Assassin's Creed Origins

Since 2007, the Assassin's Creed franchise has been rewriting history from Jerusalem to Victorian London. From Altair to Jacob Frye, every Assassin is a turning point in world history that rewrites the very future of humanity as we know it. In celebration of the Assassin's Creed franchise's 10th anniversary, the latest installment has arrived and we're in for a treat because this new chapter introduces us the Assassin that gave birth to the Brotherhood.

Assassin's Creed Origins (PS4)

Assassin's Creed Origins (X1)

Assassin's Creed Origins introduces players to the warrior who would become an Assassin. Enter Bayek, a Medjay warrior in Ancient Egypt as he is seeking revenge against a tyrant and a group of powerful individuals for the death of his son while witnessing the birth of the Brotherhood from our very eyes.

Like most Assassin's Creed installments, Origins is an open-world adventure that showcases the wonders of Ancient Egypt and as demonstrated by the Ultra 4K HDR, every sight and sound of Ancient Egypt never felt so alive and so is the dynamism of Bayek's journey. Of course, in typical Assassin's Creed fashion, the storyline adds a dramatic feel to this installment, introducing the dark secrets and hidden myths Ancient Egypt has to offer and blending history with fiction, it adds some drama to it.

Gameplay mechanics have been refined as well and with numerous weapons and items to collect, it's not just the battles you'll need to master, it's the strategy you'll really need to get the job done. Whether if you're going stealth or go all out against enemies, it's important that you'll need the right equipment and the right tools to ensure that you will succeed against all odds. From powerful close-range weapons, defensive armor, and a bow for long-range attacks, every piece of it can be upgraded to make it more suitable for upcoming conflicts.

Be wary though that even though heavily armed enemies are something to worry about, what's even more worrying about during your expedition is the wilderness and if you're not careful, you'll be their next meal so hunt them down before they hunt you out. If you did hunt some wild animals, you can collect some animal skins to sell it for money or some crafting items to upgrade your equipment. Speaking of crafting, did you know that you can dismantle unnecessary weapons for crafting materials needed to upgrade your equipment?

What's also new in AC Origins is you can ride on camels or horses to ensure a quick progress. You can even let them ride themselves as well if you're stuck. Also, more importantly, when the objective is near, you can summon an eagle to detect targets from far away,

Like all good adventure games, you can't just rush into the main story just yet because if you need to progress through the story, you need to level up. Taking side quests is a great way to level up before taking on your quest to get back on the tyrants behind your painful pasts. As you'll level up, you can gain new abilities that will be proven useful on your journey such as fire bombs, smoke screens, sleep darts, you can even gain an ability to tame the wilderness and use them to your advantage.

To add some fun with the game, AC Origins features a photo mode where you can share your Egyptian journeys to the other players. Also, you can avenge your fallen players and earn bonuses as well. Lastly, there are downloadable contents including powerful items and upcoming chapters that will enhance your AC Origins experience throughout the coming weeks.

So, what's my take on AC Origins? For those who are a fan of the Assassin's Creed games since 2007, this origin story is the closure fans have been clamoring for and so are the memorable cast of characters they can expect in this new tale. For those who are new to the franchise, they are more than welcome here. Besides, this is game is all about the first Assassin behind the rise of the Brotherhood after all so those who need to catch up to from the beginning shouldn't need to hurry. But hey, newcomers can be fast learners and you will learn something from them.

With its breathtaking graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, dramatic storyline, and hours of fun in the deserts of ancient history, it really is the best Assassin's Creed game in ages. What a way to celebrate 10 years of the Assassin's Creed franchise and with Bayek joining the ranks of other Assassins we are familiar with, it really is history in the making.

How the Assassin's Creed franchise rewrote history forever

Although today's Assassin's Creed isn't as strongly violent as the games were, it was more of an advanced birthday present to celebrate 10 years of Assassin's Creed this 2017. Anyway, the hit stealth action game that became the historical equivalent of Metal Gear continues to rewrite ancient history forever with numerous installments in both consoles and smartphones alike.

Fanbase aside, this video game franchise keeps changing history with the war between Assassins and Templars and because of a certain individual's genes that traces back to the Assassin that changed history forever, the Assassins are born for one major purpose; to rewrite history and take on the Templars in modern times. So, how did the franchise rewrote the history books as we knew it since the first game launched in 2007?

• The first Assassin's Creed game, launched in 2007, centers on the history of the Third Crusade in the Holy Land and the bloodline of the legendary Assassin named Altair ibn-La'Ahad was told. Following his capture by the shadowy Abstergo organization, a young man named Desmond Miles recalls the memories of his ancestor who broke all three tenets of the Brotherhood while attempting to stop Robert de Sable from taking a Piece of Eden. While demoted by the Brotherhood as a mere novice, Altair's quest throughout the Holy Land involves the assassination of the nine Knights Templars to regain his former status, and that includes stopping de Sable in the presence of King Richard I of England warning the King of de Sable's plot to kill him.
• The Ezio trilogy, which remains one of the most popular arcs of the franchise (so popular, they even gave PS4 and XBOX One owners a remastered treatment) that began with Assassin's Creed II centers on the height of the Italian Renaissance during the 15th and the early 16th century as well as the Assassin named Ezio Auditore da Firenze. From Florence to Forli, the road to Ezio's revenge against the betrayal of his family is not obviously an easy one as he tries to restore the order of the Assassins, defeat the Templars, and continue their ongoing quest to prevent a foreseeable Armageddon. It all leads to the fateful encounter between Altair and Ezio in Assassin's Creed Revelations, where Desmond's retelling of the two assassins are starting to unravel.
• Connor from Assassin's Creed III and Aveline from Assassin's Creed Liberation are the Assassins that changed America forever during the events of the American Revolution, the events involving the Americans regaining their independence from British colonists and named George Washington as their first president. Continuing Desmond Miles' mission to stop the foreseeable apocalypse, he re-emerged through the age of the American Revolution as his half-English, half-Mohawk ancestor Ratonhnhake:ton, also known as Connor. In Liberation, meanwhile, it centers mostly on Aveline de Grandpré, an American with French and African heritage who joined the Assassin Brotherhood in 1759 and waged a war against the Templar conspiracy that will rewrite the very history of America forever.
• Following the death of Desmond Miles after the events from the previous installments, samples of his body were taken and allowed Abstergo to continue explore his genes through the Animus' new cloud computing capabilities. In Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, the tale of a pirate named Edward Kenway was told during the legend of Black Beard. As the new Assassin sails across the seas, the Abstergo organization, Templars of today, are searching for a First Civilization structure known as the Observatory, and they're using Edward Kenway's memories to find it.
• Assassin's Creed Rogue, the darkest installment of the series, centers on North America during the French-Indian War of the 18th century and it tells the tale of Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin who betrayed the Brotherhood and vowed revenge as a villainous Assassin Hunter while venturing through the streets of New York City through the freezing temperatures of the North Atlantic Ocean. This is the first time fans get to know about the game as a villainous Templar who hunts Assassins for his thirst for vengeance.
• Set during the French Revolution during the late 18th century, Assassin's Creed Unity ventures on the tale of Arno, an Assassin who can discover the hidden truth behind the Revolution. In here, Arno will have to take advantage of new arsenal, skills, and alliance with others to explore 18th Century Paris in search for the hidden truth behind the Revolution.
• Assassin's Creed Syndicate focuses on London, England, during the age of the Industrial Revolution, and as Jacob Frye, who spearheaded the world's first organized crime family in London, he and his gang must unite to bring down the establishments and rival gangs to gain control of the underground scene of the British capital.
• There are other untold Assassins that changed the very course of history forever. Such examples are Arbaaz Mir from India, Nikolai Orelov and Anastasia from Russia, Shao Jun from China, Aguilar from Spain, the Last Descendants, and many others. Who knows, there could be undiscovered Assassins are yet to be told in the foreseeable future and how they rewrite history while waging war against the Templars.

So, with ten years of discovering Assassins throughout the pages of ancient history, fans are looking to expect more from this franchise because as the franchise is honoring its tenth anniversary in 2017, there are more Assassins are yet to be discovered and it could be you who will change the course of history and the future, forever.

Assassin's Creed (2016 film)

Assassin's Creed (2016 film)

Since its launch in 2007, the Assassin's Creed franchise rewrites the pages of history from the Holy Land to the Industrial Revolution with the legendary war between Assassins and Templars that have changed history forever. Now, for some unknown reasons, a movie adaptation of the hit video game franchise has arrived and this one is pretty much different to the Assassin's Creed we are familiar with.

Starring Michael Fassbender, and Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard, this Assassin's Creed film centers on the tale of Callum Lynch, who was imprisoned inside the mysterious facility in the present day and thanks to the Animus-a device that allows users to explore genetic memories buried within their DNA, Callum's bloodline traces back to his ancestor named Aguilar, an Assassin in 15th Century Spain. By taking advantage of his newly found bloodline as well as his intelligence and combat skills as an Assassin, Callum must stop at nothing to rewrite history to suppress against the Templar forces of today.

This film is vaguely original compared to the video games it based upon and while it promises fans the same exhilarating feel that fans get from the games, it's kinda hard to imagine why, by surprise, this movie adaptation made like a thief in a night. In fact, it's very as shadowy as what an Assassin should be. Sadly, you don't get the gore and some violent stuff that the games delivered. In fact, it's just tad regular for a movie version of a hit video game franchise. While this is a good movie to watch for the holidays, its lack of strong violence is what doesn't really pleases about this Assassin's Creed movie and because it's vaguely original, there are some questions that need to be answered why.

My rating: 2.7 out of 5.