The Odyssey is Complete!

It turns out that I was much closer to finishing Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey than I originally thought.  I just barely finished the main storyline and after 143 hours of play, it's finally time to write up my review.  Odyssey was my first foray into the long-running Assassin's Creed franchise and it has more than piqued my interest in the series (in fact, I just purchased two other AC games on the Steam Autumn sale).  I had largely ignored the series as a console staple that couldn't possibly be good.  I think my 2018 year in gaming would be called "you're wrong and need to stop believing in game stereotypes."  I had an absolute blast playing Odyssey!

Since Odyssey is my first AC game, I have no basis for comparing it to any of the past games in the series.  My review is going to be solely based on my experiences, so if you're hoping for some sort of in-depth comparison to other games in the series...sorry to disappoint.  I have only a slight idea about new features and my only understanding about the series and/or backstory comes from the few things I had read about it prior to picking it up (which was very few).  Several articles have mentioned that Origins and Odyssey seem to have marked a change in the series to make them more RPG-like than previous games.

And, just as an FYI, I did receive Odyssey free as part of a promotion that came with my new graphics card.  This did not sway my opinion in any way (but daaamn if it wasn't the best of the three free games I received!).  The downside of this free offer was that I had to activate it on Uplay (Ubisoft's store/platform) rather than on Steam.

To give you a general idea of my first playthrough and the experience I am basing my review from--I am a completionist to the nth degree--if it can be completed, I will complete it (it might take for-freaking-ever, but it will get done!).  I made it my goal to explore all the locations on the map, to complete all the locations (which I did with mixed success), to complete all marked sidequests, to finish all the major sidetasks (mercenary rankings, cultist hunting, ainigmata ostraka solving, arena fights).  All of this, plus the main storyline, clocked in at 143 hours for me (knowing how the main storyline progresses, I could do it faster now--I repeated many locations).  I feel like I have a good feeling for the game as a whole.

Pros:

Athens is magnificent.

1.) Big, beautiful ancient Greek world.  From the minute I stepped into the game I was completely blown away by the detail and beauty of the world.  Whether you're adventuring in the majesty of the city of Athens or riding through a simple village, it feels absolutely amazing.  The game definitely banks on this fact and all fast travel locations are conveniently located atop breathtaking vistas that are meant to make you stop and take it all in.  You can't help but be impressed.

Kassandra is a great character.

 2.) Kassandra!  I am absolutely in love with Kassandra as the female protagonist.  She's tough, smart, beautiful and extremely well acted (she's my second favorite character next to FemShep from Mass Effect).  As a female gamer, she's exactly the type of character who I want to play and I appreciated the fact that she wasn't overly feminized or sexualized--she's muscular and looks and acts like the brash mercenary that she is.  Even with all this toughness there were still moments where you got to see her softer side--her interactions with kids are great and she does have some emotional moments that are tied to the story.  Usually when I re-play a game I use my second time as a chance to play as the character I didn't choose--I don't know if I can do it with Odyssey...Kassandra is amazing.

3.) Tasks, tasks, and more tasks!  Yes, the world is huge, but there are so many different options for you to choose how you spend your time in the game.  Here is a list to give you an idea:
   --exploration/completing locations
   --conquering regions/conquest battles
   --gathering materials to upgrade your ship, the Adrestia.
   --hunting down unique ships (which can drop unique sail designs, figureheads, or crew designs)
   --completing mission board assignments for cash/orichalcum
   --marked sidequests
   --hunting down cultists
   --competing in arena fights
   --gaining ranks on the mercenary chart
   --hunting down legendary animals
   --finding and solving ainigmata ostraka riddles
   --searching for all the legendary Greek Hero items
   --main storyline missions

Yes, you're going to be busy for a long time.

4.) Talent trees that support several different playstyles.  The hunter tree offers archery-related talents that provide maximal sniping abilities.  The warrior tree leans toward a directly confrontational playstyle and has abilities that range from flaming weapons to coordinated, overpowering melee attacks.  The assassin tree is perfect for players who prefer a stealthier approach.  All three trees can be mixed and matched to provide the abilities you want (and, some you don't).

5.) Armor sets upon armor sets.  Since I was madly completionist I collected the bulk of the sets from the main game.  Each set is uniquely detailed and has an aesthetic that matches the playstyle associated with the matching stats.  Armor sets that favor warrior stats look more heavily armored while the assassin sets are hooded and are made out of lighter materials.  There are so many sets that you can find one that is a good match for whatever unique blend of talents you've chosen.  I went assassin heavy with an emphasis on poison damage and stuck with the Venom set for much of the game.  Epic pieces aren't part of a set, but can also provide a very unique look for your character.

The Adrestia can be personalized with a number of options.

6.) Your ship, the Adrestia.  It's your home base, and it's also a powerful tool for naval warfare.  There are many options for personalization that can be unlocked through exploration or completing specific missions/tasks.  Investing resources in improving your ship also changes the way that it looks.  You can also recruit unique lieutenants who provide special combat boosts.  Another fun feature is the ability to personalize your crew--there are a wide range of male and female crews to find and unlock.  I really liked the fact that you could choose between male and female crews.  My crew of Daughters of Artemis made for fearsome sailors.  I loved the fact that my lady pirates dominated the sea.

7.) Parkour!  I'm pretty sure this is a staple of the series, but I enjoyed the fact that Kassandra could climb (and jump off of) almost anything.  Figuring out the best place to balance and plan an assassination was enjoyable.

8.) Conquest battles.  These battles feel epic.  There's an entire battlefield crawling with enemies and it's your job to help turn the tide.  I don't know that I've played another game that has given me that feeling of being in the middle of a pitched battle.  I also enjoyed the fact that some battles are naval battles--it gives players some variety.

9.) Choices.  There are many major dialogue options where you can choose how to proceed.  You don't have to kill everyone and can opt for something more diplomatic.  It appeared that those choices did have some effect on the story outcome (I can't say exactly to what extent though).

Photo mode lets you capture the beauty of ancient Greece.

10.) Photo mode.  I loved the fact that Odyssey included a built-in photo mode.   Personally, I enjoy taking screenshots and trying to capture the beauty in games.  Photo mode is easy to use, allows you to manipulate the camera to the desired angle, and includes a number of tools help make your images look exactly how you want them to.  (I wish that The Witcher 3 had a photo mode like the one in Odyssey)

11.) Historical fantasy.  As a history nerd, it was fun to see some of the major figures from ancient Greece as characters in a video game.  Is Odyssey an accurate representation of ancient Greece?  Definitely not; but it is a lot of fun!  I liked the fact that they included locations of historical significance and that players could choose to read about those locations on the map.  It was really awesome to see an imagined version of the Statue of Zeus at Olympia or the Parthenon in Athens.

12.) Humorous moments.  The main storyline is very serious, but there are some side quests that include lighter moments.  Arguing about philosophy with Sokrates (Kassandra's eyerolls are freakin' priceless--amazing animation), escorting the Spartan prizefighter Testikles to the Olympics, and generally any hi-jinx featuring Alkibiades (and his sexual innuendos).  Those moments of levity are a nice change of pace.

13.) About half of the main storyline (I will get to the other half).  I am going to try to avoid spoilers, but I genuinely enjoyed the part of the story that was about Kassandra and her family.  There were a lot of highly emotional moments that were well-written and it was a joy to see it all come together.

14.) Mythical creature fights.  As part of the main storyline you must find and defeat several creatures from Greek mythology.  These fights are boss battles and are definitely much more difficult than facing off against another mercenary or elite enemy.  I loved the way the creatures looked (the Sphinx is so cool!) and fighting and defeating them feels like a true accomplishment.

Cons:
1.) How big is too big? (let your inner twelve-year old laugh at this statement....)  The world is huge, but I can't help but think that it's too big.  The map is littered with locations and each one has a set of tasks to accomplish.  It's all too easy to get swept up in the checklist game, but how meaningful are those tasks?  Sure, you could argue that completing them does have a direct tie to nation power, but in the end, how meaningful is the entire concept of which nation rules an area?  In reality, it's not important at all (unless it's one of the main storyline areas).  Odyssey definitely suffers from what I like to call "open-world bloat."  It's a common affliction in many modern, open-world RPG's where developers feel the need to wow gamers with the size and scope of their creation.  I loved the beauty of the game, but I did find that the exploration and completion aspect got tedious.  There are a bajillion military bases and they seem to have the same three-ish designs.

2.) A side consequence of open-world bloat is that the story winds up getting buried.  I'm having a hard time recalling parts of the main storyline because it took place 100+ hours ago!  I think this is where so many open-world games suffer--the story gets lost behind the world itself.  I wish there were more storylines built in to each area as opposed to more places to explore.  Maybe this is a personal preference, but I think story is so much more engaging than exploring your 900th cave.

3.) There's a relationship aspect to the game that I felt mixed about.  Certain characters offer the dialogue option to flirt and I didn't think (in most cases) that there was much point to it--other than providing a cutscene of some nice video game smooching (it's not awkward and well animated, so that's a plus).  There are many female characters to flirt with and not many male options.  These relationships have virtually no consequences (there are a few that have their own story and those are the highlight).  It's my hope that this feature gets fleshed out more--it could provide some relief from open-world bloat.  (I did not get to make out with Brasidas, which was my goal)

4.) Conquest.  I was really thinking that there would be some major tie-in with the main story and the fact that you can fight to change the ruling nation in each area.  Well, SPOILERS, there's not (for the most part, anyway).  The main point seems to be that you can earn some drachmae and a few pieces of epic armor.  Conquest battles are epic, but like exploration, they get tedious after awhile.  Besides getting paid, there's also really no point in completing them.

5.) The backstory that's part of the main storyline.  Maybe it's the fact that I haven't played the entire series, but it made little sense and felt like a distraction.  I really didn't care about whatever modern mumbo-jumbo that was going on--I cared about Kassandra and her story.  I guess they included it to show the link between the games, but I mostly wanted to get past it.  I was also really confused when I finished part of the story and it felt like the end (but it wasn't).

6.) Cultists.  I enjoyed the concept of hunting down cultists and trying to figure out who they were, but I was frustrated by the fact that several times I accidentally killed cultists.  I wish that hunting them down felt more satisfactory and that it was impossible to stumble across them unless they had been revealed.  I also felt like I knew who the central cultist was from very early on in the story.  It wasn't much of a surprise when they were unmasked at the end of the game.

7.) Talent points.  If you are a completionist it's possible that you can earn and discover (through locating stele in tombs) a plethora of talent points.  By the end of my playthrough I had taken every single talent in the assassin tree (maxed out), about 3/4 of the warrior talents, and about 1/3 of the hunter talents.  The reality is that I could only map 8 melee abilities at a time.  This meant that many of my talent points were mostly useless (you can swap out abilities).  Swapping between both melee bars also felt kind of awkward (definitely something that's meant for a controller).

Odyssey isn't perfect, but it is a lot of fun.  I enjoyed it so much that I've become an almost overnight fan of Assassin's Creed.  I think it would be better if the world was trimmed down and more story was injected as opposed to just the sheer number of locations.  It's a beautiful world and I adore Kassandra as a character.  I keep reading that singleplayer RPG's are in their death throes but games like Odyssey give me hope that the genre still has some life left.

It's true....I love stabbing people.

I would recommend Odyssey to a wide variety of gamers--those looking for a strong, awesome female protagonist; those who want a huge, beautiful world to explore; or those who just want to stab a whole bunch of people in a video game.  There's something for everyone.