Assassin's Creed Origins Director Breaks Down New Combat Mechanics

A new Q&A video has been released for Assassin's Creed Origins where the game's director, Ashraf Ismail, discusses an innovative new combat system.

While also taking place in a completely new setting, Assassin's Creed veterans can expect quite a few changes coming to the in-game combat as well. The combat system is integral to Assassin's Creed, and while some players might be concerned about suggested changes, these modifications appear to all be geared towards a promising direction.

"The biggest change to Assassin's Creed in terms of combat, it's that we've drastically changed the paradigm of 'what is [a] fight?'" Ismail said in response to a fan's question.

After asking themselves this question, the game's team decided to convert to a hitbox system instead of the previous format used in Assassin's Creed. Instead of a weapon-swinging animation on your end and a damage-receiving animation from the enemy, the new hitbox function will now make you take weapon speeds and lengths into consideration.

You'll be able to hit multiple enemies at once if you're surrounded, but Ismail later suggested that doing so might not always be the best option. When fighting larger groups, Ismail advises taking a step back to determine the best approach to a fight. He says that enemies can easily overwhelm players in numbers, so you're better off isolating one or two at a time.

The enemies have also been overhauled with special interactions and attacks based on their weapons. From blunt weapons to sharp ones to animals, the enemies of Assassin's Creed Origins are expected to be varied and challenging.

As far as players' weapons go, there are plenty to choose from. Several bows for different purposes are included as well as a variety of weapon types ranging from pokey spears to armor-crushing blunt weapons. The weapons will be much more RPG-driven with stats and special attributes like poison and fire, and players will be able to weave combos into their fights.

"We also have two major types of attacks which are the light attack and the heavy attack, and these build combos," Ismail added. "So, each weapon also has a different combo output, so based on how you use the light and heavy, you have a different set of attacks."

You can check out the full video above for more details on the game's combat system. Assassin's Creed Origins launches for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on Oct. 27.