Even after you finish Odyssey, there’s still so much to plunder and discover, and it’s a delight to simply exist in its world.Īfter a long run of assassin protagonists, Black Flag tried something different, introducing us to a main character who was a pirate first, and an assassin second - and the ensuing adventure thrived because of it. It’s also got a relatively compelling story for a game that can take 60-odd hours to beat, with some eccentric sidequests, fronted by a genuinely charismatic protagonist - whether you play as a male or female. The new spin on Assassin’s Creed’s notoriety system sees you hunted across these environments, in a series of cat-and-mouse chases that are the most tense in any Assassin’s Creed to date, while the nation struggle system sees you fighting large scale battles in the name of Athens or Sparta.

It’s an enormous, vibrant game, with some of the most stunning vistas we’ve seen in the series both at land and sea (naval warfare returns here, and it’s wonderful). (If we have the footage, cue up the “It’s a me, Mario” scene, otherwise you can just cut this whole final line.)Īssassins’ Creed Odyssey takes Origins’ combat style and new-found focus on role-playing, adds some extra ingredients to the mix, then sets it all against the sprawling backdrop of Ancient Greece, aflame with the war between Athens and Sparta. Oh, and it’s got one of the weirdest video game references of all time. It was an unforgettable ending to an entry that proved how incredible Assassin’s Creed could be. I mean, you fistfight the pope only to have an otherworldly deity speak through Ezio to Desmond in the present day. New catacomb missions let players put their parkour skills to the test, the upgradeable homebase villa gave players a reason to keep investing in picking up collectibles and coins, and new weapons and gear from everyone’s favorite video game character, Leonardo da Vinci, kept gameplay fresh.Īll of these changes were also connected to a beautifully realized Italian Renaissance era that introduced an all-time protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and meaningful additions to the current-day story that brought the two time periods together in the wildest way possible.

Though later entries would add even more depth, ACII made assassination missions more dynamic, with increased flexibility in how you approached objectives, more options for hiding or causing distractions, better combat, and better mobility with the ability to actually swim. In many ways, we have Assassin’s Creed II to thank for not only proving the formula works but for also giving us the defining analogy of a video game sequel fulfilling the promise of its underwhelming original.

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