Honestly, it’s been nearly a decade, and I still can't get over how much Assassin's Creed Origins fundamentally broke the mold. Before Bayek of Siwa showed up, the series was stuck. It was getting stale. You know the drill: climb a tower, sync the map, jump into some hay, and counter-kill your way through a hundred guards without breaking a sweat. It was fine, sure, but it wasn't exciting anymore. Then Ubisoft Montreal decided to throw the entire blueprint into the Nile and start over.
They gave us Egypt. Not just a city, but a whole country.
When you first step into the shoes of Bayek, you aren't an "Assassin" in the way we usually think about it. There’s no Brotherhood. There are no tenets. There’s just a father who is grieving a massive, soul-crushing loss and a world that feels incredibly lived-in. It’s gritty. It’s bright. It’s sandy. You can almost feel the heat radiating off the dunes when you're trekking through the Great Sand Sea.
The shift that changed everything for the franchise
The most jarring thing back in 2017—and what people still debate today—is the RPG transition. Assassin's Creed Origins wasn't just an action-adventure game anymore; it became a full-blown loot-fest with levels, gear rarities, and a combat system that actually required you to aim. If you tried to fight a Captain who was five levels higher than you, he’d basically swat you like a fly. Some people hated that. They felt like the "hidden blade" should always be a one-hit kill, regardless of numbers.
I get that.
But looking back, the "hitbox" combat was exactly what the doctor ordered. Instead of those canned animations where enemies waited their turn to be executed, you suddenly had to manage space. You had to dodge. You had to use different weapon types like heavy blunts or dual blades depending on who was coming at you. It made the world feel dangerous again.
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Why Bayek is arguably the best protagonist since Ezio
Let's be real for a second. Most AC protagonists after Ezio Auditore felt like they were trying too hard to be Ezio. They had the charm, the smirk, the tragic backstory. But Bayek? Bayek is different. He has this incredible range of emotion that Abubakar Salim (the voice actor) captured perfectly. One minute he’s playing with children and showing this immense, gentle warmth, and the next, he’s a terrifying force of nature fueled by pure, unadulterated rage.
His relationship with Aya is also way more complex than your typical video game romance. They aren't just two people who like each other; they are two people torn apart by the same tragedy, trying to find justice in ways that eventually pull them in opposite directions. It’s bittersweet. It’s the literal foundation of the "Hidden Ones."
The sheer scale of Ptolemaic Egypt
I remember the first time I rode my horse toward Giza. I saw the pyramids on the horizon, shimmering through the heat haze. I thought, "Okay, that’s probably just a backdrop." It wasn't. You can ride all the way there. You can climb them. You can slide down the side of the Great Pyramid like a madman.
The map design in Assassin's Creed Origins is a masterclass in environmental storytelling. You have the lush, green delta of the Nile, the Mediterranean vibes of Alexandria with its massive library and lighthouse, and then the suffocating, silent emptiness of the desert. It doesn't feel like a checklist of icons. It feels like a place where people actually live, farm, and worship.
Ubisoft even went so far as to include the "Discovery Tour" mode. This was a massive win for education. You can literally walk through the game without combat and listen to historians explain how mummification worked or how the Great Library was structured. It turns the game into a digital museum. That’s not something you see every day in a AAA title.
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The controversy of the "Hidden Blade" nerf
We have to talk about it. The leveling system meant that your Hidden Blade wasn't always a guaranteed kill. If you didn't keep your equipment upgraded using crafting materials like leather and bronze, you’d sneak up on a high-level target, stab them in the neck, and they’d just... get annoyed.
- It forced you to engage with the world's systems.
- It encouraged hunting and gathering.
- It made "stealth" more of a tactical choice than a default win button.
While some purists found this immersion-breaking, it added a layer of progression that kept the 60-hour campaign from feeling repetitive. You weren't just a god from hour one; you had to earn your lethality.
Realism vs. Mythology
One of the coolest things about the game is how it handles the "supernatural." In later games like Odyssey or Valhalla, the mythological stuff is front and center—you're fighting Medusa or hanging out with Odin. In Assassin's Creed Origins, it’s handled with more subtlety. Most of the weird stuff is presented as hallucinations from the desert heat or religious fever dreams.
Except for the Curse of the Pharaohs DLC. That went full fantasy, and honestly? It worked. Entering the different afterlives—like the fields of Aaru—was visually stunning. Seeing giant scorpions and undead kings in the middle of a historical epic was a bold move that paid off because the core game was so grounded.
Technical details that still hold up
Even playing this on modern hardware like a PS5 or Xbox Series X, the 60fps patch makes it feel like a brand-new game. The lighting is incredible. When you’re inside a tomb and you light a torch, the way the light flickers against the hieroglyphics is hauntingly beautiful.
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- Fire spreads realistically on oil jars and straw.
- Animals have their own AI ecosystems (crocodiles attacking hippos is a common sight).
- NPCs have daily schedules: they sleep at night, work during the day, and eat meals.
What most people get wrong about the ending
People often complain that the actual "founding" of the Assassins feels rushed in the final act. I disagree. The whole game is a slow burn showing the failure of old systems. Bayek is a Medjay—a traditional protector of the Pharaoh. But the Pharaohs are failing. Egypt is being swallowed by Rome and internal corruption.
The "Origin" isn't just about the name or the hood; it’s about the realization that to protect the people, you have to operate in the shadows, outside of the law. The moment the eagle skull leaves the mark in the sand? That’s peak cinema. It’s the birth of a creed born from the ashes of a broken life.
Actionable steps for your next playthrough
If you're thinking about jumping back into Assassin's Creed Origins or playing it for the first time, don't play it like a completionist. You will burn out. The game is too big for that.
- Turn off the HUD: If you want a truly immersive experience, turn off the compass and the enemy proximity indicators. Use Senu (your eagle) to scout naturally. It changes the game entirely.
- Focus on the Side Quests: Unlike previous games, the side missions here actually have stories. They flesh out the world and Bayek’s character. Some of them are better than the main plot.
- Don't ignore the Papyrus Puzzles: These are the best way to get high-end gear without grinding. They actually require you to look at the environment and solve riddles.
- Visit the Deserts at Night: The starry sky in this game is arguably the best in gaming history. Find a high dune in the Desheret Desert and just look up.
Assassin's Creed Origins was a massive risk for Ubisoft. They took a year off—a rare move for a yearly franchise—to make sure they got this right. It’s a game that respects the history of Egypt while trying to drag a legacy franchise into the modern era. Whether you’re there for the history, the gear, or just to see Bayek’s journey, it remains a high-water mark for the series that hasn't quite been topped in terms of atmosphere and heart.
Get the Gold Edition when it's on sale. It's frequently down to twenty bucks, and for the amount of content you get, it’s basically a steal. Just watch out for the hippos. Seriously, they’re faster than they look.
To truly master the game, focus on upgrading your hidden blade and quiver first. Raw damage is secondary to the ability to remain undetected and take out targets from a distance. Once you hit the level cap, head into the Sinai Peninsula in the Hidden Ones DLC to see the Brotherhood in its infancy. It provides the closure that the main story only hints at.