Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is an enormous game. If someone were to approach the game and its expansions with a completionist mentality, it would probably make more sense to measure completion time in days instead of hours. But despite already achieving a size that would seem excessive even to Jörmungandr, Ubisoft has unleashed another expansion titled Dawn of Ragnarok. This new expansion takes places to Svartalfheim, the realm of dwarves who are currently dealing with an invasive species known as Muspel, naturally hailing from Muspelheim. This expansion introduces new gameplay mechanics in the form of new powers to the player, but is this enough to delve back into the Nine Worlds?
Before going too far into the new content, let’s talk about how to access it. The recommended power level for Svartalfheim is 340 so basically this is meant to be end game, done everything there is to do in all the countries of Midgard type of content. But for those eager to dive right into hanging out with dwarves, there are three ways to access Dawn of Ragnarok. The first two ways involve existing characters who have raised Ravensthorpe to level 3. They will need to go to Valka’s hut and complete the Restless Dreams quest. Path to Svartalfheim one is for players with power level 340 to complete this quest and dive right in. Path to Svartalfheim two is just like path one, but for players who are significantly below the recommended power level. These players can go, but it’s recommended they drink the offered power boost. This raises their power level only in Svartalfheim to give them a fighting chance and loans them equipment that they have to return when they leave Svartalfheim. This is the recommended option for players who haven’t done everything in Valhalla, but don’t want to spend dozens of hours leveling up.
The third option for accessing Dawn of Ragnarok is for new players who just want to jump right into the expansion and don’t care about the base game at all. This way involves starting a new game on the main menu and selecting Dawn of Ragnarok. A new character will be generated at the appropriate power level with the right gear, but won’t be able to access any other part of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I suppose it’s nice that this option is available for people who are eager to play the new content, but it seems like overall the first two options are the better ways to experience it.
Under regular circumstances Dawn of Ragnarok begins after Eivor completes the Restless Dreams questline. After following the required steps, players are transported to Svartalfheim and step into the shoes of Havi. Havi is thrust into conflict with Surtr, though neither one of them is fated to die on this day. After the conflict ends with both parties alive, Havi is livid about Baldr being held in Muspel captivity. He ventures off with some dwarves to get much-needed powers to help traverse the land while hunting down his adversary to rescue his son.
The most noteworthy new feature that arrives with Dawn of Ragnarok is the Hugr-Rip. This device allows Havi to rip powers from his recently slain enemies. Havi can have two powers equipped at once, but he can’t carry all the different powers at once; he needs to pick and choose which powers he wants and absorb them from the corpses of his enemies. Some of these powers grants interesting abilities, such as using ice arrows to do teleport strikes, turn into a white raven to fly or give your weapons cryogenic properties that can freeze and shatter enemies. The power that seems to be in highest demand is that of a the Muspel, which allows Havi to walk on lava as if it were nothing instead of being incinerated in seconds. Lava is common in Svartalfheim, and the inclusion of lava and this power seem as they both exist simply to justify each other.
Svartalfheim does offer new activities for veteran viking-assassins. The dwarves are the dominant civilization and Havi’s main allies, so finding all the hidden shelters is something that can occupy some time. There’s a Valkyrie arena where Havi can take part in epic battles and gain bonuses by boasting about his conquests. Sinmara has three elite chosen warriors roaming the land, each with a piece of a unique Atgeir that can be restored to its former glory once the three are hunted down and killed. There’s lot to explore in the realm and giving an exhaustive list would take away from the sense of adventure and exploration, but rest assured there are more secrets to be unraveled.
While there are new additions to the gameplay, the wheel was not reinvented. As Havi continues the hunt for Surtr and explores the land, everything progresses in a way that will feel familiar to anyone who has spent a significant amount of time with the new game. Secrets become revealed while alliances and enemies play out in dramatic yet predictable ways. Traversing through the land following trails only visible through Odin Sight, fighting overpowered boss enemies and going on many raids to gather supplies are in no shortage in Svartalfheim. The new content does bring noteworthy changes to the gameplay, but as the saying goes, the more things change the more they stay the same.
Reviewing Dawn of Ragnarok conjures up mixed feelings about the content. On one hand it’s much more creative than the previous two expansions and feels like it offers greater depth in its exploration instead of the self-contained jaunts to Ireland and France. The Hugr-Rip’s power swapping ability does offer new changes the game mechanics that are fun though insignificant. The environmental design of Svartalfheim and its denizens give the feeling of being in a fantasy world that’s separate from a traditional Assassin’s Creed title. To increase the capabilities of the Hugr-Rip require Silica, which is achieved through raids that play out as they did in main game. While playing this content it’s easy to see that there are a lot of good ideas and it’s objectively not bad, but after logging over a hundred hours it’s difficult to find much excitement at the prospect of another forty hour DLC.
One of things to be grateful about Dawn of Ragnarok is its size on the hard drive. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla tips the scales at a bloated 112 GB (give or take) and with this content being ambitious as it is, there was fear about how many other games will have to be deleted. Thankfully it only tacks on an additional 13 GB, which isn’t terrible. The new environments in Svartalfheim are gorgeous to behold and there were few issues with framerate stability during the review. There were a few times when a previous save file had to be loaded due to issues with key figures in quests not appearing in the right area or being unable to interact with them, but thankfully after a few reloads the story was able to progress.
Closing Comments:
Dawn of Ragnarok is the most ambitious Valhalla DLC and arguably the most ambitious DLC out of the three new Assassin’s Creed games. This is the biggest thing it has going for it, but it may also be too ambitious for its own good. The new additions offered in this content breathe fresh air into the game, but despite these additions it’s still even more Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, a game that can last over 100 hours without any of the additional content. On one hand if someone were to only play one piece of expansion for Valhalla, this is the one to be prioritized, but after playing through the main game and previous expansions, it’s hard to find the motivation to return to Ravensthorpe.
