Assassin’s Creed Odyssey “pushes the limits” of the series’s historical grounding

It’s no secret that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is drawing from the larger-than-life mythology of Ancient Greece: one of the first screenshots of the game features a terrifying reincarnation of the snake-haired Medusa. But Ubisoft has now said that some elements of the game will “push the limits” of the series’s traditionally strict(ish) adherence to historical fact. Talking to us at Gamescom 2018, Odyssey’s creative director Scott Phillips says: “We wanted the Spear of Leonidas, we wanted you to have an artefact,” referring to the mythical, seemingly magical weapon that acts as the key piece of gear for your Spartan warrior. “[The spear is] a way to give you access to these special abilities, which can push the limits for some people for how far Assassins Creed should go. But we wanted to tie it into the lore of the first civilisations and Apples of Eden, and so we sort of do both with the Spear of Leonidas. I think it works out really well.” The abilities of the spear allow for a very different combat experience, one free of the shield that so dominated Origins’ battle systems. “More than anything, we wanted the combat to be active and agile and focus on movement,” Phillips says. “We felt by having a shield some types of players would hide more than we wanted them to.” Thanks to the spear, this time players will be kicking enemies away, rather than deflecting their blows.