20 MORE Pointless Video Game Mechanics Nobody Used

10. Social Stealth – Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020)

Ever since Origins shifted the Assassin's Creed franchise into an open-world RPG, the series has leaned more into the action side of its gameplay. And so, the announcement that 2020's Valhalla would reintroduce social stealth into the series for the first time since Syndicate came as welcome news for long-time fans.

Footage in the gameplay overview trailer showing new protagonist Eivor blending in with a group of scholars to slip past guards was reminiscent of classic Assassin's Creed. Its inclusion suggested that stealth would once again be a core part of the experience. In reality, though, this mechanic was far less integral than it seemed.

Although Valhalla featured "Distrust Areas" where enemies would become hostile to Eivor if they were detected, there were only a handful of them located throughout the vast map. Given that stealth is always optional and how quickly Eivor becomes an unstoppable killing machine, fighting enemies head-on was often easier than finding specific spots to hide.

Thankfully, veteran AC fans would be able to experience social stealth properly in the criminally underrated Assassin's Creed Mirage.