Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we’re revisiting our predictions for 2017 and seeing what we got right (aka: mostly wrong). We also talk about Danganronpa V3, Leeroy Jenkins, and the delights of Assassin’s Creed Origins.
First up on Splitscreen, Kirk and I go through the news of the week, talking about Final Fantasy‘s 30th anniversary, the truth behind Leeroy Jenkins, and Destiny‘s Music of the Spheres leaking. Then we go through our 2017 predictions and see who got more right and won a steak dinner. (The answer may surprise you.) We close things off by talking about the great Zelda homage Blossom Tales, the mysteries of Danganronpa V3, and why Assassin’s Creed Origins is better if you take your time.
Get the MP3 right here.
An excerpt:
Jason: I’ve been playing a ton of Assassin’s Creed Origins, and we were talking about this a couple months ago and you cranked through it. Interestingly, I think the way you played it — and you acknowledged this in your review a bit — might have made you dislike it more.
Kirk: I should say, I’ve been replaying this game on PC and slowing down, and I’m super aware that playing through it quickly is not the best way to play the game. At the same time, every criticism I have of this game holds. I still think it’s by far not the most interesting Assassin’s Creed game and that it’s very boring and repetitive in a lot of ways. But it has been fun to talk to you about it, and I like the game.
Jason: The thing about Assassin’s Creed Origins. is that yes, it’s very repetitive. You can only take down the same fortress full of enemies so many times (although you do get a couple of interesting abilities if you play with the level trees — there are some interesting things you can unlock). But yeah, it is very repetitive — there’s a lot of the same stuff that happens over and over again. But the world is so cool, it’s so gorgeous, exploring ancient Egypt is just so interesting because I’ve never been in a world like this before. I’m just really enjoying playing an hour or a two at a time and not marathoning through. I think if I were playing 10 hours a day, I wouldn’t enjoy it, because the repetition would really gnaw at me. But because I’m taking my time, and just playing it occasionally when I can, I’m really enjoying just soaking in the sand and the pyramids. Just seeing the pyramids every time you turn around is so cool.
Kirk: Yeah, I do want to underline the fact that my review of this game was largely positive. This was a game that I liked. And I don’t think my take was negative due to rushing through it, that’s not really my takeaway. My negative critiques of this game were of things that I still feel are true of this game. Though it is very nice to just sort of relax and luxuriate in the atmosphere and cruise your way through it and 100% it, or at least try. I feel like hundred-percenting this game would take I don’t know how long, 80 hours or something crazy.
Jason: 400 hours. Eighty? No way. Way more than 80. Have you seen how big this game is?
Kirk: It’s big, but — I guess I don’t know. If anyone listening to this has hundred-percented the game, I’d like to hear from them.
Jason: I have close to 20 hours, and I’ve explored like four of the regions.
Kirk: Yeah, you have to bear in mind that a lot of the map is completely empty. I felt that way when I was playing it too, I was going around the Nile, and I think I got to Krokodilopolis, and I looked at the map and thought, ‘Holy shit, come on, I’m level 30 or something, I’ve played so much.’ And there’s still this giant chunk of the map, more than half the map was still grey, so I didn’t know. But then as I went through it yeah, a lot of those areas are empty… [Listeners], let me know if you’ve hundred-percented this game how long it took you.
Jason: Well I would never do that. But I am enjoying it as a slow burn.
For the rest of the discussion, check out the full episode. As always, you can find Google Play.
Comments
10 responses to “Assassin’s Creed Origins Is Better If You Play It Slowly”
I got Origins on Boxing Day, only left Siwa this arvo, slow is my wheel house.
That message at the start is starting to get a bit long though, I’m half expecting the next game to be made by a multicultural team of different, religions, genders, sexualities, identities, political beliefs, vehicle choices, cat and dog people, a lady who likes horses, dimensions, figures from time, Lego Batman, various mythical creatures like Elves and Griffins, A “singer known as Prince” cover band called Raspberry Rain, an olive resting gently upon the corner of an old brick, Edmond Dante, my father and my mother, my brother, my friend, he was you and me, he was all of us, In a galaxy far far away, there was these two brothers, just regular brothers.
*roll credits*
Pepsi came out my nose.
I feel that people who identify as attack helicopters should get a specific mention…
‘Vehicle choices’ doesn’t quite have the same punch.
Ha! Always loved the Apache longbow attack chopper one.
I myself identify as Brrrrrrt (A10).
I myself identify as Brrrrrrt (A10).
I refuse to play a game made by dog people!
Of course, at least not unless you choose to do so at your own leisure, touch me, DON’T TOUCH ME!!
*violent flailing*
The pro of Ubisoft’s gigantic development machine is that high quality, massive open world games are a reality. The con is that personality in those worlds and characters is in short supply, development by committee. The only truly memorable characters Ubisoft have created recently are Jade, Ezio and Vaas, and Vaas they didn’t have the guts to make the main villain.
I 100%ed in around 110 hours and really enjoyed it. I found winning the hippodrome tournament the hardest achievement. Have only played around 10 hours since. A few gladiator fights, some missed quests and killed each of the gods. IMO best AC game.