StaLK LiKe an egYptian
Skip the pyramiddle man. Assassin’s Creed Origins is going back to Ancient Egypt
If last year’s Assassin’s Creed movie inspired you to build your own time-travelling Animus, it’s time to put down the screwdriver, Assassin. The Creed is back and this time the series is off to Egypt in the pleasantly confusing year of 49BCE for the earliest free-running adventure yet. Not only is there a new sneaky stabber in the shape of the hooded Bayek who can surf down pyramids, everything has changed for the franchise. Going hands-on with Assassin’s Creed Origins is like getting to grips with a whole new game but, don’t worry, you won’t need your mummy.
“We’ve always wanted to do Ancient Egypt,” explains Ubisoft creative director Ashraf Ismail. “It’s a passion of ours. The difficulty with Egypt is it’s a giant countryside where there are big cities but also exotic terrain, fauna, animals – the world itself is very intense and difficult to build from a technological perspective – but we felt we were at that stage.”
Origins has ditched the Assassin’s staple of an icon-packed mini map and instead switched to a quest system where you’ll gradually uncover the mysteries of the pyramids in a world where the line of pharaohs is dying out. There’s still towers to climb but instead of relying on a map, Bayek has an eagle called Senu to send into the skies to scout. Throw in a new combat system, an action RPG loot system and riding camels, and one thing is for sure. Nile be back.
Assassin’s Creed Origins is out on PS4, Xbox One and PC on 27 October.