DLC expansions tend to fall into one of two columns. They can add vital narrative context to the base game or serve as an interesting but largely tangential side adventure. Assassin’s Creed Origins: The Hidden Ones definitely arrives in the latter column, although as a standalone affair it is not lacking at all. Rather, this first Origins expansion helps reinforce many of the strengths and intriguing qualities that made the main story so compelling.
History
The Hidden Ones picks up an unspecified number of years after Origins ended. Bayek and his emerging proto-assassin Brotherhood (the titular “The Hidden”) continue to spread their influence throughout and beyond Egypt.
Problems arise when Bayek must help thwart and subvert the Roman occupation of the Sinai Peninsula. With that comes the usual conspiratorial machinations and dangerous clashes of forces. Bayek and the company must not only complete their mission, but also question their own motives for undertaking it.
Origins has spent its history mulling over issues of corruption and persistent trauma. Meanwhile, The Hidden Ones is a story of the costs and intricacies of embarking on a revolution. The best moments of the expansion tend to dwell on how Bayek confronts the conflicting ideologies of his cohorts and opponents. In the process, The Hidden Ones lays the foundation for the series’ Creed of the same name. A distinct sense of remorse for the killing and melancholy in the face of personal sacrifice permeates the entire tale. But in particular, the last hour brings home this mood quite effectively.
Start a new Thread