3.5/5 ★ – DaysposableHero's review of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey.

There is....a lot....of game here. And while quantity doesn't equal quality, the majority of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is quite good. Unfortunately, the narrative falters in key places for me, and I was left imagining how great this game could have been. AC:O goes to some effort to try to convince the player that their choices matter. That they will shape the history of ancient Greece for better or worse. Except, the player's actions in the game don't really matter, from what I can tell. Sure, you might decide who in Kassandra's story lives or dies (and it IS Kassandra's story; don't let those idiotic Alexios players fool you), but none of it really impacts the world, in the end. For example, the game makes a lot of hay out of tutorializing the mechanism of fighting for one side of the Peloponnesian war or the other: Athens or Sparta. You can sign on as a mercenary fighter for one side or the other, and your performance in battle can determine who gains control of certain territory. Pretty standard territory control mechanics, a la San Andreas or Mafia III. The problem is, win or lose, your side will gain and lose the territory several times over throughout your playthrough. Your "conquest battles" don't really mean anything, in the end. Worse, the same happens with the character of Kassandra. Without spoiling anything, there were multiple points in the story where I felt like the game had tricked me into thinking I would have a choice about something. Especially with regard to Kassandra's family and future. Several narrative moments are awkward, as the game obviously dances around having to take into account mutually exclusive choices from previous chapters. It all just generally has the feeling of a "choose-your-own-adventure" book where all the options lead to the same page. It's not all bad, however. The game really is fun to play. The combat is satisfying, and the exploration is engaging. Kassandra's skill trees lead to fun and interesting abilities that allow the player to customize their own play style. That's maybe the one area where the game really does allow the player the freedom of choice. Whether you want to approach situations stealthily, slipping in a blade here and there and getting out, or run in swinging a giant hammer and mowing down your enemies, there are options for each. As well as ranged builds, standing back and shooting powerful arrows into the enemy ranks. And you can easily swap from one to the other, re-spec'ing your version of Kassandra for a minor cost. The game environment really is beautiful. Exaggerated sculptures dot the landscape, and Kassandra moves through the game world with ease. Naval combat is fun and engaging here, maneuvering your ship around those of your enemies, firing flaming arrows and javelins, and setting up for a huge full-speed ramming maneuver feels great. Technically, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is an impressive achievement. The game looks good, runs well, and is fun to play. It just doesn't really commit to the idea of player agency in the narrative. Which would be fine, if the game were honest about that up front. But it makes some effort to convince the player that they, not just Kassandra, can have an impact on this beautiful world. Unfortunately, that's not really the case.