AfterGhost Recon: Breakpoint’slaunch troubles, Ubisoft decided to delay a number of games, includingGods and Monsters,which fully re-emerged today with a new name,Immortals: Fenyx Rising.Game Rant got the chance to go hands-on withImmortalsduring a remote press event ahead ofUbisoft Forward, and after spending a few hours with the game, it’s clear that the extra time in the oven was worth it.
Ubisoft notoriously has trouble when debuting new franchises. ThefirstAssassin’s Creedset the stage for the vastly improvedAC2,many of the complaints surroundingWatch Dogswere addressed in its sequel, and so on. It’s reasonable that fans might be a bit apprehensive aboutImmortalsgiven that it’s a first try, but we walked away from our nearly 3-hour demo excited to see more.
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Fans ofAssassin’s Creed: OdysseyandBreath of the Wildare going to feel right at home here, becauseImmortals: FenyxRisingis essentially a combination of the two. It features the vast open-world and climbable surfaces ofBreath of the Wild,but the combat mechanics and gear system ofOdyssey.Not only that, but by mixing and matching some of the elements of each,Fenyx Risingaddresses many of the complaints found in both games.
There is no weapon degradation, so players don’t have to worry about swords splintering into one thousand pieces after a few swings. Some of the best quality of life improvements found in other Ubisoft titles — likeAssassin’s Creed: Odyssey’stransmog outfit system— are already present, so Ubisoft is incorporating tried and true systems along with these bold new elements.
The game features a variety of regions, each one inspired by a different god and distinct in its own way. During the demo, we got to explore Hephestaios' region, the god of fire, hammer, anvil, and forge. The inspiration here is immediately clear, as the region is earthy with embers floating about in some areas, and our primary mission had us firing up a massive forge. Off in the distance, we could make out some of the game’s other regions, and they did look distinct from one another, at least at a distance.
Combat is fast-paced, similar to what one would expect from the newerAssassin’s Creedgames, though the abilities were a bit more fantastical and often inspired by the gods themselves. In the demo, we weren’t allowed to swap out abilities, though they will be customizable when the full game drops. However, we were able to slam down a massive hammer that would erase a significant portion of a health bar, call in a bird companion to attack enemies, rapidly dash into opponents, and had the ability to shoot massive spears out of the ground.
The combat abilities generally felt fun to use, each one consuming stamina that’s regained through combat, making fights feel speedy. Dodging is just a button away, and timing it properly will slow the game down to allow for counter-attacks against a foe. Enemies vary in size by quite a bit, from common footsoldiers to three-headed dogs, and even massive ones like Lieutenant Brontes, a huge glowing cyclops that appeared as part of a world challenge.
Abilities don’t stop at combat, either. Fenyx is able to glide through the world with wings and make objects levitate for puzzles and challenges. One of the most versatile was the bow, which allows players to steer arrows in a similar fashion to theAssassin’s Creedgames. Rather than being just for combat, the bow is used in a number of world puzzles inImmortalsand in a variety of ways.
Fenyx Risinglets players climb almost any surface, too, the exception being certain dungeons.The movement whileclimbing didn’t feel as fluid asBreath of the Wild’s,but it didn’t feel bad, either. There’s a stamina bar that ticks down as players move, though it can be refilled using potions, which are refilled at stations around the world.
There’s a certain allure to climbing thestructures inFenyxRisingbecause of how interesting they are. It’s handy to be able to climb up a cliff face out of a valley, sure, but making the way to the top of a massive statue of a god then gliding off is far more entertaining of an endeavor, and the game captures that well.
If combat and climbing aren’t quite a player’s favorite flavor, there are other puzzles and challenges scattered throughout the world too. One of these involves unlocking orbs from smaller puzzles in a specific area, then arranging them as a constellation. The puzzles aren’t overly challenging, but they do require players to consider their entire toolset, something few games manage to do successfully, but it works well here.
One of the more interesting aspects of the game is its overall tone. Despite the apocalypse scenario of Typhon returning, the game is pretty lighthearted, being narrated by Zeus and Prometheus as they playfully interact with each other. Some of it is legitimately funny, and it’s refreshing to see a game not taking itself too seriously.
There are areas where the game could be improved, of course. With such a big open world to explore and the open-ended nature the game offers, it would be nice to see some more systemic design makes it way in. For instance, shooting an arrow through fire will ignite it, but that fire can’t spread throughout the world as one might expect. Features like that would greatly expand player’s capabilities, though with the range of abilities in the world, there may be reasons that it was omitted.
Overall,Immortals Fenyx Risingshows a lot of promise for Ubisoft. It’s bound to draw comparisons toBreath of the Wildfrom multiple angles, which puts it in an interesting position. It’s a lot more structured, with clearer quest objectives and reliable equipment, but those that enjoyedBreath of the Wild’sreactive world may not find it as enjoyable.
Of course, the game still isn’t finished yet, so a lot could change between now and release. Based on our demo,Immortalsis one of the more interesting projects of the year, and there are plenty of places that Ubisoft could choose to take it.
Immortals Fenyx Risingwill release December 3 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
