The three most recent Assassin’s Creed games have taken the series in a bold new direction. A change of focus towards RPG elements gave the player choices to make across the “ancient” trilogy, with each title featuring branching storylines and several different possibilities for each playthrough. Although some purist Assassin’s Creed fans were unsure of this new direction, the games retained enough of the original magic to be generally well-received.
In reality, Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla are each good games, but they are quite different from one another. Although they have a continuous story in the modern day, variations in setting, characters and quests within the Animus make for gaps in quality in a series where the narrative is particularly critical to their success. Each has a significant number of features and secrets to explore, with it not uncommon to rack up hundreds of hours per game. Pitting these games against one another as technological achievements is challenging, but Odyssey stands alone at its peak.
Kassandra Is an Incredible Protagonist
Odyssey has a lot to brag about, but it’s the game’s female protagonist, Kassandra, that carries it to new heights. Despite protestations from some executives at Ubisoft, she is more nuanced than her male equivalent Alexios, offering an emotional connection through the very believable relationships she forges across ancient Greece. From Barnabas to Phoibe to Brasidas, everyone feels important. Of course, this is possible with her male counterpart Alexios, but those interactions don’t have the same impact.
Bayek is an excellent character in his own right, but a weaker supporting cast makes Origins‘ individual story threads less engaging. The use of extremely well-known historical figures in Odyssey also helps to make the player feel like they are taking part in ancient society. Valhalla‘s Eivor is arguably the weakest of the protagonists in the trilogy, lacking character depth compared with the other two. It should also be said that Kassandra is the lore-friendly, canonical option here, and she comes across as such.
Ancient Greece Is a Uniquely Suitable Setting
Although there were some criticisms of Odyssey‘s open world for being too vast, it is one of the most incredible settings in the series. From humble beginnings on Kephallonia to the grandeur of Athens and Sparta, these living societies offer immersion on a scale players had not seen in the franchise to that point. While Origins and Valhalla offer beautiful landscapes, the urban areas are far less memorable and lacking in diverse detail, with the possible exception of Jorvik. The character aesthetic also works really well here, with the mix between warriors and assassins taking unique advantage of traditional Greek armor and weapons.
The historical locations are outstanding across the first two games, with Valhalla again lacking slightly in terms of the impressiveness of its locations. Of course, the pyramids are a particular highlight from Origins, while Odyssey features a vast number of historical sites which all lend themselves to player immersion. The Minoan ruins, which in reality were left after a cataclysmic volcanic eruption, offer a perfect avenue for Kassandra or Alexios to begin their interactions with the Isu in Atlantis.
Tombs of great Greek warriors and kings also dot the landscape, some of which remain today. They all offer traditional “dungeoning” experiences, with treasure, danger and puzzles in equal measure. The addition of mythical creatures in all three titles further blurs the line between historical fact and well-known fantasy.
The Ancient Trilogy Should Still Be Enjoyed as a Whole
Although each of the ancient-set Assassin’s Creed games has its own individual merits and drawbacks, these three games were meant to be enjoyed as a package, particularly in light of the new Crossover Stories that allowed Kassandra and Eivor to interact. Progressing through the modern storyline is one of the better efforts at a contemporary narrative from Ubisoft (behind only Desmond’s story) and learning where the Assassins truly come from feels like a tale a long time in the making. No matter your personal preference, there is something for everyone to enjoy in these games, but in terms of individual design and storytelling, Odyssey exceeds both its predecessor and successor.
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