Assassin's Creed Origins was a major shift for the series. The old formula was getting stale by Unity and Syndicate, and fans desperately wanted something fresh. So, Ubisoft opted for a more modern-style open world with RPG mechanics and Soulslike combat.
Gone were the dense, tight-knit cities, as we explored the dunes of Egypt with the Medjay Bayek, fighting in heavy-handed duels instead of effortlessly killing countless enemies in single blows.
Ten Assassin's Creed games in five years? Don’t get me wrong, I love a good stealthy rooftop leap, but at what point do we stop being master assassins and start feeling like franchise managers?
It was a make or break moment for a series that had long needed a shakeup, and the face behind this enormous pressure was 23-year-old Abubakar Salim. Playing Bayek, he was stepping into the enormous shoes of fan-favourite icons like Ezio Auditore, Evie Frye, and Edward Kenway. And with so much riding on not just the new formula, but the new assassin at its helm, Salim was afraid he might be killing the series for good.
"Imagine making this game, knowing you're going AGAINST the formula," Salim tweeted in...
