Bubbling lava oozes over the once-green surface of Svartalfheim, snaking past its proud, towering Tolkien-esque statues and mountains of gold. Molten fragments now fill its sky, and bear down ominously from above. This dwarven realm has been torn apart by fiery invaders while Odin, supposed protector of the Nine Realms, did not care to intervene. Now, finally, the Norse god has arrived to tackle the marauding Muspels – but only in pursuit of those who have captured Baldr, a beloved son.
It’s been some time since I last wandered Valhalla’s dreamworlds, the game’s mythology-inspired areas that weave a companion tale to its main Norse narrative. (I will try my best to avoid spoilers here.) For most players, Asgard and Jotunheim were a fun diversion from Saxon slaughter, a chance to sightsee some of the bigger names and places in Viking/Marvel Cinematic Universe mythology. For Assassin’s Creed diehards, they were also a window into the franchise’s longer-running story threads. Here, Dawn of Ragnarök serves up a more expansive mythological storyline that’s still grounded and approachable enough for all players, even as the expansion immerses itself fully into fantasy, and layers on a fresh set of systems.
