Siege of Paris is an expansion of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla that introduces a sizable new map to explore, new abilities, and an extended story for the main campaign. It’s been almost a year since the main game came out, and we finally have this expansion that was promised to us since Valhalla first launched.
The Siege of Paris DLC takes you from the rivers of England and into the shores of Francia as you take control of Eivor once more in his effort to prevent the Franks from invading his homeland. You’ll get a front line seat to the combat as Eivor uncovers secrets and aids Siegfried against the forces of King Charles the Fat.
The new map taking place in Francia is quite sizable containing multiple new locations and secrets to find. But besides the City of Paris, Francia never really felt that much different to explore than England. Aesthetically, the atmosphere is more depressing as the country is suffering from a plague and a slew of religious fanatics. There are still beautiful and jaw-dropping environments, but unless you’re chewing the scenery there isn’t much reason to go from town to town and meet new people as they all feel the same. Even most of the ones introduced to you in Siege of Paris’ main story don’t feel too compelling. It was challenging to feel attached to anyone.
The narrative, however, is a little more interesting to follow. We first head to Francia at the behest of Siegfried’s niece as she is looking for recruits to help her uncle against King Charles the Fat. While I can’t talk more about the story, Siege of Paris does have an interesting main campaign. It isn’t anything revolutionary, but it is satisfactory.
Gameplay-wise, Siege of Paris does things a little differently. Bringing back the Black Box assassination-style missions from Unity, the DLC gives you the freedom to roam around an area looking for opportune moments to get closer to your target. You can take the chance to find your own way or roam around a bit to talk to strangers to learn and unlock newer ways to get closer to your mark. This was a great addition as the main game was too focused on open combat. There are even ways to trigger cinematic assassinations should you complete all the requirements.
There are also new enemy types that you’ll encounter, such as the Heavy Cavalry which are mounted on horseback throwing javelins at you from afar which provides an added challenge as their mobility makes them fierce on the field. While new enemy types are to be expected, there was one new enemy type that felt flat-out annoying. The Rats are an unwelcome addition to the roster. You can’t kill them, they swarm you and eat a good chunk of your health while staggering you, prevent you from picking up items, and the only way to get rid of them is to swing your weapon till they’re retreating back into their holes.
Speaking of weapons, there is a new weapon type introduced in this DLC, the scythe. A two-handed blade more befittingly held by the Grim Reaper than a gardener. It’s faster than your other two-handed weapons.
Otherwise, Siege of Paris doesn’t really do things too differently from the main campaign. It does however introduce new optional activities in Ravensthorpe for you to partake in, including a fighting tournament. You can also go back and forth from England to Francia at your own leisure.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla Siege of Paris is a welcome addition to the main campaign. However, if you already didn’t like the main game, then this DLC might not be for you. But if you’re enticed with exploring a new land, story, and the return of Black Box assassination missions then Siege of Paris just may very well be worth your time.
For our review of the main campaign, click here.
