Ahead of E3 proper, Ubisoft gave us a chance to get hands-on with Assassin's Creed Odyssey -- a prequel to the brilliant Assassin's Creed Origins, that gives us control of a Spartan warrior-turned-mercenary some 400 years before the events of Origins, in Ancient Greece.


This is also a far more RPG entry in the series, even over the action-RPG experience that was Origins, with player-choice heavily at the helm. Here's a snippet from our in-depth hands-on:

And the word “options” here is poignant. Because while traditional AC pillars remain in traversal, stealth, combat and more, there’s a greater emphasis on decisive -- and divisive -- action. For example, a new option is Conquest Mode -- here, the player tackles a new Nation Power system (given there are multiple nations you encounter throughout Ancient Greece and the Aegean Sea) where you work to sabotage and weaken a nation’s power (naturally), and when ready, based on decisions you’ve made through the earlier-mentioned conversation and choice combinations, you can enter Conquest Mode -- a true 150 Vs 150 soldier battle where you also join the fight on the battlefield.

In pre-release form, it was a little clunky, but that’s to be expected this early out of the game’s October release. And if this gets the polish it so rightfully deserves, it’s going to add an entirely new, fun and engaging layer to an already systems jam-packed game. Moreover, the High Seas return in spectacular fashion this time around, with our main protagonists Alexios and Kassandra (the player can choose to play through entirely as either a fully voiced male or female), able to board their own ship and sail anywhere. It’s allegedly an ungated game-world, though if Origins is anything to go by players will be looking at recommended level areas, but there’s depth here too, even beyond that we experienced in the seminal Black Flag.

Click here for our in-depth Assassin's Creed Odyssey hands-on.