Where’s Atlantis in AC Odyssey DLC?

Arguably the sleeper hit of 2019, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s lust for players’ time extends to its recently released DLC.

While small upgrades and the Legacy of the First Blade enticed players, it left many feeling like there should be a more substantial offering. A gap that the Fate of Atlantis DLC is filling, if with certain drawbacks.

Fast forward a few weeks and Episode 1 and 2 of the Fate of Atlantis are out in the wild. The captivating build-up to its release gave those who gleam over the whereabouts of Atlantis in the form of YouTube conspiracy videos the chance to (at least in video game form) find and wander across the streets of Atlantis.

*** Assassin’s Creed Odyssey spoilers follow ***

At the end of the main game, the lead character of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (which, should be Kassandra if you did it right) finds the location of the entrance to Atlantis. You peer through a giant transparent door to a location that, from the outside, looks within reach. The longer you look, the more you’re likely to consider the secrets and wonders that lie within. Questions that, considering the name ‘Atlantis’ being within its title, you’d be expecting to find the answer to.

The Fate of Atlantis, up until this point anyway, hasn’t unveiled its secrets so far. While the worlds of Elysium and the Underworld have been a pleasant change from the perpetual beauty of ancient Greece, they’re not Atlantis.

Episode 1’s Elysium shows off a lush and spectacular world with a focus on extreme verticality. The Underworld is, as you’d expect, at the opposite end from beauty, with it’s dark, dank and dirty world teaming with death at every turn. Neither though, are Atlantis.

Unlike much of the main game, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Fate of Atlantis DLC is almost exclusively focused on the supernatural elements of the franchise. While staying away from ancient aliens, Episode 1 and 2 focus on theatricality in the form of giant people, lightning strikes and the dead. To those who haven't played the DLC yet, it’s difficult to explain just how far out of its comfort zone it goes. If you tried explaining what an Assassin’s Creed game would be capable of to someone who had only played the original, they’d probably think you were talking about a Devil May Cry game.

While the end of Episode 2 is just beyond my reach at present, the DLC has finally started to lower my desire to play more Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Despite the wonderful vistas, The Fate of Atlantis is wearing me down.

After ploughing 120 hours into Origins and 90+ hours in Odyssey, my time with the recent Assassin’s Creed games is coming to an end. I had realised this a while ago but playing through The Fate of Atlantis just to finish it rather than actually enjoying it proves it. I’ve had enough of Assassin’s Creed for now. Sure, the DLC provides interesting new gameplay mechanics, intriguing characters, a vastly different world with new rule sets and more playing time with Kassandra, it’s a good example of having too much of a good thing.

I started playing the DLC because I wanted to see Atlantis, the mythical city, brought back to life in an Assassin’s Creed game. So far, I feel like I’ve been cheated on, spending my time in different locations rather than the one I want to explore. Perhaps, with Episode 3 just around the corner, Atlantis will be the next port of call and my desire to keep playing Odyssey for fun rather than as just part of a checklist will be rekindled.