Sandbox?

[Stormbrew]

just wondering, not really into forced storyline or having to "Beat" the game

[breadman]

this is asscreed not rust

[Psyringe]

I think you can play AC Valhalla like a sandbox game, but I'm not sure how enjoyable that would be.

The world(s) give you a lot of space to roam in, but the content is still pretty repetitive. You can raid many camps on the river, you can attack camps inland, but it's always the same procedure. Or rather, you can pick between two approaches: stealth or combat. But you'll always have to do the same things to complete a raid, and there isn't much point in raiding any settlement twice either.

You'll encounter side quests that you can do, but they are all very short, and some of them are terribly written. You'll encounter puzzles that will give you treasure, but most of them are so easy that I find it hard to call them "puzzles" in the first place (using one's brain is completely optional). You'll find side bosses to fight, these can actually be pretty tough. You can make progress without doing the main quests, but your progress will be noticeably slower since you won't get the XP rewards from the main quests, and at some points you'll have to complete certain quests to unlock new areas. You can collect resources to build up your settlement, but the settlement progression is simple and it doesn't have a lot of effect on the gameplay anyway. (Several of the bonuses that the settlement gives you are simply not needed, and many of the buildings just contribute to the same buff.)

The thing that breathes life into this big but otherwise somewhat mediocre amalgamation of content, the thing that holds all the content together and gives it meaning, are the main storylines. They are much better than the side quests, reflect historical events and characters, and tell an epic story that fits the times. If you want to skip the main story arcs, then you'd arguably the best thing that the game has to offer, so as I said above, I'm really not sure how enjoyable the remainder would be.

[Umakurokoto]

I would say even minor quests are relatively story-driven.

If you don't like dialogue, don't like character development, don't like plot points or narrative arcs, those things are all here.

This isn't really meant to be a game you can go anywhere and do anything without talking to anybody, I just don't think it would match up well with that approach. You'll have to upgrade equipment and unlock areas, and the means of doing so is by getting through the narrative of the game.

[lucent]

İlk olarak Alestair tarafından gönderildi:

just wondering, not really into forced storyline or having to "Beat" the game

It's a campaign and there are things you should do to progress the story. You still have the freedom to roam around to an extent.

I built my trade building a little late because I was doing other stuff and still learning. There are some choices I felt might have benefit me better. But that hasn't stopped me from progressing.

I just bought Syndicate and it is totally different. So far it has been telling me to go here and do this now. It has timed sequences and scripted events making you have to do exactly what they want.

Valhalla is really laid back and more freedom.

[DargonBlak]

İlk olarak Alestair tarafından gönderildi:

just wondering, not really into forced storyline or having to "Beat" the game

You can travel anywhere in the story world, but the different zones have scaled level difficulty - so, you should probably develop your character in order to compete with the local population.

Oh, and that's another note - most of the local population is against you in the beginning - but that's sort of what assassin's creed is all about.

similar to AC Odyssey, AC Valhalla's world looks like an enormous open world - but it really isn't - the objective is to conquer, subdue, assassinate, and steal (loot) - that's the game.

you can certainly sneak around from town to town, avoiding the soldiers, and explore - but there's really very little to do if you're not playing the game.

if you're not progressing the story, then there's nothing really worth doing other than removing the fog of war.

The only purpose of gathering is to improve gear and town - and the only way to get certain loot is by killing guards.

If you want a decent stealth/stealing/killing game to wander around in, sure, it does fit that. it's a scripted action adventure with RPG-like and open world-like qualities.

But if you want an open world sandbox - then nope.

[Dorok]

İlk olarak DargonBlak tarafından gönderildi:

...
similar to AC Odyssey, AC Valhalla's world looks like an enormous open world - but it really isn't - the objective is to conquer, subdue, assassinate, and steal (loot) - that's the game.
...

Huuu? Skyrim and all Elder Scroll since Morrowind, Fallout 3&4, Far Cry 1 to 3, ELEX, some more, are looking quite smaller with quite less quests and activities. I'm not sure for DAI.

And there's no steal system in Valhalla, only in Odyssey, you just loot don't steal.

İlk olarak Alestair tarafından gönderildi:

just wondering, not really into forced storyline or having to "Beat" the game

Perhaps you think of RPG as Skyrim or Fallout 4, not pure Sandbox?

in Skyrim there's a main story, but it's a minor part of it, and there's many side activities.

I think Valhalla won't fit much, Odyssey will fit more but not like Skyrim.

Valhalla doesn't fit really because:
- The main story is a lot of the gameplay and is a lot of content.
- The main story isn't just linear, but still has strong linearity aspects.
- It has no side quests at all and replace them by events but it's a bit experimental and it's not working as well.
- It is missing some side activities or they are basic and not that fun and with goals a bit minor as Hunting, Fishing, collecting other crafting material.
- Sure you build and extend a village, but it's no building game, it's just you build a shop for you in your village and that's it. It's not real building gameplay.
- Sure there's a sort of crafting, but it's not one of those big crafting systems.

Still if it's no Open Box nor Skyrim/Fallout 4 like, it feels very open and manage much better the main story so it feels less linear, it's main story skeleton is make allies and often the order isn't strict with one choice but you have up to 4 choices sometimes, and most often have two choices. But you can't start in parallel two different alliances building.

Odyssey will fit more but not in the same way than Skyrim:
- It has a ton of side quest, a ton more than in Skyrim, it's so much that gives a lot of activities.
- It has generated quests, too basic, but do some sometimes can fill a bit the gameplay.
- It has some strong activities not linked to main story but that can give a long term goal other than main story, as becoming champion of the arena, becoming top first mercenary, killing cult members (but you won't be able kill them all without finishing main story, only a lot of them), hunting all mythic animals, killing all mythic avatars, find plenty great loot.
- It has side activities, less types than Valhalla, but at least none are tedious or weird mini games with a simple gameplay disconnected to the core gameplay of the game as in Valhalla. For example, attack forts, camps, leaders, and weaken a region. Or make war in region, solve plenty treasure mysteries, kill some stronger animals (it's not the mythic animals), do some pirating with ship on sea, but a lot is do a ton of side quests.

But Odyssey hasn't a gameplay layout as in Skyrim or Fallout 4 to craft and build things and some other stuff at least in Skyrim.

Pure sandbox nope, but they very open, and no pure linear main story (Valhalla) or only secondary amount of content of the whole (Odyssey), they well worth the play.

Strong points:
- Both, combats, character building, main story, developed stealth elements but it's no stealth game.
- Odyssey nice parallel long term goals, champion of the arena, top leader mercenary, killing cult members, hunting all mythic animals, killing all mythic avatars.
- Odyssey, many great loot.
- Odyssey, a ton of side quests as you never seen, and plenty are developed and fun to follow.
- Valhalla, huge main story feeling very open thanks to a skeleton just based on making alliances.
- Valhalla, ton of tricks and puzzling well integrated to the gameplay, no it's NOT a puzzle game, but it's well done tricks and puzzling for RPG and with a nice diversity and requires think/observe at least a little and sometimes a bit more.
- Valhalla, plenty side activities, the problem is how many you'll like.
- Odyssey, multiple good side activities well integrated to core of gameplay, only Ship & Sea seems shift players, myself I like a lot, but some complain it's bad compare to Black Flag, but I won't play Back Flag because it has basic combats.