'Assassin's Creed Origins' has a mode that turns ancient Egypt into your virtual museum
Ubisoft finally came up with a way to brag about all the research that goes into Assassin's Creed games in a constructive way.
Assassin's Creed Origins introduces a brand-new "Discovery Tour" mode, which will be added to the game in a free update in early 2018. It's a completely different way to experience the Ubisoft's worlds, with a focus -- in a nifty twist -- on education.
Discovery Tour effectively strips out all the bits that make Assassin's Creed Origins the game that it is. No quests, no combat, no time constraints, no barriers. The game's recreation of ancient Egypt becomes a sort of virtual museum.
If you've been playing these games for a long time, you can probably see why this is such a cool idea. Assassin's Creed games are filled with painstakingly researched historical landmarks, and each one usually has some not-small number of words devoted to it in the game's "Animus Database."
Discovery Tour sounds like an interactive spin on what, in the past, has effectively been a text-heavy sub-menu. When the mode is active, you'll be able to embark on interactive tours that Ubisoft notes will be curated by historians and Egyptologists.
Even if you'd rather skip the history lesson, Discovery Tour lets you wander the world freely, without having to worry about threats. It's not clear what this means for the game's natural world -- there are wild animals that pose a danger if you get too close -- but if I had to guess, I'd say they just won't look at you as a threat in this mode.
Ubisoft would probably like to see Discovery Tour surface in classrooms -- the potential is certainly there! -- but speaking as a post-schooling grown-ass adult: I'm excited to check this out as well. It seems like a clever way to put the research that goes into these games more front-and-center.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
