During our coverage of E3 2017; I got a chance to get hands on with the latest Assassin’s Creed game. Assassin’s Creed: Origin is set in Egypt and I opened my session by riding a horse through the scenic and stunning landscapes. As I came over a hill into the town, I was greeted by a vast sea filled with ships which really helped the level of immersion in the game.
The action heated up when I encountered a local Priest was beating a young disciple and opted to get involved. I made short work of the guards using my bow and the new combat system had a very smooth and free-flowing style to it which made it easier to find a combat style that best worked for me.
After softening up one target with a few ranged attacks, I was able to finish him off with a few sword strokes.
It was learned that the boy being beaten was blamed for stealing and losing two idols, so, I called in my bird, who gave me an aerial view of the map. I located the first idol on a military ship, and I was soon swimming out to recover it. I had to dispatch two guards in the process but soon I had recovered it and the second one in the deeper part of the sea. The game allowed my character to swim deep under water and use this not only for recovery, but to also sneak up on enemies.
Back on land I successfully completed the mission and opted to try the Arena vs more free roaming. The Area mode puts gamers in a Slave Pit and sends waves of enemies at you until you defeat them and reach the boss. With an enclosed area filled with spinning stick traps laden with sharpened spikes, I had to fight off four enemies per round. The enemies mixed archers, shielded warriors, and large brutes, and using a long handled axe, I had to use a charged attack to disable the shield so I could land fatal hits. Unshielded characters were easier to dispatch as a few well-placed hits more than did the job. The game uses a regenerative health system so hitting and running was my best option. Enemies tended to swarm once you have engaged one, and you can only dodge so much as they will craftily allow one of their ranks to be killed to sneak in an attack when your weapon is deployed in their ally.
The game looks amazing and has a very smooth and responsive control system which should delight fans of the series that are looking for a return to the engrossing story and action for which the series is known for.
