One of the most surprising action-roguelikes of recent years wasn’t a hidden indie gem, and it wasn’t made by a passionate underdog studio. It was a free update quietly hidden inside a hundred-hour Ubisoft open world.
Ubisoft is a company notorious for squeezing cash out of players with microtransactions, bloated open worlds, and deeply mediocre DLCs. Their formula is as predictable as it gets: map icons, endless fetch quests, and combat loops designed never to push you out of your comfort zone. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was that corporate formula at its absolute limit.
So when they announced Forgotten Saga - a free DLC dropped right at the end of the game’s lifecycle - I didn't expect much, especially considering even their paid expansions are usually underwhelming at best.
Instead, I got one of the most surprising game design pivots of the entire decade.
The Design Clash: Safety vs. Risk
To understand why this expansion works, you have to look at the massive design conflict at its core.
The issue with Ubisoft isn't that their games are bad - it's that they are optimized for safety. Their titles are engineered so you can never truly fail, which also means they can never truly surprise you.
The roguelike genre is the exact opposite. It thrives on high risk, total variance, and meaningful failure. It’s a design philosophy completely at odds with Ubisoft’s corporate DNA.
Yet, Forgotten Saga throws you into Niflheim as Odin to rescue Baldr, strips away your high-level gear, and resets your progress the moment you die. You start every run with a random weapon and zero main-game upgrades in what is easily Ubisoft's most surprisingly solid attempt at the roguelike genre.
Anatomy of a Great Run
It’s as if someone took a textbook titled How to Build an Action Roguelike and actually followed it. We get everything expected from the genre:
- High-stakes combat encounters where mistakes actually cost you,
- Distinct biomes with varied visual and encounter designs,
- Weapon and artifact drafting to build temporary runs,
- Branching paths where choices carry real weight,
- Escalating boss fights that test your current loadout,
- Permanent meta-progression to keep every run rewarding.
What makes this work is how effectively it destroys the "autopilot" problem. You can spend over 100 hours in base Valhalla executing the exact same overpowered combo. Forgotten Saga completely removes that option. By forcing randomized gear and abilities onto you, it forces you to adapt, learn new move sets, and actually engage with the underlying combat mechanics. Even stealth assassinations carry real tension again because you need every advantage you can get.
How Experience Shapes the Loop
Your history with the franchise heavily influences how this mode feels:
For Newcomers: If you’ve never played Valhalla or any of the RPG-era Assassin’s Creed games, this might actually be where you have the most fun. Every system, animation, and combat mechanic will feel fresh and purposeful.
For Veterans: While default runs might feel a bit too easy initially, the structural mechanics keep it engaging.
The loop itself borrows some of the best tricks in the genre. Every time you die, you’re greeted with evolving story beats, with bosses explicitly reacting to the fact that you’re back for another attempt - a brilliant nod to Hades. Meanwhile, the meta-progression tree is surprisingly massive. Reminiscent of Rogue Legacy, you're constantly upgrading your base stats, abilities, and gear at the main camp between runs.
That progression opens up genuinely satisfying build synergies. On one run, picking up a rune that chains shock damage between nearby targets combined with a legendary hammer that triggers explosive shockwaves on hit transformed the game. Watching an entire group of enemies melt in a chain reaction of lightning was proof that these systems actually hold up.
Honestly, there are so many good ideas packed into this mode that it feels like a waste for it to be buried as a side activity. Ubisoft could easily take this exact framework and turn it into a standalone release.
The Catch: Where the Mode Stumbles
Despite its strengths, there are two major caveats to keep in mind before diving in:
Content Depth Limits: It’s not infinite. The sheer depth doesn't match dedicated, standalone titans like Hades or Dead Cells. It also still relies on Valhalla’s base combat engine and enemy AI - if you fundamentally disliked the core mechanics of the main game, this won't magically change your mind.
The Entry Barrier: While you only need the base game to access it, Ubisoft locked this mode behind main-story progression. You have to sink roughly 10 hours into the base campaign just to upgrade your settlement enough to unlock the Niflheim portal.
Final Thoughts
Despite those flaws, Forgotten Saga remains a genuinely brilliant action-roguelike hidden inside a bloated AAA game. It came out in 2022, and it still boggles the mind that it came from Ubisoft. Considering the company’s reputation, it’s profoundly ironic that the single best thing they’ve released this decade costs absolutely nothing extra.
If you already own Valhalla, it is well worth digging back into the game just to clear the settlement requirements and experience this run.
