Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a fantastic new entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. Taking place in the vast ancient Greecian world, this game has quite the mythical energy. Ancient Greece is an amazing place for a game to be set with so much to see and do especially when fused with mythology.
The player chooses either Kassandra or Alexios as their character. Kassandra is actually the true main character but it’s up to the player who they play as. These two young people are of the line of Sparta. Sparta is historically one of the most brutal groups of warriors ever. In modern culture, they were brought to prominence with the movie 300, in which the great Leonidas takes on the Persian Empire. There is even an attack reference in this game that works surprisingly well.
Kassandra or Alexios experience the same events in their pasts so it doesn’t matter who the player chooses. They are both young and trying to figure out the wild world they live in. After a few quests on their home island of Kaphallonia, the heroes find themselves heading out on a journey of a lifetime.
Odyssey is truly an RPG fused to an Assassin’s Creed game. This time around stats really matter as well as how the player plays. Choosing the wrong dialogue options can have far-reaching consequences. At one point I slaughtered a group of innocents and later it sort of bit in me in the butt. The player should always quicksave before talking to make sure they go the way they want. These choices might seem arbitrary, but they weave a tapestry that guides the character to their ultimate fate.
Naval battles in Odyssey are amazingly in-depth and there are no short of adversaries. The player may be sailing through peacefully and suddenly be thrown into battle with multiple ships. The player will need to take down ships and board them to restore their ship’s health. This can become a rough endeavor when multiple ships are chasing after the player. It becomes a need to split the ships off in order to find victory, as they will shoot at you until the ship explodes. This has to be my personal least favorite part of the game especially when these moments are crucial to moving on in the game.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey certainly takes place in a realistic Ancient Greece, but that doesn’t mean they don’t take mythical liberties. This game is filled with mythical creatures for the player to take on. The sense that there are Gods around is also present and that is good too. It is always interesting getting quests to take down these legendary beasts, and well worth the effort.
Odyssey is a game that I cannot get enough of, yes it does have the trappings of modern open-world RPG’s but the landmass is extensive. Even the first island of Kaphallonia takes time to travel across. There is so much to see and do in this game that one often forgets exactly what they’ve done. The map slowly reveals itself as one climbs to the top of synchronization points and looks out over this beautifully designed world.
There bases to take down, and enemies to defeat. Players will also learn new skills by working through a skill tree. This game certainly wants players to adjust and grow, so it’s important to pick skills that benefit the player’s style. Player’s will certainly work out how they best play and will in no time be picking the skills that suit that way of play.
The game also has two larger scaled DLC chapters which are still in progress of being doled out. It is always good to have DLC that pops up periodically and this game does a great job with its two chapters. There has been some backlash about these DLC packs but they do add a substantial amount of gameplay to a game that is already almost overly massive. If the player enjoyed the base game it might behoove them to pick up the DLC!
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is definitely a game I would recommend. If anyone enjoys Ancient Greece or Greecian myth this might just be the game for them. Plus, the player can Spartan Kick people off high places and that even as deep into the game as I am, a game that never gets old. Kassandra and Alexios have an arduous task they need help with, will the player answer this call to action?