What the Vahalla was that?

I am still in awe of Assassin's Creed Vahalla since Ubisoft dropped the trailer on Thursday. Vikings are hot property at the moment. 2018's God of War was a monumental success on the PS4, and the TV series Vikings has had a steady influx of followers since 2013. It seemed the natural step for Assassin's Creed, with Creative Director Ashraf Ismail calling it the 'most asked for time period' in an interview with IGN.

Let's have a deeper look, and uncover details you probably missed in the trailer.

Story

Taking place in 873 A.D. you play as Eivor (pronounced 'a-vor'), a Viking raider making their journey from a small Norwegian village to pillage, plunder and eventually settle in England. At this time England is a combination of warring Saxon kingdoms who are fighting themselves and invaders. You take part in the Viking raids along England's beautiful coast that show green fields and resources aplenty, initially cementing the story of helpless villages being pillaged and plundered for Viking greed and honour.

Forget this narrative of Vikings being masochistic murderers who raids, kills, leaves and repeats. Ubisoft have made it clear they want to give a well-rounded telling of the Viking story during the 9th century, and immerse you in the culture, religion and the very fabric of Viking society outside the Horrible History books. The trailer greets you with a spiritual ceremony whereby the raiding party ask 'favour' from Odin, with a huge 20 foot wooden statue of god in the centre of the ceremony, while Eivor is marked with the sacrificial blood.

Once in England we meet Alfred the Great, one of the English Saxon Kings, who's aggressive rubber-stamping and declaring all-out war on the Vikings is a world-away from the actions of the Vikings we see in the trailer. We see the Vikings as heroes, and I am 100% down with that. Whether Alfred will be the antagonist is another matter, as there is the small matter of the Kingdoms of Mercia, Northumbria and East Anglia. Already Ubisoft make you question the narrative and your perception of Vikings.

Gameplay

It wouldn't be Assassin's Creed without combat gameplay. The trailer showed us just how the combat works, and it did much to please Odin and this writer. It showed Eivor dual-wielding axes, and Ubisoft later confirmed you can dual-wield all manners of weapons and shields to plug the Geralt-shaped gap in a lot of Witcher fan's hearts. There was also the return of the much loved Hidden Blade. How Eivor got this is unknown, but what is apparent is that at some point Eivor must meet some assassins to be able to wear the Not-So-Hidden Blade brazenly on the outside of their arm.

Raiding will fulfil the inner Viking we all possess, using our longship to raid small villages, kill some villagers and to escape with hordes of treasure. With the already fantastic naval combat of Black Flag, Origins and Odyssey, I was even more hyped when Ashraf called the longship a 'ferrari on an empty highway' in a video from Ubisoft North America. Travelling from Norway to England will be a breeze. A beautiful breeze in next-gen graphics.

Battles will take place in the open or in fortified positions, and will require leadership and combat qualities to defeat an enemy army head-on. Ubisoft have confirmed there will be Ringleaders, like the one Eivor took down with the Not-So-Hidden Blade, who are the generals of the King on the battlefield. These Ringleaders are capable of leading and inspiring the men, and possess unique capacities. They are not only heavily armoured, but should be your main target to rout the enemy army.

Settlement building is one of the biggest highlights for me in Valhalla. The focus on building your settlement is what sets this story-telling narrative of pillage, plunder and murder into a story of culture, religion and society. Eivor will have the ability to build up their settlement with a variety of buildings to help the people thrive. Each of these buildings will have a unique and direct contribution to the gameplay. How these will influence the gameplay is to be seen, but the ability to customise the settlement and choose buildings will add a strategic level to the game that we have not seen before.

Politics is a dirty word. However words can be just as important as combat in Valhalla. With the prospect of fighting and negotiating with Wessex, Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia, political alliances will be vital in the direction of the game and the story. The ability to choose story-narrative is a brave option, as by previous experience in games you can steer the entire game ending, or have zero influence. Whether Ubisoft opt for a faction-choosing decision, or if your actions and dialogue influence the outcome is yet to be seen.

So there we have it, a lot of exciting information from a 4-minute trailer. With an expected release date of Late 2020 on the PS4, Xbox One plus the next generation, we will expect to see a lot of information coming soon. Let me know your thoughts and feelings on this trailer, and let me know if I missed anything.

It seems to me that the PS4 is suffering from a lack of games. From what I've been reading, it seems XBONE isn't far behind. The only 3 games that really hit me at the moment are Destiny, MGS Phantom Pain and The Order: 1886.

Is it a simple case that the PS4 and XB1 just don't have the software support right now?

Well after much debate regarding which console to get on Day One, I've decided to go ahead and get...

My one concern is the lack of games on launch day. So far the UK have only got the following these confirmed:

• NBA 2K14
• Call of Duty: Ghosts
• Skylanders Swap Force
• Need for Speed: Rivals 
• Battlefield 4 
• Madden 25
• FIFA 14
• NBA Live 14
• Killzone: Shadown Fall
• Driveclub
• Knack 
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
• Watch Dogs
• Just Dance 2014
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

None of these games really grab me, but I'll probably end up with Watch Dogs or Battlefield 4.

However the game War Thunder looks amazing, and will be a free-to-play game on PSN. This will be my first download :D

Anyone else pre-ordered a console?

I am writing to you with this grotesque monster in my field of vision. It's perched on my shelf, sitting there. Mocking me. I was one of the many people who spent £129.99 on the Resident Evil 6 GAME Exclusive Collector's Edition. Only for it to be reduced to £30 a mere 6 months later. But that's not my main problem.

Resident Evil is my favourite gaming franchise. Up until recently they were one of the few main franchises that guaranteed a great game. There are the spin-offs that are terrible like Resident Evil Survivor, but the main games have always been intense and gripping. I love Resident Evil. Resident Evil changed when RE4 hit the shelves. It was a fantastic game, but it was less scary and more action. RE5 soon changed that, making it feel darker and deeper. The DLC was fantastic, especially the mansion. 

Resident Evil 6 for me was poor. Even Gamespot hit it with a 4.5. It feels far more action-packed, and is trying to please everyone. I feel that Resident Evil 6 is tearing itself apart. They have tried to please everyone, but have eneded up pleasing no-one. I can't bear to finish it.

Any thoughts on how Resident Evil can turn around? Is this the time where Capcom release their trump card and remake Resident Evil 2?

Walking Dead Survival Instinct is a good game. Despite mediocre reviews, I rented it and loved it. Why? Because it's the perfect zombie game. Walk with me I'll explain on the way...

There are plenty of zombies games out there. Resident Evil really kicked it off with the zombie scene, and for a 12-year old it was the scariest thing on Playstation. The game brought fear and created a creepy, slow atmosphere. A horde of shuffling, groaning zombies is absolutely chilling. That was topped off by Resident Evil 2, which brought the game to the streets and introduced a claustrophobic atmosphere in open spaces. I felt trapped in a huge city. 

Sneaky Daryl...sneaky...

Fast forward a few years down the line. Dawn of the Dead was released in 2004, and brought to my attention, and many others, the notion of zombies running. Now THATS scary. Running, flesh-eating monsters. But since then, games have tried to follow suit. Left 4 Dead brought multiplayer zombie survival, with running zombies. Don't get me wrong, the game is fantastic, but with the running zombies came more firepower. It just didn't feel right.

Walking Dead (the original download version) was fantastic, but I never felt in control. Then came along Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, which blew my mind. Zombies were the enemy, but they could easily overpower you. They were shuffling monsters, and they kept appearing. You only have a hunting knife, and you need to scavenge food, fuel and weapons. THAT'S SURVIVAL. 

Running zombies. Not cool.

For many the game may appear to be slow and repetitive, but so is life. This game is meant to be an experience. Nothing says scary like sneaking past zombies, only for you to set off an alarm and to alert the horde of zombies. The story follows before the main television series, and for fans it is a must. There are a few clunky mechanisms, the most notorious is when a horde of zombies grab you, you fight them one-on-one like Bruce Lee rather then getting grabbed and torn apart. Despite this, you learn to be sneaky, throwing flares, silent kills, and to avoid using guns. Yes, avoid using guns. A world apart from Left 4 Dead. The greatest moment must be where you use Daryl's crossbow. A silent, long-ranged weapon, and you can pluck the arrows back out of the undead corpses.

So all in all, this game is a perfect match for me. I know there are a lot of people out there who don't like zombies, or believe the world will be overtaken by zombies (I've got my box of beans and noodles ready for that date), but as far as I'm concerned, this game is brilliant.

Bring on the zombie apocalypse.

Risk. It's a board game. I have the board game in my loft (somewhere). So why do I find it better on XBLA?

There are a couple of obvious answers, it's far less time to set up, no cheating friends who move pieces when you go to the toilet, and no missing pieces that you find a week after binning it. Apart from that it's the same game I've owned for 10 years. What makes it different?

Risk Factions on XBLA offers a poor storyline, with some funny characters and a small campaign mode. But it's online mode where the real fun is. There people quit early, leave games, or take 5 minutes to attack to go toilet.

So why do I force myself to play? Is it self-inflicting? Am I the forever optimist? Maybe it's because nobody in real life will play me at Risk, as I tend to win. Whatever the reason, I'm sticking with it...for the mean time.

The latest announcement by SEGA has blown the minds of many people. I personally screamed like a Belieber, and I'm still reeling in the shock that Castle of Illusion is being re-made in HD. Even saying it out loud is weird. I'm pinching myself now. Castle of Illusion in HD. Proper HD.Not some of the recent toot that has come out, a proper re-make. In HD.

The initial trailer looks good, but will it be as good as the Mega Drive version? What market will it be aimed at - new kids who have no idea what a Mega Drive is? Will it appease the retro gamers? Let's take a look...

Castle of Illusion was the greatest game on the Mega Drive. Fact.

There have been plenty of platformer games that have made the jump from 2D to 3D. Super Mario 64 being the greatest success to date, and Sonic bombing like a fat man on a diving board. What will Castle of Illusion be like? Judging by the shots and the trailer it looks set to be the 'Epic Mickey' that we've been yearning for. The crack of thunder in the forest, the endless flow of marching tin soldiers, the castle in the foggy background, it could well end up being one of the greatest HD remakes of all time.

Hmmmm....which door?

Whilst there isn't a lot of information out there at the moment there is the slight concern that this could be completely hashed, like an 80s band getting back together and releasing a mediocre album. Who are they aiming for? Will they lose track of their aim? Who knows.

Now there is one piece of good indication, that if this game succeeds there could be more releases of this type. Personally I've been yearning for a Quackshot HD, crouching behind burnt out cars and shooting Pete clones with a plunger shotgun like a bubble-wrapped Disney version of Call of Duty, complete with online carnage. The legal wrangling looks set to be sorted between Disney, SEGA and the platforms, and if the studio in Australia doesn't shut down, who knows where they could go next?

Unfortunately we now have to sit, pray, hope, bite nails and beg SEGA not to mess up this epic oppurtunity. 

Cobwebs will be shaken. Off. Permanently. It's high time I have my Gamespot blog an update, as I've had an incredibly selfish 2 year gap, and I miss posting my delightful thoughts and opinion on the interweb.

Strangely enough, I haven't seen much of a change to Gamespot, perhaps someone could enlighten me, as I have effectively been cryogenetically frozen in internet time. Like a grouchy Austin Powers, only with better hair and worse teeth.

As I am writing this the launch of the Nintendo 3DS is literally 5 days away! What makes this event even more awesome is that it falls on two of the best days in my life, my birthday and pay day! Who could want more? How about the launch of the most exciting handheld console!

The event I went to was in Essex, England. The event itself was open to the public and was pretty well designed. As you walked through the entrance after answering some tough interrogation (genuine question: Are you aged over 7?) you are greeted by a maze of white with the words "Nintendo 3DS" sprayed everywhere.

Me playing the Nintendo 3DS! Exciting...and slightly weird

What hits me first is the build up to the Nintendo 3DS stalls. A complete history of Nintendo's handheld past, Game & Watches, Gameboys, Gameboy Colors, every Nintendo handheld console was cased in a protective plastic case (otherwise I would have grabbed the mint condition Game & Watch Donkey Kong!).

Now you're going to have to forgive me, but for sometime I haven't been too bothered about the 3DS. I've not actually played it, and to be brutal the launch titles are crap. Two games that have got me excited for the 3DS are Metal Gear Solid 3DS and the Resident Evil 3D games. After playing some mediocre Dead or Alive and a racing game (the title escapes me) I caught a glimpse of this beauty:

I could not believe my eyes! An actual demo for Resident Evil 3D The Mercenaries! Whilst I only had my iPhone to hand, I apologise for the crap quality. I tried to get some screenshots but the 3D graphics came out terribly.

The game feels like a very strange hybrid between Resident Evil 4 and 5 - I played as Chris Redfield from RE5 in the Village level from RE4. It seems that Capcom have decided to give us the best of both games, and bung them together to make a Frankenstein's monster creation - which could do very well or do very badly.

The actual game play was very good, traditional RE4/5 controls that translate well on the 3DS. The only problem I encountered was remembering the buttons on the 3DS - after all playing this game on the PS2 (RE4) or 360/PS3 (RE5) has set my mind on a slightly different configuration.

The touch screen made weapon changes and selecting items very easy. It's more in line with Resident Evil 5, whereby item selection is in-game - promoting fear and the need for quick selections. This worked very well, but took a while to get used to.

Overall a very good game that looks promising for Resident Evil fans. It brings two of the best extra features from Resident Evil 4 and 5 into one game. Definitely one for the RE fans, but for those who are yet to try it - this game will give you a very easy to access game that can be picked up and played within a single bus journey (my main time I use the 3DS).

The event was very good overall. For me it was the highlight to play Resident Evil 3DS The Mercenaries. But I'm still going to wait to buy my 3DS - I'll wait until the first decent title comes out - whether it be Nintendo or third party.

Alas I have returned to the Gamespot world after a 3 month hiatus, and about 12 months since my last 'proper' blog. No cheering crowds? No weeping mothers? Oh well, I supose if you don't call your mother every now and then you can expect a cold reception - but seeing as I have left my blog for 3 months I really cannot expect such a return.

I will be posting my first article tonight.