Yes, Valhalla‘s DLC is Worth Playing for Fans

As an avid Assassin‘s Creed fan whose sunk over 200 hours into Valhalla, I can confidently say the DLC is worth playing if you enjoyed the base game. While not without flaws, the expansions provide compelling new areas to explore, abilities to master, gear to collect, and stories to uncover. For those wanting more, they deliver.

Overview: Big Expansions with New Maps and Mechanics

Valhalla has 3 major DLC packs, each offering around 15-35 hours of new content:

• Wrath of the Druids – 15 hours – Ireland
• Siege of Paris – 15 hours – France
• Dawn of Ragnarok – 35+ hours – Mythical Realm

The DLCs cost $25 individually or $40 for the season pass. Each adds a new map region, gear, abilities, and narrative arc extending the base game. Let‘s dive deeper into what you get.

Wrath of the Druids – A Beautiful Detour to Ireland

Wrath of the Druids brings players to a gorgeous new Ireland map, home of Celtic druid legends and rich sacred forests. As a history buff, I loved exploring this region and uncovering its secrets.

Pros:

• Vibrant, emerald green landscapes straight out of a fairy tale
• Fascinating Celtic characters and druidic cult storyline
• Fun new gameplay features like animal taming
• Around 15 hours of quality content

Cons:

• Story felt rushed – I wanted more time with the druidic characters
• Very similar to base gameplay – nothing too innovative

Verdict: This is a solid, beautiful expansion. The Celtic vibes enrich the experience. I wish the story was longer, but had a blast exploring Ireland.

8/10 – Would recommend to fans of landscapes and mythology.

Siege of Paris – A Refreshing Urban Stealth Focus

Siege of Paris brings Eivor to a stunning recreation of medieval Paris under siege. The urban setting allows for refreshing stealth-focused gameplay. I loved sneaking through the city at night.

Pros:

• Gorgeous Paris map and architecture
• Unique infiltration missions like heists and assassinations
• New combat-free approach with stealth gadgets
• Approximately 15 hours of great new content

Cons:

• Story doesn‘t do much with the French Revolution setting
• Parkour and combat feel identical to the base game

Verdict: This expansion benefits greatly from the urban gameplay variation. The stealth focus reinvigorated combat for me after 80+ hours in England.

8.5/10 – Highly recommended for the fun stealth missions.

Dawn of Ragnarok – A Massive Fantasy Realm

Dawn of Ragnarok is the largest expansion, adding a breathtaking fantasy realm to explore as the god Odin. With around 35 hours of content, it feels like a whole new game.

Pros:

• Huge mythical map with diverse biomes – icy mountains, lush forests, volcanic wastes
• Awesome new god powers adding magic to exploration and combat
• Most content of any expansion – 35+ hours easily
• Focus on Norse mythology and fantasy is very refreshing after England

Cons:

• Bloated with repetitive side content like wealth chests and artifacts
• Main story felt short and lacked depth
• Powers could have been expanded on more

Verdict: The beautiful world and fun powers make this a must-play for fans. But questionable design decisions and weak narrative hold it back from greatness.

8/10 – Play it for the original setting despite flaws.

Worth Replaying? Not Really.

I don‘t see myself replaying the DLCs anytime soon. The new narratives just aren‘t compelling enough compared to the base game‘s story. And the open worlds, while gorgeous, are bloated with repetitive content like wealth chests that get old after your first playthrough.

However, I‘m glad I experienced the DLCs once each. They provided newbuilds and areas I enjoyed sinking another 75+ hours into. But for replays, I‘ll stick to the main England map.

Verdict: Valhalla DLC is Enjoyable but Flawed

In summary, I recommend trying Valhalla‘s expansions if you‘re craving more after the base game. They provide beautiful new settings and gameplay ideas that kept me engaged for 75+ additional hours.

However, issues like repetitive design and rushed plots prevent them from rivaling Valhalla‘s main story and map. Treat them as fun one-time detours rather than essential replays.

As a huge Assassin‘s Creed fan, I ultimately don‘t regret purchasing the DLC season pass and I don‘t think most fans will either. But potential improvements like richer stories and less repetitive objectives could have made themmodern masterpieces.

If you love Valhalla‘s world and viking action, I encourage giving the expansions a shot. Just don‘t expect them to reinvent the wheel.