Taking a year off has undoubtedly paid off for Ubisoft, seeing as Assassin's Creed: Origins may in fact just be the best game in the series so far. The amount of detail and depth in this game is simply astounding and it is clear they have received their inspiration from fantastic games, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and certain elements from the Dark Souls series.

First off, they have drastically improved the open world aspect of the game, seeing as the “wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle” motto that the AC series has been known for, is now history. If this has troubled you in the past, do not fret, as I doubt that Origins will disappoint you in that regard. The open world is dynamic and feels more alive than in any other AC game. I have lost count of how many times I was heading towards a quest, only to have ended up being completely lost and immensely intrigued by the side activities. Side activities are extremely well made, and one is always eager to do more of them; side quests finally feel complete, for the first time in a long while in this franchise.

Second off: Exploring. Exploring in the game is one of my favourite things to do, as it feels rewarding and dynamic. You can explore any part of the map as you see fit, including pyramids, other tombs, ruins, underwater locations, and bandit and soldier camps, etc. Egypt is massive, and I do not see myself being done with it any time soon. In addition, the Ancient Egypt setting is perfect for the franchise. The cities are so well-detailed and it is sometimes hard to believe that this is simply a game, as Ubisoft has really outdone themselves on the level of depth in this game.
The story itself is, for me, one of the strongest aspects of the game. If you did not enjoy Syndicate and Unity in that regard, like me, I believe that Origins would be a nice change of pace for you. I would rather leave out any detailed descriptions of the story, as I do not wish to spoil it for anyone. Simply said, one follows the story of the origin of the Assassin’s Brotherhood, playing as one of the series’ most interesting characters so far, Bayek. Bayek reminds me of previous characters from the series, as he carries many of the same qualities as two of the series’ most renowned characters, Ezio and Altair.

In addition, I believe the combat in the game has been drastically improved from the last games. It is much more challenging and I guarantee that you will not be able to simply kill 30 soldiers at once as you could in previous games. The game is very punishing in that regard; if you get too cocky in certain situations, you will often find yourself regretting that decision, as countless soldiers, both melee and ranged will all simultaneously try to kill you. The game focuses heavily on the “assassin” aspect of the game and encourages you therefore to choose more stealthy approaches, rather than to easily clean an entire field of soldiers. Even if the combat can feel clunky at times (rarely), I feel as if it is a step in the right direction, rather than focusing on the Batman: Arkham series type of combat.

However, for a game that wishes to place so much emphasis on the stealth: it feels somewhat…lacking at times. Some aspects that I wished were in the game, have been simply cut out and it makes for a less immersing experience when you look at the bigger picture. Granted, introducing many types of bows in the game (finally) is a fantastic idea, but why am I no longer able to blend in with the crowd? Why has this feature been cut out from the game when it makes for a much more immersive experience than, say, crouching in grass where the enemy could have easily seen you? I just simply think Ubisoft made an unnecessary mistake by not including it, as it was a fantastic feature and is dearly missed.

With introducing so much new to the table, AC: O is now also (sort of) an RPG. I had my doubts in the beginning, but I feel Ubisoft has managed to pull it off very well. It is obvious they have received certain inspiration from The Witcher 3, the game that truly did set a whole new standard for RPG games today. The side quests in the game are extremely well-written and the world feels constantly alive; as I constantly encounter these little stories across the world. This feature reminds me of my extremely enjoyable adventure I had throughout my playthrough of The Witcher 3.

In addition, I am a big fan of the fact that they have introduced crafting to the franchise. You are now able to hunt to get your needed crafting materials, and I have never had so much fun hunting in a game as I have in AC: O. Hunting can often be challenging, as attacking (for example) 5 hippos is not always a good idea and can very easily lead to your “crushed by hippo” death. However, I believe that crafting could be more detailed, since it sometimes feels too easy. There are no other requirements other than the needed materials, and I wish it was a more in-depth crafting system, such as in The Witcher 3 and/or Skyrim. This is not directly a complaint, as I do enjoy this part of the game; I would just wish they could have added a little bit more to it.

Last, but certainly not least; an aspect that is very important for many: I, and many others, have encountered ZERO technical issues with this game. I have been running the game on ultra-high since the get-go, and I have been experiencing a steady 50FPS in big cities, while experiencing up to 75FPS outside cities, in the Egyptian nature. I will list my specs below for those interested.
I7 4790K 4.0GhZ Quadcore
Nvidia GTX 970 4GB VRAM
16GB RAM

Overall, I am extremely satisfied with Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and it has been a very pleasant surprise, exceeding every expectation I had. It brings many new things to the table that have completely reformed the Assassin’s Creed franchise. From the massive, yet detailed open world, to the immersing and entertaining side activities, Assassin’s Creed: Origins is truly a fantastic game, undoubtedly worth the asking price.

Final rating: 9/10

Taking a year off has undoubtedly paid off for Ubisoft, seeing as Assassin's Creed: Origins may in fact just be the best game in the series so far. The amount of detail and depth in this game is simply astounding and it is clear they have received their inspiration from fantastic games, such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and certain elements from the Dark Souls series. First off, they have drastically improved the open world aspect of the game, seeing as the “wide as an ocean, deep as a puddle” motto that the AC series has been known for, is now history. If this has troubled you in the past, do not fret, as I doubt that Origins will disappoint you in that regard. The open world is dynamic and feels more alive than in any other AC game. I have lost count of how many times I was heading towards a quest, only to have ended up being completely lost and immensely intrigued by the side activities. Side activities are extremely well made, and one is always eager to do more of them; side quests finally feel complete, for the first time in a long while in this franchise. Second off: Exploring. Exploring in the game is one of my favourite things to do, as it feels rewarding and dynamic. You can explore any part of the map as you see fit, including pyramids, other tombs, ruins, underwater locations, and bandit and soldier camps, etc. Egypt is massive, and I do not see myself being done with it any time soon. In addition, the Ancient Egypt setting is perfect for the franchise. The cities are so well-detailed and it is sometimes hard to believe that this is simply a game, as Ubisoft has really outdone themselves on the level of depth in this game. The story itself is, for me, one of the strongest aspects of the game. If you did not enjoy Syndicate and Unity in that regard, like me, I believe that Origins would be a nice change of pace for you. I would rather leave out any detailed descriptions of the story, as I do not wish to spoil it for anyone. Simply said, one follows the story of the origin of the Assassin’s Brotherhood, playing as one of the series’ most interesting characters so far, Bayek. Bayek reminds me of previous characters from the series, as he carries many of the same qualities as two of the series’ most renowned characters, Ezio and Altair. In addition, I believe the combat in the game has been drastically improved from the last games. It is much more challenging and I guarantee that you will not be able to simply kill 30 soldiers at once as you could in previous games. The game is very punishing in that regard; if you get too cocky in certain situations, you will often find yourself regretting that decision, as countless soldiers, both melee and ranged will all simultaneously try to kill you. The game focuses heavily on the “assassin” aspect of the game and encourages you therefore to choose more stealthy approaches, rather than to easily clean an entire field of soldiers. Even if the combat can feel clunky at times (rarely), I feel as if it is a step in the right direction, rather than focusing on the Batman: Arkham series type of combat. However, for a game that wishes to place so much emphasis on the stealth: it feels somewhat…lacking at times. Some aspects that I wished were in the game, have been simply cut out and it makes for a less immersing experience when you look at the bigger picture. Granted, introducing many types of bows in the game (finally) is a fantastic idea, but why am I no longer able to blend in with the crowd? Why has this feature been cut out from the game when it makes for a much more immersive experience than, say, crouching in grass where the enemy could have easily seen you? I just simply think Ubisoft made an unnecessary mistake by not including it, as it was a fantastic feature and is dearly missed. With introducing so much new to the table, AC: O is now also (sort of) an RPG. I had my doubts in the beginning, but I feel Ubisoft has managed to pull it off very well. It is obvious they have received certain inspiration from The Witcher 3, the game that truly did set a whole new standard for RPG games today. The side quests in the game are extremely well-written and the world feels constantly alive; as I constantly encounter these little stories across the world. This feature reminds me of my extremely enjoyable adventure I had throughout my playthrough of The Witcher 3. In addition, I am a big fan of the fact that they have introduced crafting to the franchise. You are now able to hunt to get your needed crafting materials, and I have never had so much fun hunting in a game as I have in AC: O. Hunting can often be challenging, as attacking (for example) 5 hippos is not always a good idea and can very easily lead to your “crushed by hippo” death. However, I believe that crafting could be more detailed, since it sometimes feels too easy. There are no other requirements other than the needed materials, and I wish it was a more in-depth crafting system, such as in The Witcher 3 and/or Skyrim. This is not directly a complaint, as I do enjoy this part of the game; I would just wish they could have added a little bit more to it. Last, but certainly not least; an aspect that is very important for many: I, and many others, have encountered ZERO technical issues with this game. I have been running the game on ultra-high since the get-go, and I have been experiencing a steady 50FPS in big cities, while experiencing up to 75FPS outside cities, in the Egyptian nature. I will list my specs below for those interested. I7 4790K 4.0GhZ Quadcore Nvidia GTX 970 4GB VRAM 16GB RAM Overall, I am extremely satisfied with Assassin’s Creed: Origins, and it has been a very pleasant surprise, exceeding every expectation I had. It brings many new things to the table that have completely reformed the Assassin’s Creed franchise. From the massive, yet detailed open world, to the immersing and entertaining side activities, Assassin’s Creed: Origins is truly a fantastic game, undoubtedly worth the asking price. Final rating: 9/10