Assassin's Creed Odyssey was a departure for the series in many ways. It took the franchise even further into RPG depths but also left behind a lot of classic features that defined the franchise for many. Now, Assassin's Creed Valhalla seems to be taking the best from both worlds, keeping many of those RPG elements and re-introducing features that have been skipped for some time now (or at least in the last game).
Joining the ranks of social stealth, the insta-kill hidden blade, and more in Assassin's Creed Valhalla are the Confessions, as confirmed by Narrative Director Darby McDevitt. Many fans will remember that assassinating targets often led to some exchange between the Assassin and the target, where the latter would praise the Templar Order, express guilt, or give the character some vital information. These often take places in the Memory Corridor of the game, which is often shared with its loading screen.
While images of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's confessions have yet to be revealed, it may be similar to its loading screen. In it, players can walk around as Eivor on water, with the ability to look up and see the Northern Lights. These may play a role in the confession scenes or may not.
The last title to include it was Assassin's Creed Origins, in which Bayek's psyche would further be explored as he deals with the traumatic death of his son, as well as the general loss he has endured as a result of the Order of Ancients. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense for Origins to include this feature, as it is the tale of the founding of the Hidden Ones, but not for Odyssey because it is so different.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla takes place 100 years or so before the first game, and while Eivor's relationship with the Hidden Ones has yet to be explored, it makes sense if they are hunting down targets and assassinating them. It'll be interesting to see what Eivor's confessions scenes look like in-game, but for now, fans will have to wait and see.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases November 17, 2020, for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions to follow.
