A Beautiful Return: Assassin's Creed Origins Review

Developer Ubisoft has released their newest installment of the cherished and well-established Assassin’s Creed saga. With the total series spanning over 1,000 years of iconic settings and periods, Assassin’s Creed Origins brings the story back from the turn-of-the-century to the midst of Cleopatra’s Egypt. This stunning and slightly reinventing return to form might be one the most enjoyable game in the series. While imperfect, as many things are, the game showcases Ubisoft’s willingness to change thi ngs up a notch, especially in regards to their previously set-in-stone approach to game mechanics. Without further delay, let’s delve into my review of the game, as there’s plenty to discuss.

Some context before setting off: Assassin’s Creed series follows the unique stories of warriors and killers of the past. Members of the Assassin’s Brotherhood are in constant battle with the Templars, an organization fixated on world domination through knowledge, resources, and power. While the games take place in the past, the “observer” of each game takes place in present day, using technology to view the memories of deceased humans via recovered DNA. Mix in some details on an ancient precursor race of demigods, and you’ve got yourself a pretty nuts overarching plot line. Anyway, let’s begin.

Assassin’s Creed Origins takes place in Egypt during the struggle for power between the exiled Queen Cleopatra, and the young Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII. Like most games in the series, the open-world setting and historical context focuses heavily on immersion and period piece experience. Within this remarkable 48 B.C.E. setting, players take control of Bayek of Siwa, a warrior of great renown, with a tragic past. Quite typical of Assassin’s Creed games, players experience Bayek’s early plot points in sequences, introducing us to his world, as well as its stipulations.

Bayek is not an Assassin. In fact, the Assassin’s Brotherhood does not exist at this time. Bayek is a Medjay, which is essentially a peace officer of Egypt and its people. Wronged by a mysterious order of five meddlers and conspirators, Bayek’s character showcases a frightful propensity for violence and rage, conveyed through the storyline more coherently than usual. His pursuit of vengeance over. the pursuit of a peaceful life is well-understood. As I played the first few sequence of Origins, I learned more and more about the vision of the official Assassin’s Brotherhood, as well as the famous creed. While it almost seems secondary, the game’s plot does a good job of bearing witness to the creation of the titular organization. The story of Bayek’s quest for vengeance leads him to figures like Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and many other power players who mold the shape of the world.

Shifting gears to discuss gameplay, I never thought that I’d find myself writing that an Assassin’s Creed game had nearly upended its traditional approach to gameplay mechanics. With that being said, Assassin’s Creed Origins has completely changed its approach to gameplay mechanics. First off, movement is the first difference that I noticed - rather than several “gears” (walking, running, and sprinting) dictated by pushing a certain button, movement speed is now reliant on how much you push the stick. A tiny change, I know, but it’s a good preview for some others. Combat is the most unique it has been in years. Aside from a change in control layout, combat now includes a more manual lock on system, as well as a difficult-to-master counter attack system. I found myself enjoying the new third-person combat eventually, but it was surely a surprise.

Enemies and their actions are a tad different as well. Rather than being subject to my imminent slashes, they can counter, bash, and dodge the same way I can, cultivating a sense of the bad guys different than previous games. Within combat, I can switch from weapon to weapon, be it two pairs of swords, a spear, a friggin’ mace, or even a hammer. In regards to ranged attacks, my bow had similar handling to the pistoles of the beloved Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag. Managing the gear and inventory of supplies I collect is also upgraded. I can craft, equip, or dismantle items without delay or requirements, making mission prep an easy endeavor.

Senu is Bayek’s trusty war bird, which players can take control of at any time (even when we’re “auto-traveling” on a horse or camel to an objective that’s a mile away). Senu can soar above any area and tag enemies, objectives, or even resources. With much of Ancient Egypt being horizontal, there’s slightly less climbing than usual, so Senu’s range allows for some much-needed views of the game area.

While I just mentioned that there is less climbing in the game, don’t think that the entire map is flat. There are certainly structures to climb as it’s always been an enjoyable aspect of the series. But, you will notice that most climbing is limited to areas with temples, watch towers, or even the Pyramids of Giza. One change to the climbing mechanics in this installment, is the inclusion of natural climbing structures. Bayek can scale a desert mountain wall in the south as easily as he can a temple tower in the north, which is a welcome addition to the game’s well-known climbing mechanics.

Speaking of places, Origins’ Egypt may be one of the most beautiful Assassin’s Creed worlds to date. Vibrant with every color imaginable, from the rust and orange of the deserts, to the purples, greens, and blues of bustling Alexandria. Animals are free to roam and rest, while the simulations of market places, riverside sanctuaries, and temples run immensely smoothly. A nice bit the devs included was a quaint little “fast forward” feature. Players can move forward several hours at any time they choose at the push of a button, resulting in an inevitably gorgeous time lapse video of the sky and the immediate surroundings. Interacting with Egypt’s citizens leads to many fun and entertaining quests, and in my opinion the developers did a great job of making them various and easy to find.

While that’s all good and fine, I did mention earlier that the map’s massiveness may hinder the total success of the game’s experience. By that I simply mean that while the world is open, the game takes you me and most every other player on the same journey from the get go. There is so much to do and see as in most Assassin’s Creed games, but the trail of quests and objectives may steer you in a particular route. Not necessarily a bad thing of course, and I’m still to do whatever the hell I want whenever the hell I want. It’s certainly something to keep in mind during your personal play-through.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is an achievement for the series, providing players with a fascinating setting and a worthy story. While its gameplay experience is such a change from previous titles, it works to entice any long-time fans into mastering yet another admirable installment. Bayek’s journey through the New Kingdom and his founding of the Brotherhood makes for a great game, one full of beautiful locations, and wondrous adventures.

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Ben Stembridge, Editor-in-Chief

Ben leads the reviews and news coverage for Game Chop. He also offers opinions on games and the industry, covering a wide range of genres and platforms. Ben especially enjoys discussions on game narratives, design styles, and independent titles.

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