'Assassin's Creed Odyssey' DLC Draws Major Backlash Over Seemingly Turning Its Back On Player Choice

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey has launched its second episode of the Legacy of the First Blade DLC and [...]

By Liana 'LiLi' Ruppert

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey has launched its second episode of the Legacy of the First Blade DLC and though the narrative has been incredible thus far, there is one glaring issue that the community is having with the new story.

What makes Odyssey so different is that it's the first game in the franchise that is all about choice. Who you play as, who you romance - if you romance at all - and how you deal with the trials and tribulations throughout the game's progression. Being ancient Greece, homosexual relationships were prevalent and players could choose who they wanted romance regardless of gender. Apparently the new DLC forgot that and a lot of players aren't happy with the forced design put upon the protagonist.

While many players are furious that their characters were forced into "straight romances," others are simply upset that there was such a big choice forced at all.

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING AHEAD FOR THE DLC ENDING:

One Odyssey player took to Reddit to race a very valid point about the decision to force players that opted to play as Kassandra to have a child with a particular character. Though Natakas was a romance option, there was also a means to reject him entirely as well - another choice - but that choice was ignored no matter what when the ending of the DLC came to a close.

The initial Reddit post is incredibly long, but here's the most important point the OP had to make derived from her personal experiences:

"I know a lot of people who are here won't get this or care because of the demographics and social leanings of gamers. What Ubisoft did was dangerous because these tropes about lesbians enter our real lives. When entertainment media do this to lesbian characters, it reinforces the myth that all we need is a good man to see the light, that we are secretly longing for a man, or that we can be turned. That type of thing gets us killed, injured, and sexually harassed. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that and been hounded by men when I tell them I'm not interested in them sexually and why. They cite movies, celebrities who claim to be lesbians for attention but end up with men, books, television shows, and movies as "proof" that we can be changed. When I still rebuffed their advances, sometimes these men escalated it to verbal assault, spitting, and putting their hands on me while calling me a dyke or other slurs. I'm glad Ubisoft gave them a game to cite, now. By the way, I don't live in some hick town in the Bible Belt. I live in Manhattan, one of the most liberal cities in the world.

"Lesbians across the world are subject to what is known as "corrective rape" in order to make us straight. I know another lesbian who was raped for this very reason. It wasn't a corrective rape ordered by the government or at the behest of a tyrannical religious family, but by regular guys they knew from around. They joked, "You're straight now, bitch." Entertainment media contribute to this and Ubisoft joined them."

Other critics of the DLC's ending are more simplified, seemingly ignoring the promise of choice and Odyssey's "play your way" style:

Keep in mind, the reason many are upset is not only the base issue itself - but the massive flip Ubisoft has made. It's either a game about choice or it isn't, but this isn't some blip in the plot - this is a major turning point that seems to turn its back on half of the player base itself.

What do you think? Sound off with your thoughts in the comment section below, or hit me up over on Twitter - respectfully - @DirtyEffinHippy.

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