I really enjoyed this last year so going to give it another go for ‘19. I put quite a lot of thought into what actually a ‘song of the year’ for me when I was first constructing and then heavily editing the playlist that came to be my Top 50 of 2019. I think the most important thing is that above all it’s a track that I’m glad exists, sometimes this is because of the songwriting or composition, sometimes the performance, sometimes the lyrical importance and sometimes just because it sparks joy.
Man works in a shop. He has hired me to protect him - something about spies and coded letters. All I need to do is stop three guys from killing him and then one further brute of a man.
Attempt one:
I foolishly expect Man to run and hide, rather than fistfight the multiple armed assailants. They kill Man.
Attempt two:
I kill the three guys with ease, but Kassandra decides to finish of the third guy with a real flourish. She swings the giant club down upon the (already dead) man again and again. It’s a real spectacle. Plenty of panache. Unfortunately, all the while, the brute has run in and is repeatedly stabbing Man. Kassandra refuses to be cool. Man dies.
Attempt three:
I kill the three guys. I start to beat up the brute before he can get NEAR Man. Some nearby Spartan soldiers spot the fight and can’t help but get involved. I accidentally clip one with my club and now THEY ALL WANT ME DEAD. Man decides he likes his odds with the Spartans better and switches alliegences. I try to defend myself against the Spartans, but one particularly heavy blow from my club sends a Spartan flying directly into Man. Man dies.
Attempt four:
I kill the three guys. I begin to beat up brute. The Spartans spot the fight and join in. Man and the Spartans attack the brute. I watch. The brute dies. The Spartans celebrate. Man thanks me. Job done.
Sometimes, in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the faction system is weird and broken. I’ve freed captured Spartans from Athenian camps only to immediately kill said Spartans because I had a particular quest to kill [X] Spartans. There’s no allegiance system, really. Kill who you want.
…
And I guess that’s okay. I mean, it’s a game all about being an assassin. You mightn’t get to feel like much of a hero but there are a lot of other things to love. The combat is better than ever. Context-sensitive buttons are smarter than ever (apart from the ‘talk’ and 'assassinate’ button being the same) and the world - the world! It’s overwhelmingly big but it’s so beautiful. It’s varied and interesting. It’s historical yet mythical.
I’m over a hundred hours into the game and I’m yet to complete either of the main story threads. However, I have triumphed in some incredible battles; I’ve completed some genuinely funny quests; I’ve travelled leagues. Ultimately, I’ve loved it.
Kassandra is the best AC character so far and I heartily recommend you begin your odyssey with her soon, if you haven’t already. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey gets 👍👍 from me.
