Info about Assassin's Creed Valhalla:

Official game description:
Comparison Grid
===============
Complete Edition
================
The Complete Edition includes:
------------------------------
\- The base game
\- Dawn of Ragnarök major expansion
\- Season Pass: 2 expansions (Wrath of the Druids, The Siege of Paris) and 1 quest (Legend of Beowulf)
\- Berserker Pack: gear, settlement, longship packs, and a set of runes
Play as a Viking warrior in this action-adventure game set in England’s Dark Ages. Explore a dynamic open world, raid your enemies, and grow your settlement to earn your place among the gods in Valhalla...
BUILD YOUR OWN VIKING LEGEND
Become Eivor, a mighty Viking raider, and lead your clan. Advanced RPG mechanics allow you to influence the world around you. With every choice you make, from political alliances and combat strategy, to dialogue and gear progression, carve your path to glory!
EXPLORE A DARK AGE WORLD
Sail from Norway’s icy coasts to England’s lush kingdoms. Roam a vast open world, hunt legendary beasts, and lay bare the secrets of a fractured land.
EXPERIENCE VISCERAL COMBAT
Unleash the ruthless fighting style of a Viking warrior and dual wield axes, swords, or even shields against fierce, relentless foes. Choose your tactics and dismember opponents in close-quarters combat, riddle them with arrows, or assassinate them with your Hidden Blade.
GROW YOUR SETTLEMENT
Construct and upgrade buildings that allow for deep customization, including a barracks, a smithy, a tattoo parlor, and more. Recruit new members to your clan and personalize your Viking experience.
Ragnarok Edition
================
Ragnarök Edition sisältää peruspelin ja Dawn of Ragnarök ‑suurlaajennuksen, jossa  
\- pääset käyttämään uusia jumalaisia voimia Odinin, viikinkien taistelun ja viisauden jumalan ilmentymänä  
\- voit tutkia myyttistä uutta maailmaa  
\- kohtaat brutaaleja jää- ja tulivihollisia.
Deluxe Edition
==============
The Deluxe Edition includes the base game and the Berserker Pack:
-----------------------------------------------------------------
\- Settlement Pack: customize your settlement in England
\- Gear Pack: a bearded axe, a raven skin, a wolf mount, and more
\- Longship Pack: a majestic longship with a unique figurehead and sails
\- A Set of Runes: to sharpen weapons or improve gear
About the Game
==============
BUILD YOUR OWN VIKING LEGEND
----------------------------
Become Eivor, a mighty Viking raider, and lead your clan. Advanced RPG mechanics allow you to influence the world around you. With every choice you make, from political alliances and combat strategy, to dialogue and gear progression, carve your path to glory!
EXPLORE A DARK AGE WORLD
------------------------
Sail from Norway’s icy coasts to England’s lush kingdoms. Roam a vast open world, hunt legendary beasts, and lay bare the secrets of a fractured land.
EXPERIENCE VISCERAL COMBAT
--------------------------
Unleash the ruthless fighting style of a Viking warrior and dual wield axes, swords, or even shields against fierce, relentless foes. Choose your tactics and dismember opponents in close-quarters combat, riddle them with arrows, or assassinate them with your Hidden Blade.
GROW YOUR SETTLEMENT
--------------------
Construct and upgrade buildings that allow for deep customization, including a barracks, a smithy, a tattoo parlor, and more. Recruit new members to your clan and personalize your Viking experience.

Release date: Dec 6, 2022

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Action RPG, Character Customization, Settlement Building, Combat, Exploration, Story-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 85; verdict: Predatory Monetization; summary: The game faces significant criticism for its overpriced DLCs, aggressive monetization strategies, and the inclusion of microtransactions and pay-to-win elements. These issues are seen as predatory and detract from the overall user experience, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction among players.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The primary issues highlighted by users involve frequent interruptions in gameplay due to the need to consult external guides, confusing game mechanics that require additional research to understand, and poor in-game guidance that forces players to rely on luck or external resources. These issues significantly impact the user experience, making the game frustrating and less enjoyable.
- Proton/Linux: score 20; verdict: Works Well with Minor Issues; summary: The game generally receives positive feedback for its Linux and Proton compatibility, with users reporting that it runs well on Linux and SteamOS. However, there are isolated reports of crashes, which suggest some stability issues that need attention.
- Steam Deck: score 90; verdict: Broken; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience of the game reveals several critical issues that significantly impact the user experience. The most prominent themes include gameplay and combat issues, frequent crashes and stability problems, Ubisoft Connect-related issues, control and movement difficulties, and performance and optimization concerns. These issues collectively contribute to a frustrating and often unplayable experience for many users.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game exhibits widespread performance issues across all hardware cohorts, with frequent crashes being the most common complaint. Even high-end hardware configurations report significant instability.
  - Sample size: 179 (1% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (negative, 50 reports): Players report frequent crashes, often every few hours, despite having high VRAM and RAM.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (negative, 43 reports): Users experience frequent crashes and stuttering, with some issues attributed to software overlays.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (negative, 35 reports): Constant crashes are reported, with some players experiencing over 50 crashes.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (negative, 34 reports): Frequent crashes and poor graphical performance are common, with some players unable to maintain stable frame rates.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (negative, 11 reports): Even with high-end VRAM, players experience frequent crashes, making the game unstable.
  - Caveats: 179 of 12150 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The majority of the reviews suggest that the game is worth purchasing only when it is on sale. Many users explicitly state that the game should be bought at a discounted price, indicating that the community perceives the full price as too high for the value offered. Some reviews mention that the game has a lot of content, which could justify a higher price, but the consensus leans towards waiting for a sale to make the purchase worthwhile.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 120.0h
  - Story completion: 65.0h
  - Session length: 3.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that the game is quite long, with a typical playtime of around 60-70 hours for the main story, and potentially much longer if the player engages in side activities or plays in stealth mode. One review mentions that the player spent double the typical time due to thorough exploration and stealth gameplay. Another review highlights that the game can easily consume several hours in a single session without the player realizing it, indicating a high level of engagement and immersion.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game has a slow start due to repetitive tasks and a lack of meaningful choices, with fun potentially emerging after significant progression and overcoming initial friction points.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Significant progression and overcoming initial repetitive tasks
  - Time to anchor: 6h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive tasks; Lack of meaningful choices; Technical issues; Boring gameplay loop; Lack of side quests
  - Unlock drivers: Progression through the story; Overcoming technical issues
  - Conditions: Patience with repetitive tasks; Willingness to overlook initial boredom; Interest in the Viking theme and Norse lore
- Player Archetypes:
  - Open-World Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Exploration and immersion in a vast, beautiful world.
    - Playstyle: Explores the map extensively, enjoys the scenery and the immersive environment.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Exploration enthusiast; Open-world fan
    - Reference games: The Witcher 3; Red Dead Redemption 2
  - Combat Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Engaging and brutal combat mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on combat, enjoys the action and brutal gameplay.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Combat lover; Action gamer
    - Reference games: God of War; Dark Souls
  - Story-Driven Player (sale)
    - Motivation: Engaging and long story.
    - Playstyle: Follows the main story and side quests, enjoys character development and narrative.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: Story lover; Narrative enthusiast
    - Reference games: The Last of Us; Red Dead Redemption 2
  - Value Seeker (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting the best value for money.
    - Playstyle: Waits for sales and promotions, enjoys games that offer a lot of content for a lower price.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: Bargain hunter; Deal seeker
    - Reference games: Various games on sale


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Stunning graphics and environments (weight 0.55): The game is widely praised for its beautiful and visually impressive graphics, landscapes, and environments. Players highlight the detailed and atmospheric presentation of the world, which includes misty fields, sunsets, snowy peaks, and rivers.
- Immersive Viking theme and setting (weight 0.38): The game successfully captures the Viking era with its detailed portrayal of Viking culture, history, and mythology. Players appreciate the immersive atmosphere and the variety of landscapes that reflect the Viking world.
- Strong narrative and characters (weight 0.37): The story and characters, particularly Eivor, are well-received. Players enjoy the compelling storyline, character development, and the historical and mythological settings that enrich the narrative.
- Enjoyable and engaging gameplay (weight 0.37): Players find the gameplay to be enjoyable, addictive, and satisfying. The game offers a variety of activities, including combat, exploration, and raids, which contribute to its high replayability and long gameplay duration.
- Varied and satisfying combat (weight 0.2): The combat system is praised for being brutal, satisfying, and varied. Players enjoy the different combat mechanics, weapons, and the ability to customize their combat style.
- Excellent voice acting and soundtrack (weight 0.2): The game features excellent voice acting and a memorable soundtrack. Players highlight the strong performances and the atmospheric music that enhance the overall gaming experience.
- Immersive exploration and open world (weight 0.16): The open world is vast and immersive, with a variety of environments and activities to explore. Players appreciate the detailed and atmospheric world that encourages exploration and discovery.
- Extensive skill tree and customization (weight 0.1): The game offers a diverse and extensive skill tree, allowing players to tailor their combat mechanics and character development to their preferred playstyle. This customization adds depth to the gameplay experience.
- Engaging settlement building (weight 0.08): The settlement building aspect of the game is engaging and motivating. Players enjoy the freedom to build and develop their settlements, adding another layer of depth to the gameplay.
- One of the best Assassin's Creed games (weight 0.08): Players consider this game to be one of the best in the Assassin's Creed series. It is praised for its unique elements, engaging storyline, and the potential to be the best Assassin's Creed game.

Common complaints:
- Frequent crashes and bugs (weight 0.25): The game is plagued by frequent crashes, bugs, and stability issues. Players report crashes to desktop, freezing, and various technical problems that disrupt gameplay.
- Poor optimization and quality (weight 0.19): Players have reported poor optimization, long loading times, and low-quality graphics. Additionally, the game suffers from poor writing, uninspired story, and unimpressive technical aspects.
- Repetitive gameplay elements (weight 0.17): Many players have noted that the game suffers from repetitive missions, side quests, and activities. This repetitiveness extends to story arcs and various in-game tasks, making the overall experience feel monotonous.
- Excessive game length (weight 0.16): The game is criticized for being overly long, with unnecessarily extended dialogues and gameplay time. This excessive length can lead to player burnout and reduced enjoyment.
- Lacks Assassin's Creed essence (weight 0.12): The game is criticized for lacking the traditional feel and elements of an Assassin's Creed game. Players feel it does not capture the essence of the series.
- Grindy progression system (weight 0.12): The game involves excessive grinding for XP and upgrades, making the progression system feel tedious and boring.
- Inferior parkour mechanics (weight 0.09): The parkour mechanics are considered worse than in previous games, with players finding them annoying, imprecise, and less fluid.
- Tedious and repetitive tasks (weight 0.08): Players have to engage in tedious tasks such as leveling up to kill enemies more easily, searching for keys, and collecting artifacts, which are found to be boring and repetitive.
- Excessive filler content (weight 0.06): The game is criticized for having too much filler content, leading to bloat and repetition that detract from the overall experience.
- Unsatisfactory puzzles (weight 0.06): Puzzles in the game are either too difficult or too easy and boring, leading to a lack of enjoyment and a need for improvement in puzzle mechanics.
- Poorly written side quests (weight 0.06): Side quests are often repetitive, absurd, and poorly written, making them feel out of place and illogical within the game's context.

Gameplay feedback:
- Combat and weapon variety (weight 0.27): The game features intense combat with a variety of weapons including axes, swords, shields, and dual-wielding options. Players can also improve character skills and customize armor, tattoos, and appearance.
- Viking raids and invasions (weight 0.21): A key mechanic involves leading Viking invasions on monasteries and fortresses to gather resources. However, some players find these raids repetitive.
- RPG mechanics and skill progression (weight 0.19): The game includes a comprehensive RPG skill system with a large progression tree, allowing for extensive character customization and skill development.
- Stealth mechanics limitations (weight 0.16): The stealth mechanics are considered lacking, as the protagonist, Eivor, is not an assassin, making stealth less effective and more combat-oriented.
- Leveling and resource grinding (weight 0.14): Players need to level up to defeat enemies more easily and search for keys and specific locations to gather resources like gold to upgrade their camp.
- Open-world exploration (weight 0.13): The game features a large open world with treasure, interactions, main story quests, and other markers, encouraging exploration and immersion.
- Engaging and lengthy gameplay (weight 0.11): The gameplay is described as addictive, story-driven, and long, with high replayability and a satisfying gameplay loop.
- Settlement building and management (weight 0.09): Players can engage in settlement building and development, managing resources and experiencing everyday life in their settlements.
- Story missions and presentation (weight 0.09): The game features a main storyline with various story missions and side content, presented with engaging storytelling methods.
- Eivor's character and story (weight 0.07): Eivor is portrayed as a complex character with a rich backstory and internal struggles, though some players find him boring.
- Customizable difficulty settings (weight 0.05): The game offers adjustable difficulty settings, allowing players to tailor the gameplay experience to their preference.
- Norse mythology and themes (weight 0.05): The game incorporates elements of Norse mythology, including visits to Asgard and Jotunheim, adding depth to the Viking-themed combat and raiding.
- Various side activities (weight 0.05): Players can engage in various activities such as hunting, fishing, drinking competitions, and flying, adding variety to the gameplay experience.

Performance notes:
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.21): The game experiences frequent crashes, including crashes to desktop and freezing issues. This is a widespread problem affecting many players.
- Numerous technical issues (weight 0.16): The game suffers from various technical issues, including glitches, bugs, and graphical problems. These issues range from minor to game-breaking.
- Poor optimization and performance (weight 0.12): Players report poor optimization, slow loading times, and high PC requirements. These issues lead to performance problems and FPS drops.
- Texture and animation problems (weight 0.06): There are issues with textures not displaying correctly and animations appearing unnatural. These visual problems detract from the overall experience.
- Graphics and voice glitches (weight 0.05): Players encounter graphics engine errors and persistent glitches, including voice glitches. These issues affect the visual and auditory experience.

Recommendations:
- Viking and RPG Enthusiasts (weight 0.09): The game is highly recommended for fans of Viking culture, history, and open-world RPGs. It offers a rich historical flavor and is perfect for those who want to live as a Viking and Norse god.
- Worth It on Sale (weight 0.08): The game is considered worth playing, especially when purchased on sale.
- General Recommendation (weight 0.08): The game is generally recommended for those who like the proposal and enjoy open-world exploration and deep immersion in historical and mythological contexts.
- Best Assassin's Creed Game (weight 0.07): Reviewers recommend this game as the best in the Assassin's Creed series. It is highly recommended for fans of the franchise and open-world RPGs with Viking themes.
- Slow-Paced Gameplay (weight 0.05): Recommended for players who enjoy slow-paced games and taking their time to enjoy the scenery and game in sessions.
- Open-World RPG Fans (weight 0.05): Recommended for fans of open-world RPGs who do not mind repetition and enjoy long open-world games.
- Buy with DLC (weight 0.04): It is recommended to buy the game with its DLCs for a better experience.
- Worth the Money (weight 0.04): The game is considered worth the money, especially when on sale.
- Dawn of Ragnarok DLC (weight 0.03): The Dawn of Ragnarok expansion is highly recommended for its mythological aspects and cool gear.
- Recommendation for Explorers (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for explorers and fans of atmospheric games.
- Max Difficulty for Better Experience (weight 0.02): Playing on max difficulty is suggested for a better gaming experience.
- Recommendation for Witcher 3 Fans (weight 0.02): If you liked The Witcher 3, this game is recommended.
- Play on Console (weight 0.02): Playing on console is recommended due to fewer bugs.
- Long Gameplay Experience (weight 0.02): The game offers a long gameplay experience.
- Treat as Viking Game (weight 0.02): The game is recommended to be treated like a Viking game rather than an Assassin's Creed game.
- Recommendation for RPG Phase Fans (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for fans of the RPG phase of the franchise.
- Turn Off Assassination Cinematic (weight 0.02): Turning off the assassination cinematic is recommended for faster skill description videos.
- Fullscreen Mode and Turn Off Ubisoft Overlay (weight 0.02): Playing in fullscreen mode and turning off the Ubisoft overlay can prevent crashing.
- Wait for a Patch (weight 0.02): Some reviewers suggest waiting for a patch before buying the game.
- Skip Running Around the Map (weight 0.02): Adding a feature to skip running around the map is suggested for a better experience.
- Gameplay Order Suggestion (weight 0.02): Suggested gameplay order is Origins → Valhalla → Odyssey.
- Quick Save Before Dream Quests (weight 0.02): Making a quick save before doing any 'dream' quests is recommended.
- Play Until You Get Tired (weight 0.02): Playing the game until you get tired is suggested for an extended experience.
- Have Fun Without Judging (weight 0.02): Players are encouraged to have fun without judging or trying to optimize their experience.
- Play as Female Eivor (weight 0.02): Playing as the female Eivor is suggested by some reviewers.
- Change Difficulty to Easy (weight 0.02): Changing the difficulty to easy is recommended for a better combat experience.
- Upgrade to Season Pass (weight 0.02): Consider upgrading to the Season Pass if still playing 100 hours later.
- Not Recommended for Fishing (weight 0.01): Fishing in the game is not recommended by some reviewers.

Other player notes:
- Remove intro/splash screens (weight 0.02): Players are requesting the removal of introductory splash screens, likely due to their disruptive nature during gameplay.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.3): Players are frustrated primarily due to frequent game crashes, repetitive content, and various bugs. The combat mechanics, including confusing controls and inconsistent timing, along with excessive grinding and poorly designed puzzles, also contribute significantly to this frustration.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.14): Players enjoy the game's open world, combat mechanics, and the Viking theme. The beautiful graphics, immersive atmosphere, and engaging storyline also contribute to a positive experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Players express disappointment due to the game's repetitive nature, lack of innovation in combat, and a weak story. The excessive grinding, lack of assassin elements, and various bugs also contribute to this sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Players are satisfied with the game's beautiful world, solid combat mechanics, and enjoyable storyline. The vast customization options, good value for money, and overall positive gameplay experience also contribute to their satisfaction.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Players are excited about the game's stunning graphics, engaging storyline, and immersive Viking experience. The exciting combat system and the variety of activities and themes in the game also contribute to this excitement.
- Joy (weight 0.04): Players find joy in the game's stunning world, satisfying combat, and enjoyable gameplay mechanics. The beautiful graphics, dynamic combat system, and engaging narrative also contribute to their joyful experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's detailed world, engaging gameplay, and authentic Viking atmosphere. The depth of the story, character development, and well-crafted side missions are also highly valued.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Players are enthusiastic about the game's rich lore, deep visuals, and immersive experience. The epic narrative, world design, and combat mechanics also fuel their enthusiasm.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's beautiful and detailed graphics, immersive world, and strong character development. The atmospheric setting and engaging music also contribute to their admiration.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players are angry due to frequent game crashes, progress loss, and various bugs. Poor game design, lack of support, and issues with controller compatibility also contribute to their anger.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Players are happy with the fun combat, beautiful world, and enjoyable activities. The gripping saga and the character of Eivor also contribute to their happiness.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game for its enjoyable story, beautiful terrain, and overall positive experience. The Norse vibes and myths also contribute to their affection for the game.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Players feel bored due to repetitive missions, boring activities, and unnecessarily stretched content. The slow combat and lack of immersion also contribute to their boredom.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players are confused about the game's identity and fragmented story. The unclear main story and difficult boss fights also add to their confusion.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players are engaged by the game's story and universe. The development of Eivor's story, the settlement, and colorful characters keep them engaged throughout the game.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Players are in awe of the game's incredibly beautiful world and visually impressive landscapes. The beautiful natural scenery and graphics contribute to this sense of awe.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Players are amused by the humorous narrative and funny experiences with the game's mechanics. The detailed dialogue and characters' actions also contribute to their amusement.}