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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Hands-On Impressions: How Combat Works

We recently had a chance to play three hours of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and there is a lot to unpack and understand about Ubisoft’s latest entry in its stealthy-stabby series.

In a new video, Jess, Ed, and Jordan speak about their impressions from playing a chunk of the game, covering things like historical accuracy, fantastical elements, and, of course, the combat. Ed says he found the combat to be more complex than in past entries, leaning more towards a Dark Souls-style experience. Valhalla has dual-wielding weapons, too, and epic finishing moves that emphasize the game’s overall focus on highlighting the brutality of the Vikings.

Also in the video, we discuss Valhalla’s various skills and abilities that you can unlock. It looks like Ubisoft is going very deep again this year to let you play with style and flair. Valhalla also includes a new Raid feature where players can take their crew to an encampment and wipe out its inhabitants and then scour the location for treasure. Be sure to watch the full video to hear everything that Jess, Ed, and Jordan had to say about their time with Valhalla.

Valhalla launches later this year for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, while people picking up the PS5 or Xbox Series X will be able to play the game on those next-gen consoles, too.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Possibly Points to Next-Gen Console Launch Window

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla will be released for Xbox One, PS4 and PC on November 17. We know the game will also be a launch title for Xbox Series X and PS5, presumably meaning those consoles will arrive on or after November 17.

Shown off at today’s Ubisoft Forward event, a gameplay deep-dive showed work-in-progress footage showing a female Eivor on a raid down English rivers, using a warhorn to set her crew on English village defences. Crews will assist on all raids, including to use siege weapons, and to carry heavy loot. The game will include more enemy types than any previous Assassin’s Creed game, including some that work in tandem, or use environment objects to attack you (including dead bodies).

We also saw a look at the game’s settlement system, including its Alliance Map, which shows the alliances you’ve made across Britain. A weapon overview showed off how the game will use dual wielding across any weapon types, and a stealth overview showed how the game will let you use disguises.

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IGN also went hands-on with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and learned a bit about the role the Animus will play in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Valhalla will also be seeing the release of several expanded stories in comic book, novel, and other forms. Here’s everything Valhalla players can expect separately available:

  • On July 17, a seven-song EP taken from the official soundtrack featuring original compositions from Jesper Kyd and Sarah Schachner as well as an original song by Einar Selvik, will be available to listen to on Spotify and purchase on iTunes. Spotify pre-save and iTunes pre-order are available now and the full soundtrack will be released at a later date.
  • The Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Geirmund’s Saga novel, written by Matthew J. Kirby, will tell an original story set in the world of the game. Players will discover the epic tale of Geirmund Hellskin, a man determined to prove his worth as a Viking and a warrior who joins the ranks of King Guthrum’s army to participate in the invasion of England. The book cover will be revealed on renowned Korean artist Jung Gi Kim’s Instagram account in late July.
  • Dark Horse Comics will release Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Song of Glory, a comic series written by Cavan Scott, illustrated by Martin Tunica and colored by Michael Atiyeh. In this prequel to the game, fearless Vikings Eivor and Sigurd embark on separate adventures to show their mettle and seek glory. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Song of Glory #1 (of three) will be in comic shops on October 21, 2020.
  • Finally, The Art of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and The Art of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Deluxe Edition will invite readers on a visual journey through the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – a world defined by the harsh beauty of Viking life, rich with fascinating characters and breathtaking landscapes. This book offers an enticing collection of art and commentary that is sure to attract returning fans and newcomers alike.

Before the event, we saw two separate leaks of AC: Valhalla gameplay, a 30 minute chunk that included siege warfare, and a boss fight against a mystical figure called Cordelia.

We’ve seen a lot of Valhalla ahead of this announcement. After its reveal event, we learned 44 gameplay details, heard about its open world activities (including Viking rap battles), and got a little look at its evolving settlement.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Drops to $49.94 on PS4 and Xbox One / Series X

The next game in Ubisoft’s long-running historical series is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It’s coming November 17 to Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Stadia, and “soon” to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. You play as Eivor, a Viking warrior who leads a clan out of Norway and begins raiding English towns during the Dark Ages. When you’re not looting and plundering, you can build and grow your own settlement to gain power in the region. Eivor can be male or female, and the game features a new combat system that includes dual-wielding weapons. You can read more in our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla reveal.

As usual with major Ubisoft releases, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be available in a number of editions. Here’s a look at what comes in each one, plus details about what preorder bonuses to expect. Note: the next-gen versions of the game are not yet up for preorder, but if you buy the Xbox One version, you’ll get the Xbox Series X version for free.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Standard Edition

assassins-creed-valhalla-standard-editionPS4

Xbox One / Xbox Series X

PC

The standard edition comes with the game itself, as well as the preorder bonus (see below).

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gold Edition

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Xbox One / Xbox Series X

PC

The gold edition includes the game itself, as well as the season pass.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Ultimate Edition

assassins-creed-valhalla-ultimate-edition

PS4

Xbox One / Xbox Series X

PC

The ultimate edition comes with the game, the season pass, and the Ultimate Pack, which includes the following exclusive customization content: the Berserker Gear Pack, the Berserker Settlement Pack and the Berserker Longship Pack, along with a Set of Runes to improve weapons or gear.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Collector’s Edition

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The Ubisoft Store-exclusive collector’s edition includes the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack, a high-end Ubicollectibles replica of Eivor and her longship (30 cm high), a Collector’s Case, a SteelBook with unique artwork, a numbered certificate of authenticity, a Viking Statuette of Eivor with a raven and Dane axe (5 cm high), exclusive lithographs as well as a selected soundtrack of the game.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Preorder Bonus

assassins-creed-valhalla-preorder-bonusEveryone who preorders Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will receive an additional mission called The Way of the Berserker, “in which players will join a legendary Norse Berserker on his quest for revenge.”

Other Preorder Guides

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Hyper Scape Open Beta Begins

Hyper Scape has gone into open beta on PC.

The new battle royale is currently playable only on PC (but will come to consoles at a later date). The open beta will be broadly familiar to those who’ve played the previous technical tests, but adds a new weapon, a new hack ability, and include a free 30-tier battle pass.

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A new CG trailer explained the story behind the game, explaining that in 2054, the world’s population spends time in a virtual reality realm called the Hyper Scape, primarily playing a game called Crown Rush. However, Crown Rush has been hacked, which will presumably make up the game’s ongoing storyline.

A gameplay explanation showed off how the game will integrate Twitch votes to affect live games, and a developer update explained how costumes added each season could point to the ongoing story.

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Revealed earlier this month, Hyper Scape has since been running invite-only technical tests. We got our hands on the game, and said that, while it undoubtedly brings some fun ideas to the mix, “Hyper Scape may need to reveal another killer feature or two before it can guarantee itself a spot on the battle royale podium.”

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Watch Dogs Legion: Release Date Revealed

Watch Dogs Legion will be released on October 29, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and PC (for Epic Games Store and Uplay).

Shown off at today’s Ubisoft Forward event, Xbox’s Phil Spencer added that the game will support Smart Delivery between Xbox One and Xbox Series X, with the latter version using Direct X Raytracing. A store page later confirmed that free upgrades will also be available between PS4 and PS5 versions.

We got a look at a live-action/CG trailer for the game’s dystopian themes and futuristic London setting. We also saw a series of gameplay clips, showing London’s Dedsec in action.

We saw recruitment profiling, differences in dialogue between procedurally generated characters, and a look at the game’s story – featuring a mysterious terrorist cell, London’s new PMC police group, Albion, and the Kelly Gang, led by Mary Kelly.

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Mission gameplay shows a series of Dedsec operatives attempting to break into the Tower of London, including a contruction worker armed with a wrench, nailgun and a cargo drone. It then shows the same mission attempted by a more stealth oriented drone expert, who uses surveillance and spider drones, and an Albion officer who can simply walk through the Tower’s defences.

A separate mission sees Dedsec attempting to disrupt an organ farming operation from the perspective of a drunk football fan (who passes out) and a John Wick-like hitman, able to take down swathes of security. It’s a confident showing of quite how different Legion can be for every player.

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We got a new hands-on with Watch Dogs Legion ahead of the announcement, and called Ubisoft’s new London “a world of compelling stories”. We also spoke to creative director Clint Hocking, who explained to us how the game’s delay from March to October actually improved multiple parts of the game.

After previous hands-on previews of the game, we called said Watch Dogs Legion is unlike any other Ubisoft game. We’ve previously learned how its “Play As Anyone” system actually works, and been told the game will at some point come to PS5 and Xbox Series X.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Preorder Watch Dogs: Legion for $49.94 (PS4, Xbox One)

Watch Dogs: Legion is set to release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 29, with a next-gen version coming at some point after that. (The Xbox One version is confirmed to get a free upgrade to the Series X version). The third installment in the futuristic tech-focused franchise is headed up by Clint Hocking, the creative director of Far Cry 2, and is set in an open-world version of London. When you need a specialist in your fight against the overbearing government, you can recruit (and play as) any NPC in the world, from hardened criminals to… (checks notes)… grannies?

If you’re ready to lock in your preorder for Watch Dogs: Legion, you’re going to want to know what comes in each edition, how much it costs, and where you can get it. Let’s get to it, shall we?

Watch Dogs: Legion Standard Edition

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Xbox One / Series X

PC

The standard edition of Watch Dogs: Legion comes with the game and any applicable preorder-bonuses (see below).

Watch Dogs: Legion Gold Steelbook Edition

watch-dogs-legion-gold-editionPS4

Xbox One / Series X

PC

Physical versions of the Gold Edition come with a steelbook case. All versions come with the following:

  • Physical copies come with a Steelbook Case
  • 3-Day Early Access
  • Season Pass

Watch Dogs: Legion Ultimate Edition

Watch_Dogs_Legion_UE_USPS4

Xbox One / Series X

PC

The steelbook ultimate edition is exclusive to GameStop, but the digital version is available elsewhere. It comes with the game, any applicable preorder bonuses, and following digital items:

  • Season Pass
  • 3-Day Early Access
  • Urban Jungle Pack
  • 4-Week VIP Status

Watch Dogs: Legion Collector’s Edition

Watch_Dogs_Legion_CE_USPS4, Xbox One, and PC

The collector’s edition is an Ubisoft Store exclusive, and it comes with the game, preorder bonuses, and following items:

Physical items

  • Lighting Ded Coronet Mask (38 CM)
  • Exclusive Steelbook
  • Collector’s Edition Box
  • Double-sided Propaganda Poster
  • 3 Stickers

Digital items

  • Season Pass
  • 3-Day Early Access
  • Urban Jungle Pack
  • 4-Week VIP Status
  • In-Game Mask

Watch Dogs Preorder Bonuses

Preorder Watch Dogs: Legion, and you’ll receive the Golden King Pack, which comes with the following digital items:

  • Lux Car Skin
  • Uneasy Lies Mask Skin
  • Serpent Sisters Gun Skin

And here are the retailer-exclusive preorder bonuses:

  • Best Buy – $10 Reward Certificate for My Best Buy members

Other Preorder Guides

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Ubisoft Forward: Everything Announced and Shown

Ubisoft Forward is the first all-digital showcase from the French publisher, and promised to bring major announcements from across its slate.

We even heard that there will be a second Ubisoft Forward event coming later this year. Here’s everything we’ve learned during today’s event:

Far Cry 6

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After several leaks earlier this week, Ubisoft officially announced Far Cry 6 for a February 2021 release. The reveal showcased Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian actor Giancarlo Esposito in a new role.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

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Announced earlier this year, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has been confirmed for a November 17 release date on Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Stadia. Ubisoft re-confirmed the upcoming adventure is also set for Xbox Series X and PS5, but did not offer a release date for it on those systems.

Hyper Scape

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Ubisoft announced Hyper Scape, the company’s new battle royale, is now available in open beta starting today. Alongside that, Ubisoft confirmed a new weapon, new hack, and new 30-tier battle pass have been added to the game.

Watch Dogs Legion

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Ubisoft announced Watch Dogs Legion will be released on October 29, 2020. Alongside the release date, Ubisoft showcased more of Legion’s ambitious gameplay, which allows players to essentially recruit any NPC and make them a playable character.

Watch the new gameplay above, and check out a new trailer for Watch Dogs below.

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Brawlhalla

Brawlhalla will be coming to iOS and Android devices, Ubisoft announced during its Ubisoft Forward event. The mobile versions will feature crossplay, and are set to be released on August 6.

Just Dance 2020

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Just Dance 2020’s Season 3 will bring three new songs, three returning songs, and a new playlist. The Season 3 trailer introduced “Hype” by Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris, “La Respuesta” by Becky G Ft. Maluma, and “Crayon” by G-Dragon.

Three returning songs will be “Barbra Streisand (2019 Edit)” by Duck Sauce, “Giddy on Up (Giddy on Out)” by Laura Bell Bundy, and “Mas Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes ft. The Black Eyed Peas.

This update will be released on July 23.

The Crew 2

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Ubisoft previewed what’s coming in August, including the Flashy 80’s update as part of the Summer in Hollywood, which will include legendary 80’s cars like the DeLorean.

Trials: Rising

On Thursday, July 16, Trials: Rising will be getting the Gigatrack, the longest track in Trials franchise history. It will be free for all players.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

Ghost Recon Breakpoint will receive a free Title Update, 2.1.0 on July 15. Most notably, it adds AI teammates to the game for the first time, letting solo players choose whether they want a squad of operators to play with, who will have the same abilities as player-controlled characters. Solo players will be able to give orders to and customize the gear of AI teammates.

The update will also add a new limited-time event, Resistance!, beginning on July 16. The event will see players attempting to save prisoners, attack outposts and stop convoys. Playing the event will unlock 14 new rewards, available until July 29. The update also adds Ghost War PvP content, including item drop functionality and community-requested improvements.

Updating… stay tuned for more!

Disney+ Adds X-Men: Days of Future Past, Leaves Hugh Jackman’s Bare Butt Uncensored

X-Men: Days of Future Past has arrived on Disney+, a family-friendly streaming platform that took a bit of heat back in April for editing out Daryl Hannah’s naked bottom in the 1984 Tom Hanks movie, Splash.

Now Disney+ and “butts” are making the news again, but this time it’s because Hugh Jackman’s bare butt, as Wolverine, was left intact in Days of Future Past.

Jackman himself shared the picture (with his butt covered up by an emoji) along with other images from the film on Instagram along with the message “Days Of Future Past becomes the first movie to air on Disney+ uncensored. That was my future but let’s be honest … it’s more like my past.”

And it wouldn’t be a Jackman post without a lovable response from Ryan Reynolds, who wrote “Excited for them to do the same for Deadpool. It’s time children knew. #Samesies.”

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The movie, notably, also has one F-bomb, which is the most any movie can have and still receive a PG-13 rating. This is why Hamilton was censored to change two of its three F-bombs for its Disney+ debut.

So why the double standard here? Why was Hannah’s backside edited out while Jackman’s was left in? Is it hypocrisy or is Disney+ now, just a couple months later, moving toward slightly edgier content that might allow for a few more non-“family friendly” PG-13 films. Like X-Men: First Class.

2000’s X-Men celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, so why not celebrate by watching a behind-the-scenes on how all the fight scenes came together?

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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.