Assassin's Creed Origins - Xbox One

Ubisoft™ presents Assassin's Creed® Origins™Assassin's Creed® Origins™ is a Ubisoft™ game that is part of the Assassin's Creed® franchisein which you, the player™ get to experience the memories of Layla Hassan's™ Ancestors and see wherethe Creed began and how it came to be.That all sounds so exciting but but you don't really get to see a refined version of this until you get to the DLC™OOPS.Right, well the gameplay in this one was a big breath of fresh air for me, the combat for the series peaked at AC III-IV® for me and this was such a massive departure from how you expect an AC® game would play, that I just kind of fell in love with it. That doesn't mean that there aren't any drawbacks and stuff like that.We ARE talking about Ubisoft™ here, so you're ... MoreUbisoft™ presents Assassin's Creed® Origins™Assassin's Creed® Origins™ is a Ubisoft™ game that is part of the Assassin's Creed® franchisein which you, the player™ get to experience the memories of Layla Hassan's™ Ancestors and see wherethe Creed began and how it came to be.That all sounds so exciting but but you don't really get to see a refined version of this until you get to the DLC™OOPS.Right, well the gameplay in this one was a big breath of fresh air for me, the combat for the series peaked at AC III-IV® for me and this was such a massive departure from how you expect an AC® game would play, that I just kind of fell in love with it. That doesn't mean that there aren't any drawbacks and stuff like that.We ARE talking about Ubisoft™ here, so you're gonna have to go and do all that OPEN-WORLD-ACTION-RPG-MAP REVEAL™ type of stuff by getting on top of a really really high place so you can see more stuff. It is nice to see with this engine for like the first few times but since this map is MASSIVE, it gets kind of old pretty fast.The weapon types that you can use are pretty fun, you might be overly reliant on the shield at some points and that would kind of devolve the game into a BLOCK-PARRY-ATTACK-BLOCK-BLOCK-ATTACK-BLOCK-HEAVY ATTACK-BLOCK sort of pattern sometimes. I'm sure many reviews have referenced that the CoMBaT iS dArK SoULs-EsQuE so I don't have to.The levelling system is there so you don't progress to regions that you aren't supposed to be in until a certain period in the game BUT if you're just doing side quests here and there, you can be over-levelled for a story mission and the results are pretty funny when some random antagonist just talks trash or is hyped up during a cutscene and you just clap them cheeks hard in less than 2 strokes.The story is pretty okay. Revenge is a good motive for a lot of narratives and it fits well here. Bayek® is a pretty well rounded character. He's got moments where he shows he cares, moments where he shows his resolve and moments where the man is at his most vulnerable. He's no Ezio® but he doesn't need to be. He's a good character who only gets better over time.Now, the creed stuff though, a lot of it gets slowly fleshed out but a good chunk of that and the infancy of the Assassin® Brotherhood is seen on the Hidden Ones® DLC. There you'll actually see how they start out and sort of function as a working brotherhood, doing contract work and all that jazz. Pretty cool ngl but that sorta stuff should have STAYED IN THE BASE GAME.Your mileage with this game may vary, cause the early hours of the game might turn you off completely.It is a pretty okay game, decent time sink if you're looking to explore Egypt but don't wanna buy a plane ticket.7.5./10

This is the best Assassins Creed game I've played in a long while. The visuals are stunning, the map is huge, and they really have created a great world this time. They really should stick with the two year release time lines. The story is pretty good, though there is so much to do I've sometimes had a hard time remembering what I'm doing a quest for.They have done away with being able to go wherever you want, in Origins the map is divided into zones. Each zone has recommended levels. If you are level 5 and you walk into a level 20 zone, you are going to get destroyed, no matter how well you've mastered the fighting mechanics. Likewise, if you are level 20 and you go back to a level 5 zone, you are going to feel like a god. To add in some good measure in some ... MoreThis is the best Assassins Creed game I've played in a long while. The visuals are stunning, the map is huge, and they really have created a great world this time. They really should stick with the two year release time lines. The story is pretty good, though there is so much to do I've sometimes had a hard time remembering what I'm doing a quest for.They have done away with being able to go wherever you want, in Origins the map is divided into zones. Each zone has recommended levels. If you are level 5 and you walk into a level 20 zone, you are going to get destroyed, no matter how well you've mastered the fighting mechanics. Likewise, if you are level 20 and you go back to a level 5 zone, you are going to feel like a god. To add in some good measure in some zones they have added in Phylakes which are high level bounty hunters looking just for you. They add in a challenge when you think there is non and makes you always have to be aware of your surroundings.The combat is also different, instead of just endlessly countering everything which is a breath of fresh air. There are tons of different weapons, bows, and gear to use now. And they have different levels so you do change them fairly often. You have to charge your attack to break an enemies defense or shield. Gone are the days where if you're surrounded by enemies will only one attack at a time.

A New Era for AC

AC: Origins takes the familiar Assassin's Creed formula and changes it up pretty dramatically. It was probably time for some fresh ideas to hit the series and that's exactly what Ubisoft brought with this entry, adding more RPG elements and changing up how combat works. You now have a leveling system that you use to progress to higher level missions and foes along the way and will be changing out gear for more rare/higher level equipment throughout your journey through Egypt. This encourages more experimentation with the large assortment of options at your disposal and offers more choices for you to make about your load-outs going into varying combat scenarios.Speaking of combat, it's more active now and you will find yourself not being able to rely on the ... MoreAC: Origins takes the familiar Assassin's Creed formula and changes it up pretty dramatically. It was probably time for some fresh ideas to hit the series and that's exactly what Ubisoft brought with this entry, adding more RPG elements and changing up how combat works. You now have a leveling system that you use to progress to higher level missions and foes along the way and will be changing out gear for more rare/higher level equipment throughout your journey through Egypt. This encourages more experimentation with the large assortment of options at your disposal and offers more choices for you to make about your load-outs going into varying combat scenarios.Speaking of combat, it's more active now and you will find yourself not being able to rely on the counter/quick assassination kills combat found in previous games. You'll be forced to change up your tactics and deal with multiple enemies at once both ranged and in melee combat. The game has a large skill tree of abilities to unlock to help you deal with these situations better as you level up.The story is pretty good; I wouldn't say it's anything too great, but it tells a decent revenge story and has a likable protagonist in Bayek (perhaps the first since Ezio in the older AC games). The biggest character of the game would be the setting itself. Egypt is beautiful to explore: whether you find yourself along the banks of the Nile river, in the sweltering deserts, or lost in its sprawling cities, AC: Origins depicts the scale and culture of Egypt brilliantly. Make sure to visit the pyramids! The game looks gorgeous and runs well on a PS4 Pro as well.Perhaps the biggest flaw with the game is the lack of interesting side content. I found there to be too many meaningless/uninteresting side objectives and it makes the game feel a little bloated. I always appreciate quality over quantity, and as with most Ubisoft games, I would say they kill you with quantity. There's certainly over 100 hours worth of things to do, if you value a game in that way; I just wish it were tighter and more focused at doing some things really well instead. It can seem a bit overwhelming, but you'll find yourself able to get lost in this world as well if you so desire.Overall, it's a great game with room for improvement. It definitely benefited from a longer development cycle and some time away. If you'e feeling open world fatigue, this isn't the game for you, but otherwise it's worth your time.

Best Since 2?

Yes, but not in the way you might expect. Origins innovates the most since the series' second entry, which was lauded for how well it improved upon the original.Origins does the same, but with the series as a whole. No more endless waves of enemies wading to the slaughter as you effortlessly parry and counter in a flurry of gruesome finishers. Combat is now more action RPG-esque with finishers peppered throughout to add some flair. This makes combat more challenging and dynamic since you have to actively defend and engage enemies in lieu of waiting for them to get caught in your buzzsaw.But the memorable assassination missions and unique nuances that typically coincided with each meaningful kill are also gone. In some instances, I couldn't tell the differance ... MoreYes, but not in the way you might expect. Origins innovates the most since the series' second entry, which was lauded for how well it improved upon the original.Origins does the same, but with the series as a whole. No more endless waves of enemies wading to the slaughter as you effortlessly parry and counter in a flurry of gruesome finishers. Combat is now more action RPG-esque with finishers peppered throughout to add some flair. This makes combat more challenging and dynamic since you have to actively defend and engage enemies in lieu of waiting for them to get caught in your buzzsaw.But the memorable assassination missions and unique nuances that typically coincided with each meaningful kill are also gone. In some instances, I couldn't tell the differance between an assassination target and a standard enemy. In fact, memorable characters and well-voiced cutscenes are pretty much absent altogether, with the exception of some scenes between Bayek and his wife, Aya. But less time spent planning assassinations and engaging in banter/dialogue with NPCs helps streamline the experience and allows more freedom to explore the games many well-crafted side quests/activities.Origins is absolutely the series' most open-world experience to date, and I haven't been this engrossed in an AC game world since 2 as well. Ancient Egypt begs to be explored by mezmerizing players with its diverse and colorful landscape.Origins is a departure from some of the conventions that many identify with the series, but overall I think that might be for the better.

Game was ok.

Game was ok. I'm not sure why so many people love the Assassins Creed games. This was my first one and got great reviews but after I played it for a few hours, I just don't think it was for me. It seemed like I spent a lot of time sneaking around picking up treasure or other items and when the fighting/battles happened, I wasn't able to hit anything with my bow even though I was aimed right at an enemy. Very frustrating. I just gave up after a while but it wasn't that bad because I only paid $15 or $20 for the game. I would read other reviews before purchasing this one, a lot of people said it was great.

Great Game

Assassins Creed games have always been excellent no matter which one it is. Assassins Creed Origins has a great story behind it and it has completely blown me away. Every pre launch review I read was iffy on it for different reasons. After playing the game myself: the combat style takes time to getting used to because of it being so different from the past games. The story on how the first "Assassin" came to be is absolutely amazing and I am blown away by it. The few things I do like about it is the amount of missions, the leveling up process, and use of map. In the past games, in order to unlock certain things, you had to be past a certain milestone of some fort (past sequence 2 or done this task). Now it is "you are not near this level'. I'm always up for a good ... MoreAssassins Creed games have always been excellent no matter which one it is. Assassins Creed Origins has a great story behind it and it has completely blown me away. Every pre launch review I read was iffy on it for different reasons. After playing the game myself: the combat style takes time to getting used to because of it being so different from the past games. The story on how the first "Assassin" came to be is absolutely amazing and I am blown away by it. The few things I do like about it is the amount of missions, the leveling up process, and use of map. In the past games, in order to unlock certain things, you had to be past a certain milestone of some fort (past sequence 2 or done this task). Now it is "you are not near this level'. I'm always up for a good challenge in the Assassins Creed games but if you are 3 levels behind instead of 2 a certain enemy, its almost impossible to complete the mission. There are so many missions, side missions, and task to complete; I noticed this when Assassins Creed 3 came out in 2012 but the amount is almost 5-10 times more. Lastly, the use of the map was larger than any other map before but was not properly used in the story like it should/could have been. I have not been able to play the season pass missions because I am level 35 and it requires 40+ in order to play them without dying every few seconds. The story of the game is 5/5 stars but because of the 3 cons of the game, I am giving it a 3/5 stars. I will be getting the new assassins creed game when it comes out as well. I know everyones situation is different but the reason why it taking me 1 year later to get level 35 is because when it was released, I was in the final stages of my paramedic program and was focused on what needed to be completed so that I can pass the class and test.

Great! Even For Those Not Into the A.C. Series.

This is the 1st of a few aRPGs in the A.C. series, so its where it all started in the RPG department. Now, I'm not a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed series, or a fan at all, for that matter, but seeing as this was the 1st RPG in the A.C. series, it got me curious to check it out, so I'm glad I followed my gut & grabbed this.Even for those not into the overly milked A.C. series, this (Origins), Odyssey, & Valhalla are the trilogy (so far) of the open world aRPGs of the series, & you may want to tamper with them all.

One of the Good Ones

I shouldn't enjoy this series, but I do. It's pumped out nearly every year, and almost all of them are the same. But with that said, sailing the seas in Black Flag and meeting the figures of the Italian Renaissance are some of my favorite moments in gaming, and I keep coming back to this series hoping for that same feeling.After the dull Unity and overrated Syndicate, I wasn't expecting anything out of this one. I didn't care much for the setting either--I knew Cleopatra and Ptolemy, but what other historical figures really mattered during this time period? Well, maybe it's because absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I love this game.The combat has seen a much needed overhaul, and it can actually get tricky at times. The setting is breathtaking as usual, ... MoreI shouldn't enjoy this series, but I do. It's pumped out nearly every year, and almost all of them are the same. But with that said, sailing the seas in Black Flag and meeting the figures of the Italian Renaissance are some of my favorite moments in gaming, and I keep coming back to this series hoping for that same feeling.After the dull Unity and overrated Syndicate, I wasn't expecting anything out of this one. I didn't care much for the setting either--I knew Cleopatra and Ptolemy, but what other historical figures really mattered during this time period? Well, maybe it's because absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I love this game.The combat has seen a much needed overhaul, and it can actually get tricky at times. The setting is breathtaking as usual, and I want to know who at Ubisoft programs water effects because they are the best in the business. The story...eh, it's alright, but this series isn't really much more than an excuse to go on a history tour. Sidequests aren't much to write home about as they're usually either fetch quests or outpost infiltrations but they fill the gaps well enough.The main complaints I have are two things: holding the up button to "sense" treasure, and Layla Hassan. The treasure sense is annoying because guess what? You're gonna press that every five steps to make sure you get every treasure. Why didn't Ubisoft just highlight treasures instead of adding this annoying process on top? Either hide all treasures, or highlight all treasures, don't give us the in-between. Second, Layla Hassan is the most unlikeable person ever. She isn't tough, she's mean, arrogant and entitled. If a male character acted like her, I would hate them just as much. Everything in her backstory makes her out to be spoiled and obnoxious, but we're somehow supposed to identify with this awful person. Maybe it's a generational thing. Between the bland Desmond and the unlikeable Layla, I'll take Desmond. Unfortunately I'll have to continue seeing Layla's story unfold as I play Kassandra in the upcoming Odyssey.So to sum up, annoying modern character and minor gameplay annoyance aside, if you're a fan of the series, I would definitely recommend this game.

PERFECT!

I've been playing the Assassins Creed series from the beginning, only having missed the "Rogue" entry being on last gen systems. Up until this point Revelations and Black Flag had been my favorite installments with fantastic storytelling and intriguing gameplay mechanics.When I booted up Origins, the first reaction I had was wow there is a overwhelming amount to do in this game. The sprawling map has been separated into different "provinces" that all have an RPG like character level suggestion. It allows the player to choose their own direction along with a great risk/reward aspect in adventuring to secret tombs, hidden animal lairs and taking on enemies that are a higher level than you.So far after about 16 hours in the story has felt like a slow drip of ... MoreI've been playing the Assassins Creed series from the beginning, only having missed the "Rogue" entry being on last gen systems. Up until this point Revelations and Black Flag had been my favorite installments with fantastic storytelling and intriguing gameplay mechanics.When I booted up Origins, the first reaction I had was wow there is a overwhelming amount to do in this game. The sprawling map has been separated into different "provinces" that all have an RPG like character level suggestion. It allows the player to choose their own direction along with a great risk/reward aspect in adventuring to secret tombs, hidden animal lairs and taking on enemies that are a higher level than you.So far after about 16 hours in the story has felt like a slow drip of information getting you to care more about the characters (main story and side quests) then the overarching narrative. I look forward to seeing where they take the present day storyline at the later stages of the game.As with some previous Assassins Creed games I've seen lots of comments and reviews mentioning bugs and glitches. Thankfully I've been fortunate, playing on my PS4 Pro, and haven't had any game breaking bugs, or crashes. The largest extent has been some slow-down and frame rate hiccups during cutscenes. Gameplay itself has been smooth and excellent.The heavier elements of RPG and Loot based gear has been an absolute joy for me being a big fan of the Borderlands and Destiny franchises. Now granted, the loot in this game isn't on the same level as those mentioned, but hopefully it's a reward system they decide to continue with in future games. Also the expansive skill tree has been a delight, really allowing you to tailor Bayek into the style of assassin you enjoy playing as. Seeing an enemy Fort and being able to tackle it any way you want with your diverse skill-set has never felt better in the series.Lastly the new combat system. It's slower, more brutal and definitely more "janky" then it has been in previous games, but I've actually appreciated the change. It makes fighting certain enemies and "bosses" feel more like a Dark Souls game then a "QTE" choreographed dance from this action genre. After a few hours once you start to get the hang of the different weapon classes and new abilities, you'll enjoy taking down each Phylake bounty hunter you encounter.At the end of the day if you haven't been a fan of the Assassins Creed franchise in the past, this might actually be the best one to dip your toe in and try. There are certainly better true RPG's on the market right now but Ubisoft has done an amazing job taking great pieces from multiple genres and creating a wholly unique and engaging open world game. The setting, characters, side quests and atmosphere are all top notch, and I'll be spending hours upon hours in this virtual desert for the foreseeable future.

Ubisoft absolutely redeemed themselves with this

I normally don't write reviews, but I had to for this game.I have been waiting for an open world Egyptian game for quite awhile. I was a huge Prince of Persia fan back in the day, before it became a terrible series. AC games have been getting stale, there's no doubting that. Ubisoft decided to take a year off on the series to focus on the direction for Origins, which paid off. There are three (technically more) main studios for the AC series, these are the guys who developed Black Flag, my second favorite AC title (Origins is my first now).Having said that, they revamped the entire combat system for the better, introducing lock on mechanics, light/heavy combos which turned the game into a blast to play. Before, the series had a pretty tacked on combat system, it ... MoreI normally don't write reviews, but I had to for this game.I have been waiting for an open world Egyptian game for quite awhile. I was a huge Prince of Persia fan back in the day, before it became a terrible series. AC games have been getting stale, there's no doubting that. Ubisoft decided to take a year off on the series to focus on the direction for Origins, which paid off. There are three (technically more) main studios for the AC series, these are the guys who developed Black Flag, my second favorite AC title (Origins is my first now).Having said that, they revamped the entire combat system for the better, introducing lock on mechanics, light/heavy combos which turned the game into a blast to play. Before, the series had a pretty tacked on combat system, it wasn't bad but it needed some enhancements that really never came year after year.The progression is different, now there is levels, attributes (skill tree), GOOD RPG elements - but in small doses and "loot", which is give or take. It feels nice, it makes you really concentrate on Bayek (main character). The main quest is a little "meh", but it's still fun. Without spoiling, there's just too many people involved in the main quest, you can't keep up. But it's fun taking down the different "gods", and watching the cutscenes after you kill them. The SIDE quests are outstanding. It looks like someone took notes from Witcher 3, making side quests just as fun as the main quest lines.And now for my favorite part, the exploration and graphics. I absolutely love this theme and setting. Ubisoft knocked it out of the park. The map is just MASSIVE, it's the biggest AC game to date. You don't feel empty either, as there is tons of things to do scattered around the world. The graphics, the setting, the history, the design, etc. is all almost perfect. I am playing on a PS4 Slim, with HDR enabled on a 4K TV, and it looks pretty good. HDR does a great job with the sunsets, fires from sources, the greenery, etc. but you can definitely tell they took a slight downgrade in graphical textures to make this game as big as it is.But this is an EASY 5/5 from me. From the recent disaster issues with microtransactions littered in NBA 2K, Middle Earth, EA games, etc., Origins provides SO much content in the $60 you spend, and actually make a complete game.