Finally finished Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and The Division 2 at the same time!

So this weekend is a long four-day weekend, with National Day on a Friday and an observed Hari Raya Haji holiday on a Monday. I took this opportunity to finish the main plots of the both Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and The Division 2 at the same time!

Both games are great games developed by Ubisoft. I have been a great fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise since the first one came out more than 10 years ago. The more recent franchise, The Division franchise is an equally great franchise that I tremendously enjoyed every minute of it. It took me a while to get used to The Division, but the second game in the series was fantastic. Loads of refinements to the overall game mechanism makes for a truly enjoyable game.

Usually when I play games, I take a long time to complete them, especially for open world, expansive role-playing games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. I took a long pause from playing the game before continuing it. This past two weeks I have been consistently playing the game, hoping to complete the main plot so that I can take my time in completing the side missions and perhaps tackle the DLCs.

What I didn’t realise at that time was how close I was to the ending. I referred to the walkthrough online and found out that I just had 3 to 4 chapters to go before the main plot ended. So I decided to just focus on the main mission storyline and try to complete the story as fast as possible. When that is done, I then took my time to complete and side missions. There are still vast swaths of of the map, especially the little islands yet to be explored. I intend to explore them all and complete as many side missions as I possibly can, before tackling the DLCs.

I have to pay for the DLCs, which I don’t really mind at all. Ubisoft’s DLCs are pretty decent and they take effort in telling a compelling story that enriches your experience in the game, especially for role-playing or adventure games. With Greek history as the backdrop for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the developer have a rich tapestry to tap on in telling a number of Greek story, history, mythology and legends into the game world. I didn’t buy the season pass, which would give me free access to the DLC as part of the package. But that is ok. I like to pick my DLC and play the ones I think I will truly enjoy.

For The Division 2, I clocked at 35 hours, completing the main missions and most of the side missions. That’s where things get dicey. The world map gets sort of reset, with a new more nefarious group invading Washington, the backdrop of The Division 2. This group is tougher and meaner, utilising drones and robot to thwart your progress in the game. After you complete the main plot, you are then tasked to take on this new enemy. The game advances by advancing World Tiers. There are 5 tiers, and to reach the next tier, you need to not only tackle stronghold missions, but have the adequate equipment to tackle those missions. As you reach a certain equipment level, you are then upgraded to a new World Tier, which will effectively make enemies tougher. On the flip side, advancing through the World Tier will grant you better armor and gear to take on these new challenges.

Personally speaking I am not a fan of the whole World Tier concept. Basically, it is just rehashing the same missions, but simply loaded with tougher enemies. That is fine until the you realise that all those side missions you completed were effectively reset because of these new invader. Thankfully, completing these side missions are not necessary, and advancing World Tiers are not that much of a grind as I was expecting. You just need to complete the main missions that are connected to the Strongholds to gain access to the Strongholds, in addition to achieving a certain equipment level. You don’t have to clear the Strongholds multiple time every time you reach a new World Tier. So long as you achieve the proper equipment level, and complete the strongholds you can advance to the next World Tier.

I need to reach World Tier 5, which is the highest currently set at. After which, I will have access to the episodic DLC, which I am interested in. The best thing about the episodic DLC is that it is free. So at least I have something to look forward to while fighting my way up to the various World Tiers.

I am at World Tier 1, about to reach the minimum equipment level to tackle the first Stronghold. Already, I am feeling the heat as the new invaders as much tougher and smarter, able to easily flank me while distracting me with drones and robots suppressing me behind a barrier. But the challenge is good and the wins are satisfying. This game will keep me hook for a good while longer.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and The Division 2, just like their previous counterparts, Assassin’s Creed Origins and The Division are huge games, lots of content and places to explore. It is these games that are money well spent, giving you hours upon hours of entertainment, exploration and joy.