Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Which Is Better?

Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Which Is Better?

Gameplay

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Red Dead Redemption 2 might both be open world games, but their gameplay couldn’t be more different. While one very much feels like a conventional video game power fantasy, the other is an immersive, deliberate, and hyper-realistic experience. If you’ve played both, you’ll certainly know exactly which is which, but let’s break it down in more detail.

There’s no doubt that with Odyssey, the Assassin’s Creed franchise is now a full-fat RPG. Where Origins felt like a halfway house, Odyssey dials up the focus on progression, branching narrative, and role-play. But in terms of how the game actually handles in combat and traversal, it’s really more of the same. The combat continues as a Souls-like action-RPG, though with more special abilities in the mix; traversal is typical Assassin’s Creed parkour, and features that have become hallmarks of the series, such as naval combat, also return with added depth.

Essentially, Odyssey adds new layers on top of Origins without ever really changing anything too dramatically.

What’s more, it actually feels familiar beyond just its lineage with its predecessor. Mechanics have quite obviously been lifted from many other games and peppered into its dynamic, too. From the Witcher 3-like question marks and the general beat of story-driven side quests to the conquest mechanics that have been brought over from Far Cry 5.

Red Dead Redemption 2, on the other hand, is a dramatic shift in pace from Rockstar’s last title, GTA V. Even in comparison to its 2010 predecessor, this prequel alters the composition of its design in such a way that it feels much more than just Red Dead Redemption with herbs and spices.

Between the layers upon layers of survival mechanics, the dynamic mission structure, and role-playing and customization options, it’s a game that wants to be played slowly. It’s incredibly immersive –sometimes overwhelmingly so. There’s just so much to see and do and keep an eye on.

Honestly, because of how different they are, it’s hard to compare these two titles side by side. In terms of raw “fun,” as well as which actually handles better in combat and interacting with the map, a case could certainly be made for Odyssey. It’s very video-gamey –easy to understand, jump into, and be entertained by.

The enjoyment of Red Dead stems from the extent to which you can really immerse yourself in its environment. This is cowboy role-play like no other, and with a diversity of missions and gameplay that constantly blindsides you and takes your breath away. It’s bold, inventive, and very next generation — but Red Dead Redemption 2 won’t be for everyone.

As for content? Both open worlds pack an almost absurd amount of exploration, side quests, and activities off the beaten path of their main campaigns. However, with the sheer depth of survival systems and the astonishing level of detail that makes its sandbox feel like a living, breathing place, Red Dead Redemption 2 is certainly comprised of more substance than Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

Winner: Tie

Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Which Is Better?

Graphics

Ubisoft has long been renowned for its spectacular open worlds. After a decade of experience designing sandbox games across multiple series, they sure know a thing or two about how to make them look beautiful. Assassin’s Creed has always been the series that has really showcased that most vividly, and Odyssey definitely continues that theme.

Ancient Greece has to be up there with the most beautiful open worlds the developer has ever created. The lighting, textures, and various environmental effects are excellent –though not any better than Origins’ before it. In terms of the finer detail, character animations are decent but the lip-synching can be a little janky at times.

Overall, Odyssey is a game that looks fantastic when you’re traversing the environments, scaling wonders of the ancient world, crashing across the Aegean Sea, or taking in the detail of each city’s architecture. When you really zoom into the finer points, though, there are a few minor cracks that begin to appear.

The same cannot be said of Red Dead Redemption 2; Rockstar Games’ latest title looks delightful across every facet of its aesthetic. The character animations are immaculate, the environmental lighting and composition gorgeous, and tiny details such as weather effects are truly stunning.

We’d go as far as to say Red Dead Redemption 2 is perhaps the best-looking open world game ever made, which is particularly impressive given that this is a multiplatform title. Of course, typically the prettiest console games are the ones designed specifically for the hardware they’re exclusive to. Titles such as Uncharted 4, Gears of War 4, and Horizon Zero Dawn come to mind.

Somehow, though, Red Dead Redemption 2 is equally as pretty, and on a scale that far exceeds them.

Winner: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Which Is Better?

Story

Assassin’s Creed’s science-fiction storyline has never been its most popular feature. In fact, story in general really hasn’t been its forte since perhaps the beloved Ezio trilogy. Last year, with Origins, Ubisoft was looking to solve the issue by hitting the reboot button on the modern-day storyline, and now Odyssey has taken things a step further. The Templar/Assassin narrative is out the window, with a new tale that only briefly grounds itself in the series’ wider lore.

Again, though, nobody outside of the hardcore fanbase is really going to be interested in the particular aspect of the story. Importantly, Odyssey’s actual historic storyline is really compelling, and both main characters are much better written than Origins. That quality of that writing permeates into all of its dozens of side quests and interactions beyond just the main story arc. That said, some of the character motivations change a little too suddenly for our tastes.

Despite the improvements to the series’ capacity for storytelling, however, it doesn’t measure up to Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar Games’ latest epic has impressed us immensely with its narrative qualities. The overall story is just so gripping, and we love how this prequel explores the backstories of characters previously alluded to or seen only in passing. In fact, there’s something to be said about how knowing how the gang ends up, and for that matter, the entire “Wild West,” almost makes the whole story more intriguing. Throughout the playthrough, we’re all just waiting for that downfall to begin, fascinated to see how it will come to pass.

In terms of the writing, it’s hard to think of a game with better and more convincing characters than Red Dead Redemption 2. This is Naughty Dog-levels of storytelling but spread across a giant, immersive sandbox. Yet that scale never upsets the pacing for too long.

Winner: Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 vs. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Which Is Better?

Who Wins?

As happy as we were to see Assassin’s Creed mark its transition to RPG design with a success, there’s no question that Red Dead Redemption 2 makes every other open world game, let alone Odyssey, feel a step behind. Rockstar Games’ has reinvented the wheel for the genre, and its the new benchmark by which all other contenders will be measured against.

It’s not a perfect package, of course. There are those that won’t appreciate its often plodding pace, and the focus on realism can cause frustration. Bumping into citizens accidentally, for example, or pressing the wrong button can turn a play session from fun to tedious very quickly. But it’s in that attention to detail that Red Dead Redemption 2 is moving open world gaming into a new space. In many ways, it’s a glimpse of what the future holds for the medium: almost frighteningly realistic experiences that one can get totally consumed by for how immersive it is.

It’s little wonder we gave the game full marks in our review, which was near unanimous across the entirety of games media.