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So much has already been said about Assassin 's Creed Odyssey for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. But here we have all the basics covered on the series' latest entry in one place. We'll run down many of Odyssey 's further features and go through the basics of what you should know before jumping into. Everything from story to fight tips you know you want to dig deeper. Note that there are no major story spoilers in this article.
When And Where Is Odyssey Set?
You are probably aware that Assassin's Creed Odyssey is taking place in Ancient Greece, but it is the subject of Peloponnesian War fought between Athens and Sparta. The game opens with a 300Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BCE, then transitions to the beginning of the hand protagonist's story almost 50 years later in 431 BCE.
If you've followed Odyssey since it was first revealed at E3 2018, then you'll know that you can choose between taking over a female or male lead; Kassandra and Alexios are two sides of the same coin and play exactly the same – the main differences are, of course, the voice acting and character model. Your choice also affects the narrative slightly; whoever you choose to play is made to be older sibling of the two. You come from Spartan lineage, but the game does not force you to align with you when you're trying to uncover the truth of your family's disappearance.
Prominent Greek figures like Socrates and Hippocrates make appearances throughout Odyssey, and you can interact with them as they do so. While historical fiction has always been the foundation of Assassin's Creed lore, it's just afraid to incorporate the supernatural. Odyssey takes a step further by pitting you against mythology itself; one example is a fight against Medusa where you try to avoid getting turned into stone.
Catch Up On Assassin's Creed Lore
This is a long-running franchise, but Odyssey can be a good point to jump into the series. Knowledge of previous events is not necessarily required to enjoy the new game. However, if you need a refresher on the everything that has taken place up to this point, be sure to read our Assassin's Creed story summary.
The History of Assassin's Creed
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How Long Is Odyssey?
It should not be a surprise that Assassin 's Creed Odyssey is huge – Origins. That may not seem as daunting when you consider that the Mediterranean Sea makes up a large portion of the map and that you're spending plenty of time sailing the high seas. Regardless, there's still a great deal of ground to cover Greece's mainland and several islands.
As for game length, it's difficult to get an accurate range since every player will engage in a number of optional quests and activities along the way. Estimates have been around 50 hours to complete the main story and decent chunk of side activities. GameSpot editor Alessandro Fillari spent 60 hours with the game for the purposes of his review.
New to the franchise is Exploration Mode. Guided Mode, Exploration Mode, where to go to complete quests. This means you will have closer pay attention to NPC and more closely.
This is especially true if you want to get started with a hunt down to cultist organization. They are a web of mysterious figures with hidden identities scattered throughout Greece and you'll need to investigate and find them. Sometimes, you'll find yourself in the middle of a mission that they're involved in, but you'll often have to dig them for their research.
Fighting With Style
Odyssey builds off of Origins' combat system, but it introduces some key changes. Shields are no longer an option, which naturally pushes fights towards a faster pace. The game is in the same category (Hunter, Warrior, and Assassin), but it features some neat new abilities. You may think the Spartan Kick is in the game just for kicks and giggles until you realize that it's super effective for booting enemies or cliffs creating space in fights. Another setting-appropriate ability is the Rush Assassination that lets you put the Spear of Leonidas to use during long-distance stealth kills.
In addition to multiple types of melee weapons (such as polearms, swords, and maces), you have a bow that's both useful for long-range attacking and inflicting status effects on enemies. The Arrow Master skill unlocks arrows that can poison, paralyze, or explode on impact, opening up numerous possibilities in combat; combines that with Devastating Shot and your projectiles will be even stronger. The skill tree can be overwhelming at first, but we have a few tips on some good abilities to pick up early and how to use them in clever ways.
Do not worry about min-maxing in the skill tree; you can respec at any time for small cost. This affords you the opportunity to experiment with different approaches and character builds.
Setting Sail In The Mediterranean
With multiple islands scattered across Greece, great attention is placed on sailing and sailing in Odyssey, basically taking care of Black Flag's book. Dams, tossing waves of javelins, or using the naval ram to inflict damage. Once you have an enemy ship's health, you can get better with it. If you board the ship, you'll have to get your hands dirty and fight the opposing crew.
Things I Wish I Knew Assassin's Creed Odyssey
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