Killin' It in Architecture

*For those that know me pretty well- especially those who took my Advanced Corporate Design course (remember all the fun of FiG², y’all)- this is not going to be anything new. For those who do not, SURPRISE!

Last week to my utter delight and with a welcome end to my vexing anticipation, Ubisoft released the next in its wildly popular series- Valhalla. Yes, I do play video games. Questionably violent, RPG, open world, parkour-intense video games. Specifically, Assassin’s Creed.

STILL working my way through this BEHEMOTH of a game

No, I am not a psychotic serial murderer in the making. No, I do not spend inordinate amounts of time playing. At least I do not think so. Yes, I know that video games are not real, though I believe PS5 is going to make that distinction harder. Playstation haters- you XBoxers and PCers- keep your comments to yourself.

From the moment I saw my niece playing Black Flag years ago, I was enraptured. As Edward Kenway, she was jumping around landscapes, climbing buildings, sailing the high seas, and yes, um, she was an Assassin.

What fascinates me about the franchise is how architectonic and bucolically immersive it is. The architect in me loves travelling through buildings, seeing the virtual textures of the worlds. Being able to ‘experience’ the Bastille, 18th century Boston, ancient (and scary) tombs of Egypt, including how the Sphinx may have looked is thrilling. Currently, I am working my way through Greece. It is massive. Viewing the Parthenon from pedestrian angles is now a possibility because of the gaming architecture. No longer am I Sheena Felece, but I ‘am’ Kassandra or Alexios, scaling the marble laden territory (avoiding wild boars and bears) to see how I will accomplish my next quest. Oh, what fun!

With Valhalla, Ubisoft has combined two of my favorite elements: Assassin’s Creed and Scandinavia. My excitement is high and my curiosity is piqued. How will the 9th century English and Scandinavian terrains and vernacular architecture look? Will there be tidbits of cultural history included along with identification of important landmarks?

OK, if I am being really honest, the teenager in me just loves playing games where I am able to jump from a building with a sword, spear, hammer, or axe to lower the BOOM on a bad guy. Or sparring with a group of soldiers while leaping from roof to eave to column. Plus, levelling up to beat the baddies easily is always worthy.

So grab your controller, a healthy dose of aquavit, yell Skål! and channel your inner Viking to become an architectural Assassin. Just make sure that you follow the Creed. (If you have to ask, then…)