Oh Cleopatra, My Queen...
Like many, I've been a huge fan of the Assassin's creed franchise. From the first game, which let me gallop and joyfully dispatch of enemies all over the middle east, I was enthralled by the graphics and gameplay. That sort of gameplay and freedom captured the imagination, because up until that point, open world games weren't nearly as ubiquitous as they are now. Those that did exist, just weren't up to those standards.
So naturally, I couldn't wait to play Origins on my Playstation. I can't say I was surprised by any of it, though. It's the same gameplay mechanics that have accompanied gamers for many years, and if there's one thing you can count on with AC games, is that environmental graphics are gonna be top notch, and this game is no exception.
Another thing that impressed was the level of historical research that obviously went into making this game. The names of kingdoms, cities, towns, villages, deserts, counties, kings, deities and so much more - are authentic and appropriate for ancient Egypt, way before it became a predominantly Arab country. Walking around among the people in open markets, palaces, tombs, outposts and side streets feels real. Immersive. Genuine. Just outright fun.
Not all is well, though. Two things are bothersome. First, there's an incredibly mismatched "aroma" to combat. If your level in this game is lower than your enemy, it takes dozens of hits, even with a sword or a spear, to kill him. Your enemy, in sharp contrast, only requires 2-3 strikes before killing you. It causes quite a bit of agony when you put so much into a mission, only to be killed by two rapid strikes of an enemy that just happened to spot you.
The second is the fact that this game does not include dialogue in ancient Egyptian. I just got used to everyone in the game speaking English with a middle eastern accent. And it's not that Ubisoft, the game's creators, haven't done this before. In Far Cry: Primal, the game is entirely spoken in a language used at around 10,000 BCE. It's a shame, really.
All-in-all, there's not much to complain about. This game is incredibly fun to play. It keeps drawing you in. It keeps you invested. It makes you want to be the best Medjay (Ancient Egyptian elite paramilitary police force, serving as desert scouts and protectors of areas of Pharaonic interest) you can be. So get this game. Don't miss out on the best ancient Egypt video game in existence. It could be a very long time before you get another.