We were recently given a chance to take on the first opening hours of Assassin's Creed Odyssey with no preview strings -- we could go anywhere and attempt to do anything. What we emerged with, from a content perspective is a game that is truly ever-reaching and player aware.

Which is to say this is shaping up to be the most complete Assassin's Creed yet where player choice and consequence aren't just a part of a larger narrative defining tilt, but also in the much smaller, more intimate parts of the game.

Here's a snippet:

Still, staples remain. You have a pet eagle you use to synchronise the map (ie, reveal points of interest) as well as to tactically scope out strongholds and find treasures. You have parkour skills, a bow, bladed weapons (as well as spears and other two-handed weapons), armour and more. You gain bounties this time around, too. Which is something you’ll encounter early. However, this isn’t nearly as binary as the Phylakes bounties of Origins, and the game even features a menu dedicated to “Mercenaries”. In here you can learn information about any bounties you have, and the mercenaries that have taken up the job. Some of these bounties can be paid off by you, which is another great use of in-game currency, however, some won’t be able to be paid leaving you with a choice to essentially avoid that mercenary as much as possible, or take them on. Some mercenaries will be a higher level than you, which is also another great way of promoting character growth, while also pulling the game-world in more closely around you.

Click here for our full hands-on report.