Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Review - 7 Ups & 4 Downs

11. Up: Settlement Building

One of the best new additions to the game is the strangely addictive world of settlement building. It is a brilliant new concept for the game and it is most certainly an Up.

You arrive in England and immediately create a settlement known as Ravensthorpe, this will become the central hub for the game and where you pick up the main story missions. It initially starts as a small settlement and eventually develops over time into a town. It can be improved and levelled up by going on raids (which I'll touch on later in the article).

It sounds strange but the settlement genuinely feels like home and returning there after a long mission is satisfying. It becomes something you are transfixed with as you become desperate to build the next available option, be that a tattoo parlour or a hunters lodge. Most importantly is the personalisation you can place upon the settlement, choosing which buildings you want and also with decorations you can purchase or unlock.

It is only a small part of the game but when you find yourself spending coins on a new tree decoration rather than on weapons, you know how important your settlement is to you.