Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Guide – Sailing, Combat System & Mercenaries

It didn’t take very long for Ubisoft to put the gears in motion into making the next instalment in the Assassin’s Creed series. In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey players will travel across a vast open world yet again in typical RPG fashion, this time though the game is set in Ancient Greece where Sparta and Athens are truly clashing in conflict. In this nifty Assassin’s Creed Odyssey guide we’ll explain a few things to get you started, this will include how the upgrades and combat systems work along with some basic sailing tips.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey guide

Set in a time somewhere between 431-404 BC, during the time of the Peloponnesian war that had some very vast and serious outcomes with how Ancient Greece would unfold, with Sparta in a heated feud with Athens. In 421 BC a treaty was signed but it didn’t last long with the Peloponnesus going on. The game offers some huge battles which are true to how fights of the era are depicted, along with some mythological beasts you’ll encounter, typical side quests as you’d expect and also plenty of treasure finding to boot.

Selecting The Right difficulty

After you play through the initial prologue of the game you will be presented with a few options before you embark upon your quest, one of which is selecting a suitable difficulty level. It’s a little different to Assassin’s Creed Origins as you’ll normally choose this at the very start of the game, not that it’s a bad thing in Odyssey. Choosing a difficulty of combat that’s appropriate for you is self explanatory, but what is new is the option of a guided approach or exploration mode. In essence the Guided option is what you’ll be used to in previous Assassin’s Creed titles where markers are placed to show you where to embark on next with plenty of detail. Exploration mode on the other hand is brand new to Odyssey and the way the game is intended to be played, wherein you’ll need to discover clues to where your next quest may be, with points of interests being marked with question marks as previous games have had.

 Which path will you follow in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey?

Different to the last instalment of Assassin’s Creed we’re now given a choice of two playable characters, each with completely different paths to follow. You’ll have to select either Alexios or Kassandra who are both mercenaries who’ll ultimately side with Athens or Sparta, and once your choice its made there’s no turning back. Remember that all power Spartan kick that was featured in the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey? That wasn’t just for show, it’s actually because both Kassandra and Alexios follow the bloodline of King Leonidas, the king of the Spartans, known for his appearance in 300 (Frank Miller) which depicted him as a bit of a romantic.

You decide your fate

Similar to how a lot of recent games have been going, your decisions and actions will decide how your story will unfold. There’ll be many choices that are crucial to impacting the types of quests that you will have available, whether you become true to Sparta or Athens, and of course this will impact who prevails in the war through your actions.You may find that you don’t see any issues as a result of your choices right away, and guess you’ve got away with assassinating someone scott-free. In reality you’ll likely find the consequences of a decision happen after some time has passed.

A tidy inventory is an efficient one

As you discover new areas of the Greek islands you will, in typical assassin’s Creed fashion, collect a lot of different gear and resources. Those familiar with the franchise will know that the rarer the item collected, the higher the quality in comparison to general gear with additional traits assigned. Carrying so many resources will make your inventory somewhat cluttered and you’ll therefore want to discard of these appropriately. Resources can be forged down into their raw state to enable engraving weapons(unlocking certain achievements), armour or upgrades, or alternatively sold to a merchant for currency. At the top of the in-game menu you’ll find an area which lists the materials you’ve collected along with additional items of significant importance.

Tips for success in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

The combat system

Since the new combat system came into Assassin’s Creed Origins players weren’t too keen on how the new mechanics worked. This consisted of equipping the best gear and abilities, combined with perfectly timed attacks to win a fight successfully. In assassin’s Creed Odyssey though, mastering the combat system is going to be a key part of your success with Greece being in a period of war.Having a bounty on your head is going to result in fights with mercenaries and some pretty large battles. We’ve highlighted a few tips to ensure success with the in-game combat system.

• You’ll want to pay attention to your adrenaline bar which will fill as you successfully land attacks, parry and dodge incoming attacks – this will allow you to perform more powerful attacks that you’ll have equipped in your abilities as you unlock them. Ensure you keep tabs on this bar as it will deplete by one each time a special ability is used.
• The next thing you’ll want to master is parrying. If you are using an Xbox controller the default will be set to the LB and RB shoulder buttons, L1 and R1 on PlayStation 4, and for PC users its the Q button on your keyboard. for parrying you’ll want to time your attack not pressing the button(s) until you see the enemy about to swing towards you or as their sword shimmers. If you see your attacker’s weapon turn red though, you’ll want to avoid parrying and dodge it instead by holding X on Xbox, Square for PS4, or space bar on PC.

• Remember that being involved in a battle while in your ship, your crew mates can assist you – it’s not just a solo mission. it’s wise to use them to your advantage.
• If you pay a visit to a blacksmith you’ll be able to add an engraving which will slightly improve the overall quality of your weapons and/or armour.
• Lastly, bear in mind with ranged attacks that there are a variety of types of arrows which include fire, paralysis and poison. Use cover where possible to fire arrows as you can stay behind it while doing so.

Exploring the map

Finally, use Ikaros to your advantage by sending him ahead to scout an area before proceeding. Your trusty eagle can highlight enemies, treasure and find your objective which will stay in place until you leave the area or kill the target.

Dealing with the Cult Of Kosmos

Have you reached the third chapter of the game yet? If you have you’ll be familiar with the Cult Of Kosmos, a group with one intention; cause as much chaos as possible during the Ancient Greek feud. In order to figure out who they are you’ll need to search for a number of cues they’ve left behind. If you’re fortunate enough to find one of the group’s identities you’ll be able to track them, take them down and unearth clues about the higher ranked members of the group.

Setting sail

You wont be far into your journey before you are introduced to your first ship and as a result your crew. It’s pretty easy to control the ship as you can have either Kassandra or Alexios (depending on your choice of hero) shout how fast the ship should go. Your crew will need a recovery period if you’ve been travelling at full speed for some time. Wind will determine how fast you go that’s not something you’ll have control over.

Much like upgrading your gear, upgrading your vessel will require wood and other resources to improve your ship. If you find your incoming damage is poor then you’ll want to improve your hull, while improving your troops will improve to damage you deal to other ships. Materials can be obtained by breaking down weapons, collecting them from downed ships or finding them on land. You can really build a great crew by knocking out key enemies prior to persuading them to come aboard. Make sure you only knock them out though and not kill them! After you’ve knocked them out walk up to them and you’ll see a prompt allowing you to recruit an NPC. After recruitment you can select them as part of your crew within the ship menu, you’ll have one slot unlocked initially with further slots unlocking as you progress.

There are a good variety of attacks when it comes to sailing combat in that you’ll have use of javelins and archers. Pressing R2 for PS4, right trigger on Xbox, or left-click on mouse will see the ship fire an array of javelins. Hold left trigger on Xbox, L2 on a PS4, or right-click on PC will make your archers rain down a shower of arrows. Ramming ships is also a great way of ensuring faster take downs of enemy ships. Ensure you make use of the brace ability which is LB on Xbox, L1 on PS4 or Q for PC as attacks are incoming to avoid damage.

Sorting out the Mercenaries

You have a couple of options when it comes to reducing the weight of the bounty on your head; pay the ransom, wait for the bar to deplete or eliminate the person who sent the hit-men after you. the decision is ultimately in your hands, if you go after and kill them then great, they’re off your back, but if a mercenary is too high in rank you may just have to fork out the booty. If you fight a mercenary and go for a knock-out you’ll be able to recruit them the same way as other key figures can be in the game.