Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Are the microtransactions worth it?

Like previous entries in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has microtransactions that can be purchased by Helix Credits, the game’s premium currency. You’ll find lots of items via the in-game store such as weapons, armor, cosmetics, mounts, and resources. Are they worth it? Let’s find out.

Note: For more information, check out our Assassin’s Creed Valhalla guides and features hub.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘s microtransactions and cosmetics: Are they worth your while?

The first question one might ask is whether microtransactions or cosmetics are required to enjoy Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The quick and easy answer is simply, “No, they aren’t.”

You can easily farm materials and find unique loot as you explore. The game doesn’t make these things too hard either, so you’re bound to have a few resources to spare as you progress. Plus, sync points, your raven, and sight (pinging the map) show materials, resources, and treasure already.

Having said that, there are a few benefits that might just help you out. However, you should only go for these if you’re truly into the game or you want to shell out the extra dough.

Helix Credits

Below, you’ll see the costs of various Helix Credit packs. They’re in Philippine peso, but here are some rough estimates:

• $5 = 500 credits
• $10 = 1,050 credits
• $20 = 2,300 credits
• $35 = 4,200 credits
• $50 = 6,600 credits

For the record, I spent $50 to get 6,600 Helix Credits. I’ll outline what I spent these on since these were the items that caught my eye.

Draugr Pack and Valkyrie Pack (2,000 Helix Credits each)

The reason I purchased these is due to aesthetics. Both armor sets looked really cool (there’s a third armor set, the Huldufolk Pack which costs 1,500 Helix Credits, but the armors didn’t look that good).

So, what exactly did I get in return? Well, these packs provide a full armor set, weapon, shield, mount, and raven.

Regarding the equipment (weapons and armor), these are mythical rarity already, the highest enhancement level in  Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. As such, they already have a few upgrade pips and you won’t need to worry about spending ingots (rarity enhancement) or materials like leather, iron ore, and titanium (upgrade pips).

Note 1: It seems upgrade pips carry over as well. The Draugr set was the one I bought first and I maxed out the upgrades. When I purchased the Valkyrie set, I was surprised that it, too, had been maxed out.

Note 2: The Valkyrie pack has a spear weapon and shield. To have both equipped at the same time, you need the Heavy Dual Wield skill.

The gear pieces also have additional perks:

• Draugr armor set – Increases attack when you hit a poisoned enemy; increased speed and stun stats.
• Valkyrie armor set – Increases speed after using the Dive of the Valkyries ability; increased armor and attack.

The weapons and shields also come with effects:

• Mournful Cry (hammer; part of Draugr pack) – Critical hits temporarily poison your weapon; quite good when I paired this with the Miasma combat skill.
• Hircocervus Scale (shield; part of Draugr pack) – Increased melee damage when blocking.
• Svipul (spear; part of Valkyrie set) – Increased back damage when low on health.
• Winged Shield (part of Valkyrie set) – Increases attack after parrying; stacks up to five times.

So, yes, these gear pieces have unique perks. Still, other items have their own use. Heck, before grabbing these, I didn’t really have a problem with the Thegn and Brigandine sets, or various weapons like the Iron-Star flail. I guess it’s mostly just to look cool while I’m enjoying Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘s photo mode.

Cosmetic stuff

Speaking of looking cool, the aforementioned packs also include a mount and a raven. The Draugr set’s skeletal horse is just a sight to behold. Meanwhile, the Valkyrie set’s horse is akin to Odyssey‘s Pegasus: it glides when you’re falling so it won’t suffer fall damage.

As for the Draugr set’s raven, it’s somewhat bugged. The glowing eyes will still appear when you’re looking around with it.

What I didn’t purchase, though, were other cosmetics. I wasn’t keen on getting tattoos, ship designs, and settlement decorations. Regarding the ship designs, you might want to check the differences between the ones under “Property” and those under “Packs.” For instance, the Draugr Ship Skins under “Property” costs 300 Helix Credits, but it lacks the remaining components that the Draugr Ship Pack (500 Helix Credits) has.

Note: If you have mounts and ravens from the shop, you need to build the stables in your settlement to equip them. For ship parts, you need the shipyard.

Utilities

If ever there’s something that truly affected my exploration of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla‘s game world, it’s the Complete Map Pack under “Utilities.” This costs 1,000 Helix Credits, but it reveals all the gear pieces, abilities, artifacts, and opals in every region in Norway and England. There are cheaper alternatives that show only a specific type of treasure (i.e., gear pieces only), but these shop items are removed once you get the Complete Map Pack.

Why purchase that? Well, it was to make a world map and treasures guide. Happy hunting, folks!

Note: You also earn opals by completing Thousand Eyes contracts. Like Oikos of the Olympians from Odyssey, an NPC named Reda lets you spend opals on mythical items and cosmetics that are part of daily and weekly deals. Let’s just hope that you don’t experience the same bug that I did.

Ubisoft Connect

I still had 1,900 Helix Credits to spare, but I’m holding off on spending on anything else. Anyway, don’t forget to check out the Ubisoft Connect rewards once Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is live in your region. You’ll unlock freebies such as weapons, raven skins, cosmetics, and Bayek’s outfit for Eivor.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available via its official store page. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.