Assassin's Creed Odyssey Legacy of the First Blade Episode 1 Hunted Xbox One X Review

Assassin's Creed Odyssey first episode of the Legacy of the First Blade provides a solid structure. It establishes a new enemy and allies within this densely packed world without having to incorporate the main campaign. It's short and doesn't reinvent the established formula but the inclusions of some incredible boss fights overshadow many of the weaker elements. If you already sunk weeks into this epic odyssey Legacy of the First Blade will draw you in for more.

Legacy of the First Blade takes place outside the main campaign in a separate adventure. You'll still need to reach level 28 to start the adventure but it's clear that Ubisoft wanted to tell a different tale for this expansion and it works. Alexios/Kassandra will rarely speak about their adventure in the core campaign and instead focus on the adventure at hand.

Speaking of the adventure players will find one of the earliest members of the Assassin Order and the first person to wear the hidden blade, Darius. Fans of the franchise will recognize him from the statue that appeared in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.  Depending on who you choose to play as Darius will be accompanied by his daughter or son as you are recruited to face against a new enemy, the Order of the Ancients.

It's too early to tell how this Order differs from the campaigns as the writers are vague about their purpose. Blanket statements are provided that draws heavily to the Templar Order but it's unclear who these people are, other than they want you dead. Choices are also lackluster here. With the exception of 1 none of them carry much weight, however, this is the first of 3 episodes so this may have been on purpose.

Where Legacy of the First Blade truly shines is in its bosses. There are 2 in total and they're incredible, having the player face against intense enemies using distinct tactics that require the player to think on their toes. Those who completed the campaign and have equipped their character with over-powered gear can easily plow through these fights on normal and hard. Those seeking a challenge should increase the difficulty.

Much of the gameplay follows the same formula of the core campaign. You'll look for clues to hunt down the Order's members, kill key targets, and infiltrate specific areas. The loot provided isn't anything special in terms of cosmetic look and statistics, especially compared to some of the end-game loot. It also doesn't help that many of the areas you explore are areas within the campaign. Nothing environmentally stood out or was unique to the DLC.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey Legacy of the First Blade is a good starting point for this episodic expansion. A new enemy and objective are provided that are distinct to this adventure with great boss battles for the player to take part in. With the exception of 1 mission that has the player facing their sins most of the activities are similar to the core campaign. Legacy of the First Blade gives players a new adventure to undertake with a solid beginning that could to something legendary.
 

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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