Formerly known as Gods and Monsters, Ubisoft’s latest game announcement was Immortals Fenyx Rising. Categorized as an action-adventure, third-person, open-world RPG. This game was created by the same team in Ubisoft that made Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
Immortals Fenyx Rising has a strikingly similar art style to the highly acclaimed Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There is clearly some inspiration from Breath of the Wild in this game, not just from the art style, but the layout of the map as well. In the very center of IFR (Immortals Fenyx Rising) is a large structure with some sort of red energy emanating from it that very closely mirrors Hyrule Castle and its malice from BotW (Breath of the Wild). The final comparison that can be made between these games is the puzzle solving involved. Through the limited gameplay currently available, many of the puzzles in IFR are quite similar to BotW, such as the puzzles that require boxes to block certain lasers, a common trend in BotW’s many dungeons.
Ubisoft’s leading development team also implemented many of the same design choices from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The UI (user interface) is one of the more prominent similarities. The layout of where the map is, the health bar, abilities, and quests are all situated in the same areas as AC Odyssey (Assassin’s Creed Odyssey). Much of IFS’s combat style also very closely resembles AC Odyssey’s combat style. From the type of parrying that is done to the dodging. While it can be said that these are two mechanics common in this genre of video game, when comparing the animation and the effect of the parry on the enemies and surroundings, it is clear that they are both inherently the same thing.
Regardless of IFR’s many similarities to other games, it appears to have much to offer. The emphasis on Ancient Greek mythology is a concept that is very exciting and has plenty of potential for hours upon hours of content. Scott Phillips, one of Ubisoft’s game directors, stated in an interview with PressStart that the game will provide “20-30 hours” of playtime for just the main campaign. This means it will ultimately be much longer since RPGs tend to have an enormous number of side quests, collectibles, and exploring in general to do.
Whether this game turns out to be revolutionary, average or just a disappointment remains to be seen since only limited footage is available for review. The game will release on December 3, 2020, and will be available on current and next-gen consoles which include the following: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Stadia.
