From a publisher as huge as Ubisoft, and in a series as chart-dominating as Assassin s Creed’s Discovery Tour represents an unusual and welcome ambition. The mode, available as free DLC for Assassin s Creed Origins or as a standalone game, strips out all the combat, levelling-up and collectibles in favour of a promised educational experience. It takes the strongest facet of Origins its detailed and enormous depiction of Ancient Egypt and adapts it into something almost entirely new.
Ubisoft isn t alone in remixing its games in this way, however. The Discovery mode for Origins follows in the squelchy footsteps of Frictional s Soma, which added a Safe Mode last December that removes any mechanical threat from its monsters. Traditionally, the concept of games has been closely tied with that of challenge , but these modes sidestep that. And in doing so, they remove a barrier to entry for less experienced players who want to explore their worlds. Even if the execution doesn’t necessarily match the idea, this is a good thing.