Assassin's Creed Odyssey
A mythological history of the Peloponnesian War.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is an action role-playing game that came out in 2018, created by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It's the eleventh main game in the Assassin's Creed series, following up on 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins. Like its predecessor, it offers a huge open world and leans heavily into role-playing elements, prioritizing combat and exploration over stealth. Naval battles, a staple from earlier titles, also return in a big way. The story is a mythological take on the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, set between 431 and 404 BCE. Players take on the role of a Spartan mercenary who fights for both sides while searching for their family and taking down the mysterious Cult of Kosmos. The game also picks up the modern-day storyline of Layla Hassan, who uses the Animus to relive the mercenary's memories in search of a powerful artifact.
Development started soon after the release of Assassin's Creed Syndicate in 2015. Building on Origins, Odyssey pushed the series further into action RPG territory by adding player-choice mechanics. Compared to other Assassin's Creed games, it focuses more on historical mythology and less on the usual conflict between Assassins and Templars. The development team drew inspiration from other RPGs like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Fallout 4. The game's music was composed by The Flight.
Odyssey launched worldwide on October 5, 2018, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One. Critics generally gave it positive reviews, praising its gameplay, graphics, characters, role-playing elements, and world design. However, it was criticized for being over-ambitious, having pacing issues, and including microtransactions. The shift toward role-playing mechanics over traditional Assassin's Creed features also got a mixed response. Commercially, it was a hit, selling over 10 million copies worldwide by March 2021.
Ubisoft released several downloadable content packs, including two story expansions: Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. The next main game, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, came out in November 2020, set in medieval England and Norway during the Viking expansion, and it wraps up Layla's story arc.
Gameplay-wise, Odyssey is an action role-playing game played from a third-person view.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Developer
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Director
- Jonathan Dumont · Scott Phillips
- Producer
- Marc-Alexis Côté
- Designer
- Jordane Thiboust · Julien Galloudec
- Artist
- Thierry Dansereau
- Writer
- Jonathan Dumont · Melissa MacCoubrey · Hugo Giard
- Composer
- The Flight
- Series
- Assassin's Creed
- Engine
- AnvilNext 2.0
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 · Windows · Xbox One · Nintendo Switch · Stadia
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta from 431 to 404 BCE. Players select either Alexios or Kassandra, Greek mercenaries and descendants of Spartan king Leonidas I. The game features a large open world set in Greece, with naval combat from previous titles playing a prominent role. Players explore on foot, boat, or horseback, completing side missions, clearing fortresses, exploring tombs, and collecting resources. The game offers two modes: Guided mode with waypoints and Exploration mode requiring players to find locations from NPC clues.
Combat includes light and heavy melee attacks, dodging, parrying, and use of various weapons such as spears, heavy blunt weapons, daggers, swords, and bows.
Reader's Guide
Assassin's Creed Odyssey marks a significant transition in the Assassin's Creed series toward action role-playing games, following the path set by Origins. It introduced player-choice mechanics that affect the story and lead to multiple endings, a departure from earlier linear narratives. The game's focus on historical mythology and reduced emphasis on the Assassin-Templar conflict distinguishes it from most other entries. Its commercial success, selling over 10 million copies by March 2020, demonstrated the viability of the RPG direction. The game was supported with downloadable content including two story expansions: Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis. Odyssey was followed in November 2020 by Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which concludes Layla's story arc. The inclusion of microtransactions and the shift away from stealth-focused gameplay drew mixed responses, but the game's open world, naval combat, and role-playing elements were widely praised. Its legacy lies in cementing the series' evolution into a full RPG franchise.
Did You Know?
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the eleventh major installment in the Assassin's Creed series.
- The game's plot covers the Peloponnesian War from 431 to 422 BCE.
- Players can select to play as either Alexios or Kassandra at the beginning of the game.
- The game sold over 10 million copies worldwide by March 2020.
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