Hands-On With Every Major Upcoming Video Game - Ranked

15. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey

In a bizarre contrast to how confident their marketing has been, AC: Odyssey had a very poor showing in person.

From single digit frame rates to confusingly out-of-place quests like the Conquest battle mode, a twitchy combat system and reliance on off-putting supernatural elements, 2018's Assassin's Creed feels like a risk nobody asked for.

Clearly borne from Origins changing up the core control scheme to make it more like a standard over-shoulder action game, Odyssey has leant into that entirely. The aforementioned Conquest missions are straight-up Dynasty Warriors, seeing your character take on waves of foes, or boot them halfway across a beach with a well-placed Spartan kick.

The game's HUD looked identical to Origins too, with Ubisoft copying Shadow of Mordor/War's long range wraith kills - here done by having the camera zoom up to a foe, only for your hero to emerge from out of frame, delivering the killing blow.

There's every chance it could be a damn fun loot-grinding brawler... it just doesn't feel even remotely like Assassin's Creed anymore.