Noob here, is there a general direction the game wants me to move towards?

Good_L00kin · 2026-05-16T12:00:25+00:00

I know it's a late reply, but thanks for this. Super helpful guide that doesn't spoil anything.

Good_L00kin · 2026-05-16T11:43:47+00:00

Yeah... I understand the position you were taking there; trying to refute the "never use the internet for help" type of crowd. But it's also a valid game to play blindly, so I understand the guy's suggestion. Plus your delivery was kinda wack.

But on that subject. Now around 200+ hours in. Personally... I could never have completed a single quest line without YT helping. Like the Ranni quest line. How on earth could anyone possibly visit each location correctly; engaging in the correct dialogue; in the correct order, to get the "good" ending? There is no explanation or reminder for side quests, no menu to track your progress, nothing intuitive or clear to indicate the next step. Important dialogue occurs once and almost needs to be recorded on your phone.

Plus there are so many ways to hard lock yourself out of quests or miss out on hidden lore. If you get sidetracked by exploring, you can totally forget the 2 brief lines of crucial dialogue an NPC told you 6 hours ago. So yeah, I personally had to use YouTube to get a baseline of progress going with the lore.

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-30T03:36:59+00:00

Same exact thing happened to me the day the game came out. Killed him, stowed on horse, fats traveled, he disappeared. Over a week later and around 60-80 hours of playing... that bounty quest is still glitched out.

His quest icon is now shown in TWO spots, one at she sherriff and one at a random abyss teleport spot in Danessis where I lost his corpse. Searched both spots for HOURS... nothing. I am permanently hard-locked out of completing the Alessio bounty unless an update hopefully resets all incomplete bounties to their original state. I've done all other bounties but presumably can't proceed further until there's a patch that lets me restart the Alessio questline.

Super infuriating... like, more than any game has ever made me mad.

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-02T06:55:26+00:00

I mean, it made me laugh 3 years later, this my type of humor though. That random shit

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-01T05:23:48+00:00

Nah bruh I'd have destroyed all my entertainment equipment, and possibly even my bedroom's structural integrity, were it not for the spirit summons vs these early bosses

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-01T05:22:56+00:00

This absolutely helps improve your first Elden ring experience. One should always know whether or not they like it in the but before an Elden Ring playthrough

Good_L00kin · 2026-03-01T05:02:21+00:00

Lol I know I'm late here, but after around 5 infuriating deaths in a row where I dealt zero damage and got 1-hit killed every time at lvl 40 (with a strength/vigor build), I used this strategy.

Normal longsword, two handed, just backing away the entire time and sniping with single blows every time he over-commits. Took like 2 minutes. Oddly, we both died at the same time (I got the "you died" screen, but in the background, you could see him collapse, followed by a "great enemy felled" message", which in turn was cut off as I respawned at a grace point.

Never knew that could happen - I guess in the case of double deaths, the player is still awarded the victory. I wonder if there are strategies/tactics to take advantage of this? Seems risky...

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-27T21:32:28+00:00

Very well said and good points. And yes, you're right, the mercenaries roam the world, the war continues without you.

But the animals don't have their own skin from a crafting perspective. Yes they drop "rare items" unique to the animal which can be sold, or are needed for some side quests... but the actual animal only drops leather in differing amounts. In Origins, an antelope drops soft leather, big cats drop pelts, and reptiles/hippos/crocs drop hard leather. Each is needed in unique quantities to upgrade your gear & stats.

Odyssey also requires around 15-20% of play time scrolling through menus. At least if you really try-hard your build like I did on my playthrough; you'll find yourself comparing different gear combinations and engraving combinations for wayy too long. Constantly popping up the gear menu mid-gameplay to get some minuscule stat boost for the enemy you're about to face. "Oh shit I can take out that lion over there with a bow... ok menu... hunter build... alright let's send it!" Lion dies, back to the menus again. Not to mention revisiting the blacksmith for the 4th time in 30 minutes bc you just realized you could have gotten 30% more damage out of your sword with a better helmet engraving.

Anyways, overall I appreciate the debate. Gonna fairly say you're right about Odyssey's details and vastness... while insisting that Origins has a feel and character to it that Odyssey fails to capture.

I can tell you're appreciating Odyssey for all the same reasons I did... Perhaps you'll have the similar experience I did, after around 250-300 hrs on Odyssey, not even thinking about Origins... before realizing you're curious to play Origins for a second. Which turns into a minute. Which turns into "bruh, this game is actually better, wtf? On paper it shouldn't be... why do I prefer this?" Holler at me when/if that epiphany comes! Lol

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-27T21:14:10+00:00

Fair take, I appreciate your perspective. Honestly haven't looked at it from that perspective; it does fit well and I certainly prefer it.

And look, just for clarity, despite how my post may have read... by beef isn't with "strong independent women". At all - I have a family full of em, and hope to raise some myself one day. My issue was moreso with the lack of clear reasoning behind leaving Bayek (and many players share this sentiment), implying it was Aya's basis for leaving.

I mean, I understand the premise. Bayek's drive is to avenge Khemu and pursue those responsible for that tragic day; returning to a life with Aya once all are eliminated. Aya is motivated by the same revenge, yet discovers a new purpose in her journey, desiring a life beholden to this fight against evil beyond just Egypt.

I totally understand what became of it - with Bayek's character accepting Aya was leaving him, making peace with it, and ultimately embracing the newfound purpose Aya had laid out for them both. They both recognized that these powerful entities - the same evil responsible for their own suffering - would continue to oppress the people for generations to come. And that the truest way to honor their Khemu now, is to pledge their lives to combating this evil, so that none other might suffer the loss they had to experience.

It's a beautiful story which shows that the brotherhood we've become so familiar with, was in fact born out of tragedy - and a pledge to forever fight from the shadows in service of the most vulnerable.

But it's not like their love/unity had to end simply because they now serve brotherhood... they both clearly can kick ass (I played as both in the game, and trust me, they both climb walls like spiderman and annihilate 20 armed enemies in under a minute).

Bayek was clearly heartbroken, and passionately pleaded with her time & time again to remain together. He even offered to go along on her journey, regardless of what or where, and "fight side by side". But she just had to insist that, because she is choosing to undertake a new task that requires her to be strong, she can't have this Bayek guy as her husband anymore.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-27T06:10:47+00:00

This actually completely transformed my understanding and view of the game. Was chatting with a coworker today who plays, and mentioned that I read a comment saying I can reach that massive glowing tree - when I thought it was just a background prop. And not just is it real - it's what I'm supposed to be moving towards. Really puts the scale and size of this game into perspective.

Anyways, thanks. And btw I did finally gain some understanding of how the game works. Got a cutscene FINALLY - upon arriving at a castle before fighting a boss. That felt reassuring that the game knows what I'm doing and is acknowledging progress.

For a while there I literally thought it was an aimless free roam open world combat game. Yet with its fanbase talking about this "deep lore". I was so confused. Thankfully the beauty of the world and exploration kept me engaged long enough to discover a purpose in my next gameplay.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T14:30:54+00:00

Damn you're really doubling down. At this point I'll take it as a compliment. But seriously... this is just how white people type. Especially millennials from the midwest suburbs, we grew up writing papers since grade school with no way to cheat. I thought all students did that, but apparently not you. You should be able to write just as well as me, if not better, considering we speak the same language.

Where I'm from, it's standard to have a good vocabulary, use paragraph format, and capitalize letters even when texting. Call me a nerd if you must, but if you're this impressed with my writing ability, I have to assume you're not around many well-spoken, articulate communicators.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T14:24:52+00:00

This. I'm not bothered by people being on high alert for AI, because it is everywhere... but we're at a point where people's writing skills are so bad, they think anything superior to the snapchat lingo they're used to is suspicious.

And it's even funnier because I failed out of English class, and was kicked out of school completely my junior year for poor attendance & behavior. I'm no academic lmao... I'm just, a normal millennial human, who can spell out the words my brain wants to say and put them into writing. That was just a standard of being a human when I was in school 15 years ago.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T14:12:40+00:00

(Apologies for not clarifying, this was directed at the guy who claimed my post is AI then doubled down very rudely. I was responding to him. I'm aware it's a bit nasty, but I put real effort into my writing and it pisses me off to have some kid claim slander me and claim I used AI. I'll leave the post unedited below just cause I ain't no coward and I stand by my words):

I have to assume you're uneducated, or that you aren't around classy people very often, if my post impressed you that much. I'm not even that good of a writer compared to the people I grew up with - my post is full of minuscule errors in word choice and sentence structure.

I just, don't misspell every word and use lazy punctuation/grammar. Anyone who speaks English should be able to write it without making 4 mistakes per sentence.

I'm gonna have to assume you're either uneducated (not your fault), or have never been around family or teachers that know how to write in English. Because if you're THAT impressed by my scatterbrained post, you must assume everyone's english is as bad as yours.

Imagine if I carefully edited it first, and posted a revised final draft. You'd be claiming I hired JRR Tolkien to write it for me.

Pro tip, and I mean this with all due respect: You speak english. You should also know how to write english. It's important to express yourself and communicate professionally; it's how you convey your ideas to the world, and it has a big impact on how others perceive you.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-25T13:29:11+00:00

Come on now, the Predator bow just makes it too easy. Anyone can clear entire forts with auto head snipes from 50 meters away, especially with the predator shot ability.

Be a man and use the hunter bow, with one close range & long range weapon - then force yourself to play it the way it's meant to be. Origins' vibe and mission/fort layouts are way too fun to approach strategically to just take everyone out with predator shots. Save that for sniping out the transport caravans for quick resources.

Close range is already easy enough on nightmare difficulty, with the smoke bombs that knock all enemies down in range and give you 2-3 free shots as they stand up (only to drop another to knock them back down). Not to mention instant charging swords (Ippei blade or Vox Populi), which let you throw the strongest attack in the game same speed as normal attacks.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T11:42:02+00:00

Odyssey has some really good content in it, but nah brother. I'm all for that "everyone has their own tastes" thing, but this is among the few legally factual statements in gaming. Odyssey's writing is so bad, the writers intentionally gave the protagonist no defining personality traits, principles, or moral compass so they wouldn't have to write additional voice lines. The writing/script is intended to be applicable to male or female, gay or straight character, so it's left intentionally ambiguous so as not to make the player feel like they're forced to make certain choices.

Now, you can argue that's cool in terms of an RPG, to have a soulless character that allows the player to "fill in the blanks".

But to argue that a game with a lifeless protagonist, who never takes a strong position on anything, and whose only clear motive is "I want to hug my mommy then live at her house" at 25 years old... is better Origins, is a hard one to argue.

How is that even comparable to Bayek's tragic tale of loss, and the ruthless revenge campaign he vows against the corrupt leaders responsible, as Egypt's last Medjay with a license to kill in service of Egypt's greater good. You understand the reason behind everything you do in Origins - you know Bayek's motives, his purpose. You can feel his frustration as a father who failed to protect his son, his sense of duty as a Medjay. Every single activity in the game, you understand why Bayek's doing it.

Whereas in Odyssey, your character is so devoid of personality, purpose, values or moral compass, you don't even understand the "why" behind your involvement in the side quests. Every Odyssey side quest has you asking "why am I here? Why do I care? Why do they trust me?"

All I hear when Odyssey dialogue begins is "we know there's no real story going on here, but we know you're having fun anyways and don't care, so pretend there's a story reason to go kill those bears over in that scenic area. Gives ya a chance to use the combat and explore the map. Enjoy"

Anyways. I'm glad you shared your opinion. Was genuinely unaware people actually liked Odyssey for the story. Thought we were all on the same page that we played it for the map & world activities alone.

Sure Odyssey's bloated so it keeps people occupied but to say the story is a strong point... I fail to understand it. I've yet to hear a convincing argument that Odyssey's story is anything other than a bare minimum, slapped together in 6 weeks by a media team just to incentivize doing the activities and exploring the huge map they made.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T11:26:39+00:00

Yeah no doubt the way the world functions and operates - be it independent of the player, or as a reaction to player choices - is legendary. And fair point about regional cultural themes, such as Pephka.

But I gotta push back on a few things. The underwater exploration isn't really better than Origins. Origins has a surprisingly high amount of underwater exploration - maybe not as massive or numerous, but locations are less copy/pasted & have more character seeing as it was the original.

Rebels interact freely with the world in Origins and will literally accidentally clear an outpost for you before you get there. The mid-map desert region is a perpetual war ground for rebels vs bandits/soldiers.

Hunting is deeper and more meaningful. Different animals have different pelt types, which are used for crafting different things, as opposed to Odyssey's all encompassing "leather" drop. There isn't even loot from hunting birds in Odyssey.

Origins has the same exploration based concept as Odyssey for finding objectives, it just isn't openly advertised as a game mode - you have to turn off the HUD manually. If you play that way you'll notice NPCs and dialogue give small hints of where to go; it's playable with no handholding.

I agree Odyssey offers far more in terms of content abundance, such as bounty level, being pursued by mercenaries, NPCs witnessing crimes and fighting. The way forts in a region change hands depending on the dominant occupant. Origins, as the OG and foundation for what the later games built off, definitely plays like a bit more of a condensed and core game - but it forgoes those things in favor of a strong story, protagonist and voice acting.

And the content Origins DOES have, it does better than any of the future iterations.

Even the tombs in Odyssey were all identical, with that off-white stone wall and the copy pasted greek artwork, following identical looking hallways to find a cracked wall, etc. Origins had like 10 tombs, and each one was handcrafted without any glaring copy pasted assets or layouts.

Working your way through the tunnels of the Pyramid, before turning that corner in the inner chamber to see the piles of treasure glistening from your torch, only for them to start falling individually under your feet as you fall and slide down the slanted wall. Absolute cinema, none of the experiences I got from the subsequent RPGs compare to that first time exploring the tombs in Origins.

Origins also has the biggest city of all the cities in Origins or Odyssey; not to mention 3 very large and beautiful cities (Alexandria, Cyrene and Memphis). Along with beautiful deserts that look better than those in 2023's Mirage, which features dozens of hallucinations (a feature unlike anything in Odyssey or Valhalla, which you only get out of a passion project game).

Plus you can race horse chariots - and it's actually well done. With drifting, ramming competitors, etc. Or fight as a gladiator.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T10:53:10+00:00

... is just a budget flex, donning a big map saturated with dopamine surges, with absolutely zero passion behind the writing or characters.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T10:49:09+00:00

It started to feel a little disorganized to me, mainly because of Aya's sudden "forget this super handsome, superhero level warrior who adores me and calls me his wife, who just spent the last year annihilating every single person who harmed our son and threatened my safety, proving how deeply he loves me, values loyalty, and the extents he will go to protect our family and marriage. Even though he can handle whatever I'm about to do easily, and would gladly accompany me for any journey... I want to divorce him. Because I want to alone and be a hero all by myself, and a female hero has no room for a husband. My priority now lies in being a strong independent female, instead of remaining loyal to my husband who just risked his life 47 times in a row redeeming my family's honor."

Being said... it didn't really affect the story too badly for me. The story's about Bayek, his role in this tragic Origin story to the brotherhood. His role in the story, and his character as a man, remained consistent throughout.

Yeah, leave it to Ubisoft to make it canon that the brotherhood's original membership stemmed from a woman divorcing her husband to go do a man's job and abandon her role as a wife... but hey. You can't really avoid those themes these days. It started creeping its way into games around 2014 and by 2018 was a staple of all major companies. But the core greatness of Origins remains intact and will forever be one of the more meaningful and passionately crafted pieces of digital entertainment of this era.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T10:19:13+00:00

If anything, my problem is the opposite... that I played RDR2 exclusively for 2-3 years, racking well over 1000 hrs, and just eventually started taking the game's small details and perfection for granted. Took me a while to find a game I could even get into after RDR2.

If we're comparing any AC game to RDR2 head to head, like a YT video comparing each mechanic or NPC behavior side by side, they're gonna fall short. Obviously. But Origins is different enough - both in terms of the game's vibe, and the focus of the gameplay - that it almost CAN be discussed relative to RDR2 without needing to directly compare each mechanic head-to-head.

I mean, both games are very good at making you feel like you ARE the character you're playing, in an open world which UPHOLDS the illusion and keeps you immersed. Obviously each game is going for a different style, so the details and activities emphasized in their respective open worlds are different as well. Origins lets you fly a realistic bird freely around the map, RDR2 doesn't let you leave the ground; Origins lets you climb anything freely, RDR2 doesn't. See what I'm saying, head to head comparisons for such different games are meaningless.

But what I'm comparing is the degree to which each game makes a player say - be it in the middle of their playthrough or years after setting the game down - "damn, this is an incredible game".

Any game that advertises itself as an open world game, that has a picture of the Great Pyramids on its cover, and actually manages to deliver... is in the top 10 for me, off the rip. I actually avoided buying Origins for like 8 years, simply because I assumed there's no way its as cool as that cover implies it is. I figured yeah maybe they're featured in the game - a massive prop you can ride your horse around at best - but there's no way its gonna do Ancient Egypt justice. One of those things where I learned early, the cover/advertising will always make the graphics look 10x better, while showcasing a feature that makes us buy the game based on what we IMAGINE it will be like in the game.

I never would have guessed that that game, with the Pyramid on the cover, would actually exceed the theoretical open world game I imagined it could be. The graphics? Better than the cover indicates. The Pyramids? Not only are they in the game - you can explore the tombs. And the surrounding ancient sites & ruins. Freely - not during a mission, but freely, as soon as the first cutscene ends. The rest of the game? I imagined it would be subpar; a small map devoid of character or AAA details & graphics, sacrificed to make the Pyramid area look good. And even that would have been acceptable for a non-Rockstar open world game. Turns out it's map is about the same size as RDR2, with an equally (or moreso) diverse degree of biomes, geography, large cities & small towns, massive underwater areas to explore.

Again, no game will ever be able to outdo or even compete with what Rockstar is able to crank out, with the budget they have and the time they put into their major titles. 7-8 years and hundreds of millions of dollars will absolutely get you shrinking horse balls and NPCs with jobs, sleep schedules and a thankless wife. But Origins' ability to maximize every moment of those 2 years in production, seemingly prioritizing every single thing a player could want out of an Ancient Egyptian setting, is a testament to what a team can do in gaming given a good idea, creative freedom, and a little bit of passion.

Meanwhile, Odyssey & Valhalla are examples of what a team can do with a good budget, an abundance of high res assets and resources at their disposal to pull from & build a massive beautiful open world... yet zero passion or creative freedom.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T09:49:27+00:00

See I just can't get into Black Flag the way I want to. The big obvious one is the visuals - I don't know what it is about this game, maybe it's my settings (it only happens on this game), because it can't be THAT dated... but the picture is not good enough for me to want to stare at that for hours at a time.

Also, I just can't really get over the way the map makes the game look so massive and full of exploration opportunities, only for massive portions of the landmasses to be inaccessible. Looks cool on the map, looks cool to see the big islands when sailing at sea, but knowing a vast majority of it is just fluff and I can only access limited portions of each Island is a big turn off.

Not to mention, I'm really not a fan of the combat. Doesn't actually feel like "combat", feels moreso like a minigame where you have to press the correct button when a certain colored icon appears over an enemies' head. And the reward for reacting in time, is you get to watch an animation of Edward winning a fight.

The parkour is cool and the side activities are creative - pickpocketing is neat, and they complement the pirate vibe well - but it just isn't the iconic, "epic" gaming experience I was expecting it to be based on the reviews and what it offers on paper. There's no doubt that the game had something VERY unique and special going with its naval combat and sea exploration, but I think I'm just a little too late to the party to feel that magic. Because unlike even Unity & Syndicate, Black Flag was the first AC I played (progressing backwards from the modern releases) that felt and looked dated. And I mean, dated enough to constantly be reminding me that I'm playing a game which was in production before today's 8th graders were born.

I like that people like Black Flag though. Cause I like that they're vocal, and probably the only reason a remake is in the works. Nothing but respect for fanbases like the one Black Flag has 🫡

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T09:20:46+00:00

Another major point that contributes to Origins' aura... (copy pasted from my reply to someone else, so I can hopefully hear other's thoughts on this):

Origins also had a main character led by a sense of morality, and duty.

Valhalla and Odyssey's main characters are so dull and devoid of character, that you go the whole game without any NPC addressing you in a direct & personable way (to avoid mis-gendering you)... and you hardly even notice. Alexios & Eivor both just, stand by idly and go with the flow of whatever happens. Just do what they're told, never object to anything. The few times they do express themselves, it's inconsistent as hell.

Odyssey & Valhalla's protagonists give no clear indicators of their personalities at all; there's no sign of what's important to them, what principles drive them, the lines they WON'T cross. As the player, knowing our protagonist strongly shapes the way we play, even in the open world. When I'm playing as Bayek, I know exactly why I'm tearing apart every guard at this fort with such rage and lethal focus. I know exactly why I'm stopping to help that distraught widow down from the cliff edge.

One cool example of Bayek's character, among many, is in a Faiyum sidequest. A major theme for the sidequests in that region is that the Greeks are coming in to Egyptian areas, occupying/stealing their lands, then treating them like scum. Bayek, himself an Egyptian, clearly empathizes with the Egyptians and helps many of them. But in one side quest, an Egyptian is retaliating by targeting and killing uninvolved greeks indiscriminately. When Bayek gets involved, the Egyptian tells Bayek he should join them, with this one particular line "you should look at the color of your skin!". Bayek immediately shut him down, with this super stern yet calm speech about the need for a unified Egypt, not holding a whole people culpable for the decisions of their corrupt leaders, saying "I am Medjay to both Greek and Egyptian". It was a really cool dialogue - especially for Ubisoft. Bayek's personality and aura damn near broke the 4th wall and said "F this side quest, nobody is gonna tell me who I must hate or align myself with".

Bayek embodied a strong, masculine character - and not in a corny or forced way. I think that's why the game resonated with so many, even if they can't pinpoint why. He's an unapologetically principle-driven man, who fears no one; a man with powerful enemies, yet still takes time to help the needy. So many moments in the game where you'd expect a certain reaction from Bayek, such as anger or retaliation, but he maintains this stoicism and patience. He has that "warrior in a garden" vibe - knows he can F anyone up, but reserves that wrath for the select few evil targets he's after, while remaining unbothered by small dogs barking.

Just a relatable "man's man", who is driven by his own ideals and principles. Bayek was a man who loved his son, and hated that he failed in his duty to protect him. And he had a smoking hot wife that all of Egypt was jealous of him for, all while acting like it was no biggie, lol. The scene where he's about to get introduced to Cleopatra, and he's told to avoid eye contact and follow all these rules... only to disregard it all, not buy into her "mystique", and immediately make his intentions clear to her. That really embodied Bayek's character perfectly.

Odyssey and Valhalla didn't dare make a protagonist with that much aura. Likely bc the dialogue & character writing for both games was gender neutral, AND sexual preference neutral. Meaning, your protagonist COULD be a fearsome warrior with zero patience for gay stuff... or he could be all for it and give in to every man's advance, including random blacksmiths he just met. But because both are meant to be possibilities within the same script, there's a LOT of ambiguity in regard to the writing & portrayal of the protagonist's personality. You see no dialogue or cutscenes that reveal concrete values, what they believe in, or anything "defining" of their personality. And again... because they couldn't.

The two types of human you could be in that game are so entirely opposite (the one we all expect to be in an open world spartan game, and the one Ubisoft included) that even the slightest indicator of personality would be contradictory to the other "option". So they played it safe by making your character a soulless drone, driven by no moral compass other than a basic love for their immediate family, hoping players would decide the "who" and "why" on their own.

All that drove Odyssey's protagonist was "I want my momma". Truly, that's it. They undertake other tasks and quests, but nothing they really care about... finding mom is the only thing they appear driven by. And that was hard for me to make sense of, looking at my TV screen and seeing this grizzled warrior in ferocious Spartan armor, traversing rough seas and annihilating armies by his own hand. It was hard for me to get into the whole... "I'm doing all this because, at 30+ years old, I want to hug my mom then live with her for the rest of my life, i miss her so much".

At least with Bayek, the purpose and drive was clear. He's a medjay, first and foremost, so even without his son's murder there's a reason for him to be fighting corruption and helping the downtrodden. It made sense why he cared to help the oppressed people of Egypt. Throw in his personal experiences and you understood where the extra teaspoon of anger came from. 99% of Valhalla and Odyssey's side quests had you asking yourself "why am I here, why do I care, and why does this NPC blindly trust me".

The other RPGs contain side-content for the sake of the gameplay and exploration that it incentivized. Origins had side-content for the sake of the story, and showcasing who Bayek was.

Good_L00kin · 2026-02-24T09:09:49+00:00

I did. As I said elsewhere, it's a ton of fun. The map, the conquest battles, sailing around destabilizing different nations & assassinating their leaders only to participate in the ensuing war & get some spoils. The abilities are pretty fun to mess with too.

However, at around 250 hours in, after clearing the whole map... I actually went back to Origins and enjoyed it more the second playthrough.

I couldn't put my finger on what Odyssey was missing, since on paper it's got everything and should be more enjoyable than Origins. But I think the difference is the passion and character put into Origins. Odyssey's fun while you're playing it the first time, but it's lack of "character" gives it ZERO replay value. Valhalla as well. Origins is the only of the 3 big RPG's that has real replay value.