Assassin's Creed Valhalla doesn't have traditional side quests, and there's a good reason why
Assassin's Creed Valhalla won't bring back the same quest divide seen in Origins and Odyssey.
The story of Assassin's Creed Valhalla follows an invading Viking and their flock, who arrive at the English Isles in search of a place to settle and more fertile lands.
This is why it didn't make sense for protagonist Eivor to be checking off major and minor quests as they make their way across England. Narrative director Darby McDevitt explained to Gamespot that the main story arcs will be bigger and more directed, but players will have to discover everything else on their own.
McDevitt added that it wouldn't make sense for an invader to be taking side quests from locals. Eivor, as McDevitt pointed out, has a long road ahead of them to win the trust of locals and change their perception of Vikings.
As for how to get to this side content, McDevitt wasn't specific, though he did say that you'll have to seek them out all across the game's world, which means there's a bigger emphasis on exploration in Valhalla. We actually got to see a little bit of that in yesterday's gameplay debut with the cat Eivor convinced to join their raiding party.
This new approach to side content is certainly interesting, particularly given how much Valhalla is inspired by The Witcher 3. Hit the link for our hands-on impressions.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla is out November 17 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Stadia. You can preorder it in the US from Amazon here. Or in the UK it's right here on Amazon.