ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY Review for PlayStation 4

To embark on an odyssey is to subject oneself to a lengthy, adventurous journey replete with perilous hardships and arduous tribulations. The word ‘odyssey’ itself derives its etymology from the ancient Greek epic “the Odyssey,” a poem attributed to Homer that played a fundamental role in formulating the rudiments of Western civilization. Given the rich historical context surrounding the word ‘odyssey,’ Ubisoft’s decision to call its eleventh entry into the vaunted Assassin’s Creed series Assassin’s Creed Odyssey constitutes a bold move. Ubisoft invites comparisons between Odyssey and the fabled epic it unabashedly nods to, a proposition that many other gaming companies would fail to live up to. But Ubisoft does not disappoint, as in Odyssey it has crafted a title that truly lives up to its name.

In Odyssey, players are given a degree of choice hitherto unseen in an Assassin’s Creed game. Expanding upon the RPG elements found in Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ubisoft decided to turn Odyssey into a full-blown RPG. This is evident even at the beginning of the game, when players are given the choice to play either as the male Alexios or female Kassandra. Players largely possess the autonomy to shape Alexios or Kassandra into the protagonist they want him or her to be: choosing specific dialogue choices can turn either character into a smooth-talking lover, a freedom fighter, a through and through mercenary, or anything in between. Their choices will play a big impact on the overarching plotline as well, considering that there exist multiple endings that players can receive depending on how they resolved to handle key in-game situations.

The RPG aspect of Odyssey does not live or die with the ability to make choices that effect how the narrative will play out. Characters also will collect armor, weapons, and loot with different abilities as they play through the title, which allows players to enhance their preferred playstyle. Players can decide to be warriors who duke it out with their enemies, assassins who lurk in the shadows ready to pounce, or hunters who wield deadly bows to bring down their foes from afar. As players gain experience and level up, they can also invest ability points into the Hunter, Warrior, or Assassin trees. There are some really cool abilities to unlock even early on, such as the Sparta Kick move that serves as a clear (and welcome) reference to Zack Snyder’s 300 film.

Unsurprisingly, Odyssey draws on events from ancient Greek history. From the Battle of Thermopylae to the Peloponnesian War, Odyssey provides players with the ability to play a major role in the some of the biggest moments in the history of the societies residing on the Mediterranean. But what sets Odyssey further apart from its predecessors is that Ubisoft its setting allows Ubisoft to capitalize on Greek mythology. Players can fight mythic personae such as Medusa, encounter the purported descendants of Odysseus himself, and more.

Odyssey’s massive open world, which is imbued with an impressive amount of detail, also deserves praise. Taking Assassin’s Creed to ancient Greece was most definitely was a risky move on Ubisoft’s part, considering the Assassin’s Brotherhood was not even in existence at the time that Alexios and Kassandra’s story begins. But the radical change in locale is refreshing to say the least. Greece provides gamers with a breath of fresh air, even allowing the seafaring mechanics that were big hits in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag to play a major role. Odyssey augments the formula from Black Flag by allowing players to recruit lieutenants with differing abilities, making the ship facet of the game even deeper. From Kephallonia all the way to Lesbos, players can explore at their own leisure the host of Grecian islands that amalgamate into the country of Greece itself.

What naturally comes with Odyssey’s huge map is an almost staggering amount of content. Each island is populated with interesting NPCs, sprawling cities, and demanding challenges for players to overcome. There are forts for players to challenge themselves with, side missions with engaging narrative arcs to get invested in, abundant contracts that yield money to buy equipment with, and potential romantic partners to suavely seduce. Odyssey adds to the difficulty level by incorporating mercenaries into the gameplay as well. Mercenaries hunt players down should they be caught stealing or murdering, and can provide entertaining fights. The loot that they drop once killed also makes it worth a player’s while to actually engage mercenaries in combat instead of just staying in the shadows until they disappear.

Odyssey also breaks from typical the Assassin’s Creed mold in that it allows players to toggle off waypoints. Whereas previous Assassin’s Creed games guided players from checkpoint to checkpoint, Odyssey provides players with the option to track down adversaries on their own. This made a surprising amount of difference, as the game feels decidedly more organic than previous titles in the series due to the fact. But should the challenge to find a location become too great, players can turn the waypoints back on at any moment in time.

None of this is to mention the riveting plotlines of Odyssey’s three major intertwined story arcs, which all provide nice context to the open world. While the storyline revolving around Alexios and Kassandra and their family’s history will receive most fanfare, the two other major plots are worth getting enraptured in as well. From a narrative standpoint, Ubisoft manages very well in Odyssey. 

With a huge open world bursting with potential adventures waiting at every corner, Odyssey injects new life into the Assassin’s Creed series. The series’ transition into the RPG territory proves to be a great hit, and ancient Greece proves to be a setting rife with opportunity due to its rich history and mythology. Odyssey is definitely one of the best Assassin’s Creed titles since the Ezio trilogy, and deserves to be played by Ubisoft fans and newcomers alike.

Rating: 9.6/10

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey will be released worldwide on October 5, 2018, on PlayStation 4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, and Windows PC. In addition, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has been enhanced with additional features for Xbox One X and PlayStation 4 Pro system. Gold, Collectors and Ultimate Editions owners will have access to the game three days early, starting October 2.