The Alliance Map Is for Show Only Until the Mid Game
That brings us nicely to the Alliance Map, which essentially serves as a chapter selection menu in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Here’s the thing, though: until about 20 hours into the game it’s nothing more than a fancy overview of your progress so far.
Why? Because unless you’ve been exploring and raiding very thoroughly then you’re going to be under-leveled to go anywhere else but the next most obvious region. Do not make the mistake of visiting, say, Lunden, when your power level is only suitable for East Anglia.
Valhalla is a little flawed in the sense that it offers you the chance to go places you’re simply not ready for. It’s an illusion of choice…
Only the brave or stupid would venture outside of where the game wants you to go. We fell into the latter category during our review playthrough and paid for it with a very unenjoyable five or so hours in Lunden cheesing and stealthing our way through areas of the game where we were outclassed in every combat encounter.
The Alliance Map more or less works as intended later in the game. But for the first four or five occasions, Randvi asks you to “pledge” to a region; choose the obvious option, and don’t try to be clever!
