Is Odyssey the Best Assassin’s Creed? A Deep Dive
Whether Assassin’s Creed Odyssey reigns supreme within the franchise is a complex question, and the answer ultimately depends on individual player preferences. While some consider it the best Assassin’s Creed game due to its sprawling open world, engaging combat, deep RPG elements, and compelling protagonist (especially Kassandra, the canon protagonist), others prioritize the more traditional stealth and social aspects of earlier titles. Odyssey’s departure from the core tenets of the franchise is both its strength and its weakness. It delivers a massive and visually stunning experience, but it also moves further away from the original Assassin vs. Templar conflict, which could disappoint some longtime fans. Whether it’s “the best” is subjective, but it undoubtedly stands as a unique and ambitious entry in the series.
The Allure of Ancient Greece
A World Unlike Any Other
One of Odyssey’s greatest strengths is its captivating setting. The ancient Greek world, with its stunning islands, bustling cities, and iconic landmarks, is brought to life with breathtaking detail. Exploring the world is half the fun, as you’ll encounter mythological creatures, engage in naval combat, and uncover hidden secrets. The sheer scale of the map is impressive, surpassing even Valhalla in pure landmass, although the map of Valhalla might feel bigger due to its denser content and combined areas.
Embracing the RPG Elements
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey fully embraces its RPG elements. Players have meaningful choices that impact the story, allowing them to forge their own path. The dialogue system, branching storylines, and character customization options add depth and replayability. The combat system is also a significant departure from previous titles, offering a more action-oriented experience with special abilities and varied weapon types. Many praise Odyssey’s combat system for being superior to Origins due to the locking on to targets and the more fluid movement.
A Hero Worth Rooting For: Kassandra
The choice between playing as Kassandra or Alexios is crucial. While both characters are well-acted, Kassandra is widely considered the superior and canon choice. Her voice acting and overall portrayal of the character are more compelling, making her a more engaging and relatable protagonist. Alexios can often come across as less nuanced, making Kassandra the generally prefered pick by fans.
Contrasting with Other Assassin’s Creed Titles
Traditional Stealth vs. Action RPG
Odyssey represents a significant shift from the traditional Assassin’s Creed formula. Earlier games focused heavily on stealth, social blending, and parkour. While these elements are still present in Odyssey, they take a backseat to combat and exploration. This change has divided the fanbase, with some embracing the new direction and others yearning for the series’ roots.
Origins: A Stepping Stone
Assassin’s Creed Origins is often seen as a stepping stone towards Odyssey’s RPG focus. It introduced many of the gameplay mechanics that would later be refined in Odyssey, such as the loot system, skill tree, and quest structure. While Origins is a solid game, many players prefer Odyssey for its more polished combat, more interesting world, and deeper RPG elements.
Valhalla: A Worthy Successor?
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla builds upon the foundation laid by Odyssey. While both games share similar RPG elements and open-world design, Valhalla focuses more on Viking culture and settlement building. Performance-wise, the two games are largely similar, with each excelling in different areas. Recent data also shows that Valhalla outsold Odyssey by a massive 50%. Valhalla is also bigger but slightly different. Odyssey may have a larger map than Valhalla, but Valhalla is denser with content, making them very similar in size.
A Game Teeming with Content
Odyssey is renowned for its sheer amount of content. Completing the main story and side quests can easily take 55-60 hours, and achieving 100% completion can take over 140 hours. This abundance of content can be both a blessing and a curse. Some players appreciate the vastness of the world and the endless opportunities for exploration, while others find it overwhelming and repetitive.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: A Unique Identity
In conclusion, whether Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the “best” is subjective. It’s a bold departure from the series’ roots, embracing RPG elements and open-world exploration. However, its captivating setting, engaging combat, and compelling protagonist make it a truly memorable experience.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey good in 2024?
Yes! Assassin’s Creed Odyssey remains a fantastic game in 2024. Its engaging story, beautiful open world, and fun combat hold up exceptionally well. The graphics still look great, and the sheer amount of content will keep you entertained for hours.
2. Is Valhalla better than Odyssey?
It depends on your preference. Valhalla is a worthy successor, but doesn’t necessarily outclass Odyssey. Valhalla has a stronger focus on Viking culture and settlement building, while Odyssey excels in its Greek setting and more engaging combat.
3. Is Assassin’s Creed Origins or Odyssey better?
Odyssey is generally considered better than Origins by many players. The combat is more refined, the world is more varied and interesting, and the RPG elements are more fleshed out.
4. Why is AC Odyssey so popular?
People love AC Odyssey for its compelling story, engaging combat, stunning open world, and deep RPG elements. The ability to choose your own path and the captivating setting of ancient Greece are also major draws.
5. Is Kassandra or Alexios the better character in AC Odyssey?
Kassandra is widely considered the better character and the canon protagonist due to her superior voice acting and portrayal.
6. Which Assassin’s Creed game is most similar to Odyssey?
Assassin’s Creed Origins is the most similar game to Odyssey. It introduces many of the gameplay mechanics and RPG elements that are further refined in Odyssey.
7. How long does it take to beat Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
It takes about 55-60 hours to complete the main story and side content. 100% completion can take upwards of 140 hours.
8. Which Assassin’s Creed Odyssey character is stronger?
In terms of lore and narrative significance, Kassandra is arguably the stronger character, as she is the canon protagonist.
9. Is Odyssey or Valhalla a bigger game?
While measurements state Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has been calculated to be the largest map of the franchise, Valhalla feels bigger to some due to denser content. The difference is in how the space is filled.
10. Is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey hard?
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey can be challenging, especially on higher difficulty settings. Mastering the combat system and utilizing your abilities effectively are crucial for survival.
11. Are there assassins in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
While the game is called Assassin’s Creed, Assassins (as we know them) aren’t really in the story of Odyssey in a traditional sense, but you do have proto-assassins.
12. Who is the strongest character in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
Narratively, Kassandra is the strongest character because she is the canon Eagle Bearer.
13. What is the most powerful set in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?
The Demigod set is the best legendary set offering a damage increase. This armor set can only be acquired at the end of the game.
14. Why is Kassandra in Valhalla?
Kassandra is designated as the canon Eagle Bearer, appearing as such in Odyssey’s novelization and later reconfirmed in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. She appears as a guest character as part of a bonus questline added after the game’s release.
15. What is the longest Assassin’s Creed game?
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the longest Assassin’s Creed game, with an average completion time of around 60 hours for the main story.