Summary
- Assassin's Creed Odyssey fans debate historical accuracy vs. Creative license in armor design, sparking interesting discussions.
- Some fans defend the game's use of bracers in armor design, citing gameplay necessity and the rule of cool in fantastical titles.
- Despite minor inaccuracies, Odyssey boasts the best open world in the Assassin's Creed series with attention to detail and scale.
A perceptive Assassin's Creed Odyssey fan has highlighted one of the game's minor historical inaccuracies concerning Greek armor and equipment. The insight prompted discussion in the Assassin's Creed Odyssey player community about the game's balance between creative license and realism.
Despite multiple Assassin's Creed series games appearing after it released in 2018, Odyssey remains the game to beat in terms of having the best Assassin's Creed open world. The game's massive map seemingly covers the entire ancient Greek map, encapsulating an entire era of history, ranging from accurate representations of period cultures and places to epic legends tweaked to fit in with Ubisoft's original Assassin's Creed franchise lore. Critics and players alike praised the game's staggering attention to detail and inimitable sense of scale.
10 Best Historical Locations In Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey contains a wealth of beautiful historical locations for players to explore.
Of course, any game of such size is bound to make a few slips, and player Divine-Crusader pointed out one minor oversight in Assassin's Creed Odyssey's costume and armor design sensibility. In a post on the franchise's Reddit community, Divine-Crusader noted that bracers, pieces of armor designed to strap to a wearer's forearms above between the wrist and elbow, were almost ubiquitous in Assassin's Creed Odyssey armor designs, despite the fact that few ancient Greek warriors actually wore that type of equipment.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey Armor Anachronism Illustrates the Game's Aesthetic Priorities
To illustrate their point, Divine-Crusader brought up a screenshot of Kassandra, the female Assassin's Creed Odyssey protagonist. In the screenshot, Kassandra wears parts of the Spartan War Hero armor set, with a pair of metal armored braces shielding her forearms from harm. Divine-Crusader compared this to illustrations of Greek soldiers in action found on art from the period. The illustrations, which are of Greek Hoplite warriors, show the soldiers wearing torso protectors, helmets, and even leg guards, but rarely with bracers. Divine-Crusader argued that such solid arm protection as a bracer or vambrace was impractical for typical Greek soldiers, for reasons like cost, comfort, and the fact that in many cases the warrior's shield and formation with fellow soldiers was sufficient.
The claim prompted detailed discussion among fans of Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Some commenters said that just because bracers aren't always represented in historical art doesn't mean no one wore them, bringing up the fact that some suits of ancient Greek bronze armor that predate Odyssey's time period feature metal arm guards strapped to the wearer's forearms, just like a bracer. Others noted that bracers might be necessary for gameplay, as the addition of bracers or gloves to many Assassin's Creed Odyssey outfits allows players to have an additional piece of gear to earn and select from.
Some commenters also brought up the "rule of cool," asserting that while Assassin's Creed games are inspired by historical periods and places, they're fundamentally fantasy titles. Odyssey itself features many interactions with ancient Greek deities and other purely fictional exploits. Historical realism is laudable, but its tenets are, they said ultimately subordinate to making an entertaining game with attractive clothes to wear.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
- Released
- October 15, 2018
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
- Engine
- anvilnext
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
WHERE TO PLAY
Choose your fate in Assassin's Creed® Odyssey.
From outcast to living legend, embark on an odyssey to uncover the secrets of your past and change the fate of Ancient Greece.
TRAVEL TO ANCIENT GREECE: From lush vibrant forests to volcanic islands and bustling cities, start a journey of exploration and encounters in a war torn world shaped by gods and men.
FORGE YOUR LEGEND: Your decisions will impact how your odyssey unfolds. Play through multiple endings thanks to the new dialogue system and the choices you make. Customize your gear, ship, and special abilities to become a legend.
FIGHT ON A NEW SCALE: Demonstrate your warrior's abilities in large scale epic battles between Athens and Sparta featuring hundreds of soldiers, or ram and cleave your way through entire fleets in naval battles across the Aegean Sea.
GAZE IN WONDER: Experience the action in a whole new light with Tobii Eye Tracking. The Extended View feature gives you a broader perspective of the environment, and the Dynamic Light and Sun Effects immerse you in the sandy dunes according to where you set your sights. Tagging, aiming and locking on your targets becomes a lot more natural when you can do it by looking at them. Let your vision lead the way and enhance your gameplay.
