Assassin's Creed Odyssey: An Off-Balance Retrospective.
The Ancient Greek epic turns six this week.
Table of Contents
Return to any creative outing with a decade-plus of hindsight and chances are, you’ll come away with a different perspective.
But if any one work could challenge this thinking, it could very well be the original Assassin’s Creed and with it, the realization that so much of the video game franchise’s base framework was present, right from the very beginning, way back in 2007.
A wholly unique blend of historical fiction, high-concept sci-fi and action-stealth gameplay.
Though as the series quickly evolved beyond its Prince of Persia/Alamut-inspired roots and more firmly established its own identity, with each successive entry, developer Ubisoft (through its various studios around the world) made sure to bring something new to the table, the overall formula, being steadily perfected.
From the open-world exploration, both on-foot and on-sea, to the specific iconography. Diving into haystacks from a city perch, the memory corridors, the notoriety system. The music, the hoods, the blades (both with hooks and without).
There was the moral-deadlock between two philosophically-opposed factions fighting across the millennia, as they searched for artifacts of awesome power: Pieces of Eden, left behind by a super-species (“The Isu”) that created humanity.
Committed if expansive world-building, all elevated by numerous smaller flourishes around the edges that fed into each individual outing.
Though on the same hand, as the as the series consistently expanded, via various spin-off titles, a yearly release schedule and into other forms of media, it wasn’t really given a chance to breathe either.
And while 2017’s Origins was a reset on numerous fronts: completely revamping the combat, the exploration and acted as an prequel to the entire series (while also debuting a new story in the modern day), it was still, very much, an Assassin’s Creed game.
2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, however?
It was upon release (and remains) perhaps the most singular entry in the entire AC catalogue.
Primarily developed by Ubisoft Quebec, it moves away from many of the conventions that had become series staples, while at the same time, perfectly capturing the essence, the spirit, of what has seen this franchise approach nearly two decades in the cultural conversation.
So, in advance of the release of the next mainline title, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, this coming February?
Here is the first look back at one of the series’ more memorable titles.
Let’s get to it.
Intro (Odyssey)
Following a brief prologue taking place during the Battle of Thermopylae, Odyssey proper begins on the eve of the Peloponnesian War, between Athens and Sparta, in 431 BCE.
While the entire Greek world is on the verge of conflict, on a sleepy coastal isle, is Kassandra (Melissanthi Mahut), a young woman known as “The Eagle Bearer”, quietly operating as a mercenary and small-time hired hand.
She is burdened however, with a complicated past.
As a child raised in Spartan tradition, she is deemed to hold great promise. A warrior-to-be, both the daughter of Peloponnese royalty Myrrine (Maria Syrgiannis) and the granddaughter of the legendary Leonidas (Elias Toufexis), he who, at the cost of his life, pushed back the Persians at Thermopylae.
But in an ill-fated attempt to save her infant brother, Alexios, from being executed as per corrupted prophecy, Kassandra, after accidentally killing a priest, is thrown from Mount Taygetos by her stepfather, the general Nikolaos (Toufexis, in a dual-role).
Presumed to be dead and haunted by the tragedy, over the following years, she carves out a new life.
Yet as she inevitably finds herself caught up in the larger conflict, she is forced to confront her past and destiny both.
As she criss-crosses the Aegean, looking to reunite her family and making various allies, the misthios uncovers the villainous Cult of Kosmos: an organization manipulating both sides of the war and intent on controlling all of Greece from the shadows.
Meanwhile, an adult Alexios (Michael Antonakos), who, now known as “Deimos”, survived his apparent demise and has become a sociopathic solider under The Cult’s control.
Throughout her travels, however, Kassandra also makes another discovery. A mysterious pantheon of long-ago Gods, who crafted artifacts of vast potential that, left in the wrong hands, would bring about nothing but destruction.
These are Odyssey’s main plot threads, a familiar AC framework (a broken family, a crusade of vengeance against evil machinations, a search for Pieces of Eden, etc) but while previous titles, like Unity, Syndicate and specifically Origins all tinkered with incorporating such elements? The unique crux of Odyssey, when compared to other entires in the franchise, is that the game is, on every level, a full-bodied RPG
It is something immediately felt in the combat, which, built out from three distinct skill trees (Hunter, Warrior and Assassin), provides a noted sense of growth over the course of a play through.
Combat
Now, when it comes to combat, while you can be a jack-of-all-trades, in the vain of AC games past, in choosing to specialize, by gearing your build, weapons and skill point investment towards a specific pathway, it can provide a noticeable difference during in-the-moment encounters, between stealth, open combat and back again.
Prioritizing the warrior tree, for one? You’ll be nigh-unstoppable during conquest battles but may find infiltrating a fortress, where the assassin branch would come in handy, tricker (and vice-versa).
An oft-heard complaint of Odyssey’s combat is within its baseline, hack-and-slash approach. Enemies, even similarly-levelled to the player, being nothing but damage sponges, able to tank everything from direct hits to successive headshots. And yes, while this is true to an extent, it is oftentimes a byproduct of utilizing a brute force approach more than anything else.
It is, following Origins, a further move away from the earlier games in the series. A reliance on counter-kills, instead replaced with a system that prioritizes constant movement: dodging, parrying, alternating, as needed, between long-range attacks and a more up-close-and-personal strategy.
Needing to manage your arrows (of which only the standard type can be set to auto-craft), adrenaline and through that, ability usage. For every fight then, there are different elements to consider, beyond just which enemy to immediately prioritize.
Grounded with fluid animations, mo-cap work and appropriately brutal assassinations/finishers, while Odyssey’s combat, even on higher difficulties isn’t challenging, per se, it does deepen significantly by way of the game’s main weapon, The Spear of Leonidas.
Replacing the traditional gameplay function of the Hidden Blade, Kassandra’s long-cherished family heirloom, which she wields as both her main assassination tool and as an off-hand parrying dagger, is also a powerful Piece of Eden.
Within the context of the larger franchise, it is a tremendously bold decision.
Using a Piece of Eden in prior titles? Outside of hunting down endgame armour (Black Flag, Syndicate) or small gameplay buffs (III), it was always something held up as a Capital-E event, even in what were often quick, heavily-scripted sequences.
Odyssey, in granting that power right from the very beginning, is immediately set apart from every other game in the series. You’re not using sleep darts and smoke bombs or predominately needing to stick to the shadows whenever possible - you’re a warrior, with an impossible advantage. So as the Spear is sequentially upgraded and one steadily levels-up, so to, do Kassandra’s abilities.
From being impervious to fall damage, turning both Kassandra and the slain bodies of her foes invisible, various forms of crowd control, slowing down time or rapidly assassinating numerous enemies in succession. And come the final trio of DLC episodes? A substantial power boost that fully embraces the franchise’s sci-fi roots.
If you’re brave enough to wade into the discourse, you may find it as something of a hot-button issue amongst the fanbase: a play-style that is, through this choice, a generally radical departure from the AC formula (even if, moment-to-moment, sneaking, stabbing and whistling from bushes, long-time players will feel pretty well at home).
It doesn’t always click, no.
The RPG framework, by design, does significantly limit the player’s damage output, particularly early-on and enemy variety, even when counting the roaming mercenaries you’ll encounter across Greece, can only stretch things so far - but it is all presented with such confidence, on the part of the developers, that you can’t help but be drawn in.
A confidence that extends to so much of the overall experience.
Open World + Exploration
In a similar way that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and later, Rogue, brought 18th-century recreations of the Caribbean and the Canadian Arctic to life through their seamless at-sea/on-foot exploration, Odyssey, while working off that established template, is also distinct.
Though it doesn’t approach the same level of dynamism that those games excelled in (from the weather or spur-of-the-moment bar fights, to the naval combat - which, by way of the time period, is simplistic almost to a fault), there is a vibe, if you will, that it absolutely nails.
While Ubisoft, collectively, have been known for their top-tier open worlds for well over a decade now, Odyssey’s Ancient Greece is a sight to behold.
It may be a product overseen by a multinational corporation, yes (and one no stranger to controversy) but it is also a product of remarkable individual craftsmanship too: from the art, world, character and sound design, to the lighting and animation work.
All the talented programmers and developers, who too often go unrecognized, deserving their due credit.
Virtual tourism, at is best.
It can be something as simple as the sun, setting in the distance, as you loiter on a secluded beach, masked by palm trees and the aftermath of battle. Waves, crashing against the shore, as you infiltrate a nearby quarry.
Civilians, mulling about in the agora, praying at shrines or making offerings to the pantheon.
Though perhaps it is visiting Athens and seeing everything it has to offer, from the disenfranchised district, to taking in the Parthenon in all its long-ago glory. Climbing the Statue of Athena, on a whim, to see Attica at large from the top, unspoiled by advancement but decimated by war.
A busy vineyard, bursting with colour, contrasted with the militarized might of Sparta or a fishing village, ravaged with plague.
The effort put in, to evoke a certain time and place, specifically one that has long faded into history? It is remarkably impressive. Consider: from The Flight’s soundtrack work to the sea shanties, a much beloved element of the series, which make their return here, sung fully in Greek and recreated, according to the game’s audio director, from some measure of existing, period-appropriate text.
To that same… tune, exploration, by way of missions or player curiosity, is a key pillar and with a world so fully-realized, while it does lapse come the endgame - by way of the constant inventory management or 100-hour-plus familiarity - it rarely feels monotonous: taking on contracts, venturing into long-forgotten tombs and capturing forts. Scouring shipwrecks or duelling with bandits in torch-lit caves.
Though while it isn’t held back, necessarily, by the parkour mechanics (simplistic but effective)? There just isn’t much to write home about there, an unavoidable trade off, given the time period.
Athens is meticulously designed yes but it is far from the tightly-knotted labyrinths of Medici Florence, Borgia-ruled Rome or Revolutionary Paris. A reality that reflects the larger RPG-era of the series, moving through Ancient Greece not from rooftop-to-rooftop but instead, on-foot or primarily, on horseback.
It is the story though and the many narrative threads on which it pulls, that drive much of Odyssey. To what is, overall, great success.
Story (Base Game + DLC)
As a prequel to the entire series, taking place some 400 years prior to Origins, while it very much invokes long-running franchise hallmarks, Odyssey isn’t indebted, in the same way, to established continuity or a decade-plus of lore.
It is, despite the inherent grandiosity present, smaller. More personal. Highlighted by Kassandra’s years-long journey to simply bring her family back together (and realizing that may be easier said than done) as she creates a found one of sorts along the way.
Interwoven throughout then, are the min-arcs that push that story forward - recruited from her exile to assassinate a Spartan general, discovering deeper conspiracy to becoming a key player on both sides of the war, as the conflict reaches its initial historical crescendo - overlaid with its two other main threads: destroying The Cult and hunting down Pieces of Eden protected by Greek myths of legend to unlock the door to Atlantis (which is revealed here, naturally, to be a long-forgotten Isu city).
Even considering its larger quest chains, both side and main, Odyssey, to great effect, maintains its focus throughout, despite so many moving pieces.
Its narrative highs, uniformly excellent.
Maybe it is fighting for a fleeting rebellion, filled with blood-soaked romance and eventual heartbreak, on Mykonos. Competing in the Olympics or uncovering whispers of mythological adventure in Crete.
It isn’t quite the RPG of note it clearly sets out to be, à la The Witcher 3 no, although it deserves its props with such inherent ambition, player-choice, dictating every major facet of the experience, a first for the series.
From one-off lines of dialogue, potential romantic partners to major decisions that will ultimately decide which of the many endings one might end up with. And while fully committed to that approach, that doesn’t mean it is without a couple of notable missteps - the game’s pacing and delivery hitting a few snags, particularly near the end and as it transitions into its post-launch content.
For a main story that takes place over nearly a decade (431 - 422 BCE), that passage of time isn’t conveyed as effectively as it could be - and outside of the Cultist arc, the other two storylines either rapidly compress themselves or fizzle out entirely, in the pretty blatant hopes of funnelling players into purchasing the paid-for DLC episodes.
So while The Legacy of the First Blade trilogy tries hard to more visibly connect Odyssey proper to the rest of the franchise: from taking on The Order of the Ancients, to working closely with proto-Assassin Darius (Michael Benyaer), its execution, while not weak, is often lacking.
And after the entirety of the base game championed player choice? It instead swings wildly in the other direction, the subject of pretty substantial (and justifiable) controversy as a result.
The Fate of Atlantis episodes, on the same hand, while enjoyable as a whole, have a hard time establishing momentum, a sense of necessity, despite their larger, lore-centric importance.
The modern day story doesn’t have much going for it either, regulated to just a few brief sequences throughout. There is, to be fair, some interesting character work put forth for Layla (Chantel Riley) but it is very much a stopgap for what would be the eventual conclusion to her story, as shown in 2020’s Valhalla.
Overall, you can see the merit to some of Odyssey’s counterarguments, the challenges that will naturally arise in trying to place an RPG-style story side-by-side alongside previously established canon, famously messy though it is.
It is a good thing then, that despite those stumbles, the game has something to consistently elevate it - the excellent performances, across the board.
Performances (Supporting)
Video game storytelling, universally, has taken exponential leaps forward in the past ten, fifteen years and while it is impossible to truly nail down one aspect specifically, an undeniably key one has been the advent of complete performance capture.
Actors, performing as one would on a theatre stage, albeit, in mo-cap suits. Using props, working one-on-one, not just voicing their characters in the booth but fully embodying them too, just as one would in any live-action project.
Knowing this, it adds a richness to every cutscene, every passionately-delivered line of dialogue. You’re drawn in, right from the jump as all those elements come together: the actors, writers and stunt performers, just to name a few.
And Odyssey, to this point, is chock full of memorable performances from its immense cast (with most, fittingly, having Greek backgrounds and/or heritage).
Notably, on the supporting side, is Maria Syrgiannis as Myrrine, Kassandra’s mother. After initially appearing only in flashbacks, with the driving force of the first act being to track her down, Syrgiannis quickly makes an impression. Still completely committed, unlike her daughter, to the Spartan way she becomes an intriguing if supportive quasi-foil (though her motives do become muddled somewhat near the end).
Elsewhere, there is Alexandra Metaxa as rebel leader Kyra, a fiery determination paired with a troubled past, as she looks to liberate the people of Mykonos.
Quietly torn between her adopted family of warriors and the fact that the tyrant she’s looking to overthrow is her own father, she is a woman often caught between complicated love and duty, yet Metaxa captures this dichotomy perfectly.
Maybe it is longtime AC mainstay, Andreas Apergis as Barnabas, Kassandra’s closest friend and right hand man. Apergis, bringing an upbeat disposition to just about every line, itself, an enjoyable contrast to the Eagle Bearer’s occasional sullenness.
There is another series veteran, Elias Toufexis, in his dual-roles of Leonidas and Nikolaos - where, even with limited screen time, Toufexis imbues both characters with a distinct memorability. Leonidas, unshakable and wholly resolute, is a man for whom his reputation seems too little, Nikolaos, entirely committed to Spartan ideology while coming to realize it doesn’t excuse his own failings.
Then, of course, in classic AC style, there are the numerous historical figures, besides Leonidas, brought to life: Herodotos (Peter Polycarpou) and Sokrates (Daniel Matmor), Brasidas (Stewart Scudamore), Kleon (Yorgos Pirpassopoulos) and Aspasia (Marianthi Evans), among many others.
Now, the game isn’t entirely sure what to do with them all, as, historical accuracy understood, they filter in-and-out of the narrative somewhat awkwardly until called upon, although it works well enough, each strong performance, building on the previous.
As the heart of Odyssey? It lies within the work of its leads.
Performances (Leads)
One of the big selling points of Odyssey’s marketing, of course was the ability to pick your protagonist. One sibling would be the hero, the other, by way of that decision, the villain, “Deimos”, lost to corruption.
It is a massive credit then, to both actors of Alexios and Kassandra respectively, Michael Antonakos and Melissanthi Mahut, in portraying that potential choice, on all fronts, with such skill. Playing their roles, you understand, twice over.
In both dual interviews and the game’s promotional material, it was something they spoke too. Consistent characterization, doubly important, for a project of such scale. From their work in the booth, their performance capture and the overall collaborative process they embarked on.
Working together, alongside the larger creative team, to develop the shared/unique intricacies of their characters and their personalities. How individual approaches, depending on the role or decisions made on the mo-cap stage, for example, influenced the other - and so on.
It is, in its entirety, a deeply impressive level of artistic commitment.
So while each performer brings a distinctive feel to their interpretation of the opposing role? With Kassandra designated as the canon protagonist in AC lore, while a milestone of note for the franchise and medium as a whole (with both, historically, having struggled in giving woman protagonists the spotlight) it speaks to both Antonakos and Mahut’s individual talent that, within either portrayal, no half-measures were taken.
As Deimos, Antonakos is absolutely fantastic, a commanding presence every time he appears. His physical acting alone, enough to elicit unease, his cold delivery, terror. Each step, every moment, both calculated yet, true to character, wildly unpredictable.
You’re never quite sure just what he’s thinking, feeling, who he might kill next but Antonakos, with ease, balances it all on a razor thin edge. As underneath Deimos’ mask, is still, somewhere, Alexios.
The boy whose childhood was stolen, a lifetime, defined by cruelty as he became a soulless war machine, driven by his own sense of self-importance - order, imposed through bloodshed and chaos. Though by reuniting with his long-lost sister, albeit, someone he never knew?
He is forced to confront the uncomfortable reality of both his actions and place in the world: slowly understanding that even he is not immune to The Cult’s scheming.
It is in these moments, with Alexios, silently grappling with emerging and conflicting emotions, where Antonakos does what is perhaps his best work.
The contrast between a life-long warrior knowing that he is too far gone but also hoping, on some level, that he’ll find redemption: as impossible as such a thing becomes, as he carves an increasingly destructive path of carnage across the Greek world.
The writing, larger framework and Antonakos himself, a perfect marriage of creative understanding, as, in time, the character comes clearly into view. An unquenchable lust for battle, for violence, his only true way of expression, the contrast being his inability to truly recognize, to reconcile, with such inhumanity until it is too late.
In a game full of villains, from scheming warlords to Medusa herself, Alexios stands at the very top - highlighted by Antonakos’ terrific, can’t-look-away performance.
Kassandra?
From the moment she appears on screen, Mahut is utterly captivating as the titular misthios, the character, through-and-through, brought to fabulous realization as the binding tissue that holds all of Odyssey together.
Hardened by both formative tragedy and the unforgiving world around her, Kassandra, despite it all, remains a woman totally secure in her ability to, quite literally, roll with the punches.
There is an appreciable, heart-felt simplicity to her initial quest, in reuniting her family but it is buoyed by an immediate maturity, too. Right from the start, she is under no illusions, no naive assumptions, that she will be successful. More so, when she discovers just how deep The Cult of Kosmos runs.
This, easily, could have been a major creative diversion of sorts. Having her be aloof and unapproachable, consumed with vengeance, of a different kind (when compared to Deimos) from beginning to end. Yet while those elements are unmistakably present within her characterization? She isn’t wholly driven by them.
Instead, it is something simpler, inherently familiar that pushes her forward: love. And not just the conflicted love for the family she lost but for the one she makes along the way, for the joy she finds in simple pleasures, be it good wine or better company.
It is, not that Kassandra is a character of contradiction then but rather, complexity, even when those RPG-trappings are considered.
Mahut, next to Odyssey’s writers, imbuing the character with such life, that, even in an ever-expanding and evolving medium, is rare in video games.
Kassandra is a mercenary by trade yes and while killing may come easy, it is never without clear purpose either. Warm and easy-going, she’s just as likely to offer help without payment, stop to assist a lost child or happily go along with a stranger’s misadventure, if only for her own amusement.
Someone who becomes a major power player in Athenian politics but is still begrudgingly proud of her Spartan heritage - though she isn’t afraid to openly criticize their practices either, such as the agoge or what she considers archaism in their teachings. She often expresses wariness with the gods and the absolute faith in which others place in them, preferring to trust her own judgement above all else.
Ruthless and deeply intimidating, though she is also, in equal measure, incredibly charming, flirtatious.
As quick with her words as she can be, if needed, with violence.
Bringing all these different, competing facets together, concurrently with such ease, Mahut’s portrayal is that of a character, who, for all her power, is strikingly human. Honest. Her delivery, a consistent high-point across Odyssey’s many hours.
She would, deservingly, receive widespread acclaim for her performance. Being nominated for both a BAFTA Award for Best Performer (British Film and Television Award) and Best Performance at the 2018 Game Awards. In 2019, Kassandra was also voted one of Polygon’s best video game characters of the 2010s.
In a franchise whose most loved protagonists are still held in high regard? Kassandra, by way of Mahut’s performance, is not just on the Assassin’s Creed Mount Rushmore but within the larger medium pantheon, as well.
It is the continuing nature of her story, however and the character evolution that comes with it, which remains fascinating.
While Odyssey’s Atlantis arc could never really find its legs, the groundwork it laid had promise. It was finally seen with 2021’s Assassin’s Creed: Crossover Stories, new DLC for Odyssey, co-released alongside a companion quest-line with its successor, Valhalla.
After her trials in Atlantis, Kassandra is granted another powerful Piece of Eden, the Staff of Hermes, which renders her functionally immortal - but such a gift comes with something akin to a curse, a seemingly impossible task.
To travel the world and hunt down other Pieces of Eden, to protect the innocent and to keep them out of the hands of those who would abuse their power. A path she’ll walk until she meets Layla, centuries later.
Sure, the immortal warrior concept in fiction is nothing particularly new but here, in Assassin’s Creed, it adds a wrinkle to the entire franchise: Kassandra was there, the entire time, watching from the shadows, maintaining the balance between the Assassins who would follow in her footsteps and the Templars. The layers this adds then, to every single entry in hindsight? It is remarkable - and something further built on, as the character would appear again in 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Nexus, returning to Greece to take on the Thirty Tyrants following the close of the Peloponnesian War.
Such faith not just in the concept but in the character, in a long-running franchise where the “safest play” would be easiest?
One must applaud not only the effort but presumably, just where it might go next.
Outro
So, with six years of hindsight, just what can we make of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey? Perfect, beyond criticism? No, of course not.
The larger story eventually buckles somewhat under its own weight, the combat, despite its individualism, can very much be a matter of personal taste and the lack of complex parkour mechanics in favour of more straightforward traversal, is a reminder, as a prequel, of those various AC staples it choses to forgo.
There are no memory corridors, the notoriety system is reduced to paying off bounties in the menu and the RPG framework can occasionally struggle when lined up against well established, if often-shifting canon.
Through it all though, Odyssey, where it matters most, excels.
Bolstered by the sheer beauty of its open world, the lived-in quality it speaks too and its performances, from the strong-across-the-board secondary cast to, particularly, its leads.
It is a game of fully realized potential, on numerous fronts, often matching or exceeding the ambition it shoots for.
An odyssey, more than worthy of the name.
From Alexios. Thank you 😊