Bubbling lava seeps over Svartalfheim’s once green surface, meandering past its proud towering Tolkien-esque statues and golden mountains. Molten debris now fills its sky and falls ominously downward from above. The dwarven kingdom has been torn apart by fiery invaders, and Odin, considered the protector of the Nine Realms, is reluctant to intervene. Now, finally, the Norse gods have come to deal with the predatory Muspels – but only to hunt down those who have captured the beloved son Baldr.
It’s been a while since I last wandered the fantasy world of Valhalla, and the game’s mythologically-inspired area weaves accompanying stories into its largely Nordic narrative. (I’ll try to avoid spoilers.) For most players, Asgard and Jotunheim are an interesting diversion from the Saxon Holocaust, with a chance to see some of the bigger ones in the Viking/Marvel Cinematic Universe mythology name and place. For Assassin’s Creed diehards, they’re also a window into the series’ long-running story threads. Here, Dawn of Ragnarok offers a broader mythological storyline that remains grounded and approachable enough for all players, even if the expansion is fully immersed in fantasy and layered on a new set of systems.
Svartalfheim is a land where, playing Odin, you finally feel like a god. With new powertrains and new abilities, outfitted with supercharged gear and dramatic scenery, Ragnarok emerges as a powerful expansion that builds on the current Valhalla gear endgame with more fireworks, It also centers on its version of Odin, allowing players to delve deeper into its mysterious star. Its story takes place after the mythology portion of the main game, but before the much-predicted Ragnarok itself, filling in more details about Odin’s life and motivations. Several faces – some expected, some not – will come back to accompany you. There’s more to Eivor himself, neatly ending the main game in a handful of scenes.
Dawn of Ragnarok is primarily designed as an endgame expansion for those who have mastered Valhalla’s basic systems and completed its main plot. Still, the game’s Asgard and Jotunheim storylines are briefly reviewed, and there’s even an option to jump right into the action (upgrade immediately if necessary) if you really like it. Otherwise, Dawn of Ragnarok is largely its own adventure, finding the previously unseen Baldr as its macguffin. It’s a shame Odin’s son didn’t get screentime in the main game, and the bond between the two wasn’t established before. There isn’t much time here either, as Baldr embarks on an adventure that has already been kidnapped, and the relationship between father and son is only touched upon in expository dialogue and slightly awkward text screens.
Instead, Odin spends time with dwarves — lots and lots of dwarves — and the expansion does a good job of showing God’s true colors by interacting with them. Here are some well-drawn characters (plus another riff on Valhalla’s Welsh accent joke, and a dwarf conspiracy theorist who denies the invasion), and just chat with various vendors and NPCs to discover many story. The writing of the entire expansion is often lyrical in its old-fashioned phrasing, while much of the dub work is performed perfectly by Odin/Ivor actor Magnus Bruhn, whose warm, husky voice makes you Bent over to listen, as if to soothe a log fire that crackles softly.
Dawn of Ragnarok is most interesting when we catch a glimpse of Odin speaking in his truest self. They were friendly to the dwarves – now mostly refugees living in underground shelters – but not overly remorseful, sometimes downright manipulative, for letting dwarven lands fall. Odin’s journey to Svartalfheim is all about finding Baldr and his obsession with avoiding Ragnarök, and the decision to get out of the invader kingdom is often portrayed as a neat coincidence of ambition. There are also some great moments here with the family of Odin’s nemesis, King Surtur of Musfir, who all had time to shine.
Meanwhile, back in Viking England, this expansion is framed by a moment with Eivor, who once again experiences Odin’s memories through a potion-induced dream. There’s a bit more here than I expected (you can go in and out of Svartaffheim as you like after the intro sequence of the expansion), and I love the short and engaging bonfire story that awaits Ivor after Ivor comes back, because She tried to process the vision she saw. (Are these the last interactions we’ll have with Eivor and her clan, before what happens next in the franchise? That seems likely, and there’s a sense of conclusion here, including some old-faced fans returning, when You go back to Laventhorpe again.)
These brief moments with Eivor also underscore how powerful Odin feels in comparison, tearing around Svartalfheim, fueled by a slew of new abilities that unleash god-like abilities. Using the new Hugr-rip gadget, Odin can use Fire (immune to lava), Ice (smash enemies), Respawn (revive fallen enemies to move around you), Teleport (by firing arrows at specific points), and Fly ( Lets you traverse like a crow and land on enemies, assassinating them instantly).
This new set of skills is checked by a new energy meter, and your Hugr meter can be replenished by fighting, hunting, or blooming flowers that you can explore and seek. (Hugr is essentially described as a life force that can be harvested.) Only two skills can be locked into your gadget at a time, other skills can be regained from certain enemies (fire from Muspels, from Giant Ravens flight, etc.). Skills can also be upgraded to more powerful versions, and the Hugr-rip itself can be customized to suit different play styles. One option allows you to choose from three active skills instead of the usual two, while the other – my favorite – allows you to extend the duration of the meter by combining skills with precise timing.
Managing your new Hugr meter, as well as balancing the skills you may need at a given point in time, adds a new dimension to your time in Svartalfheim. You’ll use your powers most often in combat, which usually happens in lava-filled environments that require your fire skill to activate, enemies kill to ensure your meter stays full and you don’t die in fiery heat. Alternatively, these same skills can be used to avoid combat, allowing you to sneak through troops disguised as Muspel or Jotun.
The same abilities are often used for exploration and puzzle solving – such as navigating through crevices in cave systems to find hidden treasure, or taking a dwarf who has gone the wrong way through a lava field. Perhaps the most notable use of crow power is to touch the fiery boulders that hang in the sky of Svartavheim. These are simple locations, but have particularly useful upgrade materials and present an interesting challenge to fight on. I couldn’t help laughing when the enemy managed to kick me into the air, and I fell for the full 20 seconds until I finally hit the ground below. Thankfully, the game’s new hallowed gear quality finally adds the ability to remove fall damage (you can toggle) – something I’ve been missing since the days of the Odyssey.
In addition to the main activity, which I spent about 15 hours on, there are a few activities that last longer and leave you to find out for yourself. Dwarves need to be rescued, alpha enemies need to be defeated, and world events need to be uncovered – sometimes resulting in unexpected, complex sequences. A simple acquisition quest I started that ended with Odin in jail was a neat homage to the typical video game “ripping the hero’s gear” sequence. Another puzzle involving beams of light has a wonderful Easter egg related to cats. Diving into another area, I found a strange suit of armor in need of purification, setting me on another adventure. Yes, hidden away, fans of Assassin’s Creed will find a new Isu legend or two.
It’s not perfect. Raids are back, albeit inexplicably with the same Viking crew from Eivor, which doesn’t make much sense and only slows the process down when your divine powers have to stop and let an NPC help you open a door. The expanded massive battle arena unlocks fancy gear tries to keep things fresh by introducing some interesting modifiers, though it still takes hours of grinding to get it all. Lastly, and most importantly, the expansion’s story ends a bit abruptly – leaving the game a bit disappointing, making sure the world is in a state you can certainly still revel in afterwards. After reading it, I went to watch the mythical ending sequence of the main game and felt a little satisfied.
But for the most part, Dawn of Ragnarok is an expansion pack to indulge in, full of stories big and small, told by fire giants and brave dwarves, and presented in an engaging way. Valhalla’s saga stretches on and the game’s content feast grows massive, but it’s the richest and most challenging addition since its release — and a satisfying devour.
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