Another one of gaming’s worst kept secrets came to light today, when Assassin’s Creed: Origins‘ existence was confirmed during Microsoft’s presentation. With it, months of speculation, rumours, leaked screenshots and synopses came to an end.
With its next interactive outing, Ubisoft’s action-adventure behemoth will venture to the sands of Ancient Egypt, where corruption has led to the creation of the Brotherhood of Assassins. Yes, this is where it all started, meaning that we’ll get to see what led to the formation of the sneaky guild and who their first hunted Templars were.
What we know about the game’s storyline is that it centres upon an Egyptian ‘sheriff’ named Bayek, who returns to his hometown of Siwa. There, the original controllable assassin intends to end the life of the false oracle, Medunamun. Throughout his journey, Bayek will also learn the mysteries of the Great Pyramids and ancient pharaohs, while engaging with forgotten myths.
The showcased trailer and gameplay segments showcased a beautiful game set in a stunning world full of sand, pyramids and tons of unique colours. It wasn’t too long before things kicked into gear, though, giving us our first look at the controllable eagle that we’ll be able to use to scout enemy encampments and local environmental details.
After using his winged companion to get a good look at what he was up against, Bayek ventured into a nearby stronghold in full stealth mode. Using his climbing skills, thoroughly impressive agility and knack for being whisper quiet, he was able to infiltrate the compound and get the jump on a couple of guards. What ensued was a stealth takedown, which featured a quick blade and then an event faster throw that sent both digital humans to the floor and ended their simulated lives.
Also shown in this demo was an upgrade system, which further cements the leaks that suggested that Assassin’s Creed: Origins would feature more RPG mechanics than its predecessors. This mechanic will allow players to make Bayek their own, via a leveling system, loot and customizable options. Rare weapons will also be made available for use, especially during boss battles where they’ll come in most handy.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins is on target to release on October 27th, and will be made available for Xbox One, PS4 and Windows PC. Enhancements for Xbox One X and PS4 Pro will also be available, as the game is poised to take advantage of the more powerful versions of each console.
Those who preorder this iteration will receive access to a special mission, that being the Secrets of the First Pyramids quest. Going further, Ubisoft has also confirmed that there will be multiple versions of Origins, including the regular edition, deluxe edition and gold edition. See below for details.
In the Deluxe Edition, gamers will receive the base game, a printed version of the hand-drawn world map, the game’s official soundtrack and the Digital Deluxe Pack, including the Ambush at Sea naval mission, the Desert Cobra Pack and three bonus Ability points. The Gold Edition will include all of the Deluxe Edition Digital content plus the Season Pass. The Season Pass will give players access to all upcoming major expansions and equipment sets. Both Deluxe and Gold Editions will be also available on digital stores. A Gold Edition with a physical Steelbook™ is also available.
We’ll likely have more to say about Assassin’s Creed: Origins tomorrow afternoon, when Ubisoft takes the Orpheum’s stage for its own E3 2017 press conference.