Vikings. The monsters of the North. Their only goals are to rape, pillage, and kill. They bring death and destruction wherever they go and terrorize the coasts of England.
But is that the full story?
Assassins Creed Valhalla dives into Norse culture and tells an epic story that centers around the Viking Eivor of the Raven Clan and his brother Sigurd and Sigurd’s crew of raiders that soon leaves the frozen land of Norway for the rich and vibrant land of England seeking adventure, fame, and a place to call home. Your journey takes you through a dark and winding plot of raiding, political intrigue, betrayal, and mystical secrets that are brought to light through yours and Sigurd’s involvement with the mysterious Hidden Ones.
Matching up with this epic journey is Talisker Storm, a peaty scotch from the Island region of Scotland. Big hits of brine and smoke along with some citrus and vanilla give you an adventurous flavor to pair with this ambitious game.
Nose:
-Game: Valhalla has an incredibly ambitious open world who’s story is aided by the highly detailed environments that put you into the dark ages of England and immerse you even deeper into the story. This is perhaps the most detailed and beautiful open world I’ve ever seen, and it is crammed full of details that you want to explore and that caused me to easily invest over 100 hours into just exploring caves, finding treasures, and completing side missions that range from fascinating little pocket stories to weird silly stories that sometimes made me genuinely laugh out loud (you can help the inventor of worcestershire sauce complete his concoction). But oftentimes I would get completely distracted from whatever side mission I was doing by the sheer beauty of this world. Rich sunsets over a colorful valley, deep swamps filled with fog and hints of mystery, ancient skeletons of the Roman Empire, and crashing waves slamming into the rocks below a precariously placed castle on the cliffs all serve to draw you into this world to explore every secret it may hold.
-Scotch: Strong brine notes like the ocean spray you get hit with as you cross the rough sea to reach England. Good smokiness is also present along with some slight honey notes, bringing to mind the sweet serenity and beautiful nature of the English country, peppered in with some of the massive raids you are undertaking to gather resources and stake your claim to this English land.
Palate:
-Game: Valhalla expands on the new open world RPG direction that Assassins Creed has been heading down for its last few titles and manages to bring back some of the old school stealth elements from the original games. The combat flows well and you feel like an epic Viking every time you ride down the rivers on your longship, initiate a raid and rush into battle to burn and loot. There’s a plethora of quests and challenges to complete that help you to level up your character and expand your settlement. There is also a fascinating side quest/world that has you taking on the role of one of the Norse gods in Asgard and follows a story that feels straight out of Norse mythology. At times it can feel overwhelming with the amount of options and stuff to do in the world, but it still draws you in and has you stopping constantly to explore all the different opportunities that arise as you ride your horse across the country or sail down river in your ship.
-Scotch: As with the nose of the scotch, you get a lot of the brine and smoke flavor in the palate as you drink and it invokes the image of the gameplay of rushing into towns, raiding, looting, ash and smoke filling the air as you strike quickly and leave with treasures for your settlement. You do also pick up the sweeter notes of honey and it has a decent smoothness that mellows out the other flavors to give a fairly balanced experience. This reflects the other elements of the game that bring together a more holistic view of Norse culture that goes beyond just the violence of the Vikings and shows their more idealistic and peaceful side as well.
Finish:
-Game: Valhalla weaves a long, dark and intense story surrounding the raiding and conquering of dark ages England while also showing the heart and soul of Norse people looking for a better land and a better life. It also threads in the Assassin’s Order plotline that provides more mystical intrigue and connects it with the rest of the stories told thus far in this universe. One minute you’re slashing through Saxons as you fight your way through a monastery, the next you’re feasting and singing next to a roaring fire in the great hall of your settlement surrounded by your Norse brothers and sisters. With great gameplay and what is probably the best looking open world game I’ve ever seen, the game overcomes a few minor glitches and delivers an unforgettable experience of going Viking.
-Scotch: Talisker Storm has a fairly smooth clean finish that brings up more smoke with a little bit of spicy heat. It leaves you with a smoldering fire kind of experience, a fire that may come from a recent raid on a town, or the remnants of another great and joyous feast in your settlement. Whichever it is, you can raise a glass and shout, “Skol!”
Story Mode Scotch 