Assassin's Creed Origins getting daily quests and other live bits
Daily quests?
Free bits coming to Assassin's Creed Origins [official site] in the weeks and months after launch will include battles against gods, a wave survival arena mode, and the promised tourism of Discovery Mode. Ubi today detailed their post-launch plans, which include some nice bits and pieces, then went on to announce all the paid DLC because apparently this is something people find exciting. I'm still baffled by DLC announcements coming when I haven't even bought the game yet and certainly don't fancy paying extra up front, but here we go.
First, the free stuff.
'Trials of the Gods' sound a bit like Hitman's elusive contracts. Ubi say: "Epic boss battles against Egyptian gods that take place during special timed events - victorious players will receive prestigious rewards." The first will kick off 15 days after AssCreedOr launches, so Saturday the 11th of November I guess. Similarly Hitman-y (but also quite reminding me of Destiny's Xur) is The Nomad's Bazaar, a wandering merchant with daily quests promising "mysterious exotic rewards".
Early 2018 will bring Horde Mode with endless waves of baddies to murder in an arena, tracked on scoreboards. The previously-announced Discovery Mode, which includes both guided tours and the opportunity to explore the world without quests or fights, is also due in early 2018.
Onto things that will cost money! These two will be sold separately or come in the DLC season pass along with some trinkets and baubles.
- The Hidden Ones (DLC 1) – This expansion takes place years after the events of Assassin’s Creed Origins in a new region occupied by a Roman force. Bayek and the new Assassins will clash with the Romans as the Brotherhood continues to grow, and players will have a new level cap. Slated for release in January 2018.
- The Curse of the Pharaohs (DLC 2) – The second expansion focuses on Egyptian mythology, pitting players against undead pharaohs and famed Egyptian monsters. Bayek will need to explore a mystical new realm and discover the root of the curse that has brought these creatures to life. This expansion will also raise the level cap again and introduce new skills for Bayek. Scheduled for a March 2018 launch.
I understand that announcing all this is broadly trying to cash in on fan devotion, pushing pre-orders and expensive fancy editions and whatnot, but I'm still surprised that the benefit of that is apparently enough to offset how off-putting it is to some other players. I do buy DLC and expansions for games I enjoy enough but the upsell on a game that's not even out really puts me off. Weird. People are weird. Money is weird. Stuff is weird.
Assassin's Creed Origins is due to launch on the 27th. Do check the system requirements if you're interested.