,One of the most exciting parts ofAssassin’s Creed Valhallaare quests that never show up on the quest log, hidden areas, and exciting secrets to be found. With so much to uncover there is a lot of added playtime to the game, which is one of the reasons the game hasreceived such positive reviews.
RELATED:10 Awesome Side Quests Hidden In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Some of the game’s secrets have eluded even the most hardcore fans of theAssassin’s Creedseries. However, with some deep searching, any player can uncover these fantastic references and Easter eggs hidden throughout the game’s expansive world.
Updated May 25th, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia:This Viking romp from Ubisoft has already proven to be one of the most dynamic, robust titles in this storied franchise. This has only been extended with the release of various new quests, events, andall-new DLC content. Since the game is both massive in size and fairly cryptic at times, it’s no surprise that there remain a wealth of hidden locales, exploits, and easter eggs that have largely gone undiscovered. As such, it seemed like a good idea to venture forth once again and flesh out this list with five additional Valhalla secrets.
15Subtle Tolkien References
Given the similar themes and atmosphere, it’s probably no surprise that there are a few references to J. R. R. Tolkien’s works. BothTheHobbitand theepicLord of the Ringsget a number of nodsin Valhalla. Beorn the Skin Changer is referred to by way of a quest that involes the rather familiar “Beastmaster,” which even involves Beorn Cavern. Another involves the blacksmith of Asgard, Ivaldi, who rattles off the names of some ofThe Hobbit’s dwarven cast.
Lord of the Ringsis referencedby way of a notefrom a pagan community in Gloucester, which alludes vaguely to Bilbo and his small home. A ring sitting atop the envelope further punctuates this easter egg. Finally, there’s a character named Degolas, who seems to be a nod to a certain prominent elf in the series.
14A Sea Monster Easter Egg
As is the case with the main game, the atmospheric DLC expansion known asWrath of the Druidshas its own share of nuances and hidden secrets. One easter egg includes a group of what seems to be the bones of a large whale or sea monster.
Players can discover this creature’s remnants in a bay that rests on the northeastern corner of Ireland. One can’t help but wonder about the story behind this ominous beast, and whether there are more of them out there.
13Animus Anomalies
Many players were surprised to find a number of bizarre, out-of-place sightings that seem to resemble something out of The Matrix rather than Assassin’s Creed. These take the form of glitchy, sci-fi-themed platforming bouts that serve to tie this game with the rest of the series. They remind players that this is, in fact, a simulation.
As there are just ten of them, and they’re fairly well-hidden, they aren’t too easy to find, nor simple to complete.Locations of these odd manifestationsinclude the southwest of Saint Albanes Abbey in Oxenefordscire, and Needham Lake in East Anglia.
12Strawmen Assassinations For Free Adrenaline
While it’s not a secret so much as a simple (yet subtle) exploit, this is a technique that has nonetheless gone unrealized by many players. Seeing as Adrenaline is such a useful resource, it’s pretty handy that players can actually take advantage of the seemingly useless strawmen scattered about Eivor’s settlement to gain quick, easy adrenaline.
Yes, these can apparently be used for more than basic combat training. Eivor can simply sneak up behind these stationary strawmen and assassinate them, yielding free adrenaline points.
11An Exploit For Flying Paper Catches
In a way, the various Flying Papers make for a fun way to grab some neat collectibles, which translate to tattoos that can add visual flair to Eivor. At the same time, these can often turn into tricky platforming bouts and an intense race against the clock. Thankfully, players can make these endeavors far easier with a simple trick.
Obtain the Blinding Rush ability, which is located in the Northeast part of East Anglia, beneath a Ruined Tower. The upgrade can be found in Chersey Abbey Ruins in Suthsexe. The ability allows players to slow time for a bit. While this normally works towards landing simpler kills, players can also use it to bog down the fleeting paper’s movement, thus nabbing it more easily.
10A Callback T0 The First Game
When traveling to York, players have several targets they are set to assassinate as one would expect from a game calledAssassin’s Creed. However, they may not have noticed the subtle callback tothe first game in the series.
Killing a merchant in public, poisoning someone at a party, and the burning of books come up in the assassinations in Damascus just as they do in York. This small nod to the series origins is so subtle it’s easy to miss.
9Trogdor The Burninator
The game hasa ton of Easter eggsthat players have uncovered but this is the one most often missed. Players can a piece of parchment with “Tove’s Tattoo Ideas” that describe a bizarre tattoo concept to those that don’t recognize what it is referencing.
The tattoo would be of Trogdor the Burninator from theHomestar Runnerepisode: Strong Bad Email #58 - Dragon. It’s not the first timeHomestar Runnerhas featured in a video gamebut the reference is subtle enough that unless gaming fans have seen the episode it’s not easy to catch.
8Words Of The High One
This one might be a bit of a stretch, as it’s not exactly in the game itself. However, it’s simply too cool not to share. Fans of the game were able to find some hidden runes on theofficialAssassin’s Creed: Valhallawebsite. When translated, they read as follows:Cows die, kinsmen die, so must die oneself the same. But I know one thing that never dies, each dead man’s judgment.
RELATED:10 Unresolved Mysteries & Plot Holes Left Hanging In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
These lines are a verse from the poem Hávamál which roughly translates to Words of the High One. These lines were said to come from Odin himself as a speech to humanity. The full poem discusses advice on how to live, how to find wisdom and proper conduct.
7The Collector’s Edition
Fans that are lucky enough to ownthe collector’s edition of the gamemay find they have a few more secrets to unlock than others.
The Steel Book contains tools to help decipher runes hidden throughout other parts of the physical goodies that came in the bundle like the soundtrack and some of the pictures that came with it. There are several similarities to theCollector’s Edition forAssassin’s Creed Odysseythat fans should keep their eyes peeled for.
6Fireflies
You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies…Thankfully, players don’t have to collect as many as are mentioned in that famous song lyric for this little secret. Fireflies are incredibly difficult to catch and move quite quickly.
Of course, they can also only be found at night. Any players that do manage to collect twenty-five of them and bring them back to the lake behind their settlement will enjoy a nice surprise.
