Immortals Fenyx Rising

So I've decided to treat myself for Christmas and getting this game is the best decision I've made in quite some time.

Imagine AC Odyssey with a nice cartoony vibe and a focus on gods and monsters (the working title which was a lot better in my opinion) with plenty of exploration and puzzles to solve.

Basically what they did was take the good parts of Odyssey and get rid of all the clunky bits for a cleaner and streamlined but fun experience.

There are no levels but you improve by unlocking gear and stuff and skills. The game is stamina based so that means that you need to think before starting to climb a cliff (if your stamina is not high enough you need to look for spots where your character can rest and get some stamina back).

The story is kid friendly and despite some silly puns it works in a tongue and cheek fashion.

It's such a treat to be playing a game that is colourful and light hearted with a decent and good natured main character (who is not your typical hero).

Speaking of which there are some nice customisation options. I went for the female version because the male version is voiced by the actor who played Alkibiades in Odyssey and I've played this game too much not to think of this character every time I would hear that voice. Plus considering the cartoon vibe the female character looks incredibly cute.

Bottom line I grabbed this out of curiosity and because I wanted something different and it's definitely worth picking (especially since it's currently on sale for about 50% off on the Epic store and Ubisoft store with coupons).

Puzzles are not too complicated so far (I've completed the prologue area). There is some light platforming involved and shooting and moving around stuff. So far it strikes the perfect balance between offering enough but not too much challenge. It's definitely kid friendly but as an Odyssey veteran I'm playing on hard difficulty (combat is somewhat similar).

I looked it up, the colors and aesthetics are gorgeous! Did you hear about this game through reviews or Epic/Steam sales?

I heard about the game when I was playing Odyssey as they did announce a spin off based on the work they did on Odyssey but with a focus on mythology. It's Ubisoft Québec so they did most of the work on Odyssey.

You should really get it while the sale lasts. If you want a puzzle, exploration game with a light hearted and kid friendly atmosphere then that's the one. Some people criticise the humour because it can be a bit on the nose and a bit corny at times but if you take it for what it is then it's totally fine.

Like I said I'm playing the female character and she's so cute and so good natured and she is trying so hard to help and do the right stuff while being out of her depths that it is incredibly endearing.

It's Ubisoft so there are microtransactions but you can safely ignore them as they are cosmetic. The DLC are not out yet and they won't be directly related to the base game.

The game came out three weeks ago and it's available for half its price on Epic (with the coupon) and Ubisoft directly at about the same price (there is a WELCOME2021 voucher code for an extra discount but I don't know if it works in your region).

I've preordered Valhalla but frankly I'm a bit tired of the mud and I'm having a lot more fun with this one.

Last but not least, it doesn't feel overwhelming like most open world games. There's plenty to do but the density feels just right (if you get what I'm saying).

If I were to recommend a game right now that would be it (and Phoenix Point for XCOM fans since it's only 15 bucks with the Epic Store coupon which is a steal).

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to play in such a colourful setting without being mired in mud and gore.

Reviewers compare it to The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild but I don't know anything about since I'm not a console player. To me it's a more streamlined and light hearted version of Odyssey without all the annoying elements (simple inventory, simple skill tree). It's elegant and enjoyable and feels utterly devoid of clutter (and levels which is something that really bugs me in Valhalla).

This trailer is almost spoiler free.

I really love this game. I wanted to play for an hour last night and ended up playing until early morning...

Looks fab.

It is fab! Completely unexpected and incredibly entertaining, I'm having a blast.

Here is another trailer but fair warning if you want to go blind you may want to stick to the one I've posted above as this one goes into some details regarding the gameplay:


I wouldn't say it spoils the entire game but it gives away some objectives (it also gives much information if you're not sure about what the game is about and what the gameplay looks like).

The game is heavy on puzzles but I really enjoy them (and I'm not a puzzle guy).

Did you buy the basic game or the Gold edition?

I bought the base game because I've been spending too much and the season pass is not out yet (there is only one quest that is available at the moment so nothing to write home about). Plus the extras you get from the Gold Edition are just some exclusive skins (and there are many skins in the game already).

Don't get me wrong the Season Pass looks like it may be worth it but it's not out yet and the content is not directly related to the base game (there is one expansion that adds a new chapter with Fenyx taking place after the base game and the other expansions introduce new characters).

Gold editions can be a terrible waste especially if you don't know the quality of the content that is going to be added. Far Cry 5 Gold Edition was such a waste of money for instance (I would only recommend getting New Dawn even if you get more from the story if you've played 5 first -the Far Cry 5 Season Pass is just really bad). The Division 2 Gold is not such a good deal and neither is Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Assassin's Creed Valhalla Gold is a bit of a gamble at the moment (I got the Ultimate Edition with a discount on preorder but I'm a sucker for this franchise).

I'm willing to bet that Fenyx is going to be worth the investment but right now you only get one mission and a few skins by spending twice the money. Right now for the same amount you could get another game (if not several games).

There are microtransactions in the game but they are purely cosmetic and although there is an in game store you can also unlock them in the game by completing challenges which give you special coins that you can then trade with Hermes who will charge you a lot for these items (while reminding you that he is both the god of merchants AND thieves). At least there is an alternative to spending actual money on the in game store.

Last but not least, when it comes to purchasing the game getting the game on the Epic Store allows you to take advantage of the coupon and you should be able to redeem the game through Epic on your Ubisoft account (so you should only need to run it with the Ubisoft launcher). Ubisoft offers a discount code for 21% off (WELCOME2021) which brings down the price to the same level so it's up to you if you want to get it from Epic or directly from Ubisoft.

Thanks Cars, that bears out where my mind had gone with the pricing and content.

I usually start with the base game and add what I want when I want it - some DLC's are rubbish.

Indeed. Plus when you get tired of a big sprawling game it can be a pain.

I think the base game has enough content and puzzles to last quite some time and I wholeheartedly recommend it as long as you don't mind the colourful setting and the light hearted humour.

The game is focused on puzzles and exploration but I highly recommend cranking up difficulty so fights can be engaging and more thrilling. Knowing you have to be careful really adds to the experience (plus there are so many skills that can be unlocked it looks like the start of the game is probably the most challenging part).

EDIT: by the way there is a demo on Stadia if you want to give it a try.

https://stadia.google.com/game/immortals-fenyx-rising