The Assassin’s Creed franchise has gone through several ups and downs throughout the years. Back in the day, Assassin’s Creed games were considered pure action titles with stealth elements. The first-ever game from the franchise arose from the development of another Prince of Persia game that Ubisoft eventually abandoned.

Nowadays, Assassin’s Creed is the highest-selling game series in Ubisoft's portfolio. The developers blurred the lines between stealth and action-RPG gameplay long ago. Only the title was left untouched, reminding you that you “work in the Dark to serve the Light.” 

Don’t get me wrong, the latest games from the franchise are solid, but only if you consider them action RPGs with stealth elements. You can call it historical accuracy since Spartans and Vikings weren’t known for striking from the shadows, after all! Whether you’re a new player or a series veteran, you may wonder which one you should play next. Let the battle begin!

The ongoing clash between Assassins and Templars has been the driving force of the series since the very beginning. In both Odyssey and Valhalla, however, this aspect is marginalized. In terms of storyline, Odyssey has little to no connection with the assassins, while in Valhalla, you have a hidden blade, at least. This makes both games easy to follow for both veterans and new players.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War, giving you a lot of freedom. Aside from playing as a male or female main character (Valhalla does that, too), you can choose the side of Athens or Sparta. Add to that numerous romance options, a family-oriented plot, and slightly different gameplay based on your siding.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, on the other hand, takes place in the late 9th century both in Norway and the west of England. After leaving conflict-ridden Norway and crossing the North Sea, the protagonist and his crew arrive on the coast of England. Wanting to make it their new home and to secure a place in the titular Valhalla, Eivor and his warriors must stand up to fight. Their further fate depends on your alliances and the dialogue options you’ll choose.

Both storylines are great, but Odyssey gives more freedom and is set in a time period more recognizable to most people. That being said, it’s slightly above Valhalla in this regard.

Winner: Odyssey

Both Odyssey and Valhalla are huge games, so their storylines are divided into many subplots. The interesting story in both main and side missions provides a truly immersive experience and remains engaging throughout. Odyssey was uneven in terms of side quests, but Valhalla raised the bar significantly. It’s not on the level of Witcher 3 but still quite impressive.

Quests like The Last Leaf of Fall will let you choose how you want to roleplay your Eivor. In a quest called An Althing for the Half Crown, you will prepare the next generation of children for brutal combat as future raiders. The list goes on, and I leave it for you to discover.

Winner: Valhalla

Both games are two years apart, but it’s really hard to tell the difference between the two. They both run on the AnvilNext engine, but at first glance, Odyssey seems prettier. Ancient Greece on Ultra-High settings is like a dream-like paradise, where you can stop by and just enjoy the views. 

The vibrant colors and details pop out everywhere, from lighting to the environment and detailed character models, with hardly any awkward angles. Cut scenes are also meticulously crafted with brilliant camera work for a cinematic experience. A sight to behold, even after four years.

I understand why most people prefer Odyssey over Valhalla in terms of graphics. It’s all about lighting and color palette. Norway and England are cold, bleak, and harsh, while ancient Greece is vibrant and colorful. It’s no surprise it looks more pleasing to our eyes. 

However, Valhalla improves on some graphics aspects, such as skin textures. You can literally count pores on people’s skin. Hairs and beards are also more realistic, now casting proper shadows.

You can’t really pick a direct winner here because they run on the same engine, and the most notable differences are the lighting usage and color palette. There are some graphical improvements in Valhalla, but nothing that stands out. Therefore, I’m calling this a tie.

Winner: Tie

Since Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, naval gameplay has been an important aspect of the AC franchise. Collecting your crew, sea battles, boarding enemy ships, etc – it's a game within a game with its vast mechanics. While both games have a lot to offer in this regard, AC Valhalla takes the cake here.

Valhalla abandoned ship-to-ship combat in favor of exploration and traversal, however. Why is it better, then? Viking history is all about the iconic raids this group of Norsemen carried out. It’s one of the most important aspects of their history, and it wasn’t overlooked by Ubisoft, thankfully.

Raids are all about killing and pillaging in order to collect money and resources. They’re also great action-packed gaming sequences. It’s one of the best features of Valhalla, striking a great balance between combat and exploration since the entire game is filled with enemies.

Winner: Valhalla

The iconic ability of every AC game has taken various forms throughout the series, from simple wallhack to a winged animal flying above our heads. This welcomed change had its origin in Origins (pun intended) and has been present in the game ever since. While in Odyssey, the system is really useful and works flawlessly, in Valhalla, it’s been significantly nerfed for no reason.

The main purpose of the bird flying above our heads is to detect targets, important characters, and hidden passages. Given the size of the map, it makes the exploration less tedious and saves a lot of time, allowing players to focus on other things. In Valhalla, though, you need to pinpoint the location by yourself, questioning why it has even been included. I understand they wanted to make the ability less OP, but why nerf it to the point where it’s almost useless?

Winner: Odyssey

Both games are considered action RPGs, so an expanded skill tree is a must. There are a fair amount of abilities to craft your own playstyle, whether it’s stealth or open combat. However, where Odyssey shines, Valhalla miserably fails. Odyssey’s skill tree is simple and balanced, making it clear which abilities are suited for a chosen playstyle. Each skill is well thought out, with clear advantages and downsides to choosing one.

Valhalla tried adding more versatility to your character build but went overboard. Too many things happen in character progression, eventually leading players to lose interest. Why change something that works? I guess they wanted to separate from its predecessor and show Vikings as a different nation, but they’d be better by simply copying the skill tree from AC Odyssey.

Winner: Odyssey

When a warrior fled the battlefield, he discarded his shield to run faster, so only the winners returned with a shield. And when it comes to combat, Vikings are the ones to return with a shield. Ubisoft claimed it’s the best combat system out of the recent action RPG AC trilogy, and I agree with that statement.

In Odyssey, you’ve felt like a demi-god at a certain point, making Kassandra and Alexios ancient superheroes. Valhalla is more realistic in this regard, providing you with balanced yet satisfying combat sequences. The dual-wield mechanics, for example, bring it closer to a Dark Souls game than ever before. Not to mention the unique combos not present in its predecessor, which perfectly depicts the Vikings' brutality while being challenging enough to stay alert when fighting adversaries.

Winner: Valhalla

The historical settings of both games don’t favor stealth playthroughs as much as open combat. However, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey butchered the stealth aspect the most. Heck, even the iconic hidden blade isn’t present here! Instead, you have OP abilities like sudden camouflage or instant teleportation to execute unsuspecting enemies. The thing is, getting behind your targets and stabbing them results in a slight reduction of their HP bar. In the end, you’re forced to resort to open combat.

In Valhalla, you can actually kill someone with a hidden blade undetected. There are various infiltration missions where it’s advisable to stay hidden and not attract attention. It’s more in line with older games in the series, but still far from perfect. If you really want to feel like an assassin, try AC Unity or Syndicate. They’re not much older and still look great by modern standards.

Winner: Valhalla

Objectively, you can’t deny that the characters presented in Assassin’s Creed have always been its trademark. Ezio Auditore, Edward Kenway, Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington – just to name a few. Everyone is well-written and not one-dimensional, whether it's fictional to historical characters.

Both games have a lot to offer in this regard. However, I would give Odyssey the upper hand in historical accuracy. Greeks were conscientious and proud of their nation, writing down how they lived and fought. This definitely helped portray Socrates, Hippocrates, or King Leonidas I the way they really were.

In contrast to Valhalla, Vikings were raiders, so their history isn’t as well documented. However, historical figures like King Aelfred the Great or Ivarr the Boneless are truly memorable. Even fictional characters inside Ravensthorpe are imbued with unique personalities and motivations. Once again, I’m calling it a tie between both sides.

Winner: Tie

Since the end of Desmond’s story in Assassin’s Creed 3, modern-day gameplay has been marginalized to the role of unnecessary boring filler. Unfortunately, Odyssey met the same fate, wasting time on needless crypt explorations instead of focusing more on Layla Hassan’s story uncovering the secrets of the Animus.

Valhalla concluded her story, giving her enough screen time and gameplay that’s not easily forgotten. Her actions actually matter in the scope of historical events instead of being just a framing device. Too bad it’s the only game in recent years treating modern-day plot seriously.

Winner: Valhalla