-Absolutely Not Famous-
Connor J Sheffield
Assassin's Creed Origins - First Impressions and what I've learned
On October 27th 2017, Assassin's Creed Origins will be released, and I will hopefully be able to sit down and play it as close to this date as possible. I cannot wait for this new installment of my favourite video game franchise, and I know then when I can, I shall spend hours upon hours enjoying everything this new game has to offer. I watched the trailers when they were released at E3 this year, and I have watched multiple game play videos, to get an idea of how this game actually plays compared to its predecessors.
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In this article I'm going to analyze and review certain aspects of what I know so far, and talk about what this could mean for the future of the Assassin's Creed franchise. So let's start with the setting.
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Though I searched for a specific date, the only information I can find about the setting simply reads 'Ancient Egypt'. In all honesty though, that's all you really need, because if you were to say Egypt followed by a certain date, most people wouldn't know of it's significance, but the words 'Ancient Egypt' really stand out.
What a great setting this will be for the Assassin's Order, not to mention that it's the setting of the FIRST Assassin's Order, with our protagonist, Bayek, becoming our FIRST Assassin of this new era of Assassin's Creed. Pyramids, Tombs, Sphinx's and Pharaoh's are all going to be a fun addition into this world that we have come to love. With the beautiful look that was first introduced (and probably only ever seen) in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Egypt really stands out already as an area of great adventure and stunning visuals that will enhance the players experience. There's the options to travel by land or over the waters of the Nile Delta using Ancient Egyptian boats known as Felucca's, but be careful when traveling across either one, because the game has lots of fauna (wildlife) to pose a risk to even the most highly trained Assassin.
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On land, there are Lions, Hyenas and Leopards (oh my!) as well as less opposing animals such as gazelles and goats, whilst in the water (and sometimes on land) there are Crocodiles and Hippo's, as well as the yet again less opposing animals such as fish and Flamingos. From what I've seen in game play video's from E3, Hippo's only attacked if attacked first, or if you get to close and they see you as a threat, where as Crocs tend to go for the kill no matter what, if you get too close. Gazelles and Flamingos tend to flee at the sight of you, and I haven't yet seen Hyena's or Leopards in the E3 Game Play Video's, but I can assume that the Hyena's might be the same as wolves in Assassin's Creed 3, hunting in packs and chasing you,whilst the Leopards are probably like the Lions which I have seen in the video's, which often results in the murder of NPC's if not killed quickly (although it's usually enemy NPC's so why not let the Lion have fun? Better them than you right?)
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You'll be able to raid tombs for loot and quests, climb cliff sides and pyramids, ride horses and even camels, as well as fighting in an Arena, or stealthily sneaking your way through an encampment of enemies in order to reach a target. New elements to the game, with some of the original elements that makes Assassin's Creed so unique. The Hidden Blade is of course still a part of it all, and I noticed on the concept art that Bayek does indeed have his ring finger missing which proves that they are remaining true to their original lore of the Assassin's/
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The franchise seems to have taken itself further into the RPG genre of gaming and this is obvious through a few elements of the game.
The first element is the new Combat System, which seems more fluid, and gives the player more control over their attack and defence strategies, meaning that no two players will really play this game the exact same as the other. Each experience will be different in their own way because the battles will be unique to the player. I cannot wait to try this out because from what I hear and from what I have witnessed, it seems to be similar to the combat system of the Dark Souls series. For example on the Xbox version of this game, Right Bumper (RB) is a light attack whilst Right Trigger (RT) is a heavy attack, and then there's the movement of your character, which allows you to dodge attacks, or circle your opponent to bait attacks if you want to go for a particular combo or kill.
The next element is the new Gear System, which allows you to loot and equip new weapons and shields, as well as other gear such and useful stuff such as mounts (e.g. Horses and Camels) and small throwing weapons such as throwing knives or sleep darts. The new Gear System adds to the RPG aspect that this game is now using, and each piece of gear is measured in rarity and Levels, which brings me to my next element; The Leveling System.
Some of the previous installments of this franchise involved gear changing and leveling up, in Unity and Syndicate, but there was a limit to what you could actually gain from these aspects, but now, Origins is bringing the players a new way to customize their own unique style of Assassin, by giving us a variety of weapons and gear to choose from. With a variety of bows, spears, swords, maces and helpful gear to play around with, this new system will make sure that you will not play this game the same way through multiple playthroughs which will open us up to new ways of thinking and executing the missions given to us, each time we play. The leveling system also unlocks skill points for us, which can then be spent in 3 different skill trees; Hunter, Warrior or Seer. This again is another way to ensure that each play through is different, and each player experiences their own way of playing the game.
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Our new Assassin is of course the main focus of this entire game, so let's go into what we know so far. His name is Bayek of Siwa, and he is the last of the Medjay, an order of highly skilled warriors who seek to protect the land and its people from evil. Bayek wields and arsenal of weapons including a Khopesh (a type of Egyptian sword with a curved blade), a spear and a bow, as well as a shield to defend himself against attacks and he is highly trained to use each of them efficiently and effectively. Aside from this he is also an expert in stealth and the use of the Hidden blade, as well as climbing and scaling large obstacles such as cliff sides and buildings, making him a deadly foe for any who oppose him.
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Though it is yet unknown as to how this ability first came about, the famous Eagle Vision returns in this installment, but unlike it's predecessor games, Bayek's eagle vision is much more literal to the term, as his ability grants him the power to see through the eyes of his friend, a literal Eagle, named Senu. When using this ability in game, the player will take control of Senu, being able to fly over encampments, and targeting any foes or treasures that cannot be seen from Bayeks current position. This will allow the player the chance to plan entrance\exit strategies, or simply find the loot they might need. It will help the players in the quest lines, in order to find their assassination targets, or important items that must be read/retrieved. However you use it, it will help, and I personally think the use of an actual Eagle, is badass!
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The game play trailer and cinematic trailer from E3 will both be linked below, but first I have to mention some of my most anticipated elements to this game and some moments that left me with questions. First of all, the Giant Snake, seen in the trailer looking very angry and just about to attack Bayek in a tomb, seems to be proof that the game has gone for some more fantasy elements that go beyond anything we've seen previously. Whilst we did see a Giant Squid in Assassin's Creed 2 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, they were more of an easter egg in those games, whereas now, we may have to actually fight for our lives against some real monsters. Perhaps the Snake is the only giant creature, but maybe, just maybe, there might be some other terrible beasties lurking in the tombs, which will prove to be challenging and my thoughts are that if this is the case, then perhaps these creatures guard the higher level/rarer loot. I'm hoping that if we do indeed have to fight a Giant Snake then the rewards should be, well, rewarding.
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My most anticipated element of this game, as my friends know all too well, are the executions, but more specifically, the bow executions. I love the new system with the bow, as it requires slight physics to hit a distant target, and not only that, aiming the bow will grant us a view of how much damage the shot will take off the opponent. A head shot could be instant kill, whereas a shot to the chest may only take of half their health. This will help so much when we need to decide if we want to kill or injure an opponent. Part of me hopes that this game doesn't have the 100% synchronization elements to the quests, and so far I haven't seen any evidence to suggest it has, but if it did, the ones that say DO NOT KILL ANYONE, would be easier with this meter of health that the bow provides.
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Overall, I am really looking forward to this new era of the Assassin's Creed franchise, and cannot wait to play it for myself in October. I love the setting, the combat, gear and leveling systems look great, and visually the game looks beautiful. Let's hope it lives up to the hype and let's see where (and when) this journey will take us.
