Unraveling the Curse in 'Assassin's Creed Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs

AC Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs is an expansion pack for the popular action-adventure video game Assassin's Creed Origins. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft, the expansion was released on March 13, 2018, and is available on platforms such as PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Curse of the Pharaohs is set four years after the events of the base game, in Thebes, an ancient city located in Upper Egypt. The expansion introduces a new storyline centered around the curse of the pharaohs, where players take on the role of Bayek, the main protagonist, once again. Bayek is tasked with investigating a mysterious curse that has befallen the region, causing undead pharaohs to rise from their tombs. The expansion pack adds a substantial amount of new content to the game, including new areas to explore, ancient Egyptian mythology to unravel, and challenging enemies to defeat.

tl;dr: The writing is average for RoyalRoad, the characterization is lack luster, and the plot is tittering on the brink of breaking the world's verisimilitude. The crux of my issue with this story is the fact that it's mixing several conceptual levels of computer science into a generic "programming" catch-all.

While I would love to just claim that artistic license is sufficient to hand wave away the discrepencies, it s too jarring seeing computer science and software development jargon being mangaled. Having a protagonist that understands the mapping of the arbitrary magical words to the concepts used in a programming language would be interesting enough.

The expansion pack adds a substantial amount of new content to the game, including new areas to explore, ancient Egyptian mythology to unravel, and challenging enemies to defeat. Players will journey through the ancient city of Thebes and its surrounding areas, encountering new characters and factions along the way. One of the highlights of the Curse of the Pharaohs expansion is the inclusion of four mythical pharaohs, Tutankhamun, Ramses the Great, Nefertiti, and Akhenaten, who have been brought back to life by the curse.

Magic is Programming

Carlos was an ordinary software engineer on Earth, up until he died and found himself in a fantasy world of dungeons, magic, and adventure. This new world offers many fascinating possibilities, but it's unfortunate that the skills he spent much of his life developing will be useless because they don't have computers.

Wait, why does this spell incantation read like a computer program's source code? Magic is programming?

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Douglas M

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Not for Computer Scientists

Reviewed at: Chapter 17: Dispute

tl;dr: The writing is average for RoyalRoad, the characterization is lack luster, and the plot is tittering on the brink of breaking the world's verisimilitude. The crux of my issue with this story is the fact that it's mixing several conceptual levels of computer science into a generic "programming" catch-all.

The initial magic system we are introduced to is that magic is able to be expressed as symbolic language akin to a programming language. That is fine and would have been perfectly serviceable analog for the magic system. Having a protagonist that understands the mapping of the arbitrary magical words to the concepts used in a programming language would be interesting enough. Except it goes a step further and breaks my suspension of disbelief.

While I would love to just claim that artistic license is sufficient to hand wave away the discrepencies, it's too jarring seeing computer science and software development jargon being mangaled.

This is especially true later when other concepts are introduced which further conflate and mangle different conceptual levels of computation, software design, and operating systems into an bastardized amalgum. My largest issue is that it's so easy to map these actual concepts into magic neatly that it's actually low hanging fruit in my opinion. This is even without touching things like algorithms or data structures! It's really easy, doesn't require a bachelor's in computer science, and it seems that the author didn't even research more beyond superficial jargon and tooling around programming.

Style:
It's fine. Word choice and the author's voice is good enough for an average RR novel.

Grammar:
No glaring errors that would impede someone from reading this. More passes through editing would be better, but not necessary.

Character:
None of the characters speak to me nor do I care for any of thier continued existances. Some of their choices are suspect and reek of the story requiring them to say something to initiate a scene a certain way.

Story:
It's painful. The power level of the world is all over the place and some of the decisions made by characters seem arbitrary and to solely advance the plot. This does risk breaking the suspension of disbelief as there isn't much to this work (at this point in time) beyond the magic system, the fairly short plot, and a handful of flat characters.

These powerful adversaries pose a significant challenge to Bayek, requiring players to adopt new strategies and utilize different weapons and abilities to defeat them. In addition to the main storyline, Curse of the Pharaohs also introduces a new level cap, allowing players to progress their character further and unlock new abilities. The expansion offers a range of side quests, activities, and collectibles to keep players engaged, with the promise of new weapons, armor, and gear to obtain. Visually, Curse of the Pharaohs takes players to stunning new locations, such as the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, bringing ancient Egyptian architecture and landscapes to life. The expansion's attention to detail and atmospheric design add to the immersion, creating a truly captivating experience. Overall, Assassin's Creed Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs is a must-play expansion for fans of the base game. With its intriguing storyline, challenging gameplay, and immersive world, it provides an excellent addition to the already compelling AC Origins experience..

Reviews for "Questing through the Land of the Pharaohs in 'AC Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs"

1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really excited for the Curse of the Pharaohs expansion for Assassin's Creed Origins, but I found it to be quite disappointing. Firstly, the main storyline felt lacking in depth and substance. The missions felt repetitive and the plot twist at the end was predictable. Additionally, I encountered numerous glitches and bugs throughout the game, which affected the overall experience. I also felt that the new gameplay features introduced in the expansion were not well-implemented and added unnecessary complexity. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and wished I hadn't spent my money on this expansion.

2. Sarah - 3/5 stars - As a fan of the Assassin's Creed series, I had high expectations for Curse of the Pharaohs. However, I found the expansion to be underwhelming. While the graphics and environment were visually stunning, the gameplay became monotonous and repetitive after a while. The side quests and character interactions lacked depth, and I felt disconnected from the storyline. Moreover, the expansion did not offer enough new content to justify its price. I was hoping for a more immersive and engaging experience, but unfortunately, Curse of the Pharaohs fell short of my expectations.

3. Michael - 2/5 stars - Curse of the Pharaohs was a letdown for me. The expansion felt unpolished and rushed. The missions lacked originality and seemed to follow a predictable pattern. The new weapons and abilities introduced in the expansion did not add much to the gameplay, and I felt like they were just added for the sake of it. Furthermore, the map design felt cluttered and confusing, making it difficult to navigate and explore. Overall, I was disappointed with this expansion and would not recommend it to others who are looking for a fresh and exciting experience in Assassin's Creed Origins.

Navigating the Afterlife in 'AC Origins: Curse of the Pharaohs