THIS. IS. ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY.
Last year’s release of Assassin’s Creed Origins did a good job of pulling the Assassin’s Creed series out of the rough patch it fell into during the transition from the last console generation to the current one. The gaming audience wanted the next leap for the series instead of installments with mere incremental upgrades, regardless of Ubisoft’s desire to keep it an annual series. Origins changed up the formula by adding plenty of RPG elements, to the point that it could be classified as an action RPG instead of a stealth action-adventure thanks to the addition of character levels and more loot. The combination of the changes and the long-awaited Egypt setting lured several fans back into the fold.
It also helped that the series took a year off, so their development teams could gather their ideas and present the concepts well. That’s also why there was immediate concern about the newest game the moment it was leaked: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Following Origins, there was hope that Ubisoft would put the series on a biannual schedule, and rely on another franchise for every other year — perhaps Watch Dogs, though the second game’s performance might have put that on hold. Clearly, though, they want to capitalize on Origins’ success and keep this going.
A fair amount of concern has dwindled since the game was officially revealed at E3, even though significant chunks about the game leaked beforehand. Odyssey will serve as a successor to Origins, and will move the setting from Egypt to Greece. Since this is an Assassin’s Creed game, it will be set during what most media have dubbed as the country’s golden age, when the Spartans ruled the land. The main character will start as a mercenary outcast, but will eventually work their way up to becoming a legendary Spartan hero as the game progresses.
Actually, that’s hero or heroine, since this will be the first game in the mainline franchise to allow for players to choose a character of either gender. The male character is Alexios, while the female character is Kassandra. Both will serve the same role, meaning it’s not taking a page from Mass Effect Andromeda’s book in having them both involved in the story as siblings. The main character was trained as a warrior as they grew up with their family, but they were split from them when tragedy struck. They’ll have to discover the secrets of their past while dealing with a country plunging into darkness.
Since Odyssey will be coming slightly under a year after Origins, it will inherit several features that title established. But it will also have some big changes. The biggest among them will involve dialogue choices and relationships, which will make this installment more of an RPG. Friends and relationships can be formed with NPCs depending on which choices are made, including gay relationships. There’s a reason why I mentioned a Mass Effect game above, because this aspect might satisfy those who miss that franchise — or can’t wait until the next Dragon Age title arrives.
Naval battles will also be more prominent in Odyssey compared to Origins. The focus on them likely won’t be on par with Assassin’s Creed IV, though, a title designed around them (arguably to the detriment of the rest of the game.).
With the main character being a Spartan, their attacks will be different than any previous protagonist in the series. Eight skills will be available to the character at once, and more outside the starting choices can be unlocked through a skill tree. The skills will include a multi-arrow shot with the bow and arrow, the shield rip, and the Spartan Kick shown above (taken from 300, but you knew that). There’s been some criticism about the main characters of the recent AC installments drifting too far from the assassin archetype established in the older games, but the game will still have assassinations. They haven’t shown many of them yet, but given the reactions, there’s no way Ubisoft will get away without releasing a gameplay preview showing an assassination.
Kassandra will notably be the canonical choice in the novelization, but Ubisoft emphasized how both characters will be on equal footing for the main game. But there will ideally be an even split in the marketing focus going forward, because it’s clearly balanced in favor of Alexios at the moment. The first trailer, almost all the screenshots, and cover art all depict him, and upon looking at many store pages without reading info, you’d think there was only a male choice. Kassandra is currently only the focus in the first gameplay demo, though the cover will have reversible art depicting her.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will release on October 5th for PS4, XB1, and PC, so Ubisoft doesn’t have much time to put the two characters on equal footing for its advertising. I have some confidence they will. Hopefully the final game doesn’t feel like it was rushed for the fall season.
About The Author
Geoff
News Editor | Geoff is some nerd who writes for a blog and thinks he's knowledgeable. He write a lot about video games, but is capable of writing about other subjects, too. Twitter
