Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Review

Wrath of the Druids is one of the two major expansion packs promised for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This expansion gives us a new world to explore and conquer. The story is not a continuation of the ending of the main game. Instead, it’s a brand new story with new faces. Eivor meets a trader in Ravensthorpe, Azar, who is from the Kingdom of Persia. She informs him about how his long-lost cousin Barid, who is now the King of Dublin, needs his help. Shortly after this, Evior sets sail for Ireland.

Also, from Valhalla: Best Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Settings

The Story

Eivor visits Dublin at the beginning of the story where he gets greeted by his cousin. The King then walks him to his home and you’ll get to see the town he’s been building for the past 20 years. Upon reaching his home, you’ll get to enjoy a small feast and meet his son, who will end up challenging you for a duel. Afterward, you’ll need to find Barid in his family’s graveyard. This is where things will get interesting. While escorting Barid back to his house, he will get attacked by some enemies. Eivor will then learn the troubles surrounding his cousin and offer his help. From this point onwards, you will find yourself involved in a plot that revolves around Flann Sinna, who is the High King of Ireland, and the cult that goes by the name Children of Danu.

As the story focuses on you helping your cousin establish full control over his land and develop better relationships with other Kings, you will be doing standard things. This involves visiting Kings, taking down fortresses, completing important tasks, exploring Ireland, and the most obvious, killing enemies. I found the main story of the expansion pretty interesting. Although the title of the expansion is “Wraith of the Druids,” you don’t get involved with the Druids until the final part of the story. Despite this, the story is still compelling and will keep you attached to your screen.

The New Map

I have played almost every Assassin’s Creed game and it’s safe for me to say that Ireland is easily one of the best maps of the entire series. It’s not too small or big. The map is divided into four provinces: Dublin, Ulster, Meath, and Connacht. The first province you’ll get the luxury to explore is going to be Dublin as this is where King Barin lives. As you progress through the story, you’ll explore the rest of them.

Compared to England, the original map of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ireland is not that different. The biggest difference I found was the environment. There are huge plateaus, waterfalls, and much more that add up to the beauty of Ireland. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same.

Establishing Trade

One of the main goals in Wraith of the Druids is to help King Barid establish trade. Azar will assist you on this matter and you will need to visit every single trade post located on the map to take control of it. This is not going to be a difficult task but it is a time taking process. To take control of a trading post, you will first need to clear it out. This means that you will need to get rid of every single enemy in its respective area. After you’re done with this, the trading post will be unlocked, and you can then generate resources through it.

Taking control of a trading post is not only beneficial for King Barid but will help you gather some equipment for yourself as well. Each trading post will produce different resources such as clothing, texts, etc. You can then trade these resources with other nations including Egypt, Greece, and Russia, something that is done by fulfilling orders listed by Azar. Upon completing an order, you will get rewarded with items such as armor, weapons, cosmetic items, and much more.

Combat

The combat is a little different as compared to the original game. For instance, stealth was not a problem in the main game, and you could take down an entire base without being detected. However, in this expansion, this is not the case at all, as the chances of you clearing an area full of enemies without being detected are pretty low.

I myself failed to stay undetected during the first mission of the main quest which involves burning down the Naval Blockade to clear the trade route.

The DLC has also added a bunch of new weapons to the game, such as the Norse Gael Bow, Iberian Seax, Byzantine Spear, Ceremonial Sickle, and the Bone Sickle. In addition to this, there are a couple of new shields as well. I personally haven’t gotten a chance to try all of them out, but the Sickle is absolutely amazing. This is mainly because it allows you to perform quick attacks that can take your opponents down in an instant.

The Children of Danu

The Children of Danu play a key role in the main story of Wrath of the Druids. They have only one goal; that is to destroy King Flann. And you can not let that happen now, could you? Therefore, you must take them down. This will work just like how it happens in the main game where you’re given a list of targets belonging to the Order of Ancients. However, in this DLC, the list of targets is smaller. But keep in mind that the Druids will use different tricks in combat, so always stay careful.

Final Verdict

If you’re someone who wanted more even after completing everything Valhalla had to offer, then you should definitely get Wrath of the Druids. I personally didn’t find anything bad about it. Ubisoft could have done a better job with the side quests, but the main story was exciting. While it takes around 60-70 hours to complete the main game’s story, you’ll need to spend around 15-20 hours for Wrath of the Druids. Before you leave, make sure to check out our review of the main game as well.

Pros

• The story is amazing.
• Ireland is one of the best maps to explore.
• Won’t take that long to finish the Main Quest.

Cons

• Side Quests aren’t that interesting.
• Could have introduced better abilities.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Rating – 4.5/5