Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: PlayStation 4
Assassin’s Creed: Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs DLC – Review
Assassin’s Creed fans are probably already looking at the horizon to see what’s next for the franchise. With rumors spreading about the setting of the next game, and Ubisoft’s history of leaking information those rumors will either be proven right or debunked altogether. Fans won’t have to wait for the next installment to enjoy more of the franchise, as the latest DLC for Assassin’s Creed: Origins titled: Curse of the Pharaohs gives players a different slice of the cake. There’s something funky in the frosting mind you…
Story
Four years after the events of Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Bayek finds himself in Thebes where things are going south, and not only the natural but also the supernatural is after his ass.
Pharaohs were often revered as gods, so who better to protect the people? Reviving them with ancient artefacts to inflict their wrath on those who oppress the way of the indigenous people probably isn’t the best way to go. That’s what you’d think, but opinions differ and someone did just that. So Bayek has to go to the afterlife to put the souls to rest. The story is delivered just like the main game, you talk to NPCs and they’ll respond, with the camera panning slightly in on the action, so you’ll know you have to pay attention, and then pans back to Bayek. It’s a way that’s smooth and keeps up immersion. This DLC does more showing than telling than the main campaign and that’s always something to be applauded because gaming is after all a graphic media. So developers shouldn’t rely on text based narratives too much, at least not in a game like this one.
Graphics
If there’s one thing that Ubisoft does well it’s the supernatural and trippy. Far Cry 3 had the part where you burnt the weed plantations, Far Cry 4 had the dream sequences, and now Assassin’s Creed: Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs joins the fray. The afterlife sequences are quite something. The first one is the one that immediately shows off how different the afterlife is to life. You’ll meander through the field of reeds and ships will sail over them, as if the reeds are an actual river.
Every afterlife is different and they are all linked to the pharaoh that rules over them. All of them exude the atmosphere and the effect is immediate upon entering. The first afterlife is quite soothing. You can’t imagine something being wrong here. Making the danger much more sinister. Somehow the corruption is a part of every one of them, which you’ll notice once you hang around long enough.
Sound
Assassin’s Creed: Origins was solid when looking at the sound aspect. Assassin’s Creed: Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs is no different. One thing that stands out is the ominous voices and lines that the guardians blocking your path to the afterlife say. Before you fight them you walk up to them and they’ll be discussing things among themselves and their voices echo all around you. Music is still really well implemented and the sound mixing just fits throughout. Even if it’s ‘just’ DLC, they’ve delivered on the audio front, too.
Gameplay
Assassin’s Creed: Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs is DLC to an action/adventure game, and the main gameplay is still the same. You’ll be completing quests and earn experience. This DLC pulls up the level cap to 55 and adds new skills. So it’s not just more of the same with a higher number, but there’s actually something to put your skill points into.
When it comes to the quests, Ubisoft noticed that the experience granted in the previous DLC was absolute bonkers, and they’ve tweaked it so you won’t be growing whole levels upon completing one single quest.
Other than that it’s more of the same, with some different new enemies. The final bosses of the afterlife don’t really mix things up apart from different combat styles they’ll attack you with, but you can take them down by just getting the ammunition reload in the afterlife perk and strafing the boss while turning him into a pin cushion. A bit of a disappointment, knowing that there’s a creative team behind the game and it all comes down to just strafing and firing off arrows into a ‘bullet sponge’.
Conclusion
If you liked Assassin’s Creed: Origins and want more content to delve into and don’t mind it having a slightly supernatural flair, then Assassin’s Creed: Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs is right up your alley, if however you’re burnt out on the combat or the quests of the main game, then don’t pick this up, it’s more of the same, still good, but still the same.
Assassin's Creed: Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs DLC - Review,
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