The Tombs of the Fallen content is out now for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, bringing a series of intricate challenges and rewards for players to discover. This free update features four challenge tombs, similar to those found in the Tomb Raider series, and these tombs contain unique secrets and treasures.
From new gear to enigmatic secrets, there's a lot for players to unpack in Tombs of the Fallen, and it can be hard to even know where to get started. Here are some of the most important things to know about the Tombs of the Fallen update.
9 Talk To The Women Near The Docks
Players jumping back into Assassin's Creed Valhalla to play the Tombs of the Fallen might not know exactly where to start. There's no dedicated mission in the quest tab for the tombs, and a brief in-game prompt only offers a vague hint for where to start hunting.
To find the first tomb, players will need to talk to a pair of women near the docks who tell Eivor about how their animals have all been acting crazy and trying to swim across the river. Further inspection will reveal the entrance to the first tomb on a cliffside just across the water.
8 Eivor's Raven Can Spot The Tombs From A Distance
Finding each tomb might seem a little daunting at first, especially since the game doesn't automatically place them on the map. Assassin's Creed Valhalla has one of the biggest maps of any modern game, and it could take days to comb through the map trying to find three specific dungeons.
Fortunately, Eivor's raven, Synin, can spot the tombs from afar. If a tomb is nearby, it will give off a distinct, blue swirl that extends high into the air like a beacon. Eivor can't see these swirls at all, though, so players would be wise to mark the location before leaving the bird's eye view.
7 The First Tomb Reveals The Other's Locations
The first tomb is sort of a freebie as it's located right across the river from Eivor's home settlement. After navigating their way into the tomb, players will discover that there are more tombs hidden throughout England waiting to be plundered.
At the back of the tomb's main chamber is a large, enigmatic slab with glowing crystals embedded in its face. It's worth studying closely (and taking a screenshot of), as it's actually a map of England with the locations of the other three tombs marked by the crystals.
6 Each Tomb Is One Giant Puzzle
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was lauded for several of the refinements it made to the Assassin's Creed formula, but it didn't feature much in the way of complicated, intense puzzles. Most of its puzzles simply reuse the same concepts over and over like destructible walls and barred doors.
The Tombs of the Fallen, though, feature new mechanics and challenges that, while not overly complicated, are still very distinct from the base game's puzzles. Each tomb uses a variety of environmental limitations to offer some challenging and entertaining scenarios.
5 The Tombs Belong To Real Historical Figures
The names of each tomb directly reference the occupant buried there, and each one houses a famous English leader or general who died standing up to overwhelming forces. The heroes in question are Boudica, Cassivellaunus, and Venutius.
What's more, the ghosts of these heroes greet Eivor as they make their way into the final burial chamber at the end of each tomb. These ghosts regale Eivor with tales of their triumphs and defeats, all of which are accurate to the real historical figure.
4 Strange Artifacts Are Hidden In Each Tomb
While the primary reward for plundering the tombs is the Fallen Hero armor set, there's another treasure hidden in each tomb that players shouldn't miss. At the end of each tomb, there are hidden alcoves that house strange artifacts that prompt Eivor to speak words in a language they don't understand.
These artifacts have a strange, hexagonal shape that makes them stand out from the technology of the era. What's more, the artifacts don't have any clear purpose yet other than taking up space in the quest items section of the inventory menu.
3 A Mysterious, Locked Door
The very first tomb players can access is called Manius's Workshop, and rather than housing a dead body, it is filled with all manner of half-finished traps and notes from the engineer who worked there. It also has a large, glowing slab set into the floor of the main chamber that can't be opened by conventional means.
The slab is described as a door in one of Manius's notes, and not even he was able to figure out how to open it. Its secrets remain a mystery, though there has been speculation that it will open as part of Assassin's Creed Valhalla's second year of DLC that will pick up on unresolved plotlines involving the Norse gods.
2 They're Connected To The Isu Race
The influence of the ancient, technologically advanced Isu race is evident in almost every part of the Tombs of the Fallen content. The tombs themselves are guarded by runes inscribed by Odin, the leader of the Norse faction of the Isu.
The burial chambers also feature Isu architecture and create an effect on Eivor that's reminiscent of the Pieces of Eden from past Assassin's Creed games. These chambers are also able to create a ghostly echo of the dead hero buried there, a feat Isu such as Juno and Alethia have done in the past.
1 The Fallen Hero Armor Set
The ultimate reward for completing all the tombs is the Fallen Hero armor, a new, Isu-inspired set of armor that might be the best armor set in the entire game. The pieces can be found in the final burial chambers of each tomb, with two of the tombs containing two pieces each.
The Fallen Hero set boosts armor, melee damage, and ranged damage when three pieces are equipped, and when the entire set is equipped it drops an explosive charge after taking damage. The armor can also be upgraded, changing its appearance and giving it some technological accents.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla was released on November 10, 2020 and is currently available on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Stadia.