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• Odyssey
• Rival Consoles

The original PlayStation forever changed the video game landscape, thanks to its 3D- technology and its variety of games. Traditionally, the market was dominated by friendly-toned games such as Nintendo's Super Mario Bros and Sega's Sonic The Hedgehog. However, Sony managed to attract the grown-up gamers by releasing titles that mostly appealed to a mature audience. Resident Evil and Twisted Metal are perfect examples of Sony's vision as both of these M-Rated games are considered to be PSX classic. The PlayStation was also a versatile system as games like Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot were mostly children-oriented titles that could appeal to both kids and grow-ups. While junior players are majorly familiar with the PlayStation 4, we believe it is essential for people to know about the brand's original console. Therefore, we present you 25 PlayStation 1 Secrets Everyone Should Know.

We're proposing to you a trip back to when SD-TVs and wired controllers were the gaming norms. Though the list is mostly aimed at casual players, even the most seasoned players will find useful pieces of information about this 23-year-old console. After all, the Internet wasn't the same as it is now and we were surely too busy playing on our games (I know I was!). Furthermore, we're quite confident that you'll be the center of attention for your next gaming party. As always, we invite you to share and comment the article; every opinion matters, whether good or bad. Time to bring it back to the 90s!

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25 Nintendo & Sony's Unspoken Partnership

We have to thank Nintendo for motivating Sony on creating the PlayStation. Odd isn't it? Well, the juggernaut console is the revenge result of a failed collaboration between the two companies. It may be a bit hard to believe, knowing that Nintendo projects itself as an affable company whose executives seems to be more congenial than your second-grade elementary teacher. Sadly for Sony, they learned that Nintendo was strictly about doing business. What Nintendo didn't know is that the unsuccessful partnership would forever decrease his role in the video game industry. Back in the 90s, the Super Nintendo dominated the video game sales chart. The company giant wanted to collaborate with Sony for a new CD-ROM add-on on its famed console.

Sadly, the upgraded console never released due to failed negotiations over the property rights.

Sony's president was so outraged at the situation that he instructed the engineers to continue development of the add-on, which resulted in being the PSX. We're sure that Nintendo is regretting its decision now. In the end, the PS1 proved to be the true victor with more than a 100 million units sold, compared to the Nintendo 64 who only sold 33 million systems. Though Nintendo would later reclaim its throne with its Wii console, they'll forever lose the authority they had in the video game market, thanks to their business practices.

24 A Mini-Portable Screen For Your PS1

The PlayStation Link Cable is one of the many articles Sony released for its console. Though many third-party accessories were also supporting the console, only a handful of them proved to be useful (no offense, people). Also, first-party add-ons always proved to be more reliable than third-parties, as Sony officially licensed them. While most casual players are familiar with the Memory Card and the Dualshock controller, there were many first-party attachments that significantly improved the console. One of them allowed you to play your games without an RCA cable.

The PlayStation Mini LCD, a Sony licensed product, is a small screen that acts as a portable TV for the PSOne, exclusively.

Players can only screw the mini-screen into the output holes on the back of the console to activate it. One of its most significant advantages is that the overall picture quality was slightly better than the regular TVs, at the time. Despite its size, the image fits perfectly onto the screen. While the audio has been affected because of its size, the Mini LCD still offers a certain sound quality. Though the attachment was pricey at the time, collectors may find it for a handful of dollars on reselling websites.

23 3D Philosophy

The Dualshock controller remains a signature element of the PlayStation thanks to its look and built-in rumble feature. One of its particular points is its button display. As opposed to the traditional controllers who use the alphabetic letters (A-B-Z, etc.), the Dualshock uses the 'Triangle, Square, X, and Circle' format. Though gamers seem to didn't mind it, the forms display has a profound explanation.

Initially, Sony wanted to represent the 3-D gaming concept in the controller. Triangle would represent the view of the player; Square would represent the menu or documents that players would need to consult; and the X/O combination would serve as yes and no, respectively. Sony executives initially had mixed reviews about the controller's design as they wanted it to resemble the SNES controllers. However, Sony president Norio Ohga would end up backing Goto's model and the executives complied with the designer. While the concept was brilliant, game developers instead opted to program their controls differently than Sony's vision. Nevertheless, we have to credit Goto for defining the PlayStation brand name. On another note, I'm glad Sony never released its PS3 Boomerang controller.

22 The PlayStation Supports Game Boy Games

Sony's initial relationship with Nintendo is the reason why the Play Station exists. Seeing the chances of the two companies collaborating in the future is less likely than winning the lottery. However, you might've not known that it was possible to play Game Boy titles onto the PlayStation. While this may be something your girlfriend would say to catch your attention (or waves of laughter, in my case), the accessory was created by third-party providers.

In a nutshell, players would plug the adapter into the back of the Play Station and voila!

As simple as that, your PSX is ready to play Game Boy cartridges. While the idea would charm many Nintendo and Sony hybrid fans, many reported that the adapter didn't work correctly and that fans would be disappointed at the hardware. The irony of the situation is that it was easier for gamers to play GB games on the big screen, with the PlayStation than with its Nintendo 64 sister console. The N64 has two accessories that enable Game Boy connectivity: the Wide Boy 64 and the Transfer Pak. However, both add-ons have their issues: the Wide-Boy 64 wasn't available for the public, and the Transfer Pak offered a small number of compatible games.

21 So Many Logo Attempts.

The PS logo seems to have been a natural fit for the console. It's marketable, recognizable and represents the three-dimensional vision of the console. Though the emblem changed at each of the console entries, the original PS symbol was still used in many of its accessories, most notably on the DualShock controllers. Still, many players are unaware that the traditional logo was not Sony's first choice.

Japanese designer Manabu Sakamoto created the PS logo. Initially, the artist prepared more than 20 concepts to Sony before choosing the final symbol. If you take a look at the picture above, you can see how Sakamoto had different ideas about the emblem. While most of the pitches aimed to represent the 'PS' form, the designer seemed to give a greater importance to the 'S' as its shape is being highlighted in all of them. The logo colors are supposed to signify the joy, passion, and excellence that the console brings to the players. While the PS label may be another image to some, it represents nostalgic moments to veteran gamers. We can't help but wonder if choosing a different logo would've had the same impact than the selected one. Quite personally, I'm happy with the current design!

20 The PlayStation That Could Program Games Too

Before the popularity of smartphone apps and the support of developmental games, the indie game scene was only limited to hobbyist programmers. At a time where the Internet was still primitive, amateur techies had limited materials to create their content and no mainstream platform to diffuse their work. Despite that, many gamers were unaware that Sony built a PlayStation development kit for indie talents.

Named the Net Yaroze, the black colored PlayStation allowed amateur developers to create games. Once finished, players could only send their program files to Sony. The company would then release the demos onto its online forum where Yaroze users could share their games and communicate with each other. European players could also play the games on demo discs that were included in the Official UK PlayStation Magazine. Few games proved to have garnered a cult following. For instance, Time Slip, a Net Yaroze platformer demo was ported to the Xbox 360, and PC in 2010. Though Sony wasn't the first company to lend its support to the indie community, it was still nice to see how they envisioned its potential. The console-kit wasn't available to the public as people had to buy it directly from Sony. Oh, and if you think about getting one from eBay, get ready to spend a little fortune.

19 From Building To Playing

You may remember Skylanders as the game series that your children must have continually bugged you to buy for them (if you're a parent of course). Though parents love their kids unconditionally, the family wallet is often hit the most out of their children's materialistic needs. What few of us know is that PlayStation was using the interactive technology before its popularity.

ZXE-D: Legend of Plasmalite was a Japanese exclusive toy-to-life video game, released by Bandai, for the PS1. Similar to the Skylanders series, players could build their robots with customizable parts of the game bundle. Once done, players could scan their robots onto the reader to have their robots in-game. While the gameplay was enjoyable, its visual was horrible as the fighting stages were missing content. Though ZXE-D: Legend of Plasmalite was a pioneer of the toys-to-life business, the game was mostly ignored by Japanese otakus, as Nintendo had just released its Pokémon brand, which sparked a worldwide phenomenon at the time. The game bundle remains one of the most sought items from PlayStation Collectors. Good luck trying to find one! On another note, it's such a shame that Bandai never released this game in North America.

18 The Glove Of The Future

Whats not to love about the Dualshock? Unlike the N64 controller, its design is very comfortable and holds pretty well in the palm of your hands. With that in mind, it is little necessary to buy a third-party accessory. However, players could also use a glove-like controller to play games.

Created by Reality Quest, The Glove: PlayStation controller allowed players to control characters movement directly by the motion of the wrist.

The controller buttons are positioned in the same directional position that they are in the Dualshock. The shoulder buttons are located in the top area of the glove and can be accessed with the thumb. The motion controller also has a unique button that allows you to remap your buttons with preset controllers and to choose the sensitivity level of the motion feature. Lastly, it was possible to change the glove playstyle mode through a switch, located at the back of the console. Though experimental, the glove-controller proved to be uncomfortable as players were forced to maintain their arms leveled up while playing. Furthermore, players had to get used to the location of the controller's buttons. Although located in the same directional position, they are not layered in the same Dualshock fashion as the controller is only held in one hand.

17 More Than A Simple CD

The Play Station remained an exciting console for story-oriented games, thanks to the CD-ROMs' large memory at the time. Though most of the games could fit on a disk, specific titles came bundled in multi discs. Games like Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid, are solid examples of how players were required to swipe disks, throughout their progress.

If you thought FF VIII or FF IX had the most disc for a PlayStation game, then you couldn't have been more wrong. The puzzle-adventure Riven - The Sequel To Myst is considered as the most massive multi-disc game of the PlayStation, as it comes packaged in five discs. Despite its numerous CD-ROM, the game's file size is roughly 1.4GB in total, which is theoretically less than the size of five combined discs. Many titles, like Fear Effect and Final Fantasy VIII, are bulkier than Riven and only require four CDs. Thanks to technological advancement, players are now able to download games that are easily 50 times the size of full-sized PS1 titles, directly onto their consoles. Imagine how many discs Rockstar North would've had to use to create Grand Theft Auto V on the PS1! Hey, there's nothing wrong with thinking!

16 PlayStation Network 1.0

The PlayStation has many hidden features that gamers are often not aware. Despite its now-primitive hardware, it was possible to do more than playing games and listening to music. Players also could connect to the internet from the console itself. Officially, Sony would introduce online multiplayer in the PS2 console, but they've also released a Japan-exclusive accessory on the PSX.

To summarise, players would insert the cable into the controller port of the console. They would then connect a instead of 'talking the talk.'

8 Two TVs + Two PS1 + A Link Cable = Fun

Veteran gamers may remember playing Pokémon Red/Blue against their friends on the Game Boy Color, thanks to the official Game Link Cable accessory. In a nutshell, the cable allowed two Game Boy systems to connect for multiplayer. While Nintendo gamers enjoyed this technology, few players knew that it was also possible to replicate the experience with the PlayStation. Yup, you heard right, ladies and gentlemen!

The PlayStation Link Cable allows you to connect two PlayStation for multiplayer.

What's interesting about the accessory is that it can accurately simulate a customized arcade, instead of the regular split-screen experience. This feature is only available for a limited number of selected games. Although impressive, the PS Link Cable setup is not the most simple one, as players are required to have their consoles and TVs, and are forced to play nearby due to the cable's length. Unless you don't mind playing your PlayStation games on portable monitors, it is preferable to purchase an old SD TV to recreate the 90s vibe accurately. Despite the extra spending, I'm ready to pay the proper price, as long as my friend doesn't get to watch my screen while I blast him in Twisted Metal.

7 The Forgotten PlayStation Mascot

Before there were Toro & Kuro, Crash, or Kevin Butler (you know who I'm talking about), the PlayStation was initially supposed to have an official mascot to represent its brand. In its early stage of development, the company created Polygon Man, a purple spiky-haired three-dimensional face. Veteran gamers would mostly remember the figure in Play Station pre-launch TVs and magazine ads.

Odyssey

Though Polygon Man could have been an everlasting emblem of the PlayStation brand, the mascot was ultimately shut down by Sony computer Entertainment ex-CEO Ken Kutaragi. Apparently, the mascot didn't appeal to him when it was presented to him at E3 1995. Instead, Sony relied on the success of its games' heroes to reflect the PlayStation brand. Protagonists like Parappa (Parappa The Rapper), Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid), and Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII) did a great job at promoting the console to various audiences. On a personal level, Kutaragi did a great job at disposing of Polygon Man as I'm not quite fond of his symmetric look. Most recently, Polygon Man has been featured in the Sony exclusive fighting game Play Station All-Stars Battle Royale, as the chief antagonist. A fitting role for a disowned figure.

6 When Your Boss Doesn't Like You Since Day One

As opposed to Nintendo's family image, Sony would instead target the mature audience. At the time, mostly younger gamers were playing video games as there weren't many grown-up titles (except Mortal Kombat). Sony knew that the PlayStation would be successful if they were able to tap into this category of people. The PlayStation's game library would feature many M-rated titles that would satisfy the most hardcore players. Surprisingly enough, many players considered Crash to be the de-facto mascot of the console, thanks to its E-rated platform series Crash Bandicoot.

Sony Computer Entertainment ex-CEO Ken Kutaragi, often referred as the father of the Play Station, was reported to dislike the Crash character because he feared that gamers would relate the PlayStation to the family-genre type. In the end, fans loved it, and the series remains a classic of the PlayStation era. For those who were too young to experience the Crash saga, Activision has recently released Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy; an HD remastered compilation of the first three games. Definitely worth the look.

5 A Handheld Game On The Go

If old-school gamers remembered playing Final Fantasy VIII, they might reminisce about an option that allowed them to access a 'Pocket Station,' at the saving screen. You might have wandered off the primitive internet (it was the end of the 90s', kids) to try finding one with no luck.

The Pocket Station essentially acts as a memory card and a portable device.

Similar to the Sega Dreamcast Visual Memory Unit, the tool allows you to save your progress and to interact with it, depending on the game data. Visually speaking, the device is looking similar to the famous handheld digital-pets gadgets that kids used to play, back in the 90s (I miss my Tamagotchi). Though fascinating, only a few games are compatible with the device. For instance, FFVIII enables the accessory to raise a Chocobo and to collect items that are only available in this mini-game. However, the Pocket Station is only available in Japan though players can easily find one on eBay. Oh, and did we mention that there is also an integrated clock and an alarm in the device? If you want to know how it feels like to wake up 90s style, then the Pocket Station is your best bet!

4 Home Of Legendary RPG series

PlayStation is often cited as the console that propelled the RPG genre into mainstream gaming. The PSX was also instrumental in redefining the RPG standards, as developers had access to 3D technology, which replaced the regular 2D games. Final Fantasy VII would benefit from this period and is often considered as a poster title for the PSX era. Thanks to the genre, it also became a contributing factor to the decline of its rival consoles.

RPG has always been a popular genre in Japan. Sony's aggressive campaign to claim support from game developers also included famed JRPG studios, like Square Soft and Enix. Its primary plan was to promote its simple coding, compared to Nintendo's limited 32 MB cartridge and its complicated coding system. The tactic was successful and prompted RPG developers to sign exclusivity deals with Sony. The exclusivity deal ended up being a winning situation for both parties as the console also introduced new RPG series to the mass, like Media Vision's Wild Arms and Konami's Suikoden. RPG remains one of the favorite genres for Japanese gamers, and because of its lack of titles, the N64 & Sega Saturn greatly suffered from unit sales. What a sweet vengeance for Sony!

3 Black Is Cool

One of the PlayStation's biggest mystery at the time was its black-bottomed CDs. Though unique, players were wondering the reason behind Sony's choice of color. Was it to protect its games from being copied? Maybe a special adhesive to reduce the disc scratches? Perhaps it houses a unique code to deactivate your console, manually. If you thought about one of these answers, you'd be disappointed to know that Sony only did it because it looked cool.

Except for its aesthetics, the color doesn't have any functionality purposes.

Regardless, we can't ignore the fact that these black-inked discs have been part of our 90s memories. While music enthusiasts had Britney Spears (..Baby One More Time) and CD players to remind them of this particular era, gamers had the PlayStation and its discs. Sadly, the PS2 would not follow the trend as Sony will use regular-bottomed CDs for their games, before switching to the DVD format. Despite the revelation, it didn't stop artists from producing some masterpieces with the black CDs. Some even covered their rooms wall with them. Neat, isn't it? I wish I was born with such creativity, no lies.

2 More Than The Simple Gray Color

If there is one element that may characterize the fifth console generation is the controller. Sure, the N64 and PS1 were continually clashing over their unit sales, but the controllers were also fighting a quiet war over their fresh designs.

Just like its rival console, the DualShock had many color variations.

Veteran players may remember the opaque and transparent colored controllers of the Play Station. From default gray to clear blue, the Dualshock even had lesser-known color deviations, like the emerald green and clear red. As expected, the transparent-colored Dualshock allows you to look at the different parts of your remote. For instance, players can look at the vibration motor when its effect takes on. Though these colors are impressive, experienced modders can also customize their remotes, provided that they have the right parts. Though I used to own a few colored controllers, I never understood why people were so adamant about paying for another controller just because of its paint; the price of a controller is the same of a new game. Why don't they spend for a new title, instead? With so many games out there, it's hard to believe that the magma-fire controller is the first thing that comes out of your mind!

1 Virtua Fighter, A Major Influence

3D technology is the element that mostly defines the PlayStation console. Revolutionary at the time, it has now become a standard norm for games. Though the technology seemed a natural fit for the famed console, it hasn't always been the case as Sony once considered to go 2D. Fortunately, one game sealed Sony's decision to go 3D: Virtua Fighter.

As Sony was relatively the new player in the console war, they needed to secure support from third-party developers. However, most of the studios weren't so fond of creating 3D games, as they were still capitalizing on creating 2D titles, and were scared of the additional costs 3D might've included. Though Sony was seriously thinking about switching to 2D esthetics, Sega's Virtua Fighter motivated the engineering team as the graphics and details of the game were an explicit representation of how PlayStation games should run. Ironically speaking, the legendary Tekken 3D-fighting game series would end up migrating to the PlayStation. The Virtua Fighter series would later release on the PS2 with Virtua Fighter 4, and it is considered as one of the best fighting game of the console. How crazy can it be that your rival is part of his demise?

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is an action role-playingvideo game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It is the 11th major installment, and 21st overall, in the Assassin's Creed series and the successor to 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins. Set in the year 431 BC, the plot tells a fictional history of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. Players control a male or female mercenary (Ancient Greek: μίσθιοςmisthios) who fights for both sides as they attempt to unite their family and uncover a malign cult.

The game was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and (in Japan only) for Nintendo Switch on October 5, 2018, with a Google Stadia version launching alongside the service in 2019.

• 2Story
  • 2.3Downloadable content
• 3Release
• 4Reception

Gameplay[edit]

Assassin's Creed Odyssey places more emphasis on role-playing elements than previous games in the series. The game contains dialogue options, branching quests and multiple endings.^[2] The player is able to choose the gender of the main character, adopting the role of Alexios or Kassandra.^[3] The game features a notoriety system in which mercenaries chase after the player if they commit crimes like killing or stealing in the presence of others.^[4]

The player character, Alexios or Kassandra, is a Greek mercenary, and a descendant of the Spartan king Leonidas I. They inherit his broken spear, which is forged into a blade to become a weapon that grants the player special abilities in combat. The game uses a skill tree system that allows the player to unlock new abilities.^[5] The three skill trees are 'hunter', which focuses on ranged attacks through use of a bow & arrow, 'warrior', which focuses on weapons based combat (swords, spears, axes etc.), and 'assassin', which focuses on stealth & silent take-downs. This replaces the system used in Origins, which granted the player a series of passive abilities.

The hitbox combat system introduced in Origins returns and is expanded upon to grant the player access to different special skills when the ability bar fills up. These skills include calling a rain of arrows and a powerful kick to knock opponents off-balance,^[4] and are similar to the 'Overpower' mechanic introduced in Origins that let the player use a powerful finishing move in combat. The game also features a gear system in which each piece of armor the player wears has different statistics and provides a range of advantages.^[6] These can be equipped and upgraded individually.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey also features naval combat again, with the player having access to Hellenistic-era warships to explore the Aegean Sea. The conflict between Athens and Sparta is represented through a 'War System' which enables players to take contracts from mercenaries and participate in different large-scale battles against hostile factions. The war system can change a faction's influence over a region.^[6]

The player can develop romantic relationships with non-playable characters of both genders, regardless of their own character's gender.^[7][8] Creative director Jonathan Dumont commented that 'since the story is choice-driven, we never force players in romantic situations they might not be comfortable with (..) I think this allows everybody to build the relationships they want, which I feel respects everybody’s roleplay style and desires.' Players and critics appreciated this inclusion of queer romance options. However, many reacted negatively to a plot development in the Legacy of the First BladeDLC in which the player character has no choice but to enter into a relationship and have a child with a person of the opposite gender, considering that this invalidated their character's identity and the roleplaying aspects previously emphasized by Ubisoft.^[9][10] Ubisoft responded that 'we strive to give players choice whenever possible in Odyssey and apologise to those surprised by the events in this episode'.^[11][12] Ubisoft later stated that the forced romance would be removed with a future patch along with a modified cutscene.^[13] However this consisted of editing the cutscene slightly so that the player could tell their child they were only doing it for the blood-line - the child is still compulsory.

Story[edit]

Setting[edit]

The game is set in 431 BC, four hundred years before the events of Assassin's Creed Origins. It recounts a secret fictional history set during the Peloponnesian War, which was fought between the city-states of Greece. The player takes on the role of a mercenary and is able to fight for the Delian League, led by Athens, or the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta.^[14] The game's main storyline has the player character attempting to restore their fractured family after they and their sibling were thrown off a cliff in their youth and left for dead by their father by command of the Spartan oracle. Parallel quest lines deal with the extirpation of a malign cult spanning the Greek world, and the discovery of artifacts and monsters from Atlantean times.

As with previous games in the series, Odyssey features a narrative set in the modern day and follows Layla Hassan, who was introduced in Assassin's Creed Origins.^[15]

Rival Consoles

The game features a number of historical personages players can encounter and talk to, including Alkibiades, Archidamus II, Aristophanes, Aspasia, Brasidas, Euripides, Kleon, Democritus, Herodotos, Hippokrates, Pausanias, Perikles, Phidias, Polykleitos, Praxilla, Pythagoras, Sokrates, Sophokles and Thespis.^[16][17][18] It also includes historical and mythical Greek locations such as the Agora of Athens, Kephallonia, Ithaca, the Odeon of Athens, the Foloi oak forest, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, Naxos, Lesbos, ancient Athens, ancient Argolis, Pnyx,^[19]Phokis, Macedonia and Mesara.^[20][21] as well as takes on famous creatures from the Greek myths such as Medusa, the Cyclops and the Minotaur.

Plot[edit]

During the Battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas leads the Spartan army against a Persian charge. The battle is won, but Leonidas is informed by a captured enemy soldier that the existence of the mountain path has been revealed to the Persian army, which is moving to surround the Spartans by morning. Nevertheless, Leonidas resolves to hold off the Persian advance.

In the present, Layla Hassan recovers the Spear of Leonidas and together with Victoria Bibeau, extracts the DNA of two individuals from it, the siblings Kassandra and Alexios. With help from the Assassins, Layla picks one of the siblings (the 'Misthios') and activates the Animus to find the location of the Staff of Hermes.

The Misthios started as a young Spartan child, raised by their parents Nikolaos and Myrrine, and inherited the Spear of Leonidas from Myrrine as one of Leonidas' descendants. However, one day, both the Misthios and their sibling are thrown off a mountain due to an oracle's prophecy, with the Misthios being dropped by Nikolaos himself. The Misthios survived the fall and fled to the island of Kephallonia, where they grew up performing odd jobs until the Peloponnesian War begins.

The Misthios is approached by a wealthy man named Elpenor, who hires them to assassinate 'The Wolf of Sparta'. The Misthios later discovers that the Wolf is Nikolaos himself and confronts him. Nikolaos admits that he regrets what he had done, but did so for the good of Sparta. The Misthios has the choice of executing or sparing Nikolaos, and finds out that Nikolaos is actually their stepfather and that Myrrine is in danger. The Misthios confronts Elpenor, who reveals he knew Nikolaos was their stepfather and wanted him dead in order to drag out the war. He then offers another job to assassinate Myrrine, but the Misthios refuses and Elpenor flees. The Misthios then travels to Delphi to ask the Pythia the whereabouts of Myrrine, where they encounter Herodotos, who recognizes the Spear of Leonidas the Misthios carries. Upon meeting the Pythia, the Misthios is warned about the Cult of Kosmos, who seek to kill them and their family. The Misthios further investigates the Cult by assassinating Elpenor and using his disguise to infiltrate a Cult meeting. They find that the Cult plans to take advantage of the war to seize control of all of Greece, and that their enforcer Deimos is in fact the Misthios' sibling, now brainwashed to follow the Cult's orders.

The Misthios continues on their journey all over Greece, clearing out Cult corruption from both Sparta and Athens and befriending powerful Greek figures such as Perikles and Aspasia. They are unable to stop Perikles' assassination at the hands of Deimos, but are able to reunite with Myrrine and find their true father, Pythagoras. Myrrine and Pythagoras explain that they conceived Alexios and Kassandra to preserve Leonidas' bloodline, as he and his descendants have a special connection to Precursor artifacts, such as the Spear of Leonidas. Pythagoras tasks the Misthios to recover several Precursor artifacts needed to permanently seal the hidden Precursor city of Atlantis so that its knowledge cannot be misused by enemies like the Cult. Afterwards, the Misthios manages to avenge Perikles' death by assassinating his political rival, Kleon. Depending on the Misthios' actions, they can convince Deimos to abandon the Cult and rebuild their family with Nikolaos, Myrrine, their sibling, and their new stepbrother Stentor living happily together in their old family home.

With war averted and the Cult virtually eliminated, the Misthios heads for the Cult's secret meeting place under the Temple of Delphi to destroy the Precursor pyramid the Cult was using to influence Greek politics. Touching it, they receive visions of future conflicts to come before destroying the pyramid. Aspasia then arrives and reveals that she was the original leader of the Cult but disagreed with its actions as its members became more corrupt, and she thanks the Misthios for destroying the Cult. The Misthios has the option of killing or sparing Aspasia, but cuts ties with her regardless. Finally, the Misthios collects all of the artifacts needed to seal Atlantis, and activates a recording from the Precursor Aletheia who pleads with the Misthios and Layla that Precursor knowledge and technology is not meant for humans and must be destroyed in order for humans to reach their true potential. Pythagoras reluctantly passes the Staff of Hermes on to the Misthios, dying in the process. The Misthios then continues their adventures.

In the present, Layla uses the data from the Animus to find Atlantis and activate it. As the Assassins analyze the data within, Layla is shocked to find the Misthios, kept alive until modern times by the Staff of Hermes. The Misthios warns Layla that the world needs a balance between order and chaos, the Templar Order and Assassins respectively, and either side prevailing over the other will result in the world's doom. The Misthios also explains that Layla is the prophesied one who will bring balance to order and chaos and gives her the Staff of Hermes, sacrificing their life in the process. Layla, however, states that there is so much of the Misthios' life they have not seen, and re-enters the Animus.

Downloadable content[edit]

Two chapters of three episodes each were released to continue the narrative of the main story: Legacy of the First Blade^[22] and The Fate of Atlantis.^[23]

Legacy of the First Blade[edit]

This story arc is focused on how Odyssey is connected to other installments. There are three episodes for the DLC: Hunted, Shadow Heritage and Bloodline.

In 'Hunted', the Misthios heads to Macedonia and comes across the Assassin Darius, born Artabanus, and his child (either gender chosen at the start) and the Order of the Ancients who have landed in Greece to not just kill Darius and his child, but also the Misthios as they call her or his bloodline, the 'Tainted Ones' because they are considered people with the power to destroy the world. The Misthios works with Darius and his child to find and defeat the Huntsman, who is tasked with killing the Tainted Ones. Before the Huntsman passes on, Darius reveals that he worked with him back in Persia in order to assassinate Xerxes I of Persia. However, Darius attempted to also assassinate Artaxerxes I of Persia as well, but was stopped by his former friend, Amorges, who believed it was unnecessary to assassinate the new king. As a result, Darius was branded a traitor, and forced to flee with his only child. After this, Darius and his only child leave Macedonia after saying farewell to the Misthios.

In 'Shadow Heritage', the Misthios heads to Achaea and encounters Darius once again. After finding Darius' child and helping some captives, the Misthios learns that the Order, led by the Tempest, has set up a naval blockade around the port of Achaea, in order to prevent Darius and his child from escaping the Greek world. With the help of the people, the Misthios is able to weaken the Order's power in Achaea. In addition to that, the Misthios also gains a new weapon for their ship, a flamethrower called the Chimera's Breath, which the Tempest intended to install on her ship, the Skylla. After installing the new weapon, the Misthios destroys the Order's naval blockade and the Tempest's ship before defeating and killing the Tempest, who is revealed to be a Tainted One as well, by her mother.Before Darius and his child leave, the Misthios either asks them to stay or says farewell. Regardless of the choice made, Darius and his child decide to settle down with the Misthios in Achaea and some time later, the Misthios has a son, Elpidios, with Darius' child.

In 'Bloodline', the Misthios spends time with Darius, Elpidios and his child in Achaea, getting used to the simple life. Unfortunately, their village is attacked by the Order, due to the fact that Amorges, disguising himself as a stranded merchant seeking to escape Achaea, knew about their home and worked with the Misthios to know more about the latter. As a consequence, Amorges ordered the entirety of the Order to be brought to Greece to deal with Darius and the Misthios once and for all. In the attack, Darius's child is killed trying to protect Elpidios, who is kidnapped by the Order. After the attack, the Misthios and Darius make their way to Messenia, the Order's stronghold in Greece. After working together to lure Amorges out of hiding, they eventually confront and kill him. Although Amorges reveals where Elpidios is and that he is safe, in his final moments, he reveals that the Order is an idea and not a group of people, meaning that the Misthios and Elpidios will always be targeted. However, Darius states that knowledge can fight this and reconciles with Amorges before the latter passes on. After reclaiming Elpidios, the Misthios believes that their life as a Tainted One meant it would be dangerous for Elpidios to stay in Greece. As a result, the Misthios entrusted Darius to look after Elpidios. After saying farewell to the Misthios, Darius leaves Greece with Elpidios and heads to Egypt, when the both of them would become ancestors to Aya, wife to Bayek and founder of the Assassin Brotherhood.

The Fate of Atlantis[edit]

This story arc focused in Greek mythology. There are three episodes: Fields of Elysium, Torment of Hades and Judgement of Atlantis.

In 'Fields of Elysium', the Misthios explores the Greek afterlife in the paradise of Elysium (Where the Misthios meets Persephone, Hermes and Hecate) and discovers what sinister secrets are hiding behind its beautiful facade. After unraveling these secrets and taking power over Elysium, the Misthios is forced to fight Hermes as he considers Persephone to have been right all along. After defeating him, Persephone herself arrives and kills Hermes for failing her in every way possible. She then invites the Misthios to her palace and banishes her to Tartarus and battle her pet dog Ros, who turns out to be Cerberus, guardian of the underworld.

In 'Torment of Hades', the Misthios visits Tartarus to meet Hades, also running into Perseus, Achilles, Agamemnon and Herakles, in order to explore the mystery surrounding the sunken city of Atlantis. After doing everything that Hades and Charon tells them to do, the Misthios battles Hades after Hades reveals that he was manipulating them into becoming the guardian of the fifth gate, which he had hidden from them.

In “The Judgement of Atlantis”, the Misthios enters the realm of the god of the sea, Poseidon.

Release[edit]

Prior to the game's appearance at E3 2018, Assassin's Creed Odyssey was leaked in May 2018 after the French site Jeuxvideo received a keychain containing the name Assassin's Creed Odyssey on it. Ubisoft announced Assassin's Creed Odyssey and its appearance at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 shortly thereafter.^[24] A day before the Ubisoft E3 press conference, screenshots of the game were leaked by the gaming website Gematsu.^[25][26] The game was released on October 5, 2018 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.^[14] A Nintendo Switch version was announced during the Japanese September 2018 Nintendo Direct. Program minitor v narrow band iot. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a cloud-based title on the Nintendo Switch, which launched on the same day as the other platforms, but in Japan only.^[27]

The game's season pass will include two DLC stories spread across six episodes as well as remastered editions of Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed Liberation.^[28] A story creator mode which allows players to create and share custom-made quests was released in June 2019. Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece, an educational mode that lets the player choose between free roaming the world of Ancient Greece to learn more about its history and daily life or embarking on guided tours curated by historians, is set to be released in late 2019.^[29]

Editions[edit]

The following editions were released:^[30][31]

Reception[edit]

Assassin's Creed Odyssey received 'generally favorable' from critics according to review aggregatorMetacritic.^[32][34][33]

EGMNow gave the game an 8.5/10, writing 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey lives up to its namesake. By fully investing in becoming an action RPG, Odyssey's characters, combat, story, and scope are beyond anything the series has accomplished so far. Its ambitions might get the better of it sometimes, like in how it divides its story moments or in how the leveling system can get out of hand, but the overall experience is, simply put, epic.'^[35]

IGN praised the 'world building, environment and engaging gameplay' and summed up its 9.2/10 review with 'Assassin's Creed Odyssey's open-world adventure through ancient Greece is a gorgeous thrill, and the best the series has ever been.'^[39]GamesRadar+ gave it 5 out of 5 stars, praising the characters, opening world and engrossing story, saying that it 'perfects everything Origins did and enhances them in ways you never thought an Assassin's Creed game could. Odyssey has it all.'^[38]

Ben 'Yahtzee' Croshaw of Zero Punctuation, however, ranked it as the third blandest game of 2018, saying that it 'deserves particular mention for being the Assassin's Creed game that finally made me bored of the whole sordid business.'^[41]

Sales[edit]

Within its first week on sale in Japan, the PlayStation 4 version of Assassin's Creed Odyssey sold 45,166 copies.^[42] In the US the first week of sales were pacing better than any other title of the series on the current generation of consoles.^[43]Ubisoft said that digital sales of the game was 45% of all sales which is up by 10% over last year's Assassins Creed Origins.

Accolades[edit]

Notes[edit]

1. ^Additional work by Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Kiev, Ubisoft Philippines and Sperasoft.^[1]
2. ^The collective name of Joe Henson and Alexis Smith

References[edit]

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External links[edit]