A little less Assassin's Creed, a little more The Witcher III.
Don't let the headline fool you into thinking that this is a massive change in the series. This is still very much Assassin's Creed, but there have been just enough changes to what fundamentally made Assassin's Creed what it was, that it might attract some folk that had written off the franchise for good.
After the soft reboot that was Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey picks up the RPG-heavy elements of that game and runs with it, into a map that is at least twice the size, a main mission that will run in excess of 60 playable hours, and nine potential endings.
There is A LOT to Odyssey, which is the game's biggest strength, and also at times, its primary weakness. The sheer breadth of things to see and do and steal and kill and have sex with here is staggering, at times overwhelming, and just how much of it is actually important to the game (and how much is likely to wind up being little more than space-filler) isn't always clear.
That being said, anyone looking for a salve to games that give the illusion of freedom but wind up feeling like little more than go-to-the-place-and-then-shoot-the-thing (we're looking at you, Shadow Of The Tomb Raider), then Odyssey might be the time-consuming alternative to satisfy your needs.
Clip via PlayStation
Kicking off by allowing you to choose between brother or sister, Alexios or Kassandra, which will immediately dictate how certain conversations and actions will play out, you'll find branching paths along the entire course of the game from that point on.
You can play as either the most blood-thirsty and ruthless killer in all of Ancient Greece, or as a smart and seductive lover, using your brains (and body) as weapons in very different ways.
Some new additions to the game are fun but little more than a distraction, such as the Conquest Battles, which essentially drops you into the middle of a huge melee, with dozens if not hundreds of warriors on each side of the fight. They look epic, and are definitely a massive adrenaline shot, but can often feel superfluous.
Then there is the return of the Naval Battles, missing from Origins, and here are presented better than ever, both gorgeous to look at and seamless to play. It also helps that they liven up the traveling aspect of Odyssey, as the map is sooo big, you will definitely need the distraction as yet another mission needs you to get from Point A to Point B, and Point B is on the exact opposite side of the map.
Odyssey is a big, beautiful, never-less-than-entertaining game, overflowing with STUFF. A lot of that stuff is the best stuff from the previous AC games, and some of the best new stuff is influenced by some of the best RPG games out there. The mix doesn't always sit well, but it cannot be accused of not trying.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
