Immortals Fenyx Rising Review

Immortals Fenyx Rising

• Platform: Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X

• Release date: 03. Dec. 2020

• Publisher: Ubisoft

• Development team: Ubisoft Quebec

• Genre: Action Adventure, Single player

• Engine: AnvilNext 2.0

Before the end of the year, Ubisoft proved to be a valuable publisher that managed to release as many as three high-budget games. In October we had the opportunity to play Watch Dogs Legion, November was enriched with the new Assassin’s Creed, and in December Immortals Fenyx Rising came out. During E3 2019, this game was announced under the title Gods and Monsters, but due to copyright issues, the name was changed. 

The new name emphasizes the development of the protagonist but fails to adequately describe the world in which the game takes place. The real title for the game would be Immortals Fenyx Rising: Gods and Monsters. I know it sounds too rude, but that's the best way to gain insight into the basic theme of the game.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is modeled and modeled on Greek mythology, with all its mythical creatures, recognizable landscapes, and gods. The man you will create at the beginning of the game is called Fenyx, a character who fails to stand out in any way, and because of whom you will skip most of the dialogue. The "creative" options are very modest and include changing hair, eyes, chin, tattoos, gender, and voice. It might even be best not to have a voice, modeled after Gordon Freeman of the Half-Life series. But, since it still has it, then my recommendation is for you to opt for a female character because it is much better done.

The world is enriched with really interesting landscapes, from sunny meadows, exotic forests, and rugged deserts, all the way to the snowy peaks of Olympus. A dark force threatens to destroy the world, the gods are persecuted, and your task is to free the country from tyrants. The map is composed of five important regions, four are tied to one god each, and the fifth is the cold Olympus. 

The gods are turned into funny cartoons, which you need to release, so Aphrodite, the goddess of love, became a tree, the mighty god of war Ares, was turned into a rooster, the goddess of wisdom Athena returned to childhood, and the fire god Hephaestus was transformed into a robot. In each region, there is a multitude of activities through which you strengthen your character, and the setting is similar to the famous game The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

There are a lot of hidden tombs, fortifications, and temples that you need to "break into" by solving certain puzzles. These are smart challenges, great for training brain twists. Mechanically, it all fits in nicely, and the way of playing provides a certain dose of satisfaction when you solve a given puzzle. The game limits you in other areas, so when researching, you will have to constantly take care of your "endurance".

The most irritating thing is that when you swim (read swim, not dive) you also lose stamina, and if it goes to zero, instant death follows. Even when you get stronger, you will get tired of waiting for your strength to regenerate automatically. To some extent, this problem is alleviated by the possibility to tame a riding animal, and the more exotic it is, the more durable it will be.

The fights were most interesting, especially when there are no winged enemies in the fight. Archery and arrow shooting can be boring and slow, and it is difficult to catch them and kill them with a sword or ax. In the game, magic or divine power is of great use, such as a powerful hammer, a multitude of spears, and fireballs used by your winged companion. 

Technically, I would divide the enemies into mini-bosses and bosses, and each clash is interesting in its way. Enemies have a diverse set of moves that need to be stopped or avoided. At certain moments, the camera can be amusing, which can be annoying when sneaking. Since the character can climb all kinds of objects, the player can easily escape from bloodthirsty enemies.

Immortals Fenyx Rising beautifully, without excessive violence, manages to imaginatively portray Greek mythology, its key figures, and appearances. Apart from the main character, most of the events are nicely fitted and presented. The only thing that bothered me was the miraculously accented dialogues, made to sound "Greek". It's a really pleasant surprise, considering that lately, we haven't had a chance to see something new and fresh from Ubisoft's kitchen.