Greek mythology. Egyptian mythology. Viking mythology. Tales of ancient lore and legend have been depicted through carvings, illustrations, and literature. But with the advancement of gaming technology over the recent decades, one gaming studio, in particular, prides itself on offering the very best of immersive titles inspired by our favorite myths: Ubisoft.
As any avid gamer can attest, the Assassin’s Creed franchise is one of Ubisoft’s greatest treasures and also one of the most acclaimed series in the world of console gaming. Assassin’s Creed was first released in 2007 and continues to soar today. The saga has evolved massively too. In 2017, having acknowledged critique from fans, Ubisoft redefined the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017)
Assassin’s Creed: Origins was the first to adopt a vast open-world, RPG approach – similar to successful games like Skyrim (2011) and The Witcher 3 (2015).
This was an opportunity for the studio to create a world bursting with beauty. It took time to bring the Ancient Egyptian world to life, but they did it with vigor. In this installment, players can scale the pyramids of Giza, interact with mummies, and discover Ancient Egyptian treasures buried in hidden tombs.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018)
One year later, Assassin’s Creed fans were transported to the breathtaking world of Ancient Greece for the first time. Within Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, players come face-to-face with historic Greek icons from the ancient world like Hippokrates and Brasidas (to name a few) with the opportunity to acquire Poseidon’s infamous trident and battle against Medusa. Gamers can also visit Atlantis with downloadable content (at a price, of course). It doesn’t get more Ancient Greek than that!
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020)
Grab your Gjallarhorn and rowing oars, we’re going to 873 CE England. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla gives players the chance to experience England in the Viking age; to journey from gorgeous Norway to England with Odin’s guidance and lyrical Viking tales as you sail the British rivers and conquer these newfound lands. It certainly has you feeling like you’re a Viking in the making.
Mythology games
Despite some resistance from fans, this new structure for the latest Assassin’s Creed games has been a success. But they’re not the only ones to take a leap of faith (no pun intended, Assassin’s Creed fans!) with this concept.
Mythology is at the heart of many entertainment offerings, even in other sectors of the industry. For example, the online casino sector has seen a sharp rise in mythology-inspired slot games, with the acclaimed Book of Dead by Play’n GO being among the most popular free spins no deposit games on the market. Of course, the narrative is nowhere near as detailed as those featured in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, but there’s a leading protagonist (Rich Wilde) and impressive displays of worldbuilding, nonetheless.
There’s no doubt that the Assassin’s Creed franchise beautifully captures ancient mythology across its titles. Fans have lapped up every offering with excitement, and look forward to seeing many more groundbreaking installments in the future.
