Prima Game of the Week | Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Why You Should Play

• Massive open world set in a gorgeous recreation of Ancient Greece.
• Epic seafaring adventures and naval battles in a customizable ship.
• Dynamic and satisfying combat mechanics with a variety of weapons and abilities.
• Choice-based dialogue system that allows players to shape the story.

The latest installment to the Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, takes players on an epic adventure through ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War, when the great forces of Sparta and Athens clashed for over a decade. Players relive the journey of a Spartan mercenary named either Kassandra or Alexios, depending on which protagonist the player chooses at the start.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey features a rich narrative that is shaped by dialogue options and branching quests that make for a unique experience that is shaped by choices and consequences. As the story of the Spartan mercenary unfolds, players will uncover the truth behind the history of the iconic Spear of Leonidas.

Gameplay

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is an engaging RPG experience set in a massive open world that truly brings ancient Greece to life. As a Spartan mercenary, the main protagonist is no stranger to combat. However, it’s up to the player to determine how the protagonist will hone their skills as a fighter and what sort of mercenary they will become. From swords and spears, to daggers and arrows, there’s an assortment of weapons to acquire and upgrade, along with a wide range of armor and gear to protect your warrior during battle.

Choice plays a huge role in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The type of person your mercenary becomes is entirely based on the choices they make and how they interact with people they meet along the way. Having an unsavory personality or demeanor can have consequences, especially if your behaviors lead to a life of crime.

Illegal activities will lead to a bounty being placed on your head, which attracts powerful mercenaries who are willing to hunt you down to reap their reward. While having a bounty on your head is technically supposed to deter you from committing crimes, the rewards you can get for defeating these hard-headed brutes can be well worth the effort.

While running, climbing, and parkouring your way across hills and fields is a major part of most Assassin’s Creed games, one element that stands out in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the maritime gameplay. Early in the game, players acquire their very own ship called the Adrestia, which will serve as a primary means of travel across the Aegean Sea. You can essentially relive the days of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag by embarking on seafaring voyages and engaging in riveting naval skirmishes against hostile sea vessels. The ship has its own separate upgrades, and players can even recruit lieutenants to enhance and strengthen their crew.

Visuals and Performance

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey features a bright, colorful recreation of ancient Greece, where rolling hills and sprawling countryside fills the horizon. Major towns and ports are bustling with inhabitants during the day, making the world feel lively and immersive. Through meditation, players can pass time to control the day and night cycle in the game to experience the game’s dynamic weather and lighting effects.

There are plenty of picture-worthy moments in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Luckily, there is a built-in photo mode that allows players to capture and edit unique snapshots from their journey, which can be shared with fellow mercenaries online through the in-game map.

Game of the Week

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is one of the most ambitious titles in the history of the franchise. The game marks a turning point for the series, one that promotes deeper RPG mechanics driven by player choice and added narrative complexity. While Odyssey is still recognizably an Assassin’s Creed game, it adopts recognizable traits and features from equally ambitious titles and reworks them into an engaging new experience, which is why we have chosen it as our Prima Game of the Week.