Assassin’s Creed: Origins Review

I may be in the minority but Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is perhaps my favourite Assassin’s Creed title. However, even after the predecessor’s improvement over Assassin’s Creed: Unity, developer and publisher Ubisoft made the right call in giving the franchise a breather for twelve months to assess the future of the IP. As a result, Ubisoft have delivered one of the best entries in the series with Assassin’s Creed: Origins thanks to its revamped combat system, RPG mechanics and enthralling Ancient Egyptian setting.

Welcome to Egypt

This time around we’re wearing the sandals of Bayek – a Medjay who along with his wife Aya (also playable) tackle the reign of oppression caused by The Order of the Ancients during the ruling of Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII. Bayek and Aya’s desire to bring down The Order and to help Cleopatra ascend to the throne is no mere happenstance, with the couple have their own score to settle with Ptolemy XIII and The Order due to past occurrences. Thematically the story is nothing we haven’t seen before, however the landscape in which the narrative is played out gives it a sense of divergence and humility (especially some of the narrative’s more poignant moments). Along with the impressive voice acting, the story injects players with a new level of interest and enthusiasm to become invested in the characters and their vengeance-fuelled crusade, something that has been lacking from the series’ previous iterations. Furthermore, players who are fervent fans of Assassin’s Creed lore will raise their flagons in salutation as players are given an insight into the foundations of the Assassin brotherhood.

The modern day aspect of the story seems to be dialled down in Origins, which sees Abstergo researcher Layla Hassan attempting to recover an ancient artefact but instead stumbling across the tomb of Bayek and Aya’s. In order to boost her chances of joining the company’s Animus project, Layla relives Bayek and Aya’s memories without informing those higher up. From time to time players will need to control Layla, however the bulk of the game is played out in the sand-laden topography of Egypt.

Praise must go to the writers of Origins as they have crafted one of the most likeable assassins of the series in Bayek. As the story progresses Bayek will come into contact with some colourful characters, and some of the story’s best bonds are those that Bayek forms with children, showing that despite being a cold-blooded killer, he can still be humble. He also doesn’t shy away from cracking a joke either and it’s these nuances that help the player feel invested in Bayek’s cause. Origins also gives us a front row seat to some of Ancient Egypt’s most epochal moments, and as a fan of Egyptian history it was gratifying to play through these moments.

Bayek – one of the last remaining Medjay

Egypt’s cutest and most badass couple

Ubisoft Montreal’s open-world rendition of Ancient Egypt is a sight to behold. Not only is it gigantic in size, but the attention to detail and stunning visuals create one of the best ocular experiences this generation

The only major gripe I have with the story is how accessible the story missions are. Like most open-world titles, the campaign missions require you to be a certain level to either access or have a real shot at completing them. My belief is that main missions should give you the required XP to continue doing the story missions at a frequent pace and side missions should for the most part be optional and at the discretion of the player. If I want to burn through the campaign missions while doing the odd side mission I should be able to do that. I shouldn’t be shoehorned into doing countless side missions just to level up to the required level to undertake a campaign mission. The higher the level you become the longer it takes to level up, meaning you can spend hours levelling yourself up just to reach the required level. It takes the fun out of it and it makes it feel like a grind. It also doesn’t help that due to the sheer volume of side missions available they start to become a little repetitive after a while.

Ubisoft Montreal’s open-world rendition of Ancient Egypt is a sight to behold. Not only is it gigantic in size, but the attention to detail and stunning visuals create one of the best ocular experiences this generation. From the marble floors and walls of the lavish palaces to the oases populating the desert and to the towns strewn across the country with their monuments and aqueducts,  everything is rich in detail and creates a world that is easy to get lost in while going from mission to mission. These visuals are further enhanced by the game’s HDR update which give players a whole new spectrum of colour, highlighting why players should shell out for a HDR-enabled TV if they can afford to. Ubisoft has also included a photo mode, allowing players to take snaps of the incredible vistas on offer, none better than the apex of the Great Pyramid.

Not only is Egypt a beautiful place, but each region is a thriving metropolis awash with side missions, enemy garrisons, collectables, synchronisation points, wildlife and more. Each of the regions have a distinct vibe, some of the more densely populated regions have booming economies and you can see the Ancient Egyptian rat race in full flight, while some of the more indigent regions rely on sustenance from wealthy philanthropists or military regiments. Each region is at the mercy of a member of The Order of Ancients and it is Bayek and Aya’s job to liberate the populous from their tyranny.

A sight to behold

Unlike its predecessors, Origins introduces RPG elements to the gameplay formula which gives players a bit more incentive to complete as many objectives as possible. Players can now upgrade weapons, shields and companions, however the biggest change comes in the form of the new skill tree which has three classes: warrior, hunter and rogue, allowing you to have greater control of your playstyle. You are not forced into one type of style, and although each class does focus on a particular style you upgrade skills as you see fit no matter the class. Weapons can be found throughout Egypt, pried from the cold dead hands of your enemy or purchased from the local blacksmith (who handles all your upgrade needs, at a cost might I add). There’s also a light crafting system which allows Bayek to craft items from the skin of dead animals found throughout Egypt.

Another new gameplay feature is the removal of the Eagle Eye ability (which allowed you to see and highlight objects with the push of a button), which has been replaced by an actual eagle that becomes your eye in the sky, literally. He’s known as Senu, and he allows Bayek to scout an area and locate targets and highlight threats before infiltration. Senu can also be upgraded, and you can select abilities that give Senu the power to attack or to make a nuisance of himself.

Senu – your eyes in the sky

The biggest change in systems though is found in the combat. Utilising a whole new combat system, Origins offers players a greater challenge with its hitbox-based combat compared to the animation-based combat of Origins’ precursors. Instead of button mashing the attack buttons, players must now be somewhat tactical in their approach – I’d say it’s akin to the combat found in the Dark Souls series but without the excessive difficulty. Different enemies require different tactics; the weaker opponents you can usually slice and dice with your light weapon without too much trouble, however the bigger and more powerful brutes and commanders require a more defensive approach to a donnybrook before striking them at the opportune moment with your heavier weapon (for most damage). Learning to fight defensively is a must as it is easy to get outnumbered and end up hanging with Osiris in the Land of the Dead for all eternity.

While the new combat system provides its own challenges, Bayek has the opportunity to get his hands on some legendary ancient cursed weapons. These cursed weapons are formidable and can pack a punch, however having these cursed weapons equipped comes at a price. Bayek and Aya are also redoubtable archers, each able to take down opponents from range should going in swords and maces blazing be out of the question. The new loot system allows for a choice between four different types of bow, with archers now having the choice between controlling a precise player-controlled arrow that deals high damage or going for quantity over quality and putting bulk arrows down range at once. While I believe the changes to the combat are good for the IP, there will be fans who won’t embrace the change as warmly as I have, and for some it may take a while to come to the party. For those looking for a naval combat fix redolent of Black Flag, there are brief periods where your thirst will be quenched.

Bring out your dead

Both the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X systems run the game with minimal fuss. As you would expect from an Ubisoft open-world game there are the sporadic animation glitches or lags in framerate, but nothing substantial that removes you from the immersion.

Final Thoughts

Assassin’s Creed: Origins is an impressive return for Ubisoft’s flagship franchise after year-long hiatus. There’s no denying that the IP was suffering from fatigue; the critics knew it, the gamers knew it and Ubisoft knew it. To Ubisoft’s credit they have honed the gameplay to craft a fresh but familiar experience that along with an engaging story and setting creates possibly the best entry in the Assassin’s Creed series.

Reviewed on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X