Assasin's Creed Origins

Assassin’s Creed is a series that, for many people, has been stuck in a rut for the last three years. Since the series blew up, Ubisoft’s seemed hell bent on releasing one, if not two entries every year – each of which seemed to do little more than change the game’s location and add a few minor tweaks to the franchise’s core stealth mechanics.

Set in mysterious Ancient Egypt, Assassin’s Creed Origins is a new beginning. Experience a new way to fight while exploring the Great Pyramids and hidden tombs across the country of Ancient Egypt, and encounter many memorable storylines along your journey. And discover the origin story of the Assassin's Brotherhood.

This led to a series of vanilla, good-not-great releases, like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. If you only watched the game’s launch trailer you’d be forgiven for thinking this was the case with Origins.

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The game’s narrative also takes a step backward and chronicles new protagonist Bayek’s exploits in the ancient city of Thebes, Ancient Egypt in the year 1354 – which places the game’s plot before the Assassins’ and Templars’ founding.
Jumping into the first half of my two part hands-on session, my concerns history had repeated itself grew. Though the demo looked amazing, featuring beautiful bump mapping, wonderfully detailed 4K textures (tested on the Xbox One X) and silky smooth animations. But riding into the city, the game felt like it was following the same “go to this marker on the map, kill person, or pick up item” format as past AC titles.

It was only after I moved onto the specially-made “Arena” combat demo made for E3, that I realised that Origins actually has a decent shout of being a genuinely valuable addition to the series.

Going up against my first batch of three enemies, sure they would follow the same Jean-Claude Van Damme combat etiquette they did in past games. But rather than come at me one at a time, all three decided to rush me at once. The clever chaps swiftly eliminated me, and a rethink was required.

Unlike past AC games, combat isn’t limited to basic attack, counter dodge options. In its place Ubisoft has put a new fast-paced system that focuses on mixing dodges and shield blocks with light and heavy melee and ranged bow attacks.
On my second go, it was clear that I would only able to succeed when I focused and timed my dodges to break their otherwise impregnable defense,then hitting them with everything I had while they were dazed before retreating back to a safe distance.

The depth of combat continued to increase when I fought the demo’s first boss, a giant Celt-looking fellow with full armour and a fairly scary looking axe thing, and was introduced to the game’s new RPG-esque gear and skills systems.

Origin gives you much more direct control over what equipment you use and, according to the devs, will have an advanced loot system that will let you scavenge and buy a variety of different weapons during your adventure. During my demo I was only able to try the basic curved sword and axe options, but even this small offering was enough to showcase quite how big an impact your weapon choices will have.

Early on, fighting against unarmoured guards, the curved sword worked a treat and let me create enact a ballet of death that I really quite enjoyed. But up against heavy opponents, the axe was the only sensible choice. As well as changing the animations and moves Bayek could make, the heavier weapon also gave me increased range and a super-charged power attack.

My Ubisoft representative said the gear system will be even more advanced in the finished game, where players will be able to collect more than one of the same type of weapon, each of which will have its own bespoke stats.
Even though I’ve only had a chance to play a tiny section of Assassin’s Creed Origins, I can’t help but feel it’s a step in the right direction for the series. The improved combat system is key, and looks set to fix a fundamental flaw with the series’ core mechanics.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag’s Companion is an indispensable tool for all would-be pirate captains. It acts like your very own quartermaster, so that you will never need to break the immersion and flow of gameplay by pausing the game to navigate through certain menus. You are now free to fully concentrate on the job at hand - to gain wealth and infamy on the high seas and in exotic cities.
INTERACTIVE WORLD MAP
More exhaustive than your in-game map; see your mission objectives in real-time, set waypoints, zoom in and out, and search for locations with the tip of your finger. It’s also a great way to involve someone else in your single player experience, your friend can be your quartermaster.


KENWAY’S FLEET
You can now interact with the main game 24/7, wherever you may be. Use the ships that you have captured to send on missions, secure routes and collect cargo and currency. The Atlantic Ocean is thriving with opportunities and you’ll need many ships to take full advantage. You can even help secure your Uplay friends’ routes and get rewarded.


PROGRESS TRACKER
All your game data is stored here, including main mission progress, crafting completion, and your current game status.


TREASURE MAPS
Find treasure maps in-game and see them on your second screen while you cross-reference the real-world location on your TV.

INITIATES FEED
Display received messages, notifications from your friends and find community challenges.


ANIMUS DATABASE
Easily view, at your leisure, all the Animus Database entries unlocked in the main game.