In what could very well be the worst-kept secret of this year’s E3, the existence of Assassin’s Creed: Origins was finally confirmed today by none other than Microsoft as part of its highly-anticipated Xbox One X reveal. As the hearsay and supposedly leaked promotional material suggested, Origins will, in fact, take place in ancient Egypt, full to the brim with pyramids to plunder and, as always, people to assassinate.
The self-imposed, year-long hiatus that Ubisoft placed on the franchise following 2015’s Syndicate appears to have worked wonders for its flagship series, as Origins looks every bit as beautiful as we’d expect, given the extra development time. Palm trees sway in the wind as the new protagonist rides into the region of Siwa on horseback, the streets bustling with activity as our hero dismounts his steed and continues on foot. All the usual gameplay elements – stealth, parkour exploration and careful planning – look set to return for Origins, although a few new features debut in today’s trailer that should help to turn expectations on their head.
Combat, in particular, appears to have been given a total overhaul, with sickles, shields and various gadgets all seemingly at the player’s disposal, promoting different approaches to any given skirmish. What’s more, you’ll be able to shift control of your human avatar to that of an eagle in Origins, allowing you to get a literal birds-eye view of the surrounding area.
There’s a whole lot more to see in the footage, but we’ll let you check it out for yourselves above. Once you’re done lapping that up, be sure to watch the cinematic trailer below – enjoy!
