Unveiling the Epic Evolution: How Assassin's Creed Origins Revolutionized AC Odyssey and Conquered Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Origins marked a significant departure from the traditional formula of the franchise, introducing ambitious changes that aimed to redefine its essence. By emphasizing open-world RPG elements, Ubisoft took a bold risk that would profoundly influence future installments within the series.

Set in ancient Egypt, Assassin's Creed Origins delved deep into the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood, shedding light on the formation and evolution of its precursor group, known as the Hidden Ones. While the shift in gameplay was met with mixed reviews from fans, the lasting impact of Origins on the development of AC Odyssey and Valhalla cannot be overstated.

The RPG Formula of Assassin's Creed Origins

Released in 2017, Assassin's Creed Origins showcased significant differences in gameplay compared to its predecessor, AC Syndicate, which was released just two years prior. Instead of focusing on the traditional close-quarter stealth sequences that the AC franchise was known for, Origins took a different approach by immersing players in a vast open-world depiction of Egypt during the Ptolemaic era.

The scale of Origins' map is an astonishing 21 times larger than Syndicate's, and this unprecedented increase in size greatly impacted the gameplay experience. With a wide array of locations to explore, the game cleverly incorporated several RPG elements to enrich its expanded gameplay. For instance, Origins introduced a skill tree and a dedicated leveling system, allowing players to customize their playstyle and adopt various approaches.

Origins' RPG Influence on AC Odyssey and Valhalla

Moreover, the game revolutionized the genre by introducing a groundbreaking crafting system and gear customization that adapts to the player's combat level, significantly enhancing the overall gaming experience. Despite receiving mixed reactions from players, these innovative mechanics laid the groundwork for a highly intricate RPG system that came to define both Assassin's Creed Odyssey and the subsequent Valhalla.

The 2018 release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey continued the franchise's fresh RPG approach and transported players to the captivating era of Ancient Greece. With a map comparable in scale to Origins, Odyssey amplified the RPG components from its predecessor, resulting in a significantly more intricate and immersive gameplay experience.

From the get-go, Odyssey offers players the option to select between two distinct protagonists: Alexios or Kassandra. This decision grants players a significant level of control over the narrative, as relationships between characters and the main storylines are directly impacted by their choices. The game boasts various romance opportunities, and players can choose to navigate certain situations through deception or direct combat. Notably, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the first installment in the franchise to feature multiple endings, with its RPG enhancements primarily focused on the freedom of storytelling.

Released in 2020, Assassin's Creed Valhalla follows suit by allowing players to choose their protagonist during the Viking era, mirroring the protagonist choice from Odyssey. Valhalla also maintains the narrative choices from Odyssey but introduces an additional feature that allows players to level up specific speech characteristics to unlock different dialogue approaches. The game incorporates all the RPG elements from Origins while embracing mythological battles inspired by Anglo-Saxon England.

Valhalla's core story elements and DLC offer players the opportunity to step into the shoes of Odin and experience the gripping tales of Ragnarok, skillfully intertwined with the rich lore of the Assassin's Creed universe. This represents the pinnacle of AC's RPG elements, as the upcoming AC Red is said to be the final RPG installment for the franchise. The RPG elements introduced in Origins have had an enduring and remarkable influence on both Odyssey and Valhalla.

Grab your copy of Assassin's Creed: Origins on Amazon Luna, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S today.