Assassins Creed Odyssey - Review

 

Feels like ages since I put fingers to keys and wrote a review, but it is no surprise considering the length of Assassins Creed Odyssey. Like a moth to a flame I play all the Assassins Creed games even though I know the chances are that I am going to be left burnt. Be that as it may I saw a sale on some Ubisoft titles, low and behold there was Assassins Creed Odyssey for less than €20, what did I have to lose?

I like a bit of pasta from time to time, it's a great meal to have when you are feeling a little lazy. A handy one I get are the Jamie Oliver pasta dishes (see below). They are okay in a bind but honestly no matter how I cook them there always feels like there is too much and it does not always leave the most satisfying taste in my mouth but it's passable. Being honest, each time I finish it I am left thinking why did I get this again. Playing Assassins Creed Odyssey I found myself asking was this the perfect amount of pasta or too much and when all is said and done did I enjoy it.

Story

The story starts with a young boy named Alexios and his baby sister Kassandra on top of a mountain in Sparta. Present are their mother and father, priests say they must both die under Spartan Law, in a blink of eye both of them disappear into the abyss. A pretty dark start to the game, but luckily and by some miracle they survive. 

The game gives you the choice to play as either Alexios or Kassandra. The story sees you work as mercenary and as time progresses you start focusing on getting back to Sparta and finding your family, while trying to find out why this all happened. 

The game allows decision making in the game, sadly with most non-RPG games that try this, few of your decisions really make a difference until closer to the end of the game. It was a nice option but felt a little tacked on and with there being nine endings that is a lot of replaying.

While there are some interesting side missions (which there are plenty of) the main campaign felt overly long. Each main mission has sub missions, then even those can have sub missions. Everything feels way longer than it needs to be and the pay off just isn't worth it.

Ubisoft have really moved away from the Assassins and Templars story which is really disappointing, while there are some elements of it in the game they have to be hunted for, which seems wrong to me. For sometime now Assassins Creed games are released annually and while there are changes made it feels more about making a quick buck than making a high quality story driven game. Overall the are some fun elements in the story but there is a lot of fat that could have been trimmed.

 

Visuals

While the game certainly has its flaw the visuals are not one of them. The game looks vibrant, smooth and beautiful. The markets and streets you pass through look and feel alive. The ancients ruins and huge statues are awe inspiring and to date is the most visually stunning game in the series.

One of my favorite parts of the was actually any enemy strongholds, they feel more built up than before, yielding crates, clothes, animals and other miscellaneous items. Overall the visuals help create a very organic environment and help make it one of, if not the strongest element of the game.

Music

The soundtrack has a very Moroccan feel to it, this is not too surprising as the first few games in the series had this feel and as the game is set before many of the others in the series it feels like a call back to humble beginnings. The composers are UK Duo The Flight responsible for the scores of both Horizon Zero Dawn and the DLC Horizon Zero Dawn Frozen Horizons and Dark Futures.

The soundtrack offers over two hours of music, some of my favorite tracks included; Legend of Eagle Bearer, The 300, The Assassins Creed, Atlantis, and A Spartans Fight.

Overall not a bad soundtrack but no where near as good as some of the others in the series.

Gameplay

There is a lot to get into with the gameplay, so let's dive right in. The combat is very different to other Assassins Creed games and a lot more robust. The fighting is robust, feeling not too simplistic and not too tough. There is an array of weapons including swords, staffs, axes and bows, special shout to Ikaros. If you take on one to three enemies it is okay, anymore than that and things can go south quickly. To help combat that you can unlock special abilities which, apart from looking great when used, can help take down even the strongest of enemies. While using RPG elements were so-so the combat ones were great, level up your character, unlock new abilities and access to gear.

You can climb anywhere with ease, you can even climb a giant Greek statue and hang from his cheek - sadly his wiener is a no-hang area.

Leveling up is fun, killing an enemy, discovering a new area, building - like an RPG the game encourages and rewards exploration which is good as the world of Odyssey is massive. I finished the game at level fifty-two but you can now go all the way up to level ninety-nine. If you are willing to put it in a little effort you will level up pretty quick.

Each time you level up you are able to raise the level of your weapons and gear. Essentially if you love a weapon or some gear you can keep it for the whole game and just keep leveling it up. In my case I got the Ezio gear and kept leveling it up. Be warned it will cost you a ton of resources.

Similar to the last few games there are plenty of ship battles, meaning plenty of upgrading which to be fair can be a lot of fun. That being said it feels nowhere as fun as the Black Flag battles which is a shame. 

There are; side missions, bounty missions and player story created missions. Side mission comprise of a lot fetch quests and assassinations which can usually be completed pretty quickly, especially if you have unlock a lot of fast travel points. Bounty missions are limited mission where you can unlock special materials for upgrading or purchasing weapons. Player created story missions are okay but the only ones I found useful were the ones aimed at farming for materials and experience points.

The biggest new feature in the game are the mercenaries, think of them like the stars in GTA, they can be paid off but leaving them at the highest bounty can be fun if not hard. Each tier you wipe out gives you added benefits so is worth spending a little time on them. A lot of them you will naturally run into while exploring, getting the drop on them later is definitely the way to go as fighting a few at the same time is like taking on an army. 

Overall the gameplay is solid and there are some interesting additions that were not in previous games. A few minor issues with the gameplay but nothing crazy.

Final Thoughts

So, after fifty hours, which easily felt like a hundred, how did I feel? Relieved.  The story is okay and while there were some interesting points the story was far too drawn out. The visuals were fantastic and helped dilute some of the not so great elements in the game. The music is okay but not the most memorable soundtrack to date. The gameplay is pretty solid and offers a lot for players, overall very few notable issues. Overall the game is a little lack luster, the story could have benefitted to be shorter, the visuals were amazing, soundtrack was okay and the gameplay was pretty good. Overall this one gets a not so exciting 3 out of 5

Assassins Creed Origins - Review

Another year, another Assassins Creed game.  I have a strange relationship with the series, I like it and I don't.  There is something that intrigues me about the games but at the same time I know I'm letting myself in for a level of disappointment.  I can't quite put my finger on what it is about them, perhaps it's their similarity to Fifa.  A new one gets released each year, there are improvements made each time but in many ways, it's the same game.  Anyway, I finally decided to play Assassins Creed Origins.


Museli.  I am not a big breakfast person but on occasion, I do like some cereal.  Muesli is my fall back cereal, it's not particularly exciting but it's reliable and does the job.  Playing Assassins Creed Origins I found myself asking, was this my muesli?

Story


Where to start?  There is a machine called the Animus, which allows you to see the memories of your ancestors. This is the part of the basis for series, the rest of it revolves around good and evil.  In honesty though that is a huge oversimplification of the series.  Anyhow, I digress.


The game takes place in 48 BCE Egypt and sees you take control of Bayek.  Unfortunately, Bayek is about to have a bad day.  Shortly after the murder of his son, Bayek decides to seek revenge.  Quickly it becomes apparent that this task will be a lot more difficult and intricate than he could have imagined.  It will involve Greece, The Roman Empire and Cleopatra.


Overall the story is okay but feels less like Assassins Creed and more like a stand-alone game.  While there are nods to the series as a whole it feels very isolated from the others.  The closest comparison would be Resident Evil VII Biohazard, it's a good enough story but just doesn't feel like part of the series.

Graphics


The visuals are fantastic, they are lush and the whole world feels really organic.  The pyramids look amazing, the cities, towns and marketplaces feel alive which really helped sucked me into the world.  The people look really detailed and the animals are simply amazing.


Overall the game visual spectacle and is certainly one of the strongest parts of the game if not the strongest part.



Music


The music has a middle eastern sound with a little of the Assassins Creed series music we have gotten used to hearing grated on top of it.  The creator of this score is American composer and performer Sarah Schachner.  Some of her work includes Assassins Creed Unity, Call of Duty: Infinity Warfare and Anthem.


The score runs a little over seventy minutes, my favourite tracks included 'Assassins Creed Origins Main Theme', 'Return of the Medjay', 'I walk on your water' and 'The Alexandrian Pleiad'.


Overall the score is okay but nothing really standout, especially by comparison of the others in the series.

Gameplay


Assassins Creed Origins has overhauled the combat system which has made it more challenging but also more rewarding.  Enemies have levels assigned to them similar to an RPG meaning that running blindly into enemy forts swords and shields swinging is not going to end well.  While you will have many weapons and tools including swords, spears, bows and shields the best weapon/tool in your arsenal is Senu.  Senu is your eagle friend, great for locating objectives, annoying enemies, and marking targets.


There is now a distinct levelling up system which will allow you to unlock new abilities.  Some will allow you to focus on your skills as a warrior, some on stealth and others will unlock new tools.  No matter what your preferred play style is there is something there for everyone.


Similar to previous games there are shops to buy and sell goods along with buying craft materials.  There is more focus on upgrading equipment that in pervious games, so prepare to hunt.


Overall the gameplay was pretty solid with few complaints, I won't lie I missed being able to use my hidden blade whenever I fancied but it's called origins after all.




Final Thoughts

So, after thirty hours how did I feel?  Not bad. The story was alright, the visuals were fantastic, the music was okay and the gameplay was great.  The story was alright but it didn't really add a whole lot to the Assassins Creed Universe.   The visuals and gameplay were the best parts for sure and really helped in improving the series as a whole.  The music was okay but was a far cry from the likes of Assassins Creed Black Flag.  Overall this one gets a slightly underwhelming 3 out of 5

The Last Guardian - Review

The Last Guardian spent years in development, and for a while, it seemed like it may never be released but finally, in 2016 it happened.  The Last Guardian is a game that has been on my 'to play' list for some time, so after I saw it come up on the PlayStation Store for under €20 I thought it was finally time to play it.


Stew.  Stew is a great way to make a cheap meal, it contains lots of vegetables, and a healthy portion of meat to make a kind of thick soup.  My mum used to make it growing up, she made it with dumplings which were really nice fluffy pieces of heaven.  That all being said I never really liked stew, I liked the meat, I liked the dumplings but the overall concept just never did it for me.  Playing The Last Guardian I found myself asking was it really tasty or was it just another stew?

Story


There is nothing worse than waking up, not knowing where you are and finding a giant cat/dog/bird-like creature beside you, unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to little Timmy (no clue what his name is, but unlike Kratos, I couldn't just call him 'boy').  Once Timmy wipes away the cobwebs he starts to look for an exit but quickly realises he is going to need help, cat/dog/bird-like creature seems the natural (and only) choice.  The first thing to do is grab a couple of barrels of Wicked and feed them to his new friend Trico (don't know how he came up with the name but is easier to say than cat/dog/bird-like creature) before trying to escape together.  The story, at its core, is about Timmy and Tricos relationship and getting to see it develop.


Similarly to Shadow of the Colossus, there is a certain lack of story, you get small fragments here and there but a lot is left up to you to figure out and fill in the blanks.  While I liked the relationship between Timmy and Trico, I didn't like the feeling of directionless in the overall story.  I was hoping the ending would at least be a little more satisfying than the rest of the story, but nope it wasn't to be.  Overall I didn't like the lack of story and the small amount there was just wasn't very engaging.

Visuals


I found the visuals, for the most part, to be pretty underwhelming.  There are old ruins all around and nature has started taking over, in theory, this should have looked great but instead, it just looked dull.  Perhaps this was done to help you better appreciate Trico's design which was really different and interesting.  There were some sections later in the game which were a little more visually engaging.  Overall I felt the visuals were lacking, especially when you compare those Japan Studio used in Shadow of the Colossus.



Music


The music is definitely one of the strongest elements of the game.  It has a large soundtrack that is well suited to a game about exploration, while I was listening to the score again parts of it reminded me of the Netflix TV series House of Cards.  The score was created by Japanese-American composer Takeshi Furukawa.  He has helped create the music for ad campaigns for Apple, Sony, and Canon, outside of this he has also worked on TV series such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Trek Enterprise.


The soundtrack runs a little over an hour and has many great tracks, my favorites being 'Falling Bridge', 'Hanging Gardens', 'Sentinal II', 'Victorious', 'Alone', 'Final I Apex',  and 'Final II Escape'.  Overall a really solid soundtrack which is almost equal to that used in Shadow of Colossus.




Gameplay


The Last Guardian is a third-person puzzle game, the only weapon Timmy has is his shield and Trico.  In the early part of the game, Timmy has no real control over Trico but as you progress you can issue basic commands.  The commands work, sometimes, not really.  Trico sometimes feels like a puppy, occasionally it will listen, other times it just pees on the floor.  The more the game progressed the more I became frustrated at Trico not carrying out the command, more than once I had to check a walkthrough in case I was being dim, I wasn't. 


Occasionally you will have to separate from Trico, which always felt sad as he cries out for you.  Little Timmy will often have to climb up and pull a lever so Trico can follow you, this can be a little frustrating.  Do you remember the early Assassin's Creed games?  There would be a ledge just above Altair/Enzio's head, you would press the button to jump up, they would then slowly turn their head smile at you, jump away from the ledge shouting weeeeeeeeeee as they fell to their death.  This happened to me on more than a few occasions while controlling Timmy, it was mildly infuriating.


Something that really drove me bananas (why don't we use that term more it's so fun) were the camera angles.  I can't tell you how many times the screen went black as the cameraman went for a coffee break, eventually, he would return and all would be okay - ish.


The best part of the gameplay was the relationship between Timmy and Trico, there were some real bonding moments between the two of them.  I realised something about Trico halfway through the game, he needs barrels of Wicked to get him going, and green smoke to relax him, basically, he is a party creature.


In honesty there is a lot more I can say about the game but almost all of it would be negative.  Overall the gameplay itself was quite poor, most of which could have been improved by a few relatively minor fixes.




Final Thoughts

After just over fifteen hours, how did I feel?  Relieved.  I was glad that the game was over.  While I liked the dynamic between Trico and Timmy and the great soundtrack almost everything else was seriously lacking.  Perhaps this is my stew, lots of people gave it rave reviews but for me, The Last Guardian is not something I will be revisiting, this one gets 2 out of 5

Assassins Creed Syndicate - Review

Have you ever eaten a Pot Noodle?  Well, if you haven't I will try to describe the whole experience for you.  You have gone shopping, you are not entirely hungry but could use something & you are on a budget.  Slowly you traverse the isle filled with pasta, noodles & other low cost food stuffs.  Nope, nothing really jumps out at you, but wait what's this - a Pot Noodle - Bombay Bad Boy, that sounds fun.  Check the price, it's on special - yoink!  After paying for it you go home, boil the kettle & just add water.  It tastes good enough at the time but then you finish it & feel empty & disappointed inside.  It was so cheap what did you expect?  You decide not to have one ever again until of course you do, generally with the same results.


That is in nutshell how I feel about Assassin Creed Syndicate & to a degree the series.  I continue to buy & play each of the games, some better that others but with the exception of Black Flag & the first two games in the series I am always left feeling unsatisfied. For some reason I continue to play each one of them that gets released.  Maybe I should give up on the series but I can't help myself I always get drawn toward it & generally get left disappointed.

The game is set in London 1868, the industrial revolution is in full swing. Unfortunately the Templar's have all but taken over London & there is no one to help save the city.  Henry Green seems to be the only Assassin in the City, he asks for help from the Brotherhood but receives none.  I have a small problem here, London is seen at that time to be hugely important but yet the Brotherhood could not muster together anyone to help them? That to me is a bit odd no matter what the state of the Brotherhood some effort should have been made to free the city right?


Enter Jacob & Evie Frye, the brother & sister duo, they see how bad London is & want to free it from oppression. George Westhouse who seems to be their senior says that it is too hard a task, to be patient & wait.  Of course, wait while the Templar's get stronger in London that will make it a lot easier to take them down.  Jacob & Evie decide to take on the task but they are not alone in their fight.  They have many historical figures who are willing to help along with a street gang they form called the Rooks.


The main thorn in your side is Crawford Starrick, the Grand Master Templar.  He loves the sound of his own voice & clearly likes the Conor McGreggor - check out his hair.  Evie & Jacob's mission is to take down Starrick & all his head people along with freeing London.


As in previous games you are another faceless person in the real world who this time you do not get to control at all.  I know people complained about Desmond Miles in the earlier games but I always liked the character.  You were invested in a someone outside of the Animus & this made you more aware of what you were fighting for rather than just being in what felt like another simulation.

Graphically speaking the game looks good & London feels alive.  There is a lot happening around you; people talking to each other, the Thames is filled with ships carrying all kinds of goods, the trains looks impressive & running on top of them is great fun.  While it looks great there always felt like there was something missing.  Perhaps it is because I grew up in London, admittedly it was not in 1868. I just did not get that excited when I climbed landmarks like; Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Nelson's Column & being honest I would have expected to,  they seemed almost too small.  That being said the game as whole looked good.


The music is composed by Austin Wintory & Tripod.  Tripod take care of most of the lyrical performances, which sound like old style pub songs mixed with a dash of comedy.  My favorite songs they perform are; 'The Late Pearl Attaway', 'Jokes Jokes Jokes' 'Tale of Twopenny'.  Austin Wintory composes some good tracks that heavily features strings of all shapes & sizes.  Some of my favorite pieces are 'Top Hats & Sword Canes', 'Men Have Become Monsters', 'A Gauntlet Scherzo' & 'Hooded Allegro Vivace'.


While I enjoyed some of the score the person who stole the show was Bear McCreary.  He composed the music for the add on Jack The Ripper.  The music is intense, pulse pounding & feels more dramatic than the score for the main game.  I can't pick a favorite piece as I enjoyed all of it. At the end I was left wondering how different the overall game would have sounded if he had composed the score for the entire game.

On to the gameplay itself, let's start with combat.  For the most part the combat was fluid & easy to get used to.  The system is definitely more refined than in previous games, this especially noticeable once you start upgrading each of Evie's & Jacob's skills.  Counter attacking opponents feels more straight forward & helps in keeping your combat counter high during fights, this results in awesome finishing moves.


Like in previous titles in the series you have an arsenal at your disposal, the latest addition is the grapple hook.  When I was using it I was reminded of the grapple hook HG Wells uses in Warehouse 13 & how cool it was.  I had a love/hate relationship for it, it was a great way to get around but almost made it too easy & took away from the parkour elements that I enjoyed from the earlier games in the series.


Just like previous games there are things to upgrade, the primary & most important ones being for Jacob & Evie.  The skill trees are broken into brawler, stealth & miscellaneous,  for Jacob I focused on the brawler skill & for Evie Stealth as this naturally suits each of them.  Outside of this you can upgrade your train hideout by completing missions & upgrade the Rooks to make them more effective along with granting you certain bonuses in game.


The main mission assassinations were often really good, you were given choices as to how to kill your mark.  Often you could seek the help of someone close by who could get you close to the target or steal a key to access an area or throw caution to the wind run in there & just kill them outright. I generally mixed between stealing a key or just using a hidden blade to take them down.  The downside to assassinations is the long drawn out death scenes.  The victim tells you that you are wrong they are right & you are not seeing the big picture.  Please Ubisoft I am begging you stop doing this, it was interesting in the early games but now it is just boring & over used.


The differences between Evie & Jacob are vast. Jacob is a go in guns blazing & hope for the best kind of character where as Evie is about thought, stealth & all good things assassins aspire to be.  When using Evie she moves gracefully, her attacks feel more precise & again just feels more like an assassin should.  Then there is Jacob who runs like he has full nappy but rather than change it keeps on going.  He is a brawler & very rough round the edges, while I know this is intentional it just does not feel right.  When I look at Jacob I think of that Father Ted quote, "Dougal, how did you get into the church in the first place? Was it, like collect 12 crisp packets & become a priest?"  I wonder the same thing about Jacob.  When it comes down to it feels like he is an assassin because his dad & sister are. I think the game would have played out better had it focused on Evie & had Jacob as minor character.


There are some great characters in the game that really add to the gameplay such as, Alexander Graham Bell who you have great interactions with & is a very likable character.  Charles Dickens was another great character & his ghost hunting/disproving missions where really fun.  Lydia Frye is a character that you can play during a World War I sequence, while I liked her character the missions were not very exciting especially if you consider those in Assassins Creed Unity.  Crawford Starrick left me feeling deflated, he was not a great villain, spent too much time yammering on & generally did not ever move out of his study.   He reminded me of an 80's/90's villain but instead giving cheesy dialogue it was just plain old bad & the climax with him was, well meh.

So after 30+ hours of gameplay how would I rate Assassins Creed Syndicate, thumbs up, thumbs down or just meh?  I have to say guys I have to give it a 'Meh' rating.  The combat was good, some good story & some great characters.  That all being said a lot of the story was dull & some characters just did not hit their mark.  When Ubisoft releases another assassins Creed game will I buy it? Yes. Perhaps I am just junkie or maybe I feel if I run at a wall enough times that eventually the outcome will be different.