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Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a testament to how far open-world games have come in populating the world with intriguing and interesting events, NPCs and visuals. Think about the Elder Scroll games, GTA, or even Halo, and consider the latest games that have launched. The genre of open-world gaming has advanced with leaps and bounds.
Players have a huge sprawling map to contend with - filled with picturesque delights, little question marks, side quests, NPCs and so much more. Hark back to Red Dead Redemption 2 or The Witcher 3, or even the latest Forza Horizon 5, and one can experience what the genre has to offer.
2022 promises to carry this trend further as an array of open world games are due for release with a world as richly filled as that of Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
A look at the open-world games similar to Assassin's Creed Valhalla that players can get their hands on in 2022
The open world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla provides players with a massive map to immerse themselves in. As usual, the player has to climb specific high points in the map to lift the fog and synchronize. Ubisoft has been honing its skills with the open-world genre for more than a decade now, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, with Watch Dogs: Legion, showcases its absolute beauty.
The side-quests in Assassin's Creed Valhalla give the players a flavor of the Viking world. The characters are properly written and implemented. England looks different and wild in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which does justice to the depiction of the world and its time.
Taking the series to newer heights, Assassin's Creed Valhalla has become a new yardstick for how immersive an open-world experience can be. It remains to be seen what the game developers have in store for the players in 2022 with the following games (the list is not based on a ranking):
1) Saints Row
In their recently released trailer at The Game Awards 2021, one of the characters states:
"We're really good at what we do."
This can be taken to reflect the developers of the Saints Row franchise as well. The action-filled sequence of this 2022 reboot showed cars getting destroyed, different settings and an insane amount of gunfire as everyone vies for power.
While being labeled as the Grand Theft Auto clone at the beginning of the series, Saints Row has been able to mark its own distinctive esthetic and silliness in the genre of open world with over-the-top gameplay, parodies and humor.
The reboot takes place in the city of Santo Ileso and follows a new gang, a decision that has not really gone down well with the fans. With an August 23, 2022 release date, players have to wait half a year to get their hands on the new addition to the franchise.
2) Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Rockstead Studios' upcoming genre-bending action-adventure game will continue the Arkhamverse while being set in the open world of Metropolis. It will be the first game in the series that will not feature Batman as the primary protagonist. The game will revolve around the eponymous team's fight to defeat Brainiac after he has brainwashed the Justice League.
The game will feature four playable characters: Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Harley Quinn and King Shark. Although the dour setting of the Arkham series would fit well in the Viking world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will feature a colorful open-world version of Metropolis.
3) Dying Light 2 Stay Human
The zombie apocalyptic-themed open world of Dying Light is coming back with a sequel next February. The player steps into the shoes of Aiden Caldwell - who can do parkour. This opens up interesting ways of traversing the map as over 3000 parkour animations have been added to the game for fluid movement.
Dying Light 2 is set in the City - an urban open world in Europe 4x larger than the first one that players can explore. There are different factions and settlements that the player will come across with the whole map broken into seven regions with their own unique landmarks and locations, much like Assassin's Creed Valhalla.
4) Horizon Forbidden West
The first Horizon received massive praise for its open-world design. With visually pleasing textures and locations, Zero Dawn, in a similar vein to Assassin's Creed Valhalla, managed to catch the imagination of the players.
The sequel, arriving to Playstation in February and Microsoft Windows in August, looks like it will expand on the visual and esthetic glory of the post-apocalyptic United States as players explore the Forbidden West. The trailers already show the splendor of the settings and the different additions - both to Aloy's weapons and newer machines.
It has been confirmed that the map of Horizon Forbidden West will be bigger than its predecessor. It will also include recognizable locations like a ruined San Francisco and the Yosemite Valley. The developers have also added underwater exploration this time around.
5) Elden Ring
Elden Ring has won the 'Most Anticipated Game' at The Game Awards twice in a row. Players all around the world cannot wait to get their hands on Bandai Namco's upcoming open-world, action role-playing game, a genre much like Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and the release date cannot get here soon enough.
Taking place in the realms of the Lands Between, the titular Elden Ring has been destroyed and the shards have been scattered. The players play as a Tarnished - exiles from the Lands Between who lost the Ring's grace - as they roam in search of all the shattered runes to restore the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord.
The worldbuilding of this massive open-world game is being made by the popular fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin and is being directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. The news has set tongues wagging for long-time fans regarding all the possibilities that the upcoming game has to offer.
Notable mention - Although the untitled sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a major miss at the recently concluded The Game Awards, it has been quietly listed on Amazon.
The open world of the original is one of the most exciting experiences of any player who has played it. Breath of the Wild has been confirmed for 2022 and players are going to be excited to see what Nintendo has up their sleeves.
Note: This article reflects the author's personal opinion.
