I’ve been quietly – and sometimes not so quietly – enjoying the sheer indulgence of Assassins Creed Valhalla during this holiday period. In particular I’ve been checking off various myth and history references, along with different slants on plays. There are also some decidedly tongue in cheek pop culture references that have made me sit up, especially as to my eyes they come from a place of cheekiness and joy.
Some sample references have included a version of the story of Grendel and his mother where you refuse to take credit and so the character of Beowulf is created by the writer as a stand-in. There’s also an extended set of interrelated missions about a deposed lord and his three daughters that I’m pretty sure is a King Lear reference. For me though there’s two sets of references that have really stood out.
The first of these is set in the Weald and features a boy alone in the wood next to a big tree, trying to secure some honey for his friend who has been looking after him. Its a quiet little mission that does indeed have a bear (called Winifred) appear, eat the honey, and then amble off into the woods to play. The tree is a pretty good facsimile of the classic illustration of the tree from Winnie the Pooh, and you can carry it.
The second is in Essex, on the edges of Epping Forest, where a band is being harrassed by a priest who objects to their music. The lead singer, both in dialogue and visual appearance, is called Keith – and the whole thing is a very silly easter egg reference to The Prodigy. It is irredeemably daft and I love it for its sheer indulgence.
I’m a sucker for deep lore dives in games, let alone pointers to places and history I’m familiar with. I’ve been smiling with the memory of these moments, and that’s no bad thing.
TimMaidment.Com 