i feel conflicted about AC Origins. on one hand, it's a beautiful, massive and brave vision of what AC could become. on the other, it feels a bit too ambitious for its own sake. the world feels so big that the sheer scale seems daunting, but at the same time we're given very little incentive to actually interact with said world. an overabundance of mediocre sidequests quickly makes you realise that the best option is to actually boost your level and focus on the main quest. the combat is fun to engage with once you actually have the tools to do so, but its semi-RPG systems don't quite come together as well as they could.

that being said, Bayek is one of my favorite characters in all of gaming and to see that the creed started out of two parents' unbearable grief was one of the most audacious lore choices this franchise has ever taken and i love it so much.