Assassin's Creed: Origins - An Egyptological Review

[@JBrotsis1]

I love the fact he said “when I’ve spoken to other Egyptologists about the game”. So all these professionals are analyzing and enjoying this game. Would love to sit in and listen to that conversation. I love AC Origins so much!

[@charlesmitchell1058]

Me too

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Quite a few professors of Egyptology at prestigious (read "fancy-pants") universities have spent dozens or even hundreds of hours playing this game (and many other Egypt-themed games). I think you genuinely would love to come hang out and participate in our conversations. For starters, there aren't that many professional egyptologists in the world. We ALL know each other on a personal level, so conversations tend to be pretty light and casual. They usually aren't at all formal or stilted as stereotypes of academics might lead you to expect. To give you an illustration (and I might be giving away too much top-secret egyptology intel by saying this), my wife throws together a "dance party" every year at the major US egyptology conference, where we all go to a dive in whatever city the conference is in and fill the place with drunkenly-dancing Egyptology nerds. Every year without fail the DJ somehow catches on that these are all the same type of nerd who are gathered in one place for some annual event, lets everybody get good and loosened up, and then busts out the Bangles "Walk Like an Egyptian". The enthusiastic off-key singing (and general screaming) inevitably drowns out the music. The point is, egyptologists are actually just regular people. We're not even actually fancy or glamorous. Most of us grew up (lower) middle-class in the suburbs and often feel out of place at our fancy universities, which we attended in the first place because those are the only places where you can study Egyptology (right now), and where we survived on financial aid rather than trust funds. Most of us love video games and bad pop music as much as everybody else. All of us are privately impressed by the level of knowledge hardcore gamers bring to these conversations. I have to admit to being initially reluctant to speak publicly about this subject, not because I doubt my Egyptology expertise, but because I feel like I look like a huge noob streaming on twitch. I'm legitimately nervous that real gamers are going to make fun of me for being such a casual. I put that fear aside because I want to have this conversation as badly as you do, and I want you to be there too. All of this stuff that I'm putting online right now-this video, my full playthrough stream, my free online language classes, etc.-all of it is about brushing aside those silly artificial barriers (like "ivy-league" credentials or whatever) so that we can all come together and enjoy these things that we love as regular people. What else can we do to make this happen? Toss out some ideas. I'm down to try anything. Let's make this awesome subject something that we can all get together and enjoy!

[@ramattaf]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme Beautiful.

[@ХристоМартунковграфЛозенски]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme I'm surprised they don't frown upon video games, for some reason I thought they did. That's very good! Also, there was some time ago a mail from the EEF about an event (don't exactly remember which one, or what type it was) about the reception of Ancient Egypt and the study of this reception. They mentioned video games explicitly in that message.

[@goverdungaming2545]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme Sir, I was pleasantly surprised by your personality.. for an Egyptologist. I enjoyed your review of the game that I love so much, and I'm excited to check out your playthrough of the game.. while I'm in the middle of making one myself!

[@axlslak]

It's nice to see academics enjoying this game. I think perhaps some gamers take it for granted sometimes.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Similarly, Egyptologists tend to take for granted how much popular interest our subject has and how great it is for us to be able to learn about these things for a living. It's always nice to stop for a moment and appreciate moments like this where the stars all align.

[@axlslak]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme Yes sir. A payed hobby is the best. I deal in computers and software. But none the less the stars align and it's good. I am fortunate to be able to enjoy gems like this, and side content like your video. it's the fine grain that I enjoy. The little details. Like: this particular fruit would not have been there, but I understand devs for including it for the color. its little things that make the internet an ocean of interesting.

[@WildcardASMR]

Agreed. As one who has a deep and fond love for history, but specifically the many dynasties of arguably the most developed and intrinsically beautiful civilisations of the known ancient world: Ancient Egypt. The historical accuracy in most of the AC games, however shrouded in its fictional core, is astounding. This game brought me to tears. A fantastic storyline meets a fantastic timeline.

[@barneyclifton6402]

Take it for granted? Who are those, I was utterly wowed by everything in this game. More so than Oddessey even. Although the old AC games are more playable and are also very interesting...

[@ryansmith-gu5yp]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme I wish you had mentioned your thoughts on Discovery Tour. I want to know what your take on that part of the game is.

[@cyanidesuperhero]

list of historical inaccuracies: • mangoes

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

Harvesting unripe wheat

[@someinteresting]

Even that could be explained with the trade connections with India. Such a great game.

[@Shadi_Wajed]

And some names, especially Reda and Shadya, which both are Arabic names not Egyptian nor Greek.

[@zzodysseuszz]

@@Shadi_Wajed I mean Egypt, it’s not** that far away from Arabia

[@Shadi_Wajed]

@@zzodysseuszz There was no Arabia back then, the Arabic language didn't even exist.

[@alternateaccount7940]

I appreciate that you understand it’s a game and some things are changed for the players a lot of experts just dissect everything as of it’s real life and should be 100% accurate

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Thanks for saying this. I worried that I was still being too much of a dweeb about it. It's hard to walk the line between taking it seriously and treating it as entertainment. I hope I managed to communicate that it works well from both perspectives.

[@OmegaRidley90001]

@Alternate Account I disagree. I prefer my games to be accurate if it is touting to be historically accurate. If we have documented an event that happened in the time Ubisoft decides to show it, I expect it to happen as documented. That doesn't mean they shouldn't change it a bit to make it fit their story. I expect consistency. Assassin's Creed Rogue, Unity and 3 are one of the most historically inaccurate games they have made. VestigalLlama4 on reddit documents the historical events and determines how accurate they portrayed that event or person. The sources are also posted so anyone can follow the logic by checking the sources.

[@jedimindtrick75]

@@OmegaRidley90001 You are talking about a video game where people can relive peoples memories through a machine in the first person while searching for relics from a civilization of advanced beings responsible for human creation, and you are worried about historical accuracy? LMAO... Lighten up, dude. It's ENTERTAINMENT.

[@OmegaRidley90001]

@@jedimindtrick75 I am concerned that they are misrepresenting historical events despite having documents that can detail the event(s). It's their job to merge their fictional story to real world historical events without conflicting interests. I'm all for these kinds of games since I can experience, even a little bit, what it is like to be in that time. I quite enjoyed Origins and Unity because of that unique experience. But, that shouldn't get in the way of accurately portraying an historical event. If not done properly, that can ruin the immersive experience. Remember, they're the ones who are touting historical accuracy in their games, and yet they have gotten worse, with Unity, Rogue and 3 being the worse. Movies that are based on real life events are also in this category. Wouldn't you be concerned if they had gotten an event wrong, despite the evidence and documents stating otherwise? For example, Abraham Lincoln getting shot by someone other than John Wilkes Booth. How far are you willing to let these inaccuracies go? That is the argument I'm making. There should be a limit on how far you want to portray these event(s). One more thing, even though entertainment is Ubisoft's primary goal, their sub goal is their historical accuracy. And by judging their previous games, their primary goal, entertainment, is based off of how well they can convey their sub goal (historical accuracy). So no, I won't lighten up just because they are trying to entertain me. I expect them to balance the two goals. I would like to direct you to VestigialLlama4 on Reddit. He has analyzed each assassin's creed game's historical events and compared them the real life events by using documents that support or explain such events. He also lists the sources used so if you doubt him/her, then you check the sources. Shadiversity has analyzed the AC valhalla trailer and Metetron have covered some stuff on AC Valhalla's dual wielding. Skallagrim and Overly Sacrastic Productions have done a video on odyssey and its historical accuracies. Whitelight also talked about some history pertaining to Rogue. You don't have to watch any of them, as they are just suggestions and recommendations. however, I do hope you understand my point on the matter.

[@jedimindtrick75]

@@OmegaRidley90001 You said "it's their job to..." You could have stopped right there. You obviously do not understand their job. I understand your point but it is completely irrational. There is a reason that games, movies, etc. have the disclaimer about inspiration. the fact that there are people who ignore that and hold them to a standard that only exists in that individuals mind is just not rational. But I am glad you get to share this view with other like minded individuals and seem inspired by this Reddit poster. But I will go on treating my entertainment as entertainment. As most rational people do.

[@janayahanley3398]

I’m a brand new gamer, and i’m so happy that I chose this as my first PC game to dive into! I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid, and i’m enjoying the experience of exploring Egypt and “seeing” these landmarks through a pretty realistic-looking lens. The game is simply beautiful! I love walking through the cities, exploring the temples, and even just riding into the vast desert to find a tomb or catch a sunset. Playing the game as an “everyman” character forces the player to experience these historical events from a different point of view, and I appreciate being able to experience the world of the game from the eyes of an ordinary person, rather than a royal or political figure. The discovery tour is also a lot of fun, and is probably the closest thing to a museum tour that i’m ever going to get. I love learning about the significance of different sites, buildings, people, etc, and it makes me so happy when I stumble across something that I recognize or that I’ve read about. What’s even MORE exciting is the chance to identify the gaps in my own knowledge, and to spark up that curiosity again. This game is my introduction to AC (and gaming in general), but it’s also a return to a subject that is very near and dear to me.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

I so glad to hear how much you're enjoying it. If you come across any burning questions, by all means, send them my way. Always happy to help a fellow scholar of ancient Egypt!

[@sabiansatchel]

Welcome to the world of gaming,the ac games are my most cherished, I've played them all,on console and now playing valhalla, which the scenery is stunning and so realistic I forget it's a virtual world. Enjoy your gaming. Getting platinum on this was great, especially being 61. Motto: never too old to be a gamer.

[@adhielden3470]

@@sabiansatchel you are right u can get into anything at any age and its your choice happy to see a fellow gamer enjoying one of my favourite game franchises

[@theradiantdadmaster5463]

The AC series is a solid introduction into gaming! Origins in particular is a favourite of mine. I love walking through the towns and cities and just watching the NPCs go about their routines. The level of detail is amazing

[@bbqtoecrisp]

I’m what u definitely consider a kid, also obsessed with egypt. it’s beautiful it’s a bummer we’ll never see egypt the way it was then, it would be a beautiful experience to have. i’m glad we still have some stuff left of egypt and it’s culture. this game also really made me think more psychologically about ancient egypt, i somehow i don’t know why either have a weird feeling of obsession with it to be honest it’s weird. i think it may be a weird nostalgic type of feeling.

[@msg360]

One of the few games in the series that deserves a sequel or prequel of some kind

[@reality_is_sin]

#GIVEUSTHEBAYEKSEQUEL

[@cryosteam3944]

a sequel during the mysterious Amarna period would be fantastic, I want THAT Egypt

[@danreyn]

In favour of a sequel, but a prequel to a game subtitled "Origins" is just too silly to support

[@msg360]

@@cryosteam3944 indeed

[@msg360]

@@danreyn maybe

[@GabrielCarvalho-uq4sz]

I don't know why the KZbin algorithm bought me here. But I'm glad it did

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Same. This video went from 300 to 50k views in about a week. No idea what happened there. Oh well. I'm glad people are enjoying my silly video.

[@jomshutpirashkov8976]

​@@tansebentmntrmnkeme it isn't silly mate, it's great

[@mwolkove]

What you were saying about the accuracy of the layout reminds me of a story i read a while ago. A kid was in Italy with a school group and their leader got lost trying to find some church they were supposed to meet at. Suddenly the kid realized he recognized where he was and knew how to get to the church a few streets away, despite never having been there before. Turns out the church was really tall and just happened to be a fast travel/sync location from assassin's creed. He was able to lead them straight there in just a few minutes, using side streets and alleyways.

[@kyraptor2521]

As a huge assassin's creed fan this makes me so happy to hear. This game kicked off my fascination with Egypt and the mythology. I've waited so long to hear professionals opinions of the games.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

That's wonderful to hear. I've been hoping that this game will provide a point of access for future egyptologists (both amateur and professional).

[@SculptyWorks]

As an Egyptology enthusiast, I think one of the parts I liked most about this game was in fact the ordinary people and buildings and them going about their lives. Yes, the monumental stuff is undeniably awesome, but the everyday people is what breathed life into it!

[@ryanfitzsimmons2426]

Is the geopgraphy accurate?

[@SculptyWorks]

@@ryanfitzsimmons2426 Not at all. Locations have vaguely the general shape they're supposed to have, but a lot of times they took a lot of artistic liberty with the terrain, specially considering the map is a condensed version of Egypt. For example, you can't see the pyramids from the real Alexandria, but in the game, you can. 😉

[@ryanfitzsimmons2426]

@@SculptyWorks OK thank you

[@franciscoduclasoares1905]

Have u noticed the fact that when u have the senu POV u can see what people and animals are doing? Like"resting,working,hunting" Its such a fun detail

[@kingspore5000]

Hands down this is the most beautifiul assassin from all of series

[@TrasteIAm]

I would agree, with a note on the water engine and weather engine in Black Flag and the absolutely spectacular scenes you get to see at times there.

[@misterexclusive8282]

Unity's France was pretty great, too. I don't know accurate it was outside of the architecture of specific buildings (apparently one girl spent 4 years building the big church), but they still did a great job representing Revolutionary France.

[@frenchbreadstupidity7054]

@@misterexclusive8282 Notre Dame de Paris was so accurate that they made visiting it available free online after the 2019 fire, so that everyone has the opportunity to see it in its original state.

[@jnrmrtn]

The eagle is a recurring theme in AC games. The logo is the bottom of the upper beak of an eagle. So that's probably why Senu wasn't a falcon.

[@WWCAPY]

Then comes Valhalla, Raven indeed

[@jass9571]

@@WWCAPY yeah but you gotta have an Eagle in the origin story for sure.

[@nelisaso590]

This is my favourite Assassin's Creed game, and it makes me happy that they spent a lot of time making it as accurate as possible. Some of the changes aren't too big or very misleading which is good. Very interesting video!

[@icantread1058]

You would like ac unity

[@laug1576]

@@icantread1058 Ac unity wasn’t that elaborated but i actually did love it for the narrative

[@Violetcloud80]

My favorite too!

[@laug1576]

@Altaïr ibn la'Ahad says the least developed protagonist🙄

[@laug1576]

@Altaïr ibn la'Ahad Yes i did i was joking xd

[@Red_Rebel]

This game is the ultimate time machine to Ancient Egypt for me. I’ve always dreamed of a game with this size and outreach and I couldn’t be more proud of it.

[@antonio_qp]

It's my favorite Assassin's Creed... Since I played it the first time I fell in love with ancient Egypt leaving me fascinated by learning more about this beautiful culture! The sensation that you feel when visiting the tombs, the hieroglyphics on the walls, the solitary desert... I love this game! They did an amazing job!

[@GregoryFrye]

My play of the game has got me diving into books on ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, etc.

[@krono5el]

ancient africa is amazing and one of the six cradles of civilization

[@Epiousios18]

Might I suggest reading some some Plutarch, and Kebric's Roman/Greek people are pretty good for the culture.

[@soarinlightponysnow96]

Read books 📖 on history later watching discovery and history Channel was all right then playing assassin creed game series was awesome and great too

[@Doogh88]

Likewise, has kind of rebirthed my love for history!

[@GORO911]

@@krono5el It is ancient Egypt not ancient Africa. Egypt is a near Eastern country not really related to Africa.

[@pockylovingranger]

I've learned a decent amount of stuff from playing this game multiple times and everytime I go back to play it, I have a blast.

[@jturn103]

I have play this game and love it. I am very passionate about ancient Egyptian ever since I was little kid. I taught myself on how to read and write in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic.

[@savydude3108]

No you didn't lmao why you lyin

[@jturn103]

@@savydude3108 No l am not lying dim wit bird brain

[@brandonhanserd7832]

You’re most definitely fucking lying. First of all hieroglyphs can’t be read or spoken. Look up the definition of Hieroglyphics......it literally says “it’s an enigmatic or incomprehensible symbols of writing.” Hieroglyphics contain 4,000 characters, while the English Alphabet only contains 26 characters/letters. Which means each hieroglyphic character would have to have 153 meanings for each character. Linguist still to this day can’t decipher the hieroglyphs in Ancient Egypt so how tf did you? And I’m willing to bet you can’t explain how you did it either

[@alero1758]

Brandon Hanserd gottem

[@savydude3108]

@@brandonhanserd7832 cause the dumbass didn't hahahah

[@pintavodki]

"Here's a man harvesting unripe wheat for some reason" Haha, good one.

[@Scarabola]

yeah made me lol

[@heavensea141]

I remember back when I try the first Assassin's creed, Ancient Egypt will be the perfect setting. Fast forward Assassin's creed Origins isnt only my favourite Assassin's creed game, its one of my favourite games.

[@tammymathews3407]

We need a remake of the first assassin's creed asap

[@scottmichaelhedge5055]

I became really fascinated with ancient Egypt because of this game. I adore the Discovery Tour mode, just to wander around the stunning world they created and learn about what daily life might have been like.

[@alyxxpratt678]

I absolutely love learning about world history and ancient civilizations. The Assassins Creed titles are a great outlet for me to experience history ( albeit tweaked versions ). AC Origins has to be my all time favorite entry in the series. Egypt is just so fascinating and its really cool to see actual scholars getting enjoyment out of it. Amazing video my friend!

[@AllpostsFilms]

I really love the tour guide mode in the game, one of my favourite things about the assassin creed games is learning about the ancient world

[@franciscoduclasoares1905]

I like how in the senu pov u can see what each person is doing Such as "resting working etc. " If u never noticed before Just aim at someone And it will tell u what they are doing at that moment Also works on animal Realy fun detail

[@Kallan007]

As a big fan of the assassin’s creed series it’s gratifying to hear that they did such an excellent job trying to portray ancient Egypt.

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

Who is seriously a “big fan” of assigns creed? The franchise is a hodgepodge of bad game design and busy work mechanics with pretty graphics

[@Kallan007]

@@GeorgeZimmermen I am, I guess you can't comprehend much.

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

@@Kallan007 my condolences to you and your casual gaming experiences

[@OpJKnyah]

It's always interesting, informative, and amusing watching experts play games in their chosen fields. I hope more join in and talk because it fleshes out the games and shows others that they're not just mindless entertainment. That said, it felt like I was back in college attending class haha

[@sohlixia4339]

Thank you so much for putting out this very well thought through review from the perspective of an Egyptologist. It was really insightful for someone who loved Egyptology from a young age and also loved the game at the same time.

[@DoomsdayMayBeOkay]

This game really is something special and i think Ubisoft doesn't get enough credit for it, to me is the best AC game by far.

[@yani2499]

Ubisoft actually gets too much credit...that's why they suck now.

[@batmaninc2793]

Origins is The Last Jedi of the AC series. You can find comments of mine sprinkled around describing why that is. Even Unity is a better AC game than any of the titles that have launched since AC’s original ending in III. The original game is the best in the series, though. I don’t just say that because of personal views, but because it outsold every successor; and for good reason. Black Flag’s a great pirate game, but it’s a terrible Assassin’s Creed game. Much in the same way Joker is a great Arthur Fleck movie, but a terrible Joker movie. Origins is a terrible Assassin’s Creed game, but great for running around Ptolmeic Egypt. Like women we’ve all known: she’s pretty, but that’s all she’s really got going for her. People are easily infatuated over her looks, but her character is atrocious. Sometimes, you need another woman just to snap you out of it and explain why she engages in the tactics she does. Especially, when regarding manipulation. I can’t fault you for using the game as a distraction, just know that it also used you and greatly took advantage of your ignorance (what you don’t know) and your memory (what you’ve forgotten). There’s a comment thread of mine you should check out, too, where I provide greater context. It begins with, “I’m sorry, but you really should play the originals”. Again, comments of mine are also sprinkled around. Not that I want to put you on a scavenger hunt.

[@batmaninc2793]

@@yani2499 They’re not even AC games anymore. They haven’t been since III. The closest any of the games since AC III have gotten to even “try” to live up to its namesake is Unity. When Desmond died, so too did Assassin’s Creed.

[@yani2499]

@@batmaninc2793 I never played Unity but it looks really incredible. Yeah dude, I miss Brotherhood. That was its golden age. AC III was good too. Black Flag is the most disappointing in my opinion because the protagonist and the fact that Desmond never became the Assassin we all thought we were going to play as...I thought Desmond was going to be the next Batman... They haven't developed anything interesting since Wildlands.

[@batmaninc2793]

@@yani2499 Unity is no masterpiece, even after the two years of updates, like Battlefront II: EA, but it is the closest to “feeling” like an actual AC game since III. Unity has almost the best parkour system in the franchise. You can’t use your arm to reach out in any direction to grab onto a ledge in mid-air, but it’s a parkour system that is downright criminal to not have been included and perfected in later installments. To be fair, the maps in the last three games wouldn’t support that, which is why such locations were deemed by previous developers as terrible environments because of the lack of one of AC’s staples, the parkour. In place of that, you’re either walking, riding, or fast traveling everywhere. In contrast with previous titles from 1-3, including Unity, where you as the player are actually encouraged and given the freedom to move about as you wish. The closest we get to modern-day assassins gameplay is essentially the short sequences in III, with Desmond. However, Desmond was already an assassin. If you want to split hairs: he was born and raised as an assassin until he ran away at seventeen and later had the “bleeding effect” improve his skills by reliving Altaïr and Ezio’s memories. If you have PC, Unity should be free. If you’re on Xbox or PS, wait for the Ubisoft sale. I remember how mind-blown I was by Watch_Dogs, when that first came out. Not just because of the context surrounding the gameplay loop, though I was betrayed like everyone else about its graphical capabilities and false-promises, but because it wasn’t too long before it’s release that Edward Snowden hit the global spotlight. That’s what made the game so compelling for me. As a, “holy shit” realization, to see the things Snowden talked about being articulated through the gameplay. I do like Wildlands, too. The culture of the Santa Blanca Cartel I thought was very similar to what I had seen from my live experience being exposed to the Mexican cartels. Turns out, that overlap is there for a reason, because they’re strong allies. As the real-life Santa Cruz Cartel do, in Bolivia, who have close alliances with cartels in Mexico, Columbia, Brazil; and others, to be sure. After all, they’re just like any other empire: they have to expand.

[@batmaninc2793]

“Bayek is the Forrest Gump of [Ptolmeic] Egypt.” I’m not a smart man, Aya!

[@TheDennys21]

Hehe

[@azureascendant994]

Soo true.

[@TheUniverseAroundUsNews]

I just recently finished this game with all of it's DLCs... by far my favorite Assassin's Creed game. The story was awesome, being able to see and explore ancient Egyptian sites was great. I just love this game.

[@tobi3948]

This needs more attention, to be honest. Good video and thanks for the knowledge.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

That’s very kind of you to say. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

[@tobi3948]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme Yeah no problem. Thanks again for this great video!

[@nessaelessar]

Thank you for doing this! I am actually one of those people who, after playing this game, went completely nuts and started reading academic literature about Ancient Egypt. Let's see where this is going to take me. 'Harvesting unripe wheat for some reason'. Yeah, the things NPCs do in games. By the way, did you check out the discovery tours as well? I find that the NPCs there are even more believable, often carrying out complex tasks like processing food, manufacturing things or taking out organs when preparing a body for mummification.

[@ValentinasWatching]

This is one of the elements of these games- specially this one- that I enjoy so much. The historical element. Learning and immersing yourself into another time period. It's awesome!

[@Fearnochange]

They have been falling off. Odyssey and Valhalla aren’t as good with the history as origin was.

[@ValentinasWatching]

@@Fearnochange I haven't played Valhalla yet. Odyssey just seems like Greek folklore at the moment. Still playing it.

[@Fearnochange]

@@ValentinasWatching I won’t spoil it but odyssey and Valhalla has moved more into the fiction than history side. Valhalla worse than odyssey in my opinion. Fun though.

[@Growmetheus]

“Origens” made my weep man thank you

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

I knew that joke was in there for one special person. It was in there for you. So glad you enjoyed!

[@user-rf9tt9fl1w]

please explain captain!, I don't think most of us got it, does "origens" mean something else in ancient Greek?

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

@@user-rf9tt9fl1w Copying my explanation from another thread: "It's a groaner even by nerd standards. Origen was an early Christian scholar who lived in Alexandria during the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. That's relatively close in time to the setting of the game (59 BCE), much closer in time than the "origins" of Egyptian civilization, which were about 3500 years earlier. A lot of Egyptologists prefer older things and didn't like that the game was set so late (by our standards). I wanted to put in an icebreaker to convince them that it's not a bad game just because it takes place during the Ptolemaic Period. So I went with a bad joke."

[@MrAnsatsuken]

Found the pun pretty funny too, lmao.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

@@MrAnsatsuken Anyone who can tolerate my bad jokes is automatically a friend.

[@poestis474]

I remember there was a Museum mode in the game that gave you tours of the ancient culture, which was pretty cool.

[@fatimazz]

It's nice to see an Egyptologist review the game on how accurate it is. Good job! Looking forward to more historical lessons.

[@BehindStarWars]

Read the pdf you posted on Reddit (Brown University pedagogical thing about ACO) very interesting! Can’t wait to play the game now, just finishing Odyssey atm and it’s reignited my fascination with Ancient Greece :)

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

I'm so glad you liked it. Enjoy the game, and get in touch if you have any thoughts on it.

[@JBrotsis1]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme I have a question for you in the game. In the city of Krokodopolis, people worshipped Nile crocs and the crocs that swam in the channels of the city never attack you. They also wore ornaments. Was this true for that city in this time? Was there also a real Little Sobek?

[@Kukara61]

Very academic from beginning to the end with clear arguments, supports, references etc. It is not KZbin style, you're not rushing the video. So, it is like a proper video essay which is both educational and fun to watch. Thank you!

[@ST-mn6nw]

Such a beautiful game, so underrated due to people hating on ubisoft, one of my faves this and red dead redemption 2

[@ziggypop79]

As I have been to Egypt, this game was really special to me

[@pavelmyroniuk2587]

Great video and one of the best game ever made! It describes Egypt around that era very realistic there is no doubt! From academic point of view, if I may suggest, another second video and even longer should be made to cover all the important things that are missing in this video.. For example: traditional jobs of people and crafting, historical clothes and jewellery, wall and temple arts, weapons and armory, and fauna but wild one and finally to pick up some 3 or 5 most important monuments and show all what is right and what inccorect to that era. Thank you! Looking forward for PART II 😉

[@emileclede4510]

Thank you. Christian, for your evaluation. I thought that Origins did a really good job of depicting their story within the confines of actual history of the time and place, but I have only limited knowledge to support my opinion. It was refreshing to know that what I believed was not wrong. The game has a gameplay mode that lets the player wander through their map apart from the tasking and fighting, where the player is given the history of the many places and people depicted in the game. I was hoping your were going to comment on that aspect as well. I do imagine, however, such commentary would involve more that fifteen minutes. I now want to go back and take the "museum tour" now that I know that the information will be close to accurate. Thank you.

[@Pan_Z]

You did a great job striking a balance between viewing this from an academic perspective and a gamer's lens. I don't envy the developers whose task is to convincingly recreate a 2-millennia old setting, while also making the game fun to play.

[@miw24601]

How did this just randomly pop up in my youtuber recommendation when im taking Acient Egyptian archeology in college right now

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Because google is watching everything you do all the time. It’s super creepy. I promise that I had nothing to do with it.

[@ImThAtGuY90]

I learnt so much about Egypt playing this game

[@artemicionkupo4367]

The transition from his gaming chair to him facing the camera. "Hi." Made me laugh.

[@DarylSolis]

Bayek of Siwa (the Forest Gump of Egypt) 🤣

[@cometvaudin2850]

You don't even have to be a history enthusiast to love these games' attention to detail and accuracy. I've only played Origins, Syndicate and Odyssey (getting Valhalla soon) and each game fascinated me.

[@karannsyt]

Thank you for making this video, videos like these are why I love assassin’s creed games

[@ROOSTER333]

I started playing this game to ve an assassin and sword fight. However i cant help just sitting for hours and traveling around at the absolute stunning places they have built

[@themis828]

Great presentation and thank you for covering all the areas, such as architecture, geography, people etc!!

[@marufhassan634]

At first, I thought this game would be mostly desert with some cities around it since that was taught to us in school that Egypt is mostly covered in Sahara Desert but after playing this game, I was awestruck at the beauty and concentration of power held by Egypt and it had such a rich culture.

[@_M_o_n_k_e]

Well I gotta say they really enlarged the Nile and the Fayum lakes. Irl its noway as big. But for a videogame world I absolutely love it.

[@paconbancakes4347]

Flipping the photo at 4:20 gave me a chuckle

[@BabyBat14]

I've been telling teachers ever since AC II that this franchise is AMAZING to analyse and work with students. I majored in history and was so surprised to see so little students and professors had played games from the franchise, like... what are y'all doing with your lives??? Your content is what I've yearned to see on youtube for ages, thank you!!

[@ast3663]

I was wondering that, too..there actually is NO other game or even modern 3D animation videos on that level with all that details in 'real life'.

[@MiaRBeauty]

i have made it into egyptology and gaming youtube BOTH at the same time and I love it. loved hearing about it from an academic's perspective

[@goldensperm7182]

You need to know more about Greek Mythology and play the game called God of War.

[@runthejudes]

Just popping in to say you’re so wholesome

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

This is my favorite compliment ever.

[@donutmultiverse]

Thank you for this video. I'm currently playing this game because it is free on game pass and loving every second of it. Only comment I'd really like to add is the landscape is absolutely stunning. Ubi did an amazing job on it.

[@Gigi-fv9ky]

Thank you! I was a classics major and purchased Odyssey, loved the immersion and exploration, and the gorgeous scenery, but, after 180 hours, got burnt out with endless repetition and grinding and didn't purchase Origins. Will do so now so I can at least enjoy the first hundred or so hours. 😃

[@diavolo6753]

I loved both Origins and Odyssey

[@TheMellowGrenade]

Of course assasins creed games are going to be repetitive and grindy after 180 hours lol. Those games are not intended to be 200+ hours of content, the fact you were bored after 180 hours is not a fault of the game, or it's design lol, i think thats just you wanting more out of it after doing absolutely everything, and then ciriticing it for not giving you more to do.

[@tomahawkchopboy89]

Love this. Origins awakened my childhood fascination with Ancient Egypt, and I’ve since bought a few books on the subject to further my knowledge.

[@LordJaric]

I lost out on a chance to visit Egypt so this game did give me a look at the very things I've wanted to see for many years.

[@sandroorlandoni2614]

I played this game mainly for the pleasure to walk and see the places and the landscape, for an immersion in the ancient Egypt. I really loved to see with my own eyes how that world was, a very engaging experience. Now that you confirmed that the game it is quite accurate, for me is even more emotional. Thank you.

[@thefirefades2265]

Man AC origins definitely had my like. As someone who played the old AC games, it took a minute to adapt to the fighting mechanics, but after some practice I could clear out an entire fort with ease. Also this game intrigued me, I never cared about ancient Egypt, but now I am curious a little. Good review by the way.

[@cwildeman]

This is a great video. I really like knowing that a game that seems so intricate and accurate, actually is. I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on the culture portrayed in the game; the religion, the songs, the folklore, etc.

[@blackxp01]

Oh! I thought the stone circles are not real and just for the mission! Thanks for the info

[@leksluthor3]

The „Hello, I didn’t see you there“ at the beginning had such Oblivion vibes.

[@spqr49]

I'm loving this game from a historical perspective. seeing the way the egyptians and greeks interact, then later with the romans entering the mix is so cool. seeing the way it affects regular citizen,for better or for worse. seeing everyday life adds weights to the big moments like when ptolomey orders his troops against the romans in alexandria. i cant believe i slept on this game for so long, its amazing!

[@OGBOOP]

Really good video nice to hear this from an expert even though I knew most of it. Good job!

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Never hurts to hear another opinion. So glad you enjoyed it.

[@VivekaAlaya]

I'm a philisophy teacher and i'm dealing with ancient greece.right now, then went to play assassins.odissey and it's been quite a journey in my free time

[@samayoubi5818]

Lit review with the history and love Egypt landmarks

[@trodat07]

Nice and insightful review. One aspect I feel is not well represented is the different life styles and social stratus both in AC Origin and AC Odyssey. You are informed of where the rich & powerful live but due to the extreme freedom of movement, you don't get to experience the natural social boundaries of each time, so everyone and everywhere you go feels kind of the same.

[@jevinday]

All I can say is this: I am a high school graduate, so I don't know a whole lot about Egypt except for what i liearned in high school (which was virtually nothing).I feel like i learned a lot about Egypt that I didn't know. I'm obiously no expert, but having some accurate history and being able to learn about history while gaming is aweome. it sticks more too because you're experiencing it, it's a simulation of almost being there. great video!

[@missym877]

Just seeing this guy laid back, feet up, in a suit jacket while enjoying the game is so amusing to me! Gotta love it

[@noctemaeternam8376]

This has made my day-

[@Shadi_Wajed]

For the mud-brick houses, some villages in Egypt still build the same houses to this day, they used to be in every village before building the Aswan dam in the 60's/70's but now it's more modern red bricks and concrete houses, also the white pigeon towers/dovecote still exist to this day in many Egyptian villages.

[@nealfilm]

Thanks for this in-depth look and review!

[@martinbudinsky8912]

Believe it or not but besides my inate love for history Assassins Creed series is second biggest point that led me to studying it at university... And I must say I myself were amazed at how though out and executed Assassins Creed Origins was.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Oh man, this is so awesome! I speculated about this in the more-formal talks that I gave to academics, because it's a good way to convince even the most skeptical that video games matter. Our ability to do research directly depends on subsequent generations wanting to study these subjects. I'm glad that I was right about that, but I'm even more glad to learn that it has enriched your life in this way.

[@ayushgurung9564]

One thing I really loved about the game was how Bayek's faith was handled. I don't think I have ever seen a video game with a protagonist who was so religious and even superstitious!

[@Hamitic_Race]

However can explain to me why ancient Egyptian religion, at least the part of it that focuses on specific sacred animals, like falcons, crocodiles, rams, hippos, jackals, bulls, snakes, etc., is based on some kind of early Totemic religion, that probably began back in Predynastic times? Totemism is common in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the crocodile in particular is one of the most widely venerated animals in Sub-Saharan Africa, so the Egyptians considering crocodiles sacred seems to be an African thing, not a near eastern thing.... the crocodile is sacred in Burkina Faso, as well as South Sudan, yet modern Egyptians as far as ethnic psychology is concerned, in way have the same beliefs as ancient Egyptians... But why? I'll wait...

[@ayushgurung9564]

@@Hamitic_Race You'll have to wait for someone else, I have no idea about Egyptian religion 😂. I just felt that the fact that Bayek is so religious and superstitious is a breath of fresh air. So Bayek is travelling the Egyptian sands and looking to help the folk. Some person has some problem and he/she thinks it's because the Gods are angry or something. In other games or movies etc. the solver of the problem would be 'above' such superstition and know that there must be some other reason. But Bayek totally believes that it's the Gods. Through his investigations he finds out there's a human cause, but his faith doesn't shake. I loved that.

[@bakura306]

Sent this to my Egyptologist friend, because he was absolutely ADDICTED to this game during covid last year. He agrees with everything you've said, Criticism AND Positives.

[@crypto137]

I loved roaming around the afterlife.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Nefertiti's is such an idyllic place. Pretty close to how I imagined the twilight lands of 𓇏𓏏𓈇𓇋𓄿𓂋𓆰𓏫.

[@crypto137]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme it was cool. I loved Aten and its prompted me to read up all about Akhenaten abs such. Must be so cool for you to study!

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

@@crypto137 It's just about the most interesting thing in the whole world if you ask me. I specialize in Egyptian language, and I never get tired of reading in Egyptian. After nearly a decade it's never stopped being awesome every time.

[@godslaughter]

I've been really into Ancient Egypt since I was a kid, reigniting my interest sometime in 2016, then turning it into a full-on obsession in around 2017 when I finally finished school and could pursue studies at my own pace, rather than rely on institutions specifically adapted to NT people. Now I've dedicated this portion of my life to studying zoology and Egyptology, as well as working on art and making knowledge available to others. Subsequently, I got my first proper PC in 2017 as well which has a 4k screen and can handle this game in such a resolution. To put it simply.... I've dedicated a thousand hours to this game solely, simply because I really love walking around, looking at the architecture, the pottery, jewellery and clothes. My focus is primarily on the cultural side, but I would love to properly study this one day. The Discovery Tour is simply phenomenal, I would lie if I told you I didn't cry at least....6 times while playing this game, and screamed many more. The fact that I can just sit down next to some farmers and eat or go pick some grapes- well, it puts me into a state of euphoria. I'm also practicing photography with the integrated screenshot system and I've taken around 6000 screenshots at this point.

[@WildcardASMR]

Assassin’s Creed has such an undeniable historical presence. Some elements remain hinged into the fabric of video game entertainment, but as a general theme, everything has a historicity indubitably communicated throughout the game. The game itself was extremely engaging, and I actually recall crying when I completed it...

[@emanuelyanacon]

You should make more videos of Assassin's creed origins but with interesting details about ancient egypt

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Good news! kzbin.info/aero/PLc8zI_lPZZrX5K6mii3q5EcnzycIESWA6

[@jeniferallan6693]

Because of this game, I have started to study this period in time. It really does feel like a time machine.

[@luowatson6246]

This game is so amazing, just wandering the world and do some interesting side quests... I observed the irrigation system of the fields shown in the game for a long time to understand how it worked.

[@Tschurikin]

Finished the game a few years ago. Explored all the locations, received all the trophies and I did the discovery tour and I had a lot of fun. Just finished AC Valhalla and found this video. And right now, I'm thinking about playing it all over again, because it was such a great game to play and a world to explore!

[@crosytsui]

Glad to see my fellow Brunonians enjoyed this game as much as I did. I literally spent over 200 hours in this game and had to resort to S/N for one of my class lol

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

The trick is to turn your gaming into "research" ;)

[@zillaquazar]

This was a nice video, I did not know about the mangos. Thankyou for making this.

[@AllpostsFilms]

Ps i want them to do ancient babylonia i wana explore that time

[@thephoenix8892]

Me: Immediately sees that he’s using Keeper of Harmony in the first clip Also me: This is gonna be a good video

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

I figured I needed to smash stuff pretty hard to get people to pay attention.

[@maxnovakovics2568]

Ayy another destiny pfp

[@laihowkable]

I lived in Egypt for over 5 years before this game came out. The game really did great job reconstructing each cities and structures to express unique Egyptian beauty. Great job in mixing their game story with actual historical events, too. I loved this game and the sequel Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. 👍

[@williamminnaar6311]

Wow, I loved this game - played it through 3 times - Nice to know that it was good, and well thought out - It felt real, like you were there in that world. Which is important to emerce the player :)

[@Kciroy]

As long as you can filter the fiction from the non-fiction in assassin's creed games you can learn alot about history of those places. Sometimes is makes you interested in certain events of the period in that region making you look something up and learn even more.

[@stardusstie]

For everyone who is reading this who loves both video games and Egyptian history, I highly recommend Nancy Drew: Tomb of the Lost Queen

[@nicolatogni4996]

Hi Christian! Just finished watching your interview on the Digital Hammurabi channel for AC Origins, very cool! I will play this game soon so I started reading a National Geographic encyclopedia about history that's starting with three volumes about Egypt. As soon as I clear the third, I'll start playing Origins, so I have at least some background of the world I'll be immersed in. I was wondering what an Egyptologist might think of this recreation of ancient Egypt and came accross that interview. After seeing the Digtal Hammurabi video, I was wondering what you might think about the time period Ubisoft chose, because for a total ignorant like me, it looked too far away from the golden age of ancient Egypt. But you actually answered that in this video. I stopped half way because I don't want to spoil me the game, but I'll come back to it later. Anyway, thanks for all the info (in the DH inteview and here), playing a game set in a historical recreation even praised by historians is really cool! ps: nice set of the Royal Game of Ur you have!

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Hi Nicola, I'm so glad you enjoyed my videos, and I hope you enjoy playing the game even more. Let me know if you have any thoughts after you start playing.

[@nicolatogni4996]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme thank you so much, I might really bother you with some questions!

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

@@nicolatogni4996 Sure thing. Ask me anything anytime.

[@SatansLeadGuitarist]

Very interesting video. its so cool to see all of the little attention to detail that I don't even really notice while playing. Ubisoft has always done a great job with historically accurate settings in these games. I'm not sure if you were actually confused by the title or if you said other people were, but the Origins in the title refers to the origins of the Assassins Brotherhood that is the focal point of the games.

[@MarceloZ2]

It would be really cool to see your opinion on Pharaoh, a 1998 citybuilding game made by Impression Games, set throughout all the ages of egyptian history, all the way up to Cleopatra.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

I would like to offer my opinion, but I've never played it unfortunately. It's not easily available on any platform I have access to. I'm hoping to write a (both academic and accessible) book about the use of ancient Egypt in games, and this game is clearly essential research. I'm going to need to build a gaming pc as a part of this project, which I might try to get a grant for because it's truly a research tool at this point, and this game is clearly a classic.

[@MarceloZ2]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme Wow, I didn't really thought you would respond, that's really awesome, man! If I'm not mistaken, Pharaoh plus it's Cleopatra expansion is available at GOG.com, and it isn't that much expensive, so I hope it helps. Or, since you said you're gonna build a gaming PC, you could wait for the remake that was announced some time ago, it would certainly look way more nice than 1998 graphics. Looking forward to more of your content, I really liked your AC Origins review.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

@@MarceloZ2 I did find GOG but it looked maybe complicated? Maybe just complicated for late on a Sunday. I'll definitely give it a look. And of course I responded! You're helping me with my research. I couldn't be more grateful. Hit me with whatever you got!

[@jandaletto]

It's a time machine! That's what I told my girlfriend when asked to describe this game...

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Exactly! I've just written a paper where I argue exactly this in overt terms. There's a huge difference between reading a book about Paris and visiting for a week (and a difference between visiting and living there). You gain different knowledge and insight from different views. This is the week-long visit to ancient Egypt. It won't teach you everything, but it will give you a unique perspective that you can't get any other way.

[@asagoodfriend]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme word!

[@767scarecrow]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme Is there a way we could perhaps read this paper? Because the thought of writing something like that has occurred to me and I'd be interested to read yours.

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

@@767scarecrow For sure! christiancasey.github.io/ACO.pdf Let me know what you think.

[@Gorocentral4a0]

@@tansebentmntrmnkeme hey Chris, very nice video, I really enjoyed it. Sadly, the link you provided for your paper is not working :(. Is there any other way for me to read it? Thanks! Greetings from Argentina

[@plazid1]

Picked this game up for under a tenner and was so plesently surprised at how good it was, just wish it had the same kind of combat as the sequel

[@MateoAbadia]

Pretty cool video! I'm playing the game right now and this made it a lot more fun!

[@tansebentmntrmnkeme]

Great! I'm glad you're enjoying it. Have fun finding all the little historical details.

[@MateoAbadia]

@@tansebentmntrmnkemeI subscribed, I hope you upload more videos!

[@onyxmayhem0038]

You're awesome, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! I always enjoy watching comparisons between historic places and events vs current day interpretations and imagination. I often wonder if our ancestors knew that thousands of years later we'd still be admiring their works and cultures. Or perhaps like us they thought their own would last forever?