Choosing between Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Origins can be tough for fans of historical open-world games. Both offer unique experiences in stunning settings. Let’s break down their key differences to help you decide.
Ancient Adventures: A Comparison
Setting and Story
- Odyssey: Ancient Greece (431-404 BC) during the Peloponnesian War. You play as a mercenary, Alexios or Kassandra, descendant of Spartan King Leonidas I.
- Origins: Ancient Egypt (49-43 BC) during the reign of Cleopatra. You play as Bayek, a Medjay (protector of Egypt), seeking revenge and uncovering the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood.
Gameplay
Both games feature open-world exploration, stealth, combat, and RPG elements, but with some distinctions:
- Combat: Odyssey introduces special abilities and a more dynamic combat system. Origins has a more grounded and strategic combat system.
- RPG Elements: Odyssey has deeper RPG mechanics, including dialogue choices, romance options, and branching storylines. Origins has RPG elements but to a lesser extent.
- Naval Combat: Odyssey features extensive naval exploration and combat with customizable ships. Origins has less emphasis on naval gameplay.
World and Exploration
- World Size: Odyssey’s world is larger and more diverse, with numerous islands and varied landscapes. Origins has a vast and detailed world but is geographically more focused on Egypt.
- Exploration: Both games offer historical landmarks, hidden tombs, and underwater exploration. Odyssey includes mythical creatures and quests inspired by Greek mythology.
Key Differences Summarized
| Feature | Odyssey | Origins |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Ancient Greece | Ancient Egypt |
| Protagonist | Alexios/Kassandra | Bayek |
| Combat | Dynamic, ability-based | Grounded, strategic |
| RPG Elements | Deeper, more choices | Lighter |
| Naval Combat | Extensive | Limited |
| World Size | Larger, more diverse | Slightly smaller, focused |
| Exploration | Historical and mythical | Primarily historical |
Which Game is Right for You?
- Choose Odyssey if: You prefer deeper RPG elements, naval combat, a larger world, and a focus on character customization and choice.
- Choose Origins if: You prefer a more grounded and historical experience, a focus on stealth and strategic combat, and a slightly more focused world.
Both Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Origins offer captivating journeys through ancient history. Your choice depends on your preferred gameplay style and setting.
Graphics and Performance
- Visuals: Both games are visually impressive, with detailed environments and character models. Odyssey might have slightly more vibrant colors and a brighter aesthetic.
- Performance: Optimization can vary depending on your PC or console. Both games generally run well on modern systems.
By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and embark on an epic adventure in either Ancient Greece or Ancient Egypt.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Origins added open-world RPG elements, but each delivers a unique experience. Here’s how they differ:
Setting and Protagonist
- Origins: Ancient Egypt, where you play as Bayek, a Medjay warrior fighting to protect his people and avenge the death of his son.
- Odyssey: Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War. You choose to play as either Kassandra or Alexios, Spartan mercenaries navigating a complex world of politics and mythology.
Gameplay and Combat
- Origins: More grounded combat system with an emphasis on hitboxes and limited special abilities.
- Odyssey: Expanded combat abilities with a focus on powerful special attacks and a wider range of weapons, inviting more fantastical combat scenarios.
Story and Narrative
- Origins: Personal and emotional narrative about Bayek’s journey of revenge and discovery. Origins provides a deeper look at the foundation of the Assassin’s Brotherhood.
- Odyssey: Sweeping, epic narrative that involves the player in large-scale conflicts and introduces them to famous historical figures. Choices play a more significant role in the story’s direction.
World Design
- Origins: Diverse Egyptian landscapes with a strong sense of realism, depicting the wonders of ancient civilizations and the harsh realities of desert life.
- Odyssey: Vibrant and visually stunning Greek islands, offering a mix of natural beauty, historical landmarks, and mythical locations
Features and Mechanics
| Feature | Origins | Odyssey |
|---|---|---|
| Naval Combat | Limited | Central gameplay mechanic, with extensive ship battles, and customization. |
| RPG Elements | Skill tree and loot system present. | More pronounced RPG elements with deeper skill trees, gear systems, and dialogue choices. |
| Side Quests | Varied and often tie into the main story. | Larger quantity, but can feel less impactful. |
| Mercenary System | Absent. | Adds a dynamic element with procedurally generated mercenaries. |
Which is right for you?
If you prefer a more contained story focused on stealth and personal struggle, with a setting grounded in historical accuracy, Origins offers a compelling experience. For those seeking a grander epic with more player agency, fantastical combat, and the lure of seafaring exploration, Odyssey will deliver that adventure.
Comparative Analysis of Odyssey and Origins
Exploring the unique elements of “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey” and “Assassin’s Creed Origins” showcases the evolution of the franchise and highlights their distinctive experiences.
Historical Settings and Their Influence
“Assassin’s Creed Origins” transports players to ancient Egypt, a land of pharaohs and pyramids, providing a playground that closely ties in with the foundation of the Assassin Brotherhood. Engaging with historical figures like Julius Caesar, players witness the blend of myth and history that shapes the narrative. “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey,” on the other hand, is set in ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War, offering a portrayal of Grecian city-states like Athens and Sparta. Interactions with characters such as Socrates deepen the player’s immersion in the era’s culture and philosophies.
Main Characters and Storylines
The main character of “Origins,” Bayek, is a Medjay who stands at the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood with a personal vendetta that unfolds into a larger conspiracy. “Odyssey” features Kassandra or Alexios, siblings and mercenaries, who navigate a more personal journey amidst the broader conflict. The stories in both games intertwine familial dramas with the epic scope of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, emphasizing the individual’s role in the tide of history.
Gameplay Mechanics and Evolution
The transition from “Origins” to “Odyssey” showcases a shift in gameplay mechanics. “Origins” introduced RPG elements to the series, including character leveling and skill trees, which “Odyssey” expanded upon with more pronounced RPG systems like dialogue choices and multiple endings. With the enhancement of naval combat and exploration, “Odyssey” also built on the importance of player choice and diverse playstyles, reinforcing the franchise’s evolution into an open-world RPG experience.
Core Gaming Elements Comparison
Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey redefined RPG elements in the franchise, adding depth to combat, stealth, and quests.
Quest Design and Side Content
Origins and Odyssey transformed the Assassin’s Creed universe with quests that encouraged in-depth exploration and interaction with the open world. Origins introduced a pattern where most quests unfold through conversations and exploration, leaning slightly more on historical accuracy. Odyssey expanded on this with abundant side quests and dialogue options that allowed players to shape their journey through ancient Greece.
Progression and RPG Elements
The progression systems in both games emphasize RPG elements like skill trees, leveling up, and abilities customization. Origins started this shift, offering players a tree where they could unlock new abilities and tailor their gameplay to their preferred playstyle, whether it be stealth or direct combat. Odyssey further developed this system, introducing engravings and a more comprehensive skill tree that offered even more customizability and depth to character development.
Combat System and Stealth Gameplay
When discussing the nitty-gritty of combat, both titles offer distinctly thrilling experiences. Origins favored a more tactical combat approach, where players need to carefully plan their moves, with stealth playing a key role in taking out high-level targets. Odyssey took combat to a new level with more dynamics, including abilities that players could activate to gain the upper hand, such as the Sparta Kick, and a heavier emphasis was placed on open combat and naval battles. Stealth remained a vital part of gameplay, but with more varied assassination tactics due to a wider array of skills.
Each game has its unique approach to core gaming elements, catering to different preferences and enhancing the Assassin’s Creed experience in their own ways.
Technical Aspects and Community Impact
When comparing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Origins, the technical achievements and the effects they’ve had on the gaming community cannot be ignored. Let’s take a closer look.
Visuals, Sound, and Performance
Assassin’s Creed Origins, developed by Ubisoft Montreal, set a high bar with its detailed representation of Ancient Egypt. Its successor, Odyssey, brought advancements created by Ubisoft Quebec. Odyssey expands the aesthetic design with its vibrant portrayal of Ancient Greece, pushing the envelope in environmental complexity and character detail. NPCs and cutscenes in both games reveal significant work in facial animations and voice acting, lending to immersive storytelling.
The sound design played an essential role as well, where both games boast robust soundtracks that capture the essence of their respective historical settings. Performance-wise, both titles showed improvements over previous games in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, with smoother frame rates on various platforms and fewer glitches, enhancing the experience for players.
- Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Quebec have each left a distinct visual and acoustic signature on Origins and Odyssey, respectively.
- The open worlds crafted in both games are a testament to the Assassin’s Creed series’ growth in rendering vast, explorable landscapes.
Reception by Players and Critics
Upon release, both games were praised for their bold directions. Ubisoft’s decision to advance the Assassin’s Creed series into the open world category of role-playing games proved successful. Both games saw strong sales, with players and critics aligning on many points.
- Origins introduced a fresh take on combat mechanics, shifting to a more hitbox-based system, which was well-received for its simplicity and responsiveness.
- Odyssey took this further by integrating dialogue choices and multiple endings, offering a deeper level of engagement with the story and a more personalized experience.
Both entries had their points of criticism as well. Some players longed for a return to the simplicity of earlier entries in the series, while others embraced the new complexity.
- With each title, community discussion—whether on forums or reviews—often touched on the versatility of the horse companions, the utility of the expansive map, and the replay value offered by the wealth of side quests and activities.
- Despite some fans missing the less cluttered approach of earlier games, the transitions into these vast open worlds introduced new benchmarks for the series and influenced the design of later titles like Valhalla.
Frequently Asked Questions
When deciding between “Assassin’s Creed Origins” and “Odyssey,” players often have several queries. This section aims to answer some of the most common questions, providing clarity on gameplay, story, and more.
Which should I play first, Assassin’s Creed Origins or Odyssey?
Players can start with either game, as both have standalone stories. However, “Origins” was released first and introduces certain gameplay innovations that are refined in “Odyssey.”
What are the main differences between the gameplay in Odyssey and Origins?
“Odyssey” expands on “Origins” by implementing a more complex dialogue system and enhancing player choice. It also introduces naval combat and exploration in a more pronounced way than “Origins.”
How do the maps of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Origins compare in size?
“Odyssey” offers a larger map, emphasizing the expansive seas and multiple islands of Ancient Greece. In contrast, “Origins” presents a vast portrayal of Ancient Egypt with desert landscapes and the Nile delta.
Which is considered the better game, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or Origins, based on player feedback?
Player feedback varies; some prefer the immersive storytelling and historical accuracy of “Origins,” while others enjoy the expansive world and freedom of choice in “Odyssey.”
How do the stories and characters contrast between Odyssey and Origins?
“Origins” features a more personal story about revenge and the foundation of the Brotherhood. On the other hand, “Odyssey” revolves around family drama and the influence of mythology in its narrative.
Has the release of next-gen consoles like PS5 affected the performance of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Origins?
Yes, next-gen consoles like the PS5 have improved the performance and visual fidelity for both games, offering faster load times and smoother gameplay experiences.
