This week we've seen two non-sci fi games announce surprise sci-fi expansions - Far Cry 6 and Two Point Campus.

Fresh datamining for Assassin's Creed Valhalla indicates a possible crossover with sci-fi franchises Destiny and Monster Hunter, featuring armours and weapons from each.

For the benefit of non-gamers, developers sometimes include graphical assets in games or updates for unimplemented features.

Usually they are implemented eventually and this has encouraged the practice of datamining - fans or commentators scouring game files for such assets.

One of the reasons developers include fishable assets is to unofficially fish for feedback on potentially contentious content.

Reportedly fans are deeply divided on this one.

Some appreciate the addition of sci-fi.

Others see it as completely out of place.

The Assassin's Creed franchise is the hardest to classify from our point of view.

Nominally it is science fiction.

Technology is used to simulate an earlier time in Earth's history where the player is an assassin.

And its story includes a technologically advanced villainous dead alien race called the Isu.

But gameplay wise what the player experiences is mostly running about rooftops assassinating people using entirely ordinary means.

Valhalla's Dawn of Ragnarok expansion sees players granted magic-like abilities by Odin, who was a good Isu.

Though technological in origin both setting and abilities are mystical / mythological in appearance.

Assassin's Creed is a huge franchise with plans for rapid expansion both in gaming and beyond.

Should we, a science-fiction entertainment blog, be covering it?

We couldn't make up our own mind on this one and took it to the boss.

He said no.

And he'd probably still say no with these few sci-fi armours and weapons possibly on the way.

Which we would agree with.

If anyone else wants to think of them as sci-fi we really couldn't call them wrong because elements like simulations and technologically advanced aliens are there.

But in terms of the player experience are too background and limited to make this franchise feel like science fiction.

It's a question we also have to consider for Netflix's 1899 series, which didn't appear to be and wasn't advertised as sci-fi but whose ending reportedly revealed a potential sci-fi twist.

Should we find time to watch it and Netflix doesn't cancel it, we may have something to say about that at a later time.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is available to play now on PC, Xbox and PlayStation.

[ Main Image: Assassin's Creed Valhalla - datamined image. Credit: Ubisoft via YouTube. ]

References

MAK Moderator (November 30, 2022). AC Valhalla The Final Chapter: 5 New Armor Sets! (DESTINY 2 & Monster Hunter Collab). YouTube.

Sarfaraz, Shahmeer (December 1, 2022). Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Datamine Teases Crossover With Destiny 2 And Monster Hunter. Exputer.