Very few video game franchises can successfully change its core features without losing its identity, but the Assassin’s Creed series may have had one of the smoothest transformations of all-time. While other series, like Fallout and Grand Theft Auto, have sometimes lost their way when trying to reinvent themselves,recent Assassin's Creed games have taken the property's original formula and changed in for the better.
Ever since its debut in 2007, the Assassin’s Creed series enthralled players with its stealthy combat and stylized acrobatics. However, the long-running franchise underwent changes with its 2017 entry Assassin's Creed Origins, changes that were perfected in the following year's Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. The game completely overhauled the franchise's established combat system and its overall gameplay.
Assassin’s Creed games always centered around taking out targets in a sly, stylish way. Players would stalk their victims from afar and wait for the right moment to strike. While this style of combat worked great for a while, it started to grow dull after a decade. Ubisoft decided to change it up by making the combat in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey more action-oriented. This allows players to approach targets in different ways. Stealth attacks are still prevalent, but they aren't the main focus anymore. Ubisoft pulled this new combat system off nearly flawlessly. The new action-oriented style didn’t overshadow the stealth elements and vice versa.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey also added RPG elements into the long-running action series. While Assassin’s Creed: Origins was the first to have RPG aspects, Odyssey took it to a whole new level, perfecting its predecessor's. Previous games didn’t give players a whole lot of freedom when it came to customization or gameplay, and each entry was fairly linear with players gaining a select few weapons as they travel from place to place.
Odyssey completely revamped this by introducing equipment and leveling up systems. Players could now customize their characters with tons of different equipment as they grow stronger throughout the game. This also helped players immerse themselves in the world, as the character felt more personalized.
The leveling system also provided players with a sense of accomplishment. Going from mission to mission, killing targets without achieving much more than a new objective can grow dull after a while, and adding a leveling up system gives players an incentive to advance through the game. It gave Assassin’s Creed something of a new feel without diminishing its previous style.
Another thing Odyssey changed from earlier titles was its world exploration. The Assassin’s Creed games always encouraged exploration within its cities, but not in the world itself. The cities were extremely detailed with many historical sites and recognizable landmarks included within them. The worlds, especially in earlier games, were blander in comparison with limited appeal for exploration. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey decided to bring the world to life by tremendously improving its detail and giving it an open-world feel that allowed players to explore freely like never before. The environment was unbelievably polished with some of the most stunning visuals seen within the franchise.
Although Assassin’s Creed: Origins introduced some of these elements into the franchise, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey propelled them to new heights. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey vastly improved everything from Origins and then some. The game shined new light into the decade-old series, paving the way for the next game, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, to improve upon what Origins started and Odyssey perfected.