Assassin’s Creed Origins Review

Assassin’s Creed Origins takes us back to Ptolemaic Egypt where we play as Bayek of Siwa and his wife Aya who hope to protect the people during a time of widespread upheaval. Straight off the bat, Origins looks fantastic and is exactly what we had hoped for. Being able to see a long dead civilization come to life before my eyes was greatly rewarding. The map is one of the biggest and most diverse that we’ve seen in the series. There are numerous unique cities each with their own missions, activities and areas to explore . Even the barren desert looks great and is definitely worth exploring.

Exploring ancient tombs and learning about ancient Egypt was also an amazing addition. If you are interested in learning more about Egypt’s history, you can always take the historical guided tours that provide all the information you may want to know. The entirety of Egypt was recreated and the game is very immersive. The option to take photos with is great for those who love taking cinematic shots of Bayek slaughtering people with the pyramids in the background.

Gameplay wise Origins stands out and is a step into the right direction for the franchise. The combat system flows well and is definitely more challenging than previous games. Combining dodges, parries and blocks all at once feels really smooth and there are endless varieties of weapons to suit each playstyle. Stealth is also greatly rewarding and there seems to be countless ways to sneak up on your enemies by using the environment to your advantage. Both stealth and direct combat are great options and I would recommend using both when possible.
Traversal in the game works very well and is very responsive. The parkour runs very smoothly but may seem too easy at times.

In terms of the story, the game throws you into the world and you’re very confused at first. The story is told largely through flashbacks, or through dialogue with main characters. This makes the narrative difficult to understand and tough to keep up with at first but slowly begins to reveal its true nature. This indirect approach actually ends up helping build up the story and overall makes the main protagonists one of the most memorable of the series. Both Bayek and Aya were great characters who showed more personality than expected. I liked how they dealt with the loss of their child separately, which makes the story feel more real and relatable. Bayek is easily the most interesting character though, mostly because he is indeed flawed and is willing to take out his anger on almost anyone who stands in his way. The modern day is not the game’s strongest aspect however and mostly serves to remind players that this is just a simulation.

While the RPG elements in Origins don’t force you to grind in order to progress through the game, there are some parts where you must level up before proceeding with the story. If you attempt to tackle a quest where the recommended level is slightly higher than yours, you will quickly notice that some enemies are almost impossible to kill. The only solution would be to complete a couple of side-quests which should’t be too hard to do unless the side-quests are also above your level. Luckily the game is very generous with it’s loot and a new weapon is expected after almost every activity.

Overall, Origins was a very memorable experience and a nice change of pace for the series after a few uninspiring years. The great protagonists coupled with the updated combat system and gorgeous recreation of Egypt all help the game to stand out as a great entry in the series.