Immortals Fenyx Rising is a surprisingly strong take on Ubisoft's open-world formula, but injected with elements of Breath of the Wild. While that on its own sets it up for success, it also excels at making convoluted Greek mythology approachable for those unfamiliar with it, a feat many games based on ancient religions often struggle with, even in the case of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which helped inspire Immortals.
This approach to mythology – which seems central to nearly every aspect of the game's narrative, judging by our Immortals Fenyx Rising previews – works well for multiple reasons. From the beginning, the experience is narrated by Zeus and Prometheus, introducing the latter in a way that's both lighthearted and entertaining, despite the morbid history between the two characters.
Zeus and Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus gives humanity the gift of fire, which Zeus subsequently punishes byo ordering him to be chained to a rock and having an eagle eat his liver every day. It's a brutal story, and certainly not alone in the ocean of legends that make up Greek mythology. It almost doesn't fit in a game that's vibrant and somewhat cartoony, almost to the point of being antithetical to it.
However, that's where Immortals Fenyx Rising shines. Zeus and Prometheus share an admittedly interesting rapport, with Prometheus recounting tales to Zeus, while Zeus serves as an obnoxious audience. As the player progresses throughout the world, the two share stories with entertainingly buffoonish delivery.
There's a decent amount of range between the myths recounted by the two characters, with some stories being relegated to brief snippets, while others are fully fleshed out. For instance, one back and forth between the two characters talks about Zeus' first wife, Metis, and how Zeus convinced her to turn herself into a fly, after which he promptly swallowed her.
Aphrodite
One of the longer quests we played in our preview featured Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Aphrodite has been turned into a tree, and it's up to the player to save her. Without diving into spoiler territory, what follows is essentially a retelling of how Aphrodite came to be in the first place, narrated by Prometheus, who attempts to dodge some of the awkward details that might embarrass Zeus.
From a gameplay standpoint, the quest has players roll a pearl into the ocean, which creates seafoam that is meant to turn Aphrodite back into a god. Of course, that in itself isn't a 100 percent accurate retelling of the story, but it's all about how Immortals Fenyx Rising engages the player in it. The banter between Zeus and Prometheus, as well as Prometheus whispering in Zeus' ear to explain what really happened, drives curiosity. Having knowledge of Greek mythology enhances the experience, but the game will undoubtedly push players to seek out more if they're unfamiliar with it.
A Whole New World
Immortals Fenyx Rising is at its best when it leans into the playful banter about mythology, and it has done so regularly in our previews, which is a good sign. The real test will be seeing how that holds up over an entire game. It's rare that games manage to get comedy right, and with how large Immortals' world is shaping up to be, comedy may be the biggest challenge.
The game certainly isn't lacking in personality, though, and that personality sets it up to be successful. It also incorporates elements from some of the biggest open-world games of the past generation, and it does so pretty elegantly. Combined, it could be a recipe for success, though it seems to be flying somewhat under the radar compared to Ubisoft's other big games releasing this fall.
Immortals Fenyx Rising launches December 3 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.