Assassin’s Creed: Origins review

Kieran dusts off his hidden blades and swan dives into Ancient Egypt for the latest addition for the Assassin’s Creed series.

First impressions of the latest game are positive. You play as Bayek, who is a Medjay, kind of like a cop. His purpose is to protect and serve, and the story revolves around how he becomes the very first assassin and goes on to found the assassin’s order.

The parkour and the sticky assassin that we all know and love is back, with the usual array of massive buildings and breathtaking panoramic views. There have been some updates to the gameplay however, with some things that might make traversal a little bit easier. For example, simply point your horse in a direction and press a button for automatic riding, and if you press the same button while floating in the sea a guy rocks up in a boat to give you a lift. Convenient!

The biggest overall change has been to the combat, which is much more skill-based (and satisfying). No button-mashing here – a little more finesse is required to counter and balance your styles of attack in order to beat down your enemies successfully.

Eagle vision has also literally become eagle vision, with the ability to control an eagle flying overhead and mark out various enemies and points of interest.

There are no gamebreaking bugs as of yet, just some silly little things which provide laughs (horses spawning inside each other, an assassin rotatng on a flagpole). As a whole, the game seems to be a pleasant return for the franchise, and Kieran looks forward to playing some more and seeing what else is in store down the line.