Assassins Creed: Origins Review

After a two year wait Assassins Creed returns with its origins. Before the release of the latest title Assassins Creed was a yearly game, taking a break and going back to the drawing board for a much needed refreshment. This resulted in an interesting outcome however you can't help but feel previous games levered in for the sake of it.

At times it felt as if you were not playing an Assassins Creed game at all. A new levelling system was introduced so that you wouldn't be able to take on everything that got in your way all at once. This also applied when using the hidden blade. In previous Assassins Creed games, you were able to sneak up on an enemy and take them down when they least expected it, that has now gone out the window. Instead if the opponent is of a higher level they will only take some damage rather than receiving a critical hit. Having this mechanic meant that at times you were forced away from being stealthy and more into a free-form nature. This was nice to have something new and that new ideas are being introduced but at the same time you could argue that Assassins Creed is losing it's identity.

The Story

In this Assassins Creed we jump back to the memories of Bayek, living in ancient Egypt. This is the biggest jump back in time that the franchise has taken so far which is always good to see, as well as that we get to see the birth of the Creed and the events causing it to all come together. The main story line grabs you from the very beginning and with whats feels to be a million and one side quests there is always plenty to do. From collecting items, fighting in the gladiator arenas, assassinating all sorts of enemies, ship to ship combat and now exploring tombs. The quests involve you to be a certain level and can require more than one step to complete. It even introduces characters that you don't see in the main story but instead follows them in a series of quests.

The modern story line has not been forgotten about just yet, in Origins you do occasionally come out of the animus to a small sub story however, what you do get has very little story advancement. Over previous games it feels at times that the main reason and ideas of Assassins creed are being forgotten about. Due to that, it is nice to see that Ubisoft are keeping this part of the story alive... just about.

The Gameplay

Of course being as Assassins Creed game there is plenty to climb and jump off as well as extended use of the horse, or in this case a camel. With everything in the environment well blended in and the acts of moving, climbing and fighting there is no doubt that this is Ubisofts best game for these features. The highly XP based progression elements can make Assassins Creed Origins enjoyable however at times boring. There is nothing worse than wanting to dive into the story and really get involved, to be then told that you are not the correct level. For a game such as Assassins Creed with its in depth story, having levels as it did, did cause it to struggle at times. The new fighting system and difficulty options was nice to see, this made the game a real challenge at times. You couldn't just wonder into a place and take everyone on, to many enemies meant that your death was soon approaching. This brought a whole new side to the game, you actually had to think about your approach and what enemies needed to be taken out, as well as those that you could leave.

The map of origins was massive, making it the biggest map in an Assassins Creed game. The main parts of the map was well populated and had plenty to do. There were however parts of the map that felt baron and empty resulting in you just wanting to fast travel rather than exploring.

The Visuals

The Visuals for this game was stunning. Ubisoft have always been able to produce high quality trailers and cut scenes within their games however with Origins everything looked near enough spot on. In the day the vibrant colours of the water and vegetation really stood out against the sand. By night it was completely different, the torch lit villages and towns gave off a glow in the distance while the tombs and pyramids where just about noticeable in the darkness. Above all there was always plenty of sand to look at.

The Verdict

Overall Assassins Creed Origins was well received after its break. The game brought new aspects to the franchise as well as things that still could have been ironed out but with what was new, it is promising. The choice of using Egypt was the right one and when comparing this game to the previous titles it has come on well. The break has shown that it was well needed and therefore has paid off for Ubisoft in the long run, lets hope that Assassins Creed does not return to a yearly release and continues to find its feet again.

8/10 - Brilliant

Pros:

Visually pleasing

Engaging story

Interesting lead character

Packed with things to do

Cons:

Elements of previous games

Map regions can be sparse and disappointing

The need to grind to level up

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