Impessions: Assassin's Creed Origins

[PZ]

Well, still like the game so far because no bosses 

I guess the best part about the game is that all the prior game annoyances have been fixed - movement is so fluid and natural feeling. Running across the roof tops sounds lots like Ezio in Italy. There is still the leap of faith, synchronizing tall objects that become fast travel spots. One thing I really appreciate is the lack of rooftop guards - one can now do real stealth missions without always being harassed by those pesky guards. I did one such mission today and it was very enjoyable.

I'm also enjoying the RPG aspects of the game because there is plenty of fighting action when you want.

All in all, still a good game.

[LowPolyOWG]

 

[Art Blade]

 

[Dweller_Benthos]

Saw this

https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2017/11/08/the-avengers

seems funny, and fitting. I would find it a bit annoying to see the evidence of other players in what is, I would guess, a single player game?

[PZ]

Yes it is a single player game, and at first I did not know why other players were showing as small boxes on the map. They do not if you play offline, which is still possible at least on the PS4. What is fun is that when they are killed, you can go to their location and avenge their death by killing the perpetrators while gaining 250 XP.  You never actually see the players, but there are marks on the map where they are located, so you can see how many people are frequenting different areas. You are never asked to avenge the player death as is claimed in the cartoon, but it does appear as a blue icon on the map. If you don't want to do those, you need not do so (there are never more that one at a time). However, I like to go in and do battle, and in one instance cleared out an area that was the focus of my next quest - the guys were still dead 

Yesterday I played nearly all day because it became so addicting. I have been wandering the map doing all kinds of side missions, of which there are plenty. The game lets you know the suggested player level for success. Each area I have visited is completely unique, much like in more linear games like Uncharted.

Funny thing yesterday: I was doing a quest in which I was to escort a warrior looking guy to some location. Along the way I started a new quest and shortly ran into trouble with a bunch of bad guys - the guy I was to escort actually joined in the fight and helped me succeed!  I then thought to continue doing side quests and he kept up with me in most of them - kind of like working with a buddy.  He did not take damage, so was an excellent companion, and even hopped onto the back of my camel when we needed to ride somewhere.

There are reed boats you can use to traverse waterways that reminded me of the canal boats in Assassin's Creed in Venice. Even the boats are destructible - if you run into the bank too aggressively, you'll ruin the boat.

I've not continued the main mission line since the first day when I was doing the beginning missions - the ones you do before you are turned loose. What looks like a boss mission opened up, but it is entirely optional.

I did a side mission where you do a race of sorts in which you pilot a chariot along a road. Surprisingly it was not annoying because it was not timed!  First time since Just Cause 2 boat races that I was not annoyed by a race.

It is easy to level up your character, upgrade your equipment, and find the loot in the vast world (your eagle has special senses that can help you with that)

If I can continue going through all the rest of the lands just doing side missions and quests of various kinds, I'll consider the game a success. These side activities are so intricate in many instances they feel like main mission lines.

I'm still cautiously optimistic, but for me this may be the best Assassin's Creed game yet, and maybe even one of the best open world games I've played. I'm already planning different approaches on my next play through - I hope I'm not disappointed by being forced into a main mission line.

[Art Blade]

Yesterday I played nearly all day

finally.

It's been ages I read anything similar coming from you -- nice. I think you should at least try to play more often like that

[PZ]

Now that we're heading in to winter 

Another cool feature is fire - you can light your arrow tips on fire at the braziers, or even from your own torch you can throw down. You can set the water ablaze by breaking the red pots on the water (or elsewhere). You can even booby trap the braziers that the enemy lights to bring reinforcements.

I'm learning something new all the time.

[Art Blade]

 

[LowPolyOWG]

Soudns like a fun game

[PZ]

Here's a video of a complete play through of a simple side mission I did today - stealth style

It also shows a bit of the level up menu.

For the first time I actually like RPG

[LowPolyOWG]

Pretty sure Fallout has RPG elements within it Well, it might be different than what UBI*bleep* went with

[PZ]

Oh yes, Fallout is heavily RPG as fas as I am concerned, but the vanilla game where your aim is so wobbly that it feels like you're drunk makes modding the Fallout games a must for me in order to have fun playing it. 

[Dweller_Benthos]

Saw the video, pretty sneaky. If only it was first person....

[Art Blade]

nice vid

FO4 and wobbly aim? you're going to use god mode anyway so just press ALT to hold your breath. Infinitely.

Holding breath for a steady aim, you can't faint nor die from not breathing

[PZ]

Thanks - I know; I always use God mode in Fallout because I do not like weight limits on my loot 

However, the wobbly feel is a bit too cartoonish for me to actually like it - for me makes the game feel like it is entirely RPG, and weapons is an after thought. This game still has all the weapon mechanics I like. 

D_B

Everything in the game feel natural regarding movements. Even when I ride my camel, and now armored horse, there are few areas I cannot go including causing the animal to jump off high areas (typically invisible walls in prior games)

There is a perk I'm going to get the next time I level up - the ability to tame animals, which causes them to follow you like a companion.

Other things I like:

• No more notoriety! I never did like that in the prior games
• No stupid defending an assassin's hideout like in Revelations
• The higher your level, the easier it is to kill animals. I never liked the endless animal attacks in the Far Cry games
• The enemy can't see you from miles away, like they have eagle eyes.
• You can climb almost everything, and almost no invisible walls anywhere you go