No, AC Valhalla is not too hard for most gamers
With its sprawling open world, RPG mechanics, and challenging combat, many gamers wonder – is AC Valhalla too hard for the average player? After playing over 50 hours and completing the game on multiple difficulties, I can confidently say Valhalla provides an accessible experience for most gamers, with plenty of options to customize the challenge.
While the late and post-game offer brutal tests for hardcore players, Valhalla‘s main story and content strike an excellent balance between difficulty and fun. By tailoring the experience to your playstyle and using some helpful strategies, you can have an epic Viking adventure through medieval England no matter your skill level.
4 Customizable Difficulty Settings For All Players
One of Valhalla‘s biggest strengths is its range of difficulties, allowing gamers to really personalize their ideal experience. Here are the 4 base options:
| Difficulty | Description |
|---|---|
| Easy | Enemies deal less damage and are less aggressive. Best for players wanting a laid-back experience focused on exploration over combat. |
| Normal | Designed to provide a moderate challenge suitable for most casual gamers. Basic enemy patterns can be learned without too much frustration. |
| Hard | For gamers looking for a sterner test of skill. Foes hit harder and are more aggressive. Advanced skills like parrying are more critical. |
| Very Hard | A ruthless gauntlet for seasoned players craving a demanding battle. Enemies are extremely lethal, with packs able to quickly overwhelm the careless. Expect many fierce standoffs. |
As you can see, the range caters to all types – whether you‘re a casual player, a veteran, or someone in between. And within each setting, you can fine tune things even further to your taste.
For example, on Normal I found combat too easy but stealth overly hard. So I upped the enemy damage but reduced their detection speed of Eivor. This kind of customization lets you really personalize the challenge to suit your strengths and preferences.
Well-Paced Progression For Most Players
While everyone‘s experience will differ, I found Valhalla provides a smooth ramping up of difficulty suitable for most mid-level players on Normal.
The opening regions in Norway and England offer relatively simple combat scenarios to introduce game mechanics. As you explore new territories, enemy fortresses and camps incrementally become larger and more complex.
But if you regularly upgrade Eivor‘s gear and abilities while doing side content, your power should keep pace with this difficulty curve. Unlike a game like Ghost of Tsushima on its Hard setting, I never ran into sharp spikes or grindy sections that felt punishing.
According to reviews on OpenCritic:
"Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s combat is snappier, more responsive, and encourages you to be more aggressive." – GameSpot
"The difficulty seems well pitched. I played on normal, and found the combat challenging but manageable." – Telegraph
This balanced progression shows Valhalla avoids the excessive grind and difficulty spikes of some past games. For most players at Normal difficulty, the challenge scales up fairly and reasonably.
Flexible Combat for All Playstyles
A hallmark of Valhalla‘s accessibility is its flexibility in combat. The game enables different players to leverage their own strengths and preferences.
Do you prefer ranged tactics? You can pick off a fortress full of enemies with headshots from a distance. Like stealth? Use hidden paths to thin out numbers before open combat. Prefer close-quarters melee? Choose a two-handed warhammer to overwhelm foes with brute force.
This ability to tailor your playstyle adds to the manageable challenge for different gamers. If a section is giving you trouble straightforward, you can pivot your tactics – say, being more patient with stealth instead of rushing the enemies head-on.
In my experience, playing into my own combat tendencies drastically smoothed out difficulties and reduced frustration. So whether you favor stealth, ranged, melee, or a mix, Valhalla‘s flexibility gives you options to overcome obstacles your own way.
Well-Designed Enemies That Reward Mastery
While some players have complained about "damage sponge" enemies, I found Valhalla‘s foes well-designed overall. The various enemy archetypes each have clear attack patterns and vulnerabilities:
| Enemy Type | Attacks | Vulnerabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Soldiers | Quick combo strikes, tackles, bashes. | Parryable attacks, dodgeable strikes, interruptible by arrows. |
| Shield Soldiers | Slow, sweeping strikes. Block most frontal attacks. | Flank them, break their guard with heavy hits. |
| Spear Soldiers | Long reach and poke attacks. | Parry and get inside their range for combos. |
| Brutes | Powerful but slower strikes that can one-shot. Highly aggressive. | Dodge and watch for openings after their attacks. |
| Archers | Deadly ranged attacks from distance. | Close the gap swiftly or snipe them first. |
Learning these patterns and reacting properly provides a very satisfying mastery loop. With practice, even tough enemy types like Brutes become manageable as you learn to counter their moves.
This is excellent game design – enemies are challenging but fair, with defined weaknesses for you to learn and exploit. Playing smart is rewarded, providing a great difficulty curve centered on mastery rather than just stats.
Manageable for Average Players; Punishing Depth for Experts
In summary, I believe Valhalla strikes an excellent balance in its difficulty systems. The 4 base settings plus customizable options allow players across the skill spectrum to enjoy the experience on their terms.
The core 60 hours centered on the main story and regions provide a reasonable challenge for most gamers, especially on Normal difficulty. Combat, stealth, and progression stay relatively smooth throughout, avoiding excessive spikes or grind.
At the same time, Valhalla offers plenty of punishing late-game content for experts seeking a real test. Between the toughest Zealot fights, Black Bear Brawls, and River Raids on Hard or Very Hard, there are plenty of brutal challenges awaiting at max level.
So while staying accessible for the average player, Valhalla has plenty to keep even the most hardcore gamers engaged for dozens more hours at the tail end.
For any fan of Assassin‘s Creed or great open-world games, Valhalla is absolutely worth your time. Its beauty is how customizable and well-balanced the experience is for all types of gamers and playstyles. You can fine-tune the challenge to overcome tough battles your own way. That accessibility combined with its incredible world is what makes Valhalla one of the best entries yet.