For those of you that are new to the website, I’ve spent 2018 ranking games for my “best of” end of the year ranking. With every review, the ranking is subject to change. What may end up being my “game of the year” today, could easily change with the next review. Something else that’s important to note is that I try and write my reviews a little differently. With every game, I try and find a way to write an article in a creative way that mirrors the actual game. Some games are easier than others so when reading these, be gentle with the criticism. I’m trying my best. Either way though, whether it’s a trainwreck or something you end up enjoying, I just hope you have fun reading it.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the latest entry in the AC franchise but this time with even more of an RPG twist, and as someone that use to pick up every entry into the franchise until every new entry felt stale and too similar to differentiate itself from previous titles, this new direction that the series has taken since last year’s entry Assassin’s Creed Origins, is a well-needed breath of fresh air.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, a Ubisoft published title… speaking of which, Ubisoft, a French company that was founded in 1986, has been responsible for many beloved titles such as Far Cry, Ray-Man, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon. Tom Clancy, for those that are unaware, was a famous author who’s book were responsible for inspiring films like Patriot Game and Clear and Present Danger, two movies both starring Harrison Ford.

Harrison Ford is, of course, an incredibly famous actor who is most known for his roles as Indiana Jones and Han Solo. What many might not know about Han Solo is that another famous actor auditioned for the role: Kurt Russel. Russel, who would go on to become a great actor himself, would star in the 90’s action science fiction film Star Gate which was set in Egypt, the exact same place where Assassin’s Creed Origins was set. The setting isn’t where the similarities end though. In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the combat sequences are unbelievably fun and just like the breathtaking action moments in Star Gate, I’m perfectly fine with repeating them over and over and over again.

Whether it be giant battles that place your character right in the middle doing your best to sway the fight one way or another, or perhaps a band of mercenaries has tracked you down and now you find yourself involved in a one on many battle to the death, the combat in AC Odyssey really is what carries this game to an enjoyable level.

As for the RPG elements of the game, while I can’t compare them to Assassin’s Creed Origins, what I can compare it to is Mass Effect. Mass Effect for those of you that may or may not know is a franchise comprised of three fun titles: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect Andromeda. It’s a series filled with memorable character interactions, an in-depth leveling up system that allowed players to have unique experiences and sex… there’s a lot of sex. Whether you were having a conversation with another character in hopes of getting them in bed or the end goal was to start a lifelong friendship, the many dialogue-heavy moments of Mass Effect are what keeps the franchise so near and dear to people’s hearts.

As for Odyssey, there’s a lot of sex. Like Boogie Nights levels of sex. The problem is though, there really isn’t much more after that in the way of character development. Like a sailor visiting the nearest port, I would have sex with a random person and then either never see them again or invite them to work on my ship… where they would just stay… and never talk to me again. You know, like real life.

Life, a board game made by the company Hasbro. Hasbro, for those of you unaware, owns many properties such as G.I. Joe and Transformers and one of the things that made those two properties so memorable were their villains. Villains are something that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has a lot of, but are they memorable? Well, they would be if you weren’t constantly killing them off after every other mission. Before finally walking away from Odyssey, I played well over 30 hours and I must have watched this game stop and start with a new villain 3 times. Every time the game would introduce someone, a few hours later DEAD. It felt like the game was in a constant state of stop and start. No matter how much momentum it would pick up, in just a few short hours it would have to start all over again.

Final Thoughts:

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the equivalent of a bad meal dipped in a sauce that constantly makes you say, “if I use enough, I’ll be able to ignore how it’s supposed to taste.” Unfortunately, this is a game that is too aimless for its own good. I often found myself doing everything I could to skip through major story moments just so that I could get back into the flow of combat. And its a mixture of the combat and the beautiful setting that has made it possible for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to not only make my top 10 list but also keep me interested in the series next entry. With just a few minor tweaks to how the game handles it’s RPG and story elements, Ubisoft will easily be on the verge of giving fans a great game.

Final Score: 8 (No Ragrets)