6 Biggest Changes For Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Dialogue Options, Consequences, And More

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the latest game in the long-running franchise and it has been confirmed for release October 5, 2018 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Coming hot off the heels of 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey seems to be changing things up for the series even more. We already had a chance to play the new game for a few hours and experienced many of its features. So, here are six things new in Assassin's Creed Odyssey that we think change the formula in interesting ways.

Ancient Greece Confirmed

The Assassin's Creed series is well known for its historical backdrops. This time, we're going to Ancient Greece; specifically, we'll be exploring in the year 413 BC in the midst of the Peloponnesian War. It's Sparta vs Athens, but you're a mercenary seeking revenge on those who took your family away from you. You'll be traveling to lush locations around Greece, like Mykonos, Delos, and Attica to name a few, and meeting prominent historical figures like Socrates, Hippocrates, and Herodotus.

Male Or Female Protagonist

You'll be able to go through this odyssey as either a male protagonist named Alexios or a female protagonist named Kassandra. They have the same story, dialogue, and abilities; the only difference is the voice acting and character models. It's a similar approach to how Mass Effect had both male and female Commander Shepards. It's up to you who you'll lead across Ancient Greece.

Dialogue Choices and Character Relationships

Picking a lead character isn't the only decision you'll be making in Assassin's Creed Odyssey; for the first time in franchise history, dialogue options will permeate the entire adventure. There will be opportunities to tease out more information during conversations, but some decisions can impact how the game plays out. Certain NPCs can also be romanced or befriended depending on what you say.

Ubisoft toyed with the idea of letting players know whether or not certain lines have an effect on outcomes (similar to Telltale games), but ultimately decided it would be better for players to not worry about making the "optimal" choice.

Facing The Consequences

There will be consequences to your actions, For example, the demo we played prompted us to align with one of two characters on how to approach leading a rebellion. We chose the more subtle approach which gave us a mission to sneakily take out enemy weapons and supplies on foot. Had we chose to side with the one suggesting more brute force, we would've had to complete naval combat missions instead.

It's not just about what you say to other characters either; side quests are where it gets interesting. In one case, Socrates gave me heads up on a rebel being held hostage who could help the fight, but is known to be a loose cannon. we could either free the rebel, kill him, or ignore the quest altogether. Since we decided to free this character in the Socrates side quest, he appeared in the conclusion of the main quest-line, but straight up assassinated an important character during what was supposed to be a celebration. This result also damaged the relationship we had with another character. We can't say Socrates didn't warn us, though. That's just one example of consequence in this huge open-world game.

A Ship Ton Of Naval Combat

Since Greece is a collection of islands with lots of water to explore in the middle, it makes sense that sailing your own ship is core to Odyssey. Naval combat will also play a huge role, much like Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag--expect to destroy enemy ships with fire arrow barrages, waves of javelins, or full-speed naval rams. Once ships reach zero health, you can loot them by hopping aboard and engaging in traditional hand-to-hand combat. AC Origins had a few instances of seafaring battles, but Odyssey is treading deeper waters.

Combat Skills And Spartan Kicks

Combat abilities and skill trees give players plenty of options when it comes to fights and assassinations. Holding the left shoulder button turns face buttons into ability activations, and the left trigger does this for bow-and-arrow abilities. In total, 8 skills are available to you at once. A few notable skills are a shield rip, healing ability, and a multi-arrow shot. But nothing comes close to the iconic Spartan kick. Giving enemies the boot will comically send them flying backward; it's ideal for launching them off ships or off the side of a cliff. This is Sparta, after all.