Between Origins and Odyssey, which is truly the better game?

[Rami Seb]

In terms of

-Characters

-Story/Plot

-Game mechanics ei mercenary system

-Post launch DLC

-Better open world

Personally I loved Odyssey even though it was grindy as hell, but I felt bored of Origins. My save file for Origins got wiped out (thanks Uplay) and I didn't enjoy the game enough to start over and I can't comment on the DLC, also I thought Bayek was a boring character. Some of the quest like finding out who poisoned the bull were pretty lame too.

AC Odyssey is the first AC game since Black Flag were I actually bought the DLC, in fact I bought the ultimate edition of the game. The only kick to the balls was the exp/drachma permanent boost to mitigate the grind.

 

[The Unsent]

Odyssey is better, I can at least remember a few of the side quests like the Minotaur scam one and the battle royale one. Kassandra is better than Bayek, very charismatic and confident and Odyssey makes obvious improvements like more armour choices.

 

[Baccus]

Depends on what you value.

From a completely mechanic and "gamey" PoV, Odyssey wins, as it's got the snappier controls, the more mechanics, the deepest combat, probably the more memorable side characters and quests, the more streamlined story and the more interesting RPG mechanics.

HOWEVER

Origins' got Egypt. And damn if that isn't a big advantage.

Origins' plays really well, only not as arcadey and instantly responsive as Odyssey, which if you value presentation and heaviness, is better than Odyssey's approach. It also features Bayek and Aya, not only the most interesting and human characters the series has ever put out, but also have very distinctive personalities that carry a conspiracy story from various historical characters in a way that feels close to them. Odyssey might have Socrates, but let's face it, he's not as strong as a presence as Pompeius, Caesar and Cleopatra.

There's also the sense of setting which Odyssey can't even mimic. Egypt BREATHS like Egypt. Everything is about the gods, the characters never feel out of place they /belong/ there, and the illusion is stronger due to a completely striking art directions that managed to make the whole country both decadent and glorious at the same time. The first time you arrive at the temple of Sekhmet to reenact a myth with towering structures on your back and a rain of petals falling, you just /feel/ in Egypt. It's a magical sensation a game can deliver. Odyssey has none of that, for Greece is extremely one note and underused as a setting.

Origins also has actual setpieces instead of completely "free form" missions. Those make for some "shit just got real" moments, and the best part is that it used them not to show some super powers, but to advance the inner struggle of the characters.

Lastly there are the expansions, which are Witcher 3 tier relative to the quality of the main game, with new landmasses and more or lesss a full length game in Curse of the Pharaohs. Odyssey's expansions have been bad simple mission packs with awful writing.

There's also the technical side, in which Origins, character models aside, wins easily, by having actually simulated light bleeding and reflections based on NASA luminance medtions in Egypt. Odyssey looks way more gamey.

----

So in the end it depends on what you're looking for. If you want a fun light time, Odyssey is your thing. If you want a more heavier yet more simple, "artsy" experience, Origins is your game.

 

[Deleted member 5322]

Super Mario Odyssey

Spoiler

Origins

 

[Baccus]

Gotta say that I consider them both the successors to... Wait for it... GTA San Andreas.

Yes, they're more or less the only games that feature a vast region with various major cities and then lots if little towns in the way to them.

Contrary to GTAV's single city with a few towns and The Witcher's 3 cities with two memorable villages, the map of both games convey the sense of adventure really well, and I appreciate that.

 

[Leo-Tyrant]

Origins by far for me. It's not even close...You can't beat that fully realized Egypt.

Bayek is also a great protagonist.

Odyssey has improved mechanics but Origins is simply majestic.

Edit: also, Odyssey may be newer, but it looks worse than Origins which looks in SDR and HDR way more polished. Color gradients and geometry looks far less "gamey" than Oddysey

 

[Prine]

Bayek, Egypt are superior.

Origins.

 

[Brokenrobot]

Black Flag

 

[daniel77733]

I loved both games. Odyssey definitely has the far better story and characters especially since unlike Origins, it's not rushed at the end. Origins has the Phylakes which I easily prefer over the randomly generated Mercenaries. Not a fan of randomly generated content whatsoever. Both open worlds are great. I do prefer Odyssey simply because there's more variety. Gameplay is great in Origins but deeper and more refined in Odyssey. The two expansions in Origins were great. Can't comment on the expansions for Odyssey as im waiting until they are 100% complete which won't be until July or so. Can't go wrong either way though.

 

[Baccus]

Black Flag

Click to shrink...

Absolutely not. The mission design is awful and the world is, like, a Diorama compared to the latter's.

 

[Basileus777]

These games are really about the setting, and Egypt is by far the best one in any Assassin's Creed game.

 

[Deleted member 43077]

Odyssey. No question.

That being said you should play Origins and Oddyssey since they are both great and unfortunately thanks to RDR2 AC was overlooked when it came time for GOTY discussions.

 

[Omanisat]

I'd lean Origins. Odyssey's world feels super sterile, what few characters is has aren't as interesting and the RPG stuff is more intrusive and annoying.

 

[Bricktop]

They are both great games, each with parts I appreciate more than the other. While I love the classical Greek setting in Odyssey, ancient Egypt is more interesting to me, so Origins had the better setting, IMO. Odyssey improved and expanded on the combat systems of Origins, so I'd give it the win in that category. Story wise, I actually liked Origins and Bayek, but I believe Odyssey is better in both character and storyline. As for DLC I haven't finished Odyseey's yet, but so far I'd give the edge to Origins, the DLC for that game was excellent.

Basically it really depends on what is most important. Odyssey improved on Origins in many ways, but Origins is still a really good game that is worth playing, and IMO has far and away the best location in the series. I think they are both among the best games in the year they were released.

 

[CaptainK]

IMO the main story was better in Origins, but other than that, Odyssey does everything else better. Its world is more interesting to explore, Kassandra is more charismatic, the side characters are more memorable, and in general everything feels more streamlined. I also really enjoy the naval gameplay, so Odyssey wins easily.

 

[Nostremitus]

I haven't played Origins but I'd say the Odyssey is one of the best games I've played in a while...

 

[Prolepro]

I got bored and dropped Origins after 10 hours. Bayek is okay but the completely schizophrenic opening of that game throws any kinds of narrative and character developing momentum out of the window.

Odyssey got me ~70 hours just from the main game, and I also have all the DLC to look forward to, each at like ~4 hours a pop.

 

[Enduin]

Honestly I'm gonna Origins as well. Odyssey's Greece feels so fake and sterile in comparison. It's trying to replicated way too large an area, sailing is such a joke because the scale is so incredibly small and really makes the world feel artificial. Egypt in Origins felt way more believable in scale and is honestly more visually captivating.

Neither has a great plot, but I prefer Origins as well here. Odyssey suffers far more from activity bloat and the whole RPG dialogue elements are completely pointless and really add nothing to the experience for me, more often hurting them. Kassandra is more likeable than Bayek and more developed, but it doesn't amount to much. Plus Aya is fucking amazing. Stuff like the Cult in Odyssey is such a bore when it could have been really really cool hunting them down. Mercenaries are in a similar position and a let down compared to the Phylakes.

Gameplay would again go to Origins. Odyssey has some nice touches here and there but doesn't feel as satisfying and enemies feel way spongy-er and while secondary the fact that battles in Odyssey are just melees that don't resemble actual Greek combat is a real letdown.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Odyssey by far. It just improves on Origins in about every way. I liked Bayek in Origins and exploring Egypt was fun, but the sidequests were dull and they really dropped the ball with the historical stuff. They should have done much more with it.

 

[Deleted member 15447]

I finished both (without touching either's DLC) with about 70hrs per game and prefer Origins.

Bayek was a better character than Kassandra for me. Much more serious, a better back story and almost none of the cringey light hearted/comedy found in Odyssey.

The main story in Origins was much more interesting. I found myself skipping conversations in Odyssey a lot.

The world in Origins looked and felt a lot more detailed and alive. And despite a lot of empty desert, the towns felt like a lot of love and effort were put into them. In Odyssey a lot of the world looked and felt like towns and strongholds were just copied and pasted into a randomly generated landscape.

The side quests and stories were more varied and interesting in Odyssey that's for sure.

The cultists and bounty hunter features in Odyssey were really cool. It added an extra layer of gameplay and depth.

Overall I preferred Origins but both are quality games.

 

[Greatest Ever]

Super Mario Odyssey

Spoiler

Origins

Click to shrink...

Disagree, Rayman Origins is a better platformer.

 

[Exist 2 Inspire]

Odyssey by far. The Greek/Peloponnesian War setting alone makes it the better game.

 

[Dabi3]

Ancient Egypt >>>>>>> Ancient Greece
Origins actually had a relevant ASSASSIN"S CREED story. Odyssey has none of the tentpoles of the franchise in a meaningful way.
Bayek I thought was far more interesting than a mercenary on the hunt for their family.

So Origins by far.

 

[Branson]

I like Egypt better than Greece. That said, Odyssey is better I think.

 

[Digoman]

I think we have this thread every two weeks, but to sum it up for me:

-Characters and Story/Plot
Kind evens out on the main quest. Odyssey starts stronger with way more interesting/likeable characters and story, but it looses steam in the last stretch. Origins start is a mess and it takes a while to warm up to Bayek, but I ended really liking him and his journey in the end.
On side quests Odyssey is *way* better.

-Game mechanics ei mercenary system
The mercenary and conquests system are just there to pad the game time, and are good example of some of the excesses of Odyssey, but gameplay wise it is the better game.

-Post launch DLC
To early to tell for Odyssey since they are releasing in pieces. Origins 1st DLC was bit "meh" but the 2nd was good.

-Better open world
Here Origins ended up way better for me. The world just felt more "real" and memorable. Odyssey felt more a collection of gamey "levels" separated by water while Origins felt more cohesive. Yes, it is all illusion and tricks but it did work for me.

So, Odyssey is the better game overall, but the open world of Origins felt way more impactful to me.

 

[GungHo]

I liked Origins story and characters more. I think Odessey had better game options.

 

[balohna]

I thought Dragon Age: Origins was a better WRPG, and Super Mario Odyssey was a better platformer.

 

[Landford]

Odyssey is such a leap above in everything else besides the setting. Origins Egypt is downright magical.

 

[skeezx]

playing through Odyssey right now and honestly i'm shocked. basically expected Origins 1.5 (which still would've been great) but it really does improve in about every way, particularly the combat which was like a braindead Dark Souls in Origins. not that Odyssey is a quantum leap in this regard but the added melee/range inputs along the the improved dodge/parry go a long way

i guess one thing that does work against Odyssey's favor is it can get awfully "busy" what with keeping track of your naval shit and the spartan/athen conquest stuff. but there's enough other stuff to do to spread that out if you're not in the mood

as for setting/characters, eh. it's give or take. i'd give Origins a slight upper hand here but the overall arc is such a mess i can't really sing its praises too much.

 

[Keyser S]

I dont think i could ever recommend playing a good Rayman game over a great Mario game, so it has to be Odyssey for me

 

[SystemBug]

Depends on what you value.

From a completely mechanic and "gamey" PoV, Odyssey wins, as it's got the snappier controls, the more mechanics, the deepest combat, probably the more memorable side characters and quests, the more streamlined story and the more interesting RPG mechanics.

HOWEVER

Origins' got Egypt. And damn if that isn't a big advantage.

Origins' plays really well, only not as arcadey and instantly responsive as Odyssey, which if you value presentation and heaviness, is better than Odyssey's approach. It also features Bayek and Aya, not only the most interesting and human characters the series has ever put out, but also have very distinctive personalities that carry a conspiracy story from various historical characters in a way that feels close to them. Odyssey might have Socrates, but let's face it, he's not as strong as a presence as Pompeius, Caesar and Cleopatra.

There's also the sense of setting which Odyssey can't even mimic. Egypt BREATHS like Egypt. Everything is about the gods, the characters never feel out of place they /belong/ there, and the illusion is stronger due to a completely striking art directions that managed to make the whole country both decadent and glorious at the same time. The first time you arrive at the temple of Sekhmet to reenact a myth with towering structures on your back and a rain of petals falling, you just /feel/ in Egypt. It's a magical sensation a game can deliver. Odyssey has none of that, for Greece is extremely one note and underused as a setting.

Origins also has actual setpieces instead of completely "free form" missions. Those make for some "shit just got real" moments, and the best part is that it used them not to show some super powers, but to advance the inner struggle of the characters.

Lastly there are the expansions, which are Witcher 3 tier relative to the quality of the main game, with new landmasses and more or lesss a full length game in Curse of the Pharaohs. Odyssey's expansions have been bad simple mission packs with awful writing.

There's also the technical side, in which Origins, character models aside, wins easily, by having actually simulated light bleeding and reflections based on NASA luminance medtions in Egypt. Odyssey looks way more gamey.

----

So in the end it depends on what you're looking for. If you want a fun light time, Odyssey is your thing. If you want a more heavier yet more simple, "artsy" experience, Origins is your game.

Click to shrink...

I agree with this post whole- heartedly. I just clocked in over a 100 hours in Odyessy, but man, I still feel for the world that Origins brought forth. Everything feels so alive in that game. I also want to point out that Origins really develops it's and shows the complexity of it's main character much better. For example the remnants of conversations you have with Bayek's son, as they stargaze. Even though it's quite small, it ultimately end's up building a multi-faceted character. His interaction with children is so fresh in my eyes, especially in the context of video games where they don't often have characters interact with children in any meaninful way.

 

[Deleted member 36086]

Origins for me. Origins has Egypt and a chocobo mount.

 

[Dr Doom]

Character and Story-wise. Origins

mechanics....Odyssey.

 

[Metanoia Prime]

Do people really think they're being funny when they refer to Mario, Dragon-Age, or Rayman?

 

[LonestarZues]

The game that has Bayek, Aya and Egypt.

 

[SageShinigami]

I guess Odyssey is better overall for going deeper into the RPG elements. Kassandra having a dialogue tree let's you personalize her a lot, and the story is superior.

But I like Origins a lot too. Bayek was a great character, and that was a great world.

 

[Deleted member 38397]

I bought both in the Uplay Christmas sale. Started with Origins but because it wasn't set in Ancient Egypt as I expected (it was Ptolemaic Egypt right at the end of the Pharaohs) I got pretty fed up of it. So I put Odyssey on and never looked back. It had me gripped right from the start. Alexios > Bayek 100%.

 

[Ryo]

I played Origins for about 40 hours and Odyssey for about 60.

Odyssey was more consistently fun and that little bit of extra effort put into the presentation of the side quests and the choices you are given made a big difference. I also liked how much more customizable the protags were than Bayek and special abilities like the Spartan Kick were cool AF, I didn't miss the shield at all.

It had proper naval combat as well instead of the impromptu battles in Origins.

 

[TheMango55]

Odyssey is a better game with more fun gameplay but Origins setting is amazing.

The culture clash between the ancient Egyptians, the occupying Greeks, and the swiftly ascending Romans was awesome and seemed like an evolution of the crusade setting in the first assassins creed. They never really used that culture clash again* in AC even though it was super interesting.

* upon consideration they may have in the final Ezio chapter where he went to recently conquered Constantinople, but I didn't play that one.

 

[Knight in Shining Armani]

Odyssey is more fun to play imo. The abilities in Origins are underwhelming by comparison.

Thought Bayek was meh, I prefered rascal Arno from Unity to him. I'm always amazed people bring up Aya. The fucking dude waiting on your ship in Odyssey has more screentime and personality than her, but okay. Kassi trumps all though.

Prefered greece. More colorful and the architecture is breathtaking.

 

[8bit]

Odyssey overall, I'm at 200 hours now, everything done and hunting S2 tier of Mercenaries with Nightmare difficulty and level scaling at maximum, and it's still a blast. Went back to Origins as I didn't quite like it on first pass but enjoying it now, the combat is a bit more thoughtful but Bayek just isn't as charismatic as Kassandra.

 

[Azurik]

Both are bland and boring and too big just for the sake of it

 

[Marble]

Ik got rid of Odyssey after 20 hours or so. Same shit different game. The game felt very immature/childish in a lot of ways. And way to gamey. I like Origins way more.

 

[Ferrs]

Origins had the better characters and world. Odyssey has the better story and gameplay.

 

[Dullahan]

Odyssey is one of the best RPGs, of this generation. Origins is a mid/low tier AC game.

 

[WillySJ3]

Odyssey is a way better game, in all aspects.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Am I the only one that read the thread title and thought "what the hell is Mario Origins"? :D

(in before "what the hell is Rayman Odyssey" and other variations).

 

[Linus815]

Origins has smarter design and the world is much better. Nothing in Odyssey comes close to Alexandria.
Odyssey at times is overly "gamey", has a bunch of half baked ideas. The bounty system that can be paid from the map for example feels like a patch work for the bounty system that was probably found to be way too irritating to deal with in playtesting but was too late for a meaningful change. Also, the dungeons are terrible in Odyssey, while they're awesome in Origins.

HOWEVER, I found Odyssey's combat to be much more fun, the rpg stuff is handled way better, the characters are more memorable and the side content is significantly better.

I wish Origins and Odyssey had a baby together. Then it'd be perfect. But as it stands I prefer Odyssey by a tiny bit. Overall both great though.

 

[Igorth]

Only played Origins, was great but I ended really burned of the formula and dropped after finishing the story, even with chunks of the maps.undiscovered.

I want to play Oddyssey some.day but my backlog is killing me (rdr2, resi 2, divinity 2...), Too much hours and too little time.

 

[ket]

origins had a better setting while odyssey had better gameplay so idk i guess odyssey is better?