The iconic one-shot-kill weapon of the Brotherhood – The Hidden Blade, returns to Assassin’s Creed saga. After having disappeared in the new franchises due to transformative changes in gameplay, it is all set to return in the latest Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. For quite a few years, Ubisoft decided to engage their gamers with more immersive, excruciating, and long-duration battles, hence they had to let go of the amazingly strong instant-kill weapons. But the game developers have decided to go old-school this time after all our game is itself set in the age of the Vikings. Let’s see what the creative director of the game had to say about it.
The Hidden Blade
It can be seen in the trailer that Eivor is wearing a blade on his left arm which he sneakily slides through the opening in his enemy’s helmet and kills him instantly. This is the Hidden Blade which first debuted in 2007’s Assassin’s Creed – a small wrist dagger used for stealth killing in close combat. Unlike your other long swords and axes, the hidden blade is nowhere near lethal unless aimed at the weak spots of your enemy like the face and neck.
Eventually, this weapon went into the shadows for a past few games as stealth wasn’t their style. But with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, fans are anticipating the return of many such nostalgic features that made this series an epic one to play.
An interview with Valhalla’s creative director
A recent interview with Ashraf Ismail, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s creative director, confirmed the news of there being a weapon in Valhalla which can take your enemies down with one blow. You will obtain the hidden blade early on in the game but you will need to master it to unlock the instant kill. Although you cannot have a one-hit kill with every swing you make, you will need to time your strikes perfectly to master that shot.
Ismail mentions that they had to dig up old books and references to incorporate the classic fighting styles and weapon-wielding techniques of that era – the complete historical remake of a lost civilization. Rather than being an action-packed solo like Odyssey and Origins, Valhalla will be a stealthy action-adventure in a Barbarian era. The game would often demand Eivor to go on missions in an incognito mode, engaging in ambushes and stealth fighting which will eventually lead him to be a formidable killer. Here is everything you need to know about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.