposts. You don't even get to take the outpost over; Just steal loots and kill captains. For ffs, I hope this repetitiveness won't be in Valhalla
Keep #5: The ability to climb almost anything
Both games did this well. The ability to scale almost any mountains, buildings, and statues is fun and can be hilarious from time to time. Although the whole climbing animation can be slow sometimes, it really does help save time to get to a certain point on a map, rather than sticking with main road and going all the way around.
Fix #5: Better parkour
I've noticed that almost all of the parkour in Origins and Odyssey comprises of climbing up, and jumping back down before being able to climb up another ledge. What happened to the smooth parkour transition of the past games? As much as unity failed, it had better parkour mechanics. You might argue that the architectures were different, but then it begs the question of what happened to the nature parkour in AC3?
Bonus: References and easter eggs to other media
Vikings TV show and Vinland Saga. Is there anything else to be said?
Wow, that got a little longer than I expected. Didn't realize I had so much to say about Origins and Odyssey. Some of the things I want might be a wish-fulfillment but hey, I can hope too
