The beauty of Egypt here is stunning, and the scale is mind-boggling. This is, without question, one of the most impressive open world maps I’ve ever seen. The story of Assassin’s Creed Origins follows Bayek, a Siwa warrior and guardian of his little Egyptian village, who suffers a horrific tragedy at the hands of “The Order,” a mysterious group of masked influence-wielders who we see from the outset, already have their hands on an Apple of Eden and are beginning to understand what it can be used for. Still, ACO does many, many things right, and feels like the type of game fans will welcome with open arms, especially in an age when dedicated single player experiences are on somewhat shaky ground.
The Witcher 3’s influence in particular is noticeable in Assassin’s Creed Origins, though I would stop short of saying the two are of comparable quality. Ubisoft got a lot right here, from simplifying systems that had grown unwieldy over the past few years, to learning lessons from other leaders in the genre. I’m still trying to puzzle out whether it could top AC2 or Black Flag, but even if it’s in third place behind those, it’s a solid third.
Assassin’s Creed Origins is a return to form, that much is clear.
