OUR SCORE - 9/10
Assassin's Creed Valhalla may have been released more than a year ago, but that doesn't mean the game is over yet. It has gotten two major expansions with a range of regular events and updates, and now we're getting another major expansion, the biggest one yet. Fans of the game will rejoice for sure.
Dawn of Ragnarok is a humungous story DLC that could very well have been a standalone game by itself. It expands on the story of Odin (or Havi), and takes him on a brand new adventure to a new land. We'll keep the story spoilers to a minimum, but we can guarantee that you're in for quite a ride.
Eivor revives the memory of Havi, better known as Odin. After we could already visit Asgard and Jotunheim in this way, it is now the turn of Svartalfheim, the land of the dwarves (and, according to the myths, also black elves, but we do not see them in the game). This land is under attack by the fire and ice giants from Muspelheim and Jotunheim. Yet this invasion is not the reason that Havi intervenes. His motives are much more personal: fire giant Surtr has captured his son Baldr. Anyone familiar with Norse mythology (or who has played God of War) knows that Baldr's death pretty much kicks off the end of time, or Ragnarök.
Dawn of Ragnarök mainly uses familiar elements in a new jacket. One major addition that I personally love is that now you can "absorb" abilities from certain enemies. For example, you can use the life force of a raven to turn into a bird yourself. Handy if you need to conquer a high mountain or infiltrate an enemy base. It controls the same way as your raven, but now you can traverse high areas with much more ease.
With the power of a Muspel, you temporarily turn into a fire giant. You are then immune to fire, which is very useful when lava is pouring out of the ground. The coolest power is the one with which you automatically bring the dead back to life, after which they will fight for you.
Depending on how you liked Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dawn of Ragnarok can go either way. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it's not the same rehashed stuff either. It adds a new twist on already existing mechanics and gives the player more freedom in gameplay than the base game. If you're a fan of the Norse mythology in the game, you surely won't be disappointed with this expansion at all.
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