STACK #168 Oct 2018

GAMES FEATURE

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Achilles’ Steel time of conflict on all fronts: you had mortals in conflict with the gods; the rise of rational thinking vs. mythology; democracy vs. tyranny; and of course it was smack in the middle of the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens. “During this time, much of Greece was a battlefield, providing players with incredibly fun gameplay opportunities, but it was also one of the most beautiful locations in the world, offering players a wide variety of environments to explore.”

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey takes players to the beautiful, lush landscapes of the Greek islands. We spoke with Dan Bingham, scriptwriter, to find out what to expect from the latest game from Ubisoft Quebec. Words Alesha Kolbe and Paul Jones I t's easy to lose count of how many Assassin’s Creed games have been released into the wild across all formats – this one is the 11 th main console entry in the franchise. of mythology seem a perfect fit for the game. But with

As with all Assassin’s Creed games, the fiction intertwines with historical events and figures of the period: some drawn from more academic sources to add credence to plot lines, while others are familiar as household names. Odyssey is no different and there are instantly recognisable names (if not faces) that players will come across in their journey. “What Assassin’s Creed story would be complete without the historical figures who helped shape the world in which we live today? Ancient Greece and the Golden Age of Athens was no exception, as it hosted

It was a time of conflict on all fronts

approximately 350 years of history to choose from, how did the team select the period the game is set in? “As with every Assassin’s Creed title, we wanted to send our players to a pivotal point in human history, while bringing a beautiful world to life for them to explore and get lost in,” offers Dan Bingham. “We also wanted the best possible setting to tell the story of how the First Civilization bloodline would eventually spark the conflict between order and free will. This made Ancient Greece, specifically 431 BCE, the perfect setting for Odyssey . It was a

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey lets players take on the role of either Alexios or Kassandra in Ancient Greece, siding with either the Spartans or the Athenians. Ancient Greece, alongside Rome and Egypt (explored in last year’s acclaimed Assassin’s Creed: Origins ) have long become speculated eras for the series to visit. To date the console games have explored the Third Crusade, Renaissance Italy, the American and French Revolutions, pirates and even Britain’s 19 th century Industrial Revolution. But with so much political intrigue, deceit, usurpation and powermongering in the world of the Ancient civilisations, the many poleis or states of Ancient Greece and its rich tapestries

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OCTOBER 2018

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