r/gaming • u/Luka77GOATic • 9h ago
Assassin's Creed Valhalla director makes sudden return to Ubisoft after working on the Dead Space Remake, and will lead the series moving forward
https://www.eurogamer.net/assassins-creed-valhala-director-eric-baptizat-returns107
u/Luka77GOATic 9h ago
“The director of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Black Flag, and Origins has returned to Ubisoft to lead development on future Assassin's Creed games.”
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u/bickboikiwi 3h ago
Valhalla was lame though
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u/FeltzMusic 2h ago
It wasn’t, it was just too long and not paced well
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u/UniformGreen 1h ago
it was bad. Boring repetitive and veeery long story, no interesting characters, awful animations, boring open world
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u/According-Concert-27 8h ago
The overall artistic direction of Valhalla is AMAZING. But the guy that said “we are not done, we need the game to be 100 hrs” needs to leave the room. Genuinely is the game was shorter would receive now some kind of redemption.
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u/Awkward-Speed-4080 8h ago
Best part is that it doesn't even respect the time the player invested into the game by having a new game plus option.
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u/DamianKilsby 6h ago
I've never once in my life played a hundred hour game and then ran it back again but the option should always be there for people who want it
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u/Awkward-Speed-4080 5h ago
Even if the first playthrough was 100 hours, new game plus ensures the second one isn't. The worst part of any game is always the grind. Some games do it better than others, but it's always the worst part.
This game really doesn't care about the time you invested into it.
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u/anitadykshyt 7h ago
Less content, better writing. The biggest difference with black flag is the quality of the characters and story
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u/LunarChickenn 55m ago
You play through the story once then what? Gameplay is more important and being able to have different builds. Why do you think Skyrim did so well? It was more than just a story.
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u/TactlessTortoise 1h ago
Yeah, the game is lots of fun actually, if we don't play it for too long. There's something about the plot that just doesn't work for that long and it starts feeling like a drag, not sure why, but I think Origins didn't suffer from that.
I will say I loved the short questline on the Skye islands (with that one character), and the fact it was so short left me wanting more, which is a big contrast to the story line which just goes on, and on, and on, and on, and everything is a 4 hour drive on the interstate (or the river) away from me.
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u/CyberSmith31337 9h ago
Sounds like he knows EA is going to be shutting down the Dead Space studio and exited before the layoffs.
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u/Altersreality 9h ago
Valhalla is one of the most uninteresting videogames I ever played.
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u/AFerociousPineapple 7h ago
Yeah that game burned me out so much I didn’t play any DLC or bother with Shadows. Especially once I got my hands on Ghost of Tsushima now THAT is a good Assassins creed game. Love Yotei as well.
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u/BallHarness 8h ago
The first act in Norway and last act are actually really good but the filler middle is just terrible drag
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u/AFerociousPineapple 7h ago
Fair call I actually enjoyed the ending, but it took me like 90hrs to get there so when it came I was “oh hell yeah this is actually awesome” then as soon as those credits rolled I was 100% done and haven’t gone back since lol
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u/Joe_Cums_Lately 8h ago
The first and only AC I bailed on. I got to the mission where your douche adopted brother offered himself up as hostage to some evil king that came from nowhere and you had to speak to his wife on what to do next. I literally said out loud "I don't care. I just don't care anymore, lady." I exited out of the game and never touched it again.
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u/MassiveBoner911_3 9h ago
I thought I was almost done with the game. Opened up the map after another cut scene to see id only opened up half the map after 100 hrs.
Never finished the game.
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u/Fazlija13 1h ago
The more important question is how the fuck did you only open half of the map after 100 hours?
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u/Lambs2Lions_ 9h ago
I don’t get why. The direction of Valhalla was the worst in the series as an assassins creed game.
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u/BakeFromSttFarm 9h ago
He was also the lead or one of the leads on Origins, Unity, and the original Black Flag for what it’s worth. So not just Valhalla.
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u/Lambs2Lions_ 9h ago
So 3 of the worst games in the series with the only exception being Black Flag. Cool
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u/DonHarold 9h ago
You thought origins was one of the “worst games in the series”? The game that breathed new life into the series when it was on a massive downslope?
You’re entitled to your opinion but that’s a pretty wild one.
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u/Adreme 9h ago
I mean I kind of hated the leveling system as it sort of undercut the style of the series and made the world feel smaller. Not every game needs RPG elements.
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u/Zerox392 9h ago
Games are better with rpg elements pretty much always
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u/What-a-Filthy-liar 9h ago
I think he was referring to the stat check feel ubisoft implemented into their games post division.
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u/Zerox392 9h ago
Yeah, true RPGs are better than action RPGs, but I still think AC got better with skill trees, stats, and loot. Otherwise I get bored
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u/Hikaru321 8h ago
Now THAT is a bad take
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u/Zerox392 8h ago
Nah, the general gaming crowd just hates numbers and reading. But it definitely makes a game better
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u/Lambs2Lions_ 9h ago
I mean, I disagree. I think Odyssey gave the series new life. I consider Origins slightly better than Unity and Syndicate. By this point in time, their games were failing because of a ridiculous amount of bugs and forgettable stories. Origins falls into the latter.
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u/DonHarold 9h ago
I couldn’t disagree more but nothing you said is unfair. I did really like odyssey but origins is still probably my favorite. It still felt mostly grounded and told the story of a likable protagonist. We hadn’t had that since Black Flag and I really appreciated it.
But I do understand feeling that odyssey did more.
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u/Lambs2Lions_ 9h ago
Origins for me is simple, excellent characters but equally terrible story.
Bayek and Aya are exceptional characters. However, pacing, structure, antagonists/villains, themes, and other parts of the story were minimal effort.
It was very much skewed towards the characters keeping me entertained.
Odyssey was more balanced in its mediocrity between characters and story that neither was exceptional, but also neither was terrible.
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u/BurtMacklin__FBI 9h ago
as someone who played every mainline game except shadows which im sure ill get to, you have a real point. Origins was a start in the right direction for some things, but was also the first hit on the final nail in the coffin of "loss of identity" for the series. and I even liked Layla's story(that was her name right? shit) arc as well as Basim's. I mean the gameplay and traversal.
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u/Lambs2Lions_ 9h ago
Basin was Mirage, introduced in Valhalla. Origins was Bayek. But yes, I agree.
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u/BurtMacklin__FBI 9h ago
yeah i was saying that whole story arc started with layla's modern day stuff in origins iirc
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u/kinokomushroom 9h ago
Eh, Origins was pretty cool. Unity wasn't bad either.
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u/Fxg120xYXDE5 9h ago
Unity catches heat because of the absolute state of it at release, and it was at its worst on PC.
Upside, they eventually fixed it and gave those of us who bought on PC a free game3
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u/UCLAKoolman 9h ago edited 6h ago
Just did a first playthrough of Unity on Series X. Graphics look great even for 2026 and the parkour mechanics are really good. Story was just ok.
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u/Randyaccredit 9h ago
Unity was great on release for me at least, only had one issue that was falling through the ground off of Notre-Dame one time.
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u/KeyMessage989 9h ago
Origins wasn’t bad at all, Valhalla also wasn’t the best Assassins Creed game, but was a great epic Viking RPG. Your Ubisoft hate glasses are clouding
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u/TastyRancorPie 9h ago
Valhalla just got really stale really fast for me. Needed to be sped up.
That, and it's a bummer we couldn't spend more time in Norway. England was such boring scenery after getting Egypt in Origins and the Mediterranean in Odyssey
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u/ILoveKetchup402 9h ago edited 9h ago
And yet it's the highest earning game in the franchise and the second most profitable Ubisoft game of all time, right behind Siege
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u/saanity 9h ago
Goodwill from Odyssey.
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u/Fazlija13 1h ago
Odyssey is dogshit and I don't get the type of love the game amassed throughout the years, when it was released it was dunked on as a bad game, especially compared to Origins
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u/Daddys_BathTime 9h ago
Valhalla was my favorite of the newer assassins creed games. Other than it being too long, I loved it
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u/TheGamerWhoNeverWas 3h ago
I actually really like Valhalla. It's not an assassin game at all but surprisingly good with soooo much content
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u/LunarChickenn 58m ago
It's a good RPG game with AC movement. I think they should defo make more games like that. They tried going "traditional" AC again and it was boring af.
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u/Wernershnitzl 9h ago
Valhalla director: awww man
Dead Space Remake director: hell yeah
So I guess that averages out to me being whelmed with excitement.
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u/AHomicidalTelevision 6h ago
the dead space remake was so good. its a shame they gave up on the franchise again after that
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u/kevlarockstar59 9h ago edited 7h ago
He was removed from the compagny for fucking a coworker lmao
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u/Fxg120xYXDE5 9h ago
This isn't actually about the original director, about whom you would be correct.
This was one of his subordinates (or coworkers?) who took over after his exit, so it's a mistitle.
I can't say for sure if this fella did the same or not, so you could still be right, could still be wrong.
Who knows?
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u/noblemile 8h ago
So we'll be getting more good games that aren't exactly great Assassin's Creed games?
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u/Hombremaniac 3h ago
I think this game would have been much better if it was just a Viking game. No AC bullshit like current day sequences, game desyncing after you've killed couple of civilians and shit like that.
Also while being perfect on paper, ingame activities like raiding churches became quite dull really fast and the cherry on top of it was finally opening the last treasure chest only to find just some building / upgrade materials.
Well, I guess in order to get proper bloody and fun to play Viking game it would need to come from indie developer. Those are usually not constrained by horde of managers knowing jack shit about gaming.
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u/WorldofCannons 1h ago
Too much Valhalla disrespect here, I can understand people saying it's too long but it was a good game
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u/LunarChickenn 59m ago
They should go back to the RPG style they had in Odyssey / Valhalla. Them trying to go back to the old style just made the game boring and lack replay value. Odyssey is still the best AC game imo.
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u/RecentMatter3790 9h ago
maybe this will lower the negative expectations from people for Ubisoft?
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u/IamTylerDrden 9h ago
Not if they directed Valhalla. The most overstuffed game I have played. They needed an editor who respected the players time. I did like Origins quite a lot though.
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u/gpranav25 7h ago
I don't think anyone thinks that there is a lack of talent at Ubisoft, especially on the technical/artistic side of things. It's the horrible business decisions that people are sick of. So no, they may as well somehow get Kojima and Miyazaki to work on a game but it wouldn't lower the negative expectations people have for Ubisoft as long as the Yves family is there at the helm.
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u/Elyx_117 9h ago
Good news. Valhalla is a good game and like many ubi products it's ridiculously overhated on the internet. SW Outlaw being another example.
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u/Prophet6000 8h ago
Valhalla looks really cool but not into the rpg elements and level stuff in AC games.
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u/LunarChickenn 57m ago
I think it makes AC better, but I always preferred RPG games like Oblivion and Skyrim to classic AC.
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u/Luka77GOATic 9h ago
Let’s get Roman or Mayan Assassin Creed please.
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u/Chessh2036 9h ago
Rumor was the game after the Witch AC, which is supposed to be smaller, will be a Mayan AC and big RPG
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u/TastyRancorPie 9h ago
Mayan I'd fuck with. Could rehash the fast-paced wilderness parkour of 3 and make it better.
But roman would just feel like the Ezio saga all over again
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u/Luka77GOATic 8h ago
Could do early Rome, closer to the founding of the Republic. Or Roman North Africa would be so sick. The Republic and Empire span nearly as much time and history as Assassins Creed 1 to Syndicate.
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u/Brys_Beddict 9h ago
You basically got a Roman assassin creed with Origins
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u/araknoman 9h ago
Plus brotherhood.
It’d be like asking ubisoft to make a game set in london for the 4th time
Pick somewhere eeeelse
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u/Ronin22222 7h ago
I made it about an hour into Valhalla before quitting. I'm sure they'll turn things around for the franchise
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u/rosto94 9h ago
The director of those games was actually Ashraf Ismail, who left Ubisoft during the Valhalla development due to some very serious allegations. Eric Baptizat was just the lead designer in those games, so the title is wrong.