The Siege of Paris is the second expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It takes Eivor out of England and into the war-torn, plague-ridden city of Paris and its surrounding lush countryside. They will face intrigue and politics, with some secrets in store at every turn. As ever, the new DLC comes with a host of new features and content. The Siege of Paris is available with the Assassin's Creed Valhalla Season Pass. Additionally, you can read our review of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris here.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris' Setting
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris will take Eivor out of England and into the foreign shores of 9th century Francia. It brings together four new locations – firstly, the city of Paris itself. The zone features the city's iconic Île de la Cité, here shown as a near-impenetrable fortress. It also shows a stark contrast between the plague-ridden southern slums and the northern districts of the nobles. The slums are partly flooded and full of swarms of rats and bodies of the plagued dead, the air is full of smoke and soot and decay. Meanwhile, the northern districts of the nobles are full of tall towers and villas with manicured gardens.
The expansion sets the atmosphere to enhance the story. The other three locations are Melunois to the south, Evresin to the east, where the sea meets the Seine River, and Amienois to the north. These areas are a lush landscape of vineyards and flower fields, filled with small hamlets and monasteries and forts to raid and plunder.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris' Story
Meanwhile, the story deals with Eivor traveling so far from home to investigate a looming threat. The Viking Elgring Clan, under their hot-blooded leader, Sigfred has put the city of Paris under the threat of a siege for months. Eivor aims to ensure the safety of the Raven Clan by making sure whoever rules Francia will not set their eyes on England. Therein lies the bulk of the expansion's narrative. Twists and turns surround a secret society, the Bellatores Dei, with their claws all over Francia's church and state – who, of course, will also provide multiple assassination targets.
Eivor will also encounter Francia's mad king, Charles the Fat, and his wife, the ever-pious Richardis. Additionally, the steadfast Count Odo leads the forces that defend Paris from the Viking threat. All of them will play a major role in the expansion – and all of them will be heavily affected by the player's decisions.
New Gameplay Features
A host of new gameplay features also come with Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris. The biggest of which is the return of “black-box” assassination missions. They are now called “Infiltration Missions” and they provide a sandbox-style playground for the player to execute their targets in any way they choose. The expansion has five of these missions, and they are arguably the best part of the DLC's experience.
The new Rebel Missions system operates as a mini-version of the upgrade trees of your Viking settlement in England. Here you go on various missions to gain currency and infamy, slowly upgrading your band of rebels into seasoned veterans. These smaller missions are short, simple, and range between the typical open-world activities that have already been featured in the base game.
Rat Swarms are also a new environmental challenge that comes with The Siege of Paris expansion. They are fast-moving, deadly swarms of rats that can overwhelm Eivor if they don't constantly repel them with weapon attacks. This new mechanic supplements the expansion's environmental puzzles. Many of these will involve herding the rat swarms into grates or sewers and then trapping them by pushing an object to block them from coming out.
New enemy types have also been added to the game. Arbalists carry heavy crossbows that are slow to load but deal a considerable amount of damage. They will be tricky to deal with in groups that also contain melee enemies. The most challenging new enemy however is the Heavy Cavalry unit. These mounted spearmen have a lot of health, long reach, and a deadly charging attack. They are also immune to Eivor's movement skills, such as the harpoon. Heavy Cavalry will certainly pose a threat on the battlefield.
Character Customization
Scythes have also been added to Assassin's Creed Valhalla as a new heavy weapon. Their wide arcs and long reach make them ideal for dealing with enemies in groups. However, their slow speed can prove detrimental. Two new long-ranged abilities, the Plague of Rats and Goule Breath have also been added to the game. Plague of Rats allows the player to shoot an enemy and summon a rat swarm, causing damage that also spreads to nearby enemies. Goule Breath, meanwhile, is a poisoned arrow that causes the target to become ill, and also scares away nearby enemies. The new melee ability, Golden Flame, is another new addition. It is basically a short-delay sticky bomb that Eivor can attach to a target.
There are also new unlockable skill nodes in the Raven, Bear, and Wolf trees. In addition, several new unique weapons and armor pieces have also been added to the game. This is also alongside a number of new cosmetic options for tattoos and hairstyles.
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