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After a healthy break last year to ‘re-examine’ the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Ubisoft is back with a new entry, developed by the team behind 2013’s critically-acclaimed Black Flag. Origins, which is hitting shelves tomorrow (October 27th), was confirmed at E3 after its setting leaked all the way back in January 2016.
Set in Ancient Egypt, it looks back at the genesis of the Assassin Brotherhood and is set to be huge. Ubisoft said it didn’t just build "a city or three to explore", but "an entire seamless country that you’ll be able to travel freely across." It’s the "biggest world ever created" for the franchise, and has been built with the help of historians and Egyptologists.
Having played it at Gamescom, we thought Origins looked beautiful, despite a couple of technical glitches. IGN’s Marty Silva also called it "one of the most visually-impressive games [he’s] ever played," adding he was "glad the series took a year off to recalibrate its focus" as the extra time’s allowed Ubisoft to "show off its new emphasis on RPG elements." Talking about the revamped combat system, Stuff’s Robert Leedham said he "found the experience a tad awkward," while Dom Peppiatt wrote in The Daily Star that "fighting in Origins is more natural and fun." He added the title has the potential to win back lapsed players.
The last full release in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, debuted at No.1 in the UK weekly charts after only one day on shelves, so Origins is likely to sell extremely well, especially after its gap year.
However, with the wealth of games hitting shelves in the coming weeks, the fight for the top spot is going to be a tough one, with Super Mario Odyssey and Wolfenstein II both launching on the same day. We still think Origins should easily outsell its predecessor, though, as Mario probably won’t impact its sales to any great extent. It could even equal the great performance of the studio’s previous title, Black Flag.
As there hasn’t been a new Assassin’s Creed title in two years, anything related to Origins will also be hot demand. So we selected the best tie-in products releasing alongside Ubisoft’s latest title.
Apple of Eden
Fans can now purchase Assassin’s Creed’s Apple of Eden, with a new version created by Ubicollectibles to celebrate the release of Origins. It has internal lighting via a LED system and has a diameter of 9.5cm. It also comes with an Egyptian-style base.
SRP: £34.95
Manufacturer: Ubicollectibles
Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK
Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com
Aya Figurine
Ubicollectibles has created highly-detailed figurines for Assassin’s Creed Origins’ main characters, including Aya. She’s equipped with her signature dual wielding blades, and this 27cm tall figurine can be combined with the Bayek figurine to form a diorama.
SRP: £49.99
Manufacturer: Ubicollectibles
Distributor: Gaming Merchandise UK
Contact: hello@gamingmerchandiseuk.com
Framed Collector Print
A range of framed collector prints is set to launch alongside Assassin’s Creed Origins, including this one of hero Bayek. The high resolution artwork measures 30x40cm.
SRP: £16.99
Manufacturer: GB Eye
Distributor: GB Eye
Contact: uksales@gbeye.com
Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide
Prima Games has worked on a beautiful collector’s edition of its strategy guide for Assassin’s Creed Origins. It includes a map poster, concept art, a foreword by creative director Jean Guesdon and, of course, all there is to know to finish the game. It’s launching alongside the game on October 27th.
SRP: £19.99
Manufacturer: Prima Games
Distributor: DK
Contact: sales@uk.dk.com
Golden Crest Men’s T-Shirt
This T-shirt is one of the many designs launching alongside Assassin’s Creed Origins, both at BioWorld Europe and elsewhere. As always, fans won’t be lacking in options when it comes to buying new Assassin’s Creed T-shirts.
SRP: £18.99
Manufacturer: BioWorld Europe
Distributor: BioWorld Europe
Contact: info@bioworldeurope.com
