Egyptian murder-dad Bayek bends canon in Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Bayek was cool before his time
If there's one advantage to Assassin's Creed's just-a-simulation framing device, it's that you can bend the rules (and timeline) occasionally. While it makes no sense temporally, those who have been hunting in-game achievements in Assassin's Creed Odyssey can cash in their earned Club Units to make Origins hero Bayek of Siwa an officer aboard your flagship, the Adrestia. While he doesn't have much to say, it's nice to see him still finding work four hundred years before he was born.
While I've yet to dive into Odyssey myself (I'm still hip deep in Origins's sprawling expansions), I've been informed that Bayek's stats are middling, but you can at least summon him into battle with you using the Call To Arms skill. Bayek does stand out among your crew (not too many hooded Egyptians there), but you can help him blend in a bit with an optional Medjay crew theme, released a while ago. Again, it's a Club Point redemption item, but not an expensive one.
My biggest disappointment is that they've gone for the marketing-friendly version of Bayek, looking grim, hooded and clean-shaven. Everyone knows that the best way to play him is fully bearded and with a full head of hair. He's your friendly neighbourhood murder-dad, after all. Assuming you're an ancient, fictional Egyptian. Which you probably aren't. The release of Bayek also marks the start of a new weekly event quest - it's simple stuff, really, just sink twenty-five Spartan ships, and stab fifty Spartan soldiers, because blood pays the bills in ancient Greece.
You can grab Bayek and the Medjay crew theme for your ship on the Ubisoft Club page here. Bayek costs 40 units, the Medjays 30, and the game pays out 250 if you're shooting to complete it 100%. And if you're still on the fence, check out John and Matt's breakdowns of everything wrong and right with Assassin's Creed Odyssey.