Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids

While the original game was an "epic" adventure that was the biggest, and arguably best, entry yet to the franchise, this expansion just strengthen the tale even more. Eivor's journey from Viking raider to legendary Assassin gets even larger thanks to the game's first major expansion, Wrath of the Druids. The expansion is a self-contained chapter in Eivor's story, fitting snugly somewhere in the middle of the base game. There are no power level requirements and players can travel back and forth between England and Ireland, fulfilling quests as they see fit. This flexibility is welcome because it makes the world feel larger and offers an opportunity to mix things up between the mountains and plains of the British Isles and the forests and bogs of the Irish landscape, all of which are rendered in beautiful detail.

In terms of size and scope, there's no shortage of content added. Along with a new storyline, Wrath of the Druids gives players access to a few new abilities, a new weapon, a new range of enemies to fight, and a huge new area to explore. It can be a lot of fun to play with these new toys, like summoning a pack of Irish hounds and siccing them on your foes. The new Sickle weapon, which can be dual wielded, can turn Eivor into a whirlwind of death, hacking and slashing through groups of enemies like a hot knife through butter. Even the new enemies, both the druids and the mythological beasts, feel like they bring something different to the table for a while. The expansion stumbles a bit due to a noticeable lack of variety in the missions. Although there are a couple of unique missions, by and large, most of the missions mirror what Eivor does in the base game. Sure, the forts and villages might sport a new look, but the mechanics and objectives remain the same. By following the same old formulaic gameplay inside of a self-contained plot that doesn't really impact the base game's story, there's not quite as much incentive to see things through to the end. But if you stick with it, you'll love the adventure through a new and amazing setting for the franchise.