As an avid Christopher Nolan fan and dedicated moviegoer, one of my most anticipated films since it was first revealed has, of course, been The Odyssey. To be honest, it's a best case scenario for someone like myself, who not only loves Christopher Nolan and movies, but The Odyssey one. It has always been one of the most fascinating stories in my mind, ever since I first saw it Wishbone adapt it as a child, so the fact that someone who I consider to be one of the greatest film directors to ever live has now created his own adaptation of it, I don't think I need to explain any more how excited I am to see this film. However with Assassin's Creed Black Flag resync now also taking up the bulk of my gaming time, I've been thinking more about an entry that I and many others consider to be the best of the series' RPG era.
That game is, as you probably expected, Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Nolan's film and Ubisoft's RPG may be set in different eras and tell very different stories, but both draw from the same well of Greek mythology, Mediterranean adventure and larger-than-life heroism. From sailing between sun-drenched islands to confronting legendary creatures and exploring places associated with the gods, Assassin's Creed Odyssey offers one of gaming's richest ways to immerse yourself in the world of Homer's epic. With The Odyssey To bring that world back to the big screen, there may never be a better time to begin Cassandra's (not Alexio's) journey for the first time or return to ancient Greece again.
There's never been a better time to play Assassin's Creed Odyssey, thanks to Christopher Nolan
Before I go any further, let me confirm my statement Odyssey is the best of Assassin's Creed RPGs. Firstly, Origin, Odysseyand Valhalla are generally known as the original Assassin's Creed RPG trilogy, while Shadows is the latest addition to the gang. Among each of these items, Odyssey actually has the highest average Metascore across platforms. Although I understand that Metacritic doesn't just get to decide which Assassin's Creed the game is the best, when you take a step back and look at all these RPGs together, Odyssey certainly does a lot of things well that its siblings simply didn't.
Guess the games from the emojis.
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Guess the games from the emojis.
Light (120s) Medium (90s) Hard (60s)
Metacritic scores games separately by platform
- Assassin's Creed Origins: 81 on PS4, 85 on Xbox One, 84 on PC.
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey: 83 on PS4, 87 on Xbox One, 86 on PC.
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla: 80 on PS4, 82 on Xbox One, 84 on PS5, 84 on Xbox Series X, 82 on PC.
- Assassin's Creed Shadows: 81 on PS5, 85 on Xbox Series X, 79 on PC, 80 on Switch 2.
Using each game's highest Metascore, the ranking is:
- Odyssey — 87
- Origin — 85
- Shadows — 85
- Valhalla — 84
For me, a big part of it is doing Odyssey the strongest Assassin's Creed RPG is its version of ancient Greece. Even after spending hundreds of hours exploring huge open worlds over the years, there's still something special about sailing the Adrestia across the Aegean Sea, spotting an island in the distance and knowing I can step ashore there whenever I want. Origin has Egypt, Valhalla has England, and Shadows has Japan, but none of them give me the same sense of adventure as Odyssey do.
Of course, Greek mythology plays a big part in it as well, especially when Kassandra's journey begins to cross paths with the Minotaur, Medusa, the Sphinx, and other creatures taken straight from ancient legends. Odyssey is clearly not retelling Homer's story, and it even takes place centuries before the events of The Odysseybut it still gives you the chance to explore the same culture, seas, islands and mythology that surround it. The Fate of Atlantis expansion takes this even further by sending Kassandra to places like Elysium, the Underworld, and Atlantis itself.
Origin has Egypt, Valhalla has England, and Shadows has Japan, but none of them give me the same sense of adventure as Odyssey do.
Now, I keep mentioning Kassandra and not Alexios for a reason, which I don't necessarily need to mention to those who have played the game. For me and many others, Kassandra offers the decisive Assassin's Creed Odyssey experience, simply because of Melissanthi Mahut, the actress who was responsible for bringing her to life. It's, quite honestly, one of the better performances I've seen and heard in any video game, for one thing, but when you put her next to Alexios, the differences are staggering.
No offense to Michael Antonakos, who plays Alexios Assassin's Creed Odysseybut every word out of his character's mouth is extremely difficult to listen to. For the most part, he's very one-dimensional—this big heist of a man who has the tough persona stuck a little too well. He sounds soulless and bland, all while Kassandra stands out as the more emotionally layered protagonist of the two, and therefore the one most players prefer at the helm.
But at this point I digress, because Assassin's Creed Odyssey isn't just good because Cassandra is. Aside from everything I've already mentioned, it also has the best naval exploration of the RPG era, one of its best progression systems, and an open world that constantly rewards curiosity without making every detour feel like another item on a checklist. Even its dialogue choices and ramifications, while far from perfect, give Kassandra's story a more personal quality that Origin, Valhallaand Shadows never really replicate. Add in the Cult of Kosmos, the mercenary system, and some of the most memorable side quests in the series, and Odyssey becomes much more than an excuse to spend time in ancient Greece.
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is the perfect excuse to return to ancient Greece
All this is precisely why Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey makes me think about another playthrough of Assassin's Creed Odysseyeven though I know exactly how much of my time it would take. Seeing Nolan bring Homer's seas, islands, monsters and larger-than-life characters to the big screen will inevitably make me want to spend even more time in that world, and Ubisoft's RPG remains the closest any game has come to letting me live in it. The stories may be centuries apart, but sailing across the Aegean as Kassandra offers the same sense of danger, discovery and adventure that has kept Homer's epics alive for thousands of years.
Odyssey is clearly not retelling Homer's story, and it even takes place centuries before the events of The Odysseybut it still gives you the chance to explore the same culture, seas, islands and mythology that surround it.
For anyone who has never played Assassin's Creed OdysseyNolan's film offers the perfect reason to finally take the plunge, especially with the film bringing Greek mythology back into the spotlight. Those who have already finished the game may feel the same pull as I do The Odyssey could make ancient Greece, marine exploration and mythical creatures hard to resist again. I may still be busy sailing with Edward Kenway right now, but once Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey arrives, I have a feeling that Adrestia will call my name.
- Released
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15 October 2018
- ESRB
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M for mature: blood and gore, intense violence, sexual themes, strong language
