Assassins Creed Odyssey Preview - Epic RPG in the Best Genre Tradition (Topic)

It would seem that quite recently we took on the role of the last of the Medjai and explored the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs in Origins, as the imminent release of Assassins Creed Odyssey looms on the horizon. Ubisoft's conveyor for the production of new "Assassins" is working to its fullest, so the questions naturally arise: what will surprise us in the new part of the series and is it worth waiting for the release of Odyssey at all? We answer in advance: yes, it is worth it even for those gamers who cannot stand Ubisoft games. Read more in our Assassins Creed Odyssey preview.

Cursed offspring of King Leonidas

The plot concept of the game continues the course of the series, which has been outlined since the days of Black Flag. That is, Odyssey is even less focused than before, on the eternal struggle of Assassins and Tamliers for world domination in the real world, and more is an excursion into an exotic setting, where the player will take part in significant historical conflicts. Of course, the game will not do without a mandatory storyline in the 21st century, and we will once again play for Leila Hassan from Origins. But obviously Ubisoft is taking such steps only to please old fans of the series and to justify the presence of the phrase "Assassins Creed" in the title.

The historical part of Assassins Creed Odyssey will unfold in the setting of ancient Greece in 431 BC. The time period was well chosen and will affect the years of the Pelonnesian War: a bloody battle between the cities of Athens on the one hand, and Sparta on the other. Of course, the main character (and this time there are as many as two protagonists to choose from: a man Alexus and a woman Kassandra) will have to take the center stage in the plot to resolve the conflict between the indigenous Greek peoples.

The main character is descended from Tsar Leonidas (the same one that shouted "This is Sparta" dealt with the Persians in the film "300 Spartans"). The child of the leader of the Spartans is called damned and promises to destroy the Spartan empire, for which, without a shadow of regret, he was thrown off the cliff by a formidable father.

However, the descendants inherited pleasant surprises from Tsar Leonidas, for example, a magic spear, which is part of Eden and will take one of the central places in the Assassins Creed Odyssey plot.

An Odyssey of Ubisoft's RPG Conquest

The main innovation of the game and, in principle, the only weighty reason to pay attention to the new release in the series, even for those players who stayed away from Assassin, is the abundance of RPG elements in Odyssey. As befits role-playing games, the new project Ubisoft will offer a huge scope for playing the role of a Greek mercenary. Starting with an extensive leveling system and ending with a plot that will develop depending on the player's choices.

Of course, total nonlinearity is not to be expected, because the real historical setting imposes its own limitations, but as for the details, here, according to the developers' promise, there will be a place to roam. The same plot offers at least two options for passing Assassins Creed Odyssey: join the Athenian army or remember your ancestry and help Spartan soldiers.

Separate story missions guarantee several options for passing: for example, to sneak as a real assassin behind enemy lines under cover of night or go head-on, having staged a bloody massacre involving several hundred soldiers (up to 300 people in one battle, to be more precise).

An important innovation is the choice of the gender of the protagonist. The characters will react differently to the player, woman or man, which will affect both possible NPCs with whom you can have an affair in the game, and the options for answers in dialogues. Yes, the developers have not forgotten about the presence of the dialogue system in Odyssey either. Moreover, it is noted that the player will be able to intimidate or lie in the dialogue, which will open up new ways to complete the quest. For more details, see the gameplay video, where Ubisoft talked more about role-playing elements in Assassins Creed Odyssey.

Another interesting innovation is the system of mercenaries who will hunt the player. In the "Odyssey" some semblance of a reputation system is planned and when civilians are killed and other atrocities, the leaders of the Greek city-states will appoint a reward for the head of Cassandra or Alexis. Depending on the level of the reward, the player will be hunted by 50 mercenaries, many of whom will have unique abilities. Mercenaries can be either killed or, in case of victory, invited to the ship's crew. There is also another way to get rid of the obsessive tail in the form of mercenaries: to eliminate the person who put up a reward for capturing the main character.

With Fire and Sword

When arguments run out in a conversation, it's time to move on to an aggressive method of dialogue. For example, draw a sword, shoot a bow, or secretly cut the throat. The combat system in the game has not undergone significant changes and will still offer three separate branches of pumping, depending on the methods of combat. As a separate item in Assassins Creed Odyssey, the developers tried to improve the melee system.

The basis remains the same - this is a combat game familiar from Origins, inspired by the Dark Souls series. The changes are hidden in the details: improved animation and responsiveness of the main character during the battle, as well as an increased range of combat movements (including the addition of a spartan kick). Magical special abilities are called upon to expand combat, which are allowed to be activated when the adrenaline bar is filled. Skills such as barrage of arrows of fire, protective barrier and instant healing of Spartan wounds are mentioned.

By the way, mythology still takes up a significant part of the game. Minotaurs, jellyfish and other heroes of ancient Greek myths will appear as required and optional bosses. The ability to craft a blazing sword or homing arrows has been carefully transferred to the game from Origins.

Antique Pirate

For fans of exploring the world, Ubisoft has prepared a grand surprise: the size of the Assassins Creed Odyssey map is the largest in the history of the series, namely 130 square kilometers. True, it should be borne in mind that at least half (or even more) of the declared spaces are sea areas. It is allowed to swim in the archipelago of the Aegean Sea on your own, but there is a better option - to become the captain of a ship driven by submissive and hardy rowers.

Arcade ship control system and naval battles will undergo minimal changes compared to Origins. Odyssey has its own trump cards up its sleeves, though. Since the ship will become a kind of control point for the protagonist, the developers have added extensive options for customizing the ship. Mention is made of both the possibility of changing the appearance, and a separate branch of pumping for the ship. It is also possible to recruit a crew for the ship. This point in the game is worth paying attention to, as each crew member will add useful new perks to the ship.

Assassins Creed Odyssey looks like a natural evolution of all Ubisoft's Open-world projects released in the last decade. Tired of increasing the number of towers, checkpoints and primitive tasks, the developers decided to improve the game mechanics in depth and try themselves in the RPG genre. And the fact that Ubisoft is going to create a high-budget role-playing game, among which one can only recall Kingdom Come Deliverance this year, makes at least minimal interest, but still wait for the release date of Assassins Creed Odyssey - October 5, 2018.

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The Topic of Article: Assassins Creed Odyssey Preview - Epic RPG in the Best Genre Tradition.
Author: Jake Pinkman