If you’re like me, you have played over dozens of hours of Assassin’s Creed Origins. And if you’re like me, you have beaten the game’s main story and side missions. The world of Ancient Egypt is so lively that you had to immerse yourself via documentaries and history; for example, finding out more about Cleopatra’s origin and learning about the Ptolemaic Dynasty. (If you already knew most of that, then the gods shall be pleased with you.) If you can’t get enough of the game and its setting, Titan Books has the answer for you with The Art of Assassin’s Creed Origins. Here fans will get to see the game’s concept art with Ubisoft artists coming up with different takes on Ancient Egypt, the look of protagonist Bayek, the characters, and more.
Assassin’s Creed Origins tells the tale of Bayek and Aya as they help form the Assassin Brotherhood during the Ptolemaic Dynasty, a time when Cleopatra VII was engaged in a civil war with her teenage brother, Ptolemy XIII. The game has you venturing into the Siwa oasis, the large Qattara Depression desert, the grand cities of Alexandria and Memphis, and many different pyramids like the Great Pyramid of Giza.
There were many ideas for Bayek’s look (see above) that included ones influenced by Anubis and Hercules. As for his arsenal, you get to see the inner workings of the hidden blade and designs for many of the shields and weapons ranging from swords to scepters.
We can’t have an Assassin’s Creed game without an evil and secret group. The Order of the Ancients is comprised of masked people bent on controlling Egypt, and the art book sheds some light on who they are as the forerunners for the Templar Order.
Alexandria was one of the greatest cities during the Hellenistic Period, second to Rome. The majestic city included one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Lighthouse of Alexandria. (It’s no longer in existence due to earthquakes.) The artists had fun with creating the streets and buildings filled with people, chariot races, Cleopatra’s Palace, the Theater, the Great Library, and Alexander’s Tomb.
What’s Egypt without the desert and pyramids? The Ubisoft artists had some artistic license, so they weren’t there to recapture the desert exactly. They had the chance to exaggerate the look and feel, giving players a sense of awe and wonder. There are different types of deserts to explore, each having their own unique landscape. What would the pyramids look like back then during Ancient Egypt? They were already thousands of years old during the Ptolemaic Period, so the artists tried to capture what it was like back then compared to how we see it now.
Iconic characters like Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Pompey, and Ptolemy XIII also have their moment to shine in the art book, with Cleopatra having different iterations to her outfit. The art also features fictional characters like Aya, members of the Order of the Ancients, and present-day characters, and we get a taste of the differences between designing a present-day character and a period character.
I highly recommend The Art of Assassin’s Creed Origins for fans of the game and of Ancient Egypt. It features wonderful art pieces of ancient cities like Alexandria and Memphis and the many pyramids, transporting you into an interesting moment in history filled with Egyptian, Roman and Greek culture.
The Art of Assassin’s Creed Origins is available on Amazon and retails for $39.95.
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