I’m no stranger to open worlds, having played games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Skyrim, and Assassin’s Creed Origins, so when news broke about the changes coming to the newest game in the AC franchise, my interests escalated. As a long-time fan of immersive open world games, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey had to be more than a big map. For me, it also needed to pull me into that era of history and make me live it. With big promises come big responsibilities.

About Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a stealth, open world, action RPG. It is the first in the series to apply the choices and consequences of a true RPG in its storytelling like games such as Fable or The Witcher 3. Stealth games allow players to stalk their prey from the shadows and in some games, also offers a non-lethal option. Open world games give players massive worlds to explore, and role-playing games offer a compelling story which can be shaped by player choice. 

After three years in development, the game was released on October 5, 2018.  The game has garnered a lot of attention since its official announcement at this year’s E3, with many long-time fans curious about changes. Others commented on the disparity between Ubisoft’s recent statement about yearly AC games and the release date of Odyssey falling only a year after that of Origins. While it’s difficult to know for sure if Ubisoft is going back to making yearly Assassin’s Creed games, the popularity of the released game has been high and will remain a popular choice as players await upcoming DLC. 

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Story

Not going to lie, I yelled "This is Sparta" anyways.

Set in 431 BCE during the Peloponnesian War, players can choose between two main characters: a male, Alexios or female, Kassandra. Whether male or female, the player begins the story on the Isle of Kephallonia as a mercenary. The character’s main story focuses on finding out information about the player’s family and is accompanied by interjections of historical events and people. Outside the Animus in the present day, you play as Layla Hassan, a former Abstergo employee looking for answers since witnessing the birth of the Assassin Order in Origins. 

The story is compelling. You begin in a short scene as Leonidas fighting the Persians alongside his faithful 300, ramming your spear through your opponents with ease. In fact, the only disappointing aspect of this portion of the intro was that your Spartan Kick ability didn’t come with a gratifying yell of “THIS IS SPARTA!” As you progress through the game, the story becomes more emotional and intriguing as your character discovers new information relating to their family. Another difference to this entry in the franchise is the addition of mythological creatures available to battle. While Origins had a similar idea, it was limited to a glitch in the Animus while these encounters appear more real and are factored into the game’s quest line. 

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Gameplay

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has two, pre-made characters, Kassandra or Alexios. The gameplay is customizable based upon your play style. Like in Origins, there is a skill chart that allows players to choose which skill sets they would like to gain or increase as they level their characters. Many players who have played Origins will notice that significant changes were made to the weapons and the skill tree. For example, you need only one bow for multiple kinds of shots. The skill tree provides players with the customization to level the skills they use most in either the Hunter (Archery), Warrior (Combat), or Assassin (Stealth) trees.

Action, including naval combat, is seamless within the game. Dodges and parries are useful, and certain skills, like Shield Breaker, give fluidity to combat. Unlike in other AC games, which will desynchronize if you kill a citizen, your character is free to raid fortresses and slaughter the innocent at will, but likens will trigger a bounty to be placed upon your character and other mercenaries will hunt you. The system is similar to that of the Phylakes from Origins and the star ratings in GTA. Fighting these mercenaries along with taking part in conquest battles are an excellent way to earn Epic or Legendary gear.

The map size of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is immense. Along with the vast amount of land that each individual city-state of Greece contains, there is a large expanse of ocean to travel and explore as well. Through exploration, players can find quests that will not appear on the in-game notice board and receive free experience for discovering historical sites. 

In each area, there are multiple opportunities to loot. Whether it is grabbing drachmae from woven baskets, snatching a weapon off a rack in a fortress, or pilfering goods from a supply cache, your inventory will fill often. However, the game will give you a few options to decrease the inventory clutter. You can deconstruct or sell weapons and armor, and a convenient “sell all” button rids you of other useless items. (I should note that Legendary gear and gear bought from the store with Helix Credits or gotten by trading U Play Points cannot be destroyed.) All of this combined with quests and the gains from sinking ships in naval combat allow for a steady flow of income.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Quest System

 Somehow, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for the poor husband in this quest.

In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, responses and outcomes are engaging but can be lacking, and most consequences in the game are merely cosmetic, resulting in a missed opportunity for the developers. Quests in the game begin like most RPG’s. It introduces your character, you speak with a secondary character, and then you travel to a different location to either: Talk to another person, collect something, or kill someone. The side story missions follow the same pattern. 

Ubisoft discussed their expectations regarding adding choice to the gameplay in hopes it would renew interest in side quests, and to some extent, it has. One side quest sends you looking for the ingredients of a love potion for an elderly woman. When you return, you can give her the ingredients and walk away, or you can take pity on her husband and “satisfy her needs.” In another mission, you must infiltrate the home of a character, and you are instructed to do so with tact. If you use violence to push your way through the area, you will later see the character being tortured. It adds a heightened sense of importance to specific aspects of the game, which increase the fun and the replay value. 

Unfortunately, Ubisoft failed on delivering side quests that were more interesting to play. Some may have interesting or funny outcomes, but most are monotonous and skipped over by players not looking to play for 100% completion.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Developer

Ubisoft Montreal was the main developing team working on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. With Odyssey being the eleventh entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, the games have come a long way in both graphics and game mechanics since the first Assassin’s Creed debuted in November 2007. In the past, the company’s push to create games on a short time frame has delivered games riddled with glitches, and Odyssey is no different. One such glitch stops the spawning of mercenaries even with a full bounty. Another glitch occurs during combat where multiple enemies are present. If you alert one or more enemies, the game will lag, displaying chopped audio and frames. This glitch can cease on its own if the player gets out of combat and waits until it stops, but in my experience, I have had to reboot my PS4 and the game. A restart in the middle of taking a large fort or any mission is a major frustration for all gamers, and I hope that a patch can amend these in the future. You can find a list of known glitches and potential fixes here.  Since release, Ubisoft has done stability patches and will continue to do so as more glitches are reported.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Price

The standard version of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey cost $59.99 US, with Deluxe Edition coming in at $79.99 and Gold Edition at $109.99. There is also the Ultimate Edition for $119.99. As with all deluxe or upgraded editions of games, Odyssey Deluxe offers a few incentives such as boosts, gear and a special mission. Gold Edition offers benefits that the Deluxe does, plus an extra mission and a Season Pass to all upcoming DLC. (This is a worthwhile purchase considering that the re-mastered version of Assassin’s Creed III is to be one of the upcoming DLC available for Odyssey.) Ultimate Edition provides all the above plus additional boosts and gear. 

The game is available to players on PS4, Xbox One, and the PC-- with rumors that there may be a potential port to the Nintendo Switch. There is no pay to win element in Odyssey but there are in-game purchases. The Online Store offers experience and drachmae boosts which can be limited time or permanent. Other purchase options are skins for your horse, ship and crew, and an array of Epic or Legendary weapons and armor. To purchase these items, you must buy Helix Credits, which come in packages of 500 for $4.99, 1050 for $9.99, 2400 for $19.99, 4600 for $34.99 or 7400 for $49.99. Most of the purchases in the online store vary in cost between 200 Helix Credits and 2000. 

Final Verdict

8.5/10

Pros:

• The story is interesting and draws on some of history’s unique battles and characters.
• The map is massive- tons of exploration and sites to see. 
• Graphics are beautiful, which makes it that much easier to appreciate the beauty of the monuments and temples.
• Choices and consequences add a heightened level of urgency and stress to the gameplay, which otherwise could become boring by hiding in a bush waiting to stab someone.
• The option of choosing a male or female character is a great addition.
• Buying the Gold Edition allows for you to save money on all future DLC, including the eventual re-mastered version of Assassin’s Creed III.
• Updates to the skill tree from Origins have benefitted gameplay mechanics, with players who enjoy using bows and not desiring to swap between three different types. 
• Naval Combat is seamless and engaging.

Cons:

• Side quests have improved little. They’re still rather monotonous.
• The game can have glitches and lagging difficulties, sometimes requiring an entire reboot.
• Legendary items cannot be dismantled, nor can items purchased from the store. It clutters up the inventory.
• Conquest battles can be fun, but for players that prefer stealth over combat, they can be a challenge.

Other Articles you May be interested in:

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Assassin’s Creed Series: 10 Things We Love Most About the Assassin’s Creed Games

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: Top 10 Reasons We Love it