My Brother Is Always Very Careful With The Company He Keeps. If You Are Standing Safely Beside Him, He

My brother is always very careful with the company he keeps. If you are standing safely beside him, he must like you.

ON MY HANDS AND KNEES

WHAT A MAN

Eivor: I'm adopting a child.

Ceolbert: That's gre-"

Eivor: *Slams adoption papers down on the table* It's you, sgn here

#ACVPThursday Rafiq's Request - Captures from Horseback/Mounted

I know you are Danish, but as a Dane what do you think of Valhalla as a game? (I’ve always wondered what a local person would think of a representation of their country history). How does it feel seeing your history and potential ancestors on there?

Oh, I could write a novel on this. 😅

Even if Eivor hails from Norway, most Vikings who conquered, settled and raided in England - came from Denmark. A fact you'll oddly enough find most Danes proud of. Nonetheless, AC Valhalla has a super interesting take on it and still manages to apply real historical context - despite the game being fictional. With most Danes being able to track their ancestry back to Odin, and taking pride in their Viking heritage, AC Valhalla had a challenge ahead of them. But I genuinely feel like they've written us a beautiful love letter while staying true to the franchise.

Having grown up with Norse Mythology, though, and having had an insatiable interest in it since my first encounters with it as a child, that is what truly piques my interest. Norse Mythology is such an incredibly fun and human experience. A story and a world that translates well into a setting such as AC Valhalla. And not only because of the historical context.

The representation of mythological characters, the gods (æsir and vanir alike), the jötnar and dwarves are, in my opinion, fantastic.

Odin's arrogance, his hunger for power and knowledge, with just a touch of something playful.

Loki's mischievous nature, his cunning and intelligence - how he seems to believe the impossible to be improbable, and like a riddle to be solved.

Frigg's motherly determination.

Freyja's smarts and passion - how they remember that she's not only a goddess of love but also a goddess of war.

Each god has different qualities, weaknesses, and attributes. In Norse Mythology, an important characteristic is how the gods exhibit a plethora of human traits, behaving much like humans with emotions and interpersonal conflicts. The gods were meant to serve as role models, showing humans how to live and which rules to follow – and which ones could be broken. The existence of the gods was just as fraught with problems as that of humans, and their primary task was to ensure that chaos did not erupt. They're meant to be relatable - human - in their person and behaviour. And this is something I feel AC Valhalla shows and explores well.

The narrative of AC Valhalla doesn't shy away from presenting Odin's choices in a morally ambiguous light. The impact of Odin's decisions on the world around him, including the relationships with other Isu (Loki especially) and the well-being of Ásgarðr, serves as a reminder of the intricate web of cause and effect. While Odin's decisions, driven by a mix of self-preservation and concern for his people (or family), blur the lines between right and wrong. The game invites players to question the morality of Odin's choices, fostering a deeper engagement with and understanding of his character. Even as an Isu, a God, even as he believes himself infallible: Odin is human. He's flawed.

And it reflects in Eivor. She's confident in herself, and in her abilities, sometimes verging on arrogant. But through her discoveries and development throughout the game, she's humbled and realises what is truly important to her, which eventually leads to her rejection of Odin. Her whole experience and journey are so authentically human. Her emotions, her experiences, and her relationship with Odin. Finding herself, despite what whispers in her ear, and realising what holds her heart.

But this is something I feel the AC franchise does well: they tell stories that are unique to the human experience. Something that harmonizes well with the themes of Norse Mythology.

I feel they've done an amazing job with AC Valhalla. I genuinely love the game, I keep coming back to it; thinking about it. With AC Valhalla they've crafted a captivating and immersive experience that seamlessly blends the storytelling of Norse Mythology, Viking Culture, and the fictional aspects of Assassin's Creed, while beautifully conveying the complicated message of the human experience.

That's it.... I apologize for getting carried away 😅

What was the question again? 🤣

assassin's creed odyssey