In Assassin's Creed Origins, the "Curse of the Pharaohs" is an expansion pack released in 2018. It continues the story of Bayek, the main protagonist of the base game, as he travels to Thebes, the capital of ancient Egypt, and encounters a mysterious curse. The expansion introduces a new region, new missions, new enemies, and new supernatural abilities. The story revolves around a powerful artifact called the "Staff of Aten," which has unleashed a curse on Thebes. This curse resurrects powerful pharaohs and kings from Egypt's past, turning them into supernatural beings known as "Pharaohs of the Duat." These pharaohs, including Ramses the Great and Tutankhamun, threaten the balance of the afterlife and must be defeated by Bayek.
An example of a well delivered DLC, which offers an interesting and different approach to the main game. You will enjoy Egypt once again, despite doing the same routines. Review in Spanish | Read full review
Combat continues to be fun and challenging, and this time your biggest foes are fleshed out and varied enough to turn what could ve easily been a monotonous series of fights into a highlight. The base map for this expansion seems about as big as the Hidden Ones expansion, but the additional afterlife regions add scale and scope to this DLC.
" These pharaohs, including Ramses the Great and Tutankhamun, threaten the balance of the afterlife and must be defeated by Bayek. Throughout the expansion, players explore the haunting city of Thebes, with its iconic landmarks and tombs. The missions involve investigating the source of the curse, navigating perilous ancient ruins, and battling mythical creatures such as giant scorpions and Anubis-like warriors.
Game Review: Assassin’s Creed – The Curse of the Pharaohs
In the spring, the Nile Scribes invited guest blogger Emily Hotton to tell us how Egypt is represented in the latest installment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise: Origins. The game developers recently added a new expansion called “The Curse of the Pharaohs” featuring the afterlife worlds of four Egyptian royals. This week, we are pleased to welcome Emily Hotton back for a review of the expansion.
Promotional poster for ACO: The Curse of the Pharaohs (Photo: Ubisoft)
Guest Scribe: Emily Hotton
In my previous two reviews of Ubisoft’s 2017 addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Origins (read Review #1 and Review #2), I praised and criticised the base game and the Discovery Tour in equal measure. I enjoyed this installment of the franchise immensely and respected the time and effort the developers and consultants gave towards perfecting the finished product. That appreciation, however, was nearly shattered with the release of the largest expansion to the game to date: “The Curse of the Pharaohs”.
Released in March of 2018, the expansion takes our protagonist, Bayek of Siwa, to Thebes: home to the great temples of Luxor and Karnak and to the Theban Necropolis, including the famed Valley of the Kings. Bayek is drawn to Thebes due to rumours that the kings of old are reawakening, mysteriously massacring the innocent citizens of the city. In order to stop this otherworldly phenomenon, Bayek must travel to the afterlives of each of the resurrected pharaohs through their tombs in the Valley of the Kings in order to save Thebes from this “curse”.
The city of Thebes as it was reimagined during the Ptolemaic Period (Photo: Ubisoft)
I was somewhat disappointed that a large expansion was playing into one of the biggest cliches of ancient Egypt in popular culture. Since the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb (KV 62) in 1922 by Howard Carter, the stereotype of the mummy’s curse has been irrevocably interwoven with ancient Egypt’s portrayal in popular media. The base game and its first expansion, “The Hidden Ones,” avoided the stereotype and instead stuck to a storyline delicately interwoven with the main franchise’s overarching plot. Like the decision to make Bayek a Medjay or choosing the decline of the Ptolemaic dynasty as the setting, I feel this decision to perpetuate the false notion of the “curse of the mummy” was made to draw attention to the game instead of focusing on educating those unfamiliar with Egyptian histor y.
Ba-birds, representations of the human soul in ancient Egypt, are seen flying through Nefertiti’s Afterlife (Photo: Ubisoft)
What Was Well Done
(1) Entering the Afterlife
Bayek enters the afterlives of Nefertiti (1353-1336 BC), Akhenaten (1353-1336 BC), Tutankhamun (1332-1323 BC), and Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) in order to end their terrorizing in the living world.In general, I found the process of entering the afterlife to be a well-rendered experience. It plays appropriately into the themes of the Underworld Books which dictate the soul’s journey into the afterlife. The one criticism I have was the use of false doors: while universal in tomb architecture of the Old Kingdom, false doors do not appear in the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings as they do in the game. Regardless of this fact, the false doors do work quite well to transport Bayek from the realm of the living to the dead.
False door leading to the afterlife in the rear of Tutankhamun’s in-game tomb (KV 62). (Photo: Ubisoft)
After Bayek makes his way through the false door, he finds himself in a long chamber with water flowing across a narrow walkway dotted with waterlilies and pads – the Lake of Flowers. On either side stand tall, intimidating statues – presumably representing the 42 Judges of the Dead. Powerful voices echo through the chamber, both male and female. Initially, I thought the recited lines were those of the well-known Negative Confession and this was the weighing of the heart against the feather of Ma’at before Osiris and the 42 Judges. But, listening closely, I realized the judges were accusing Bayek of transgressions: “Have you killed the innocent; the weak? Murdered for your cause! Avenge yourself; burn with rage! Cause terror in the hearts of innocents?” The effect was even more dramatic than the “I have not” confession formula featured in the Weighing of the Heart scene. I adore this adaptation – while not replicating the exact Negative Confession uttered by the deceased, you are given strong admonishments from powerful voices as you progress through the hall to the afterlife.
Waterlily path, where the Bayek hears the judgments of the gods. (Photo: Ubisoft)
(2) Tutankhamun’s Tomb
As with the base game, the attention to detail in the expansion is phenomenal. There is intention behind the placement of every object, and wall scene. For example, Tutankhamun’s tomb is filled to the brim with royal funerary grave goods, while the others are mostly empty – picked clean in antiquity. This reflects reality: Tutankhamun’s tomb, though still looted at least twice in antiquity, was promptly resealed and eventually lost after the stairs were mistakenly buried.The one criticism I have for Tutankhamun’s tomb is the entrance: it should have been inaccessible from the surface due to the Ramesside workmen’s huts which blocked the stairs until Carter’s rediscovery of the tomb in the 1920s.
Treasury room in the tomb of Tutankhamun (Photo: Ubisoft)
Another detail worth mentioning were the thrones of the pharaohs within their afterlives. Each throne has a famous scene depicted on the back of the seat – though I would say the scene from Tutankhamun’s throne is most recognizable. The throne bears the same scene found on one of his many funerary chairs. The throne (JE 62028) made its home in the Egyptian Museum, but will soon be displayed together with the entire Tutankhamun collection in the Grand Egyptian Museum which is currently under construction at Giza.
Players who own the expansion can access it through The Curse of the Pharaohs quest in their quest menu. It will appear in the quest log once players have progressed past the main game’s quest, Farewell. They can also open the Atlas in the world map and fast travel to the Thebes region.
Players also have to solve puzzles and complete side quests to progress through the story. The expansion introduces a new level cap, allowing players to further enhance Bayek's abilities and obtain new gear inspired by Egyptian mythology. Bayek gains new abilities tied to the curse, such as the power to see and interact with the dead, which adds a supernatural element to the gameplay. "Curse of the Pharaohs" received positive reviews from critics for its engaging storyline, stunning visuals, and immersive gameplay. It provided a refreshing and challenging addition to the base game, offering players hours of additional content and an opportunity to delve further into the ancient world of Egypt. Overall, "Curse of the Pharaohs" is a must-play expansion for fans of Assassin's Creed Origins, as it expands upon the rich lore and history of ancient Egypt. It offers an intriguing and supernatural twist to the game, providing players with a unique and thrilling experience..
Reviews for "The Stunning Visuals of AC Origins Curse of the Pharaohs: A Visual Journey Through Ancient Egypt"
1. John - 1/5
The Curse of the Pharaohs was a major disappointment for me. The DLC added some new locations and missions to explore, but the overall experience felt lackluster. The storyline was convoluted and hard to follow, and the missions became repetitive quickly. The new enemies introduced in the DLC were challenging, but they lacked depth and felt more like bullet sponges. Additionally, the performance issues were appalling, with constant frame rate drops and glitches ruining the immersion. Overall, I was extremely disappointed with Curse of the Pharaohs and it didn't live up to the quality of the main game.
2. Sarah - 2/5
While the Curse of the Pharaohs DLC had promising elements, it ultimately fell short for me. The new setting of Thebes and the afterlife was intriguing, but the execution was lackluster. The story felt disjointed and rushed, with little explanation for the events happening. The missions often felt repetitive and lacking in creativity. Furthermore, the game suffered from several technical issues, including frequent crashes and slowdowns. While there were some enjoyable moments in the DLC, it couldn't make up for its overall flaws and failed to capture the magic of the main game.
3. Mark - 2/5
Curse of the Pharaohs offered a new setting and some interesting lore, but the DLC ultimately didn't deliver a satisfying experience. The story felt disconnected from the main game, making it difficult to feel invested in the events. The missions became repetitive quickly, and the combat encounters felt unbalanced. The visuals were impressive at times, but the performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops, hindered the overall experience. I was hoping for an exciting and immersive addition to the game, but Curse of the Pharaohs left me feeling underwhelmed.