Immortals Fenyx Risingreleased in 2020 to acclaim thanks to its charming aesthetics and wealth of content. It offered an alternative to the likes ofAssassin’s Creed Odysseyand drewinfluence from the likes ofThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwith its approach to its open-world environment. Announced under the nameGods and Monstersat E3 2019, the Ubisoft project lifted its setting, characters, and lore from Greek Mythology, which has become popular in recent years thanks to games and franchises likeGod of War,Hades, andSmite.
Its handling of characters like Hermes, Zeus, and Prometheus was smart, blending mythological accuracy with humor to craft a story and experience that kept many of its players entertained throughout. However, with Greek myth being perhaps the most well-known to western audiences, it became easy to pick apart the inconsistencies between the characters presented inImmortals Fenyx Risingand other games that feature the gods of Mount Olympus. Should it receive a sequel, it would be smart to find a different setting to tell its tale, and a game at sea with pirates would be ideal.
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Ubisoft’s Pirate Past
Whereas the ability to glide through Greek lore inImmortals Fenyx Risingwas satisfying, it would be a wonderful change of pace to bring Fenyx (or even a new protagonist) to the unruly world of piracy. Meandering from island to island in pursuit of gold and riches could offer an engaging gameplay loop that lends itself so well to loot-based progression, a format thatAssassin’s Creedhas utilized recently with much success. Not only this, but Ubisoft’s history with the pirate setting was perhaps its most successful period, asAssassin’s Creed: Black Flagis seen as one of the company’s best titles. The naval combat that was so beloved that Connor Kenway’s story spawned a whole new game in 2013, and though it made an appearance in later games, there’s still potential that can be explored.
Taking whatAssassin’s Creed: Black Flagstartedand lifting the tone to something more light-hearted would not only take advantage of Ubisoft’s expertise in the pirate genre, but would also do well to separate itself from other open-world games by the developer.Immortals Fenyx Risingfelt like a less dense and more uplifting alternative to the hyper-realism of the likes ofWatch Dogsand the aforementionedAssassin’s Creed,so setting the sequel in pirate lore wouldn’t necessarily be stepping on the toes of the games that came before.
A Pirate’s Life For Fenyx
Pirate lore is far more than meets the eye. Whereas many people are familiar with the gods of Olympus or the major players in Norse myth, the pirate way is far less familiar in recent times. Franchises likePirates of the CaribbeanandOne Piecehave done well to explore some of its quirks, but there are still tales, characters, and settings that have been neglected by popular culture.Stories of Blackbeard’s victoriesand his threatening nature have been romanticized and changed since the events took place, and Ubisoft could use the sequel toImmortals Fenyx Risingto dispel the falsehoods that many have come to believe.
Like the cowboys of the Wild West that were far less eccentric thanRed Dead Redemptionwould have fans believe, pirates are largely different from how they are portrayed in media. It was rare that they ever buried treasure and the code that most pirates lived by meant they were far from the unruly bunch they’ve been made to look. AnImmortals Fenyx Risingsequel has both the historical truth and the flagrant artistic license to potentially use, and the stark difference between the two could make for so many comedic moments.
Bringing theImmortals Fenyx Risingsequel to pirate mythology is a match made on Mount Olympus, and would do well to recapture the charm of some of Ubisoft’s best games. WithHadesprovoking some of the best character developmentfor the Greek gods andGod of Warusing the Norse setting to maximum effect, there’s less room to flourish in either setting. Using the expertise of Blackbeard, Calico Jack, or Olivier ‘La Buse’ Levasseur to tell an engaging story on the high seas would provide the gaming sphere something different while also leaning on the past.
Immortals Fenyx Risingis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
