Now that it’s on Game Pass, don’t miss the Assassin’s Creed game that’s not like any other

polygon.com:

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla does something different in comparison to the other games in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise — it deemphasizes stealth. It’s something Eivor, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s main character, states outright when she declines to conceal her assassin’s blade under her cloak. She wants her enemies to know what’s coming. It makes sense for Valhalla to be the Assassin’s Creed game that deviates from the well-established loop of tedious, precise stealth-based missions that Ubisoft has relied on with the series since its inception. This game is a Viking game, and Vikings aren’t known for their subtlety; in Valhalla, Eivor has her not-so-hidden blade, yes, but also an ax or heavy broadsword.

It’s not the newest Assassin’s Creed game — that’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage — but Valhalla is still worth picking up and trying for yourself. The two games couldn’t be more different, despite sharing a character in Basim Ibn Ishaq, who is something of a mentor to Eivor in Valhalla but the main character of Mirage. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is now on Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service, making it a good time to pick up or revisit the game. But know that you’re getting yourself into a sprawling Viking world that could take more than 100 hours to fully explore.

You’ll play as Viking raider Eivor Varinsdottir, who can be either male or female in Valhalla. She and her crew have hit English shores looking to expand their settlement against the backdrop of Anglo-Saxon resistance. But in the midst of that colonization, Eivor is tied up with the Hidden Ones (the Assassin Brotherhood) as they seek out a common enemy. This story plays out through main story missions and side quests that take Eivor into nearby regions