Gamesplanet Interviews Ubisoft Quebec about Assassin's Creed Odyssey's PC Version and Story

Talking with Ubisoft Quebec's Creative Director Jonathan Dumont about the PC version of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, the story, and what content players can look forward to post-launch.

Earlier this month we had a chance to visit the stunning open world of Ancient Greece with the release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey on October 5th, which was well received by critics and fans alike. Recently we had a chance to speak to the Ubisoft Quebec's Creative Director Jonathan Dumont about the game, PC version and what awaits players in the future with post-launch content. Jonathan himself has been a veteran in the industry for many years, and has over 20 years of experiences, with him previously being the Lead Level Designer on World of Warcraft for almost 7 years. He also previously served as World Director for 2015's Assassin's Creed Syndicate, which Ubisoft Quebec also worked on.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Creative Director Jonathan Dumont.

GP: Why did you choose Greece and the Peloponnesian War (5th century BC) for the next Assassin's Creed title?

JD: As always in Assassin’s Creed, we wanted to pick a setting that is a pivotal moment in history, a period that deeply impacts the story of mankind, which will allow for plenty of gameplay opportunities. We also wanted a setting and period that are connected to the story we want to tell, that idea of a place and time torn between order and free-will, between the Old World and the New World. A setting where mankind is at the eve of some of its more astonishing progress and discoveries but at the same time risks losing it all to war and violence.

For all those reasons the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece was for us a perfect fit. It’s a place and time filled with tension and opposition between man and the gods, reason and myth, tyranny and democracy, Athens and Sparta…. It is the ideal setting to embark players on a true odyssey where all of their choices will matter, an adventure where they will determine their own path between these extreme notions.

But of course, we also picked this setting because of the amazing beauty and diversity of Ancient Greece. There is an incredible variety of biomes and landscapes, from the snowy peak of Mount Taygetos to the crystalline waters of the Aegean Sea. Forests, white beaches, volcanic islands, mountains… Ancient Greece has it all. It’s also without a doubt one of the richest settings ever when it comes to man-made monuments and objects, a time of massive temples and statues that really stimulated and challenged our artists. It was said at that time that Greece had been created by the gods, and we’re proud and excited that players will discover in our game one of the most credible recreation of those place and time.

GP: How long has Assassins Creed Odyssey been in development for?
JD: We started the development of Odyssey right in 2014, right after the release of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate that was also led by the Ubisoft Québec studio.

GP: AC Origins included a number of Mythological figures, will we have more of those in Odyssey? We've seen teases of the Gorgon Medusa in the game, but will there be any others? How will they appear in the world?

JD: It was very important for us to include creatures inspired by Greece’s most famous myths and legends, as they are a key element in living a true, Homeric Odyssey. In every Assassin’s Creed we want not only to reflect what History has told us about that period of time, but also be true to how men and women of the time, including the character embodied by players, perceived the world that surrounded them.

Ancient Greece was a world of secluded valleys, where most people never left their village and believed in the existence of the gods, not only as transcendental powers to worship but as real, powerful and frightening beings. Myths and legends were not fairy tales to entertain or teach, they were true stories of mythical Heroes and creatures and most people were convinced of their true existence.

Over the course of their Odyssey, players will encounter legendary animals, inspired by Herculean myths including the Nemean Lion with its golden fur, the Lykaon Wolf punished by Zeus for his misdeeds and Kallisto the bear, the angry mother of the Arcadians, to name a few. They will also have the chance to confront mythical creatures inspired by the most iconic Greek myths, including Medusa as you saw indeed and the Minotaur. These more fantastical challenges let players test their skills against the time’s most formidable opponents.

GP: What can PC players look forward to with the upcoming version of Odyssey, and how will it differ from the console experience?
JD: The PC version has been developed by Ubisoft Kiev in close collaboration with Ubisoft Quebec which enabled the creation and improvement of a number of PC-specific features, such as the benchmarking tools introduced by AC Origins.

For PC our priority was to offer the depth of personalization and customization that players expect on that platform. For instance on PC you can choose to deactivate dynamic rendering and uncap the framerate. You can also tweak many visual parameters to adapt the visual experience to your preferences and the capabilities of your rig – depth of field, shadows, character details…

GP: Assassins Creed Origins added new elements to the game with RPG and loot drops, but what will Odyssey bring to the table?

JD: There are many new elements in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. First of all, it is a brand-new take on how our players experience and impact the game’s world and stories. We wanted to build a full RPG, a game where player agency and freedom of choice are at the core of every feature and system. So even if players live their adventures through the embodiment of a hero, Alexios or Kassandra, what really matters are the decisions they make, the role they want to play in the story, and the path they want to follow in a world that constantly reacts to their choices. Depending on these decisions, new opportunities and storylines will arise, leading to multiple endings to the main story.

To give shape to such an experience we had to create the most lively and interactive world ever seen in an Assassin’s Creed game. Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War is an incredible setting for an Assassin’s Creed adventure, a world of contrast between order and freewill, democracy and tyranny, tradition and innovation, religion and science, Sparta and Athens, the mountains and the sea… This conflict and tension are present in every decision players make, and will continuously impact the world around them. We pushed the AI framework developed for ACO to the next level to create an incredibly varied, rich and credible game world that will immerse players for dozens of hours.

From a feature set perspective, there are three major elements that we’re very excited to bring to players with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: A new seamless Naval experience that is both accessible and deep; the Interactive Cinematic Dialogues that fulfill the brand’s promise of interacting with history; and the Conquest Battles that will allow players to actively take part in 150 versus 150 battles where their skills will make the difference between victory and defeat. Those new features work in conjunction to create an incredible adventure, a true odyssey that will have players exploring and battling all around Ancient Greece.

GP: How does the new dialogue system work?
JD: The Interactive Cinematic Dialogues are a major new addition in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and the principal way that we bring to life two major pillars of our game vision: the ability for the player to make impactful decisions and an odyssey where every encounter is interactive, colorful and memorable.

When talking with an NPC, you will have different responses to their dialogue. Depending on which options you choose, you can impact the outcome of the discussion or create a specific chain of events that will influence events hours later. There are multiple endings to the main path depending on the decisions you will make over the course of your Odyssey. Those branching stories are brand new for the Assassin’s Creed franchise and we made them a core element of the experience. There are more than 30 hours of Interactive Cinematic Dialogues in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, which represents approximately 23,000 lines of text.

GP: With two protagonists this time around players will be able to pick either a male or female hero, can you talk a little about the difference between the two characters and their backstory?

JD: Kassandra and Alexios are the two Heroes that players can choose from at the beginning of their odyssey. Their personality, characteristics, backstory and motivations are the same and the only difference is their gender, it’s all personal preference as to which hero the player would like to pick.

As Kassandra or Alexios, players embody a mercenary of Spartan origin whose life was torn apart by family tragedy at a very young age. From their birth the hero was raised in a powerful Spartan family with strong values, trained as a warrior. Spartan life and education are tough but those were happy times that he/she remembers fondly.

But at the age of 7, Alexios/Kassandra is flung from the cliffs of Mount Taygetos for trying to save their infant sibling from a death sentence, following an Oracle’s prophecy that the baby would bring doom to Sparta. After being left for dead and living in squalor on Kephallonia for 17 years as a mercenary, he/she longs for adventure. An unexpected turn of events causes the hero to set sail across war-torn Greece on an odyssey to reunite their family and discover who tore it apart. Soon he/she discovers that a mysterious organization the Cult of Kosmos, is responsible not only for their own misfortune but also for many other misdeeds all around Greece.

In terms of characteristics, ALexios/Kassandra are known as the Eagle Bearer, rumoured to be a demi-god because of their mysterious strength and eagle companion, Ikaros. Despite their sarcastic wit, defiance, short temper and reluctance to trust others, they are independent and have empathy for those with nothing and no one to turn to.

GP: Compared to previous titles in the series, how large is the world and roughly how long would it take to complete it all?

JD: The map is roughly twice the size Origins’ one, with 50% water. As for how long it would take to complete everything in our world… that totally depends on how you play but for sure dozens and dozens of hours!

GP: Greece has a rich Landscape, how did you go about recreating that in the game, and did you face any challenges when making the world?

JD: The world of Ancient Greece has much more diversity than Origins’ Egypt or any previous Assassin’s Creed titles. The production team’s visit to Greece helped them truly understand how the local landscape is a beautifully unique blend of mountain and sea, which we fully embraced in our recreation of Ancient Greece.

GP: With every entry in the Assassins Creed series we've seen a glimpse at modern day events. Will Odyssey continue the events from Origins, or tell a new modern day story?

JD: Yes, Layla Hassan, the Present Day protagonist in Assassin’s Creed Origins, is back in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – from that perspective Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the follow-up to Origins. The Animus links the story in the past to the Present Day.

GP: Odyssey will also feature large scale battles with 2 warring factions fighting it out. Can you talk a little about how they work and what the goal behind them is. Can we expect them at random moments or as part of quests? What will be the rewards for winning these battles?

JD: The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta is much more than a backdrop for our main story, its events are central in players’ odyssey. We wanted to give them the possibility to experience that war, to feel that they’re part of that massive conflict and can make the difference in large-scale battles between both armies.

In our world, each of the regions is controlled by either Sparta or Athens. Over the time, because of players’ actions or systemically, a region can have its resources getting so low that it becomes vulnerable. Once the region is vulnerable, both armies prepare for a Conquest Battle that players can take part in as hired mercenaries. Fighting their way through the ranks of the enemy army, they’ll need to take down specific opponents and help their allies get the upper hand in a deadly and chaotic 150 vs 150 battle that will decide which side will control the region. It’s a very immersive experience that reflects the brutality and danger of ancient times’ warfare.

GP: For Naval Combat it looks like you're expanding upon the gameplay seen in Black Flag and Origins, such as being able to recruit crew. How does the recruitment system work and what can we customize with our ships?

JD: The naval gameplay was reconstructed from the ground up to provide a historically accurate, unique, satisfying, and visceral experience, perfect for effectively traversing Greece. Combat is central to the naval experience, and a pivotal part of that is ramming. Ships had to be maneuverable, and fast enough to smash into enemy ships and break them apart. In addition to the ram, players will have access to multiple lethal weapons like flame arrows and javelins. Once the enemy ship has suffered enough damage, players will be able to board it seamlessly, jumping on its deck to deal with its crew in combat.

Early in the game, players will acquire their own ship, the Adestria. Historically, the crew was as important as the ship herself, so players will be able to individually recruit crew lieutenants amongst NPCs and enemies they meet in the world. Those recruited lieutenants will improve and modify the capabilities of the ship, such as the number of arrows per volley or the resistance of the hull. Some of them will even bring special perks that will drastically change how players approach their naval combats. On top of that, players will be able to customize and upgrade different parts of the ship by spending in-game money and resources.

In addition to a great way to explore the world and get into memorable battles, the Adestria is also your base of operations and home away from home. You will be able to pick up quests on the ship, and speak with your ships’ captain, Barnabas.

GP: Ubisoft are known for supporting their products for a long time after release, what can we expect post-launch? Will we get community events like we had in Origins? Something like the Final Fantasy crossover which rewarded a new weapon and mount.

JD: The post-launch roadmap for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the biggest and most ambitious ever in the franchise, focusing mostly on new narrative content that players will be able to enjoy the way they wish to. The cornerstone of that roadmap is our Season Pass that solely focuses on bringing more stories to players, in an episodic format. It includes two massive downloadable story arcs –Legacy of the First Blade and The Fate of Atlantis - of 3 episodes each. That’s a total of six episodes that will dive deeper into the lore of Assassin’s Creed and the most famous Greek myths. And as a special gift for our fans, our Season Pass will also include Assassin’s Creed III Remastered!

Another important change is that we will offer new and free story content on a regular basis through the Lost Tales of Greece, which are free quests diving deeper into the stories of old and new characters from the world of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Last but not least, there will be plenty of new and free challenges and rewards through our daily and weekly contracts, new epic ships, epic mercenaries and mythical creatures to defy as well as a new Game Plus Mode. For us the launch of the game is just the beginning of the Odyssey and we can’t wait for players to discover all the cool stuff they will enjoy after the game is out.

GP: Origins included the "Discovery Mode" post-launch which gave players a chance to learn more about the world of Egypt. Will Odyssey get something like this in the future?
JD: Yes, there will be a Discovery Tour for Odyssey.

A huge thanks to Ubisoft Quebec and Jonathan Dumont for taking the time to answer our questions. If you've not had a chance to pick up the game yet you can grab Assassin's Creed Odyssey today and start your journey into Ancient Greece!