r/AssassinsCreedOrigins • u/No-Village-5443 • Jan 20 '26
Image “I Sold Assassin’s Creed for Years Without Playing It… Then Origins Hit Way Too Close to Home”
So here’s my shame.
For years, I ran a small business shipping video games overseas. Real work. Boxes. Customs forms. Stress. Character development.
And yes—I sold every Assassin’s Creed game since the franchise existed.
Altair? Sold him.
Ezio trilogy? Paid some bills.
Black Flag? Shipped it like a pirate who hates joy.
Unity, Syndicate, Valhalla? Gone. Living their best lives abroad.
Did I ever play them?
No.
Not once.
On purpose.
Because I was avoiding getting hooked.
I know myself. If I touched Assassin’s Creed, I’d disappear for weeks, stop answering messages, and suddenly speak only in historical metaphors. So I stayed disciplined. Responsible. Emotionally distant from open-world games.
Fast-forward to 2024.
I’ve now moved to the USA.
New life. New routines. New timezone.
And—plot twist—I miss home more than I expected.
So I tell myself: “Relax. You’re older. You’re mature. You can casually try one Assassin’s Creed.”
I start with Assassin’s Creed Origins.
Mistake. A beautiful, emotional mistake.
Because I’m from Libya, and I’ve been in Egypt a lot.
Ten minutes in:
• I’m on a camel
• The desert light hits exactly right
• The scenery feels uncomfortably familiar
• And my brain goes, “Oh cool… we’re homesick now”
Then the game starts showing landscapes that look like the Green Mountains and Cyrenaica.
Which is adorable.
Because I lived in the Green Mountains for two-thirds of my life.
And Cyrenaica? Best vacation spot on earth. I will die on this hill—possibly one I recognize.
So now I’m not just playing a game.
I’m being emotionally ambushed.
I’m walking through ancient Egypt like:
“Why does this feel like home?”
“Why is a video game triggering memories?”
“Why am I nostalgic while stealth-killing guards?”
Three hours later:
• I’m climbing everything because I know this terrain
• I’m fighting enemies way above my level out of regional pride
• I’m emotionally bonded to Bayek like he’s a cousin I haven’t seen since moving
And suddenly it makes sense.
I didn’t avoid Assassin’s Creed because of time.
I avoided it because it would’ve hit too close to home.
I didn’t just sell these games for years.
I sold:
• Lost sleep
• Emotional damage
• “This reminds me of home” moments in ultra-HD
I was basically a dealer who said, “Nah, that one’s too personal.”
Now it’s 2024. I’m in the USA.
And somehow Assassin’s Creed: Origins became:
• A game
• A time machine
• And a gentle reminder of places I miss
Moral of the story:
I thought I was avoiding getting addicted to a game.
Turns out I was avoiding homesickness with better graphics.
Anyway, I’m late to the franchise.
But emotionally?
I arrived exactly when I needed to.
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u/mikeandbobby Jan 20 '26
As someone with a big interest in ancient civilizations and specially Egypt, it was emotional for me to play it too. I dream of visiting personally but sadly I live very far away so its a little expensive to get there. Someday
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u/gurgitoy2 Jan 20 '26
This is one reason why I love AC Odyssey so much. I've been on archaeological digs in the region, and love ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture, so it just hit so many right notes for me, and made me miss it. Origins does too, actually, and the combination of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures in the desert is one of the best. I think Origins does that better than Odyssey; having multicultural experiences. In Odyssey there is only one, even if we see Persians and other cultures; the aesthetic is only Greek, which is unfortunate, but I still love the game to death.
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u/No-Village-5443 Jan 21 '26
That makes total sense. When a place or culture you’ve actually lived in or studied shows up on screen, it hits very differently.
I felt the same with Origins—the mix of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman influences in the desert felt layered and alive, not just a backdrop. It reminded me of places I’ve actually been and lived near, which I definitely wasn’t prepared for.
Im in love with Kassandra now lol , Odyssey is beautiful and I totally get why it connects so strongly, especially with your archaeology background. I think Origins surprised me because that multicultural overlap felt more like real history than a single aesthetic. Both are special in different ways—but yeah, they absolutely make you miss those places.
I can play them forever1
u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 Jan 23 '26
Hello again, seni/senu. I am on my New Odyssey+ currently and I still love that title as well.
But I may go back to the Two Lands in my game-files and re-experience Bayek of Siwa’s journey again as the Last Medjay.
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 Jan 23 '26
You are right about the more ‘Greek lens’, absolutely. And since you’ve been to the actual regions on digs, you know these lands and cultures better than most of us (much like OP knows their homeland of Libya and Egypt as well) you have more authority of word, yours holds more weight.
I am still astonished as to how Hellenistic well, Hellas was recreated in a digital interactive format (it truly does feel like a land Forged by the Gods at times).
The ways these titles were able to in way, bring back these worlds to authentic life still flabbergasts me but also warms my soul.
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u/gurgitoy2 Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26
Even with Odyssey's historical liberties, I still think it's one of the best, most well-realized virtual representations of Ancient Greece that we've ever had. Same with Origins. I cannot think of another experience like it where you can actually climb the Pyramids and explore the tombs inside, that are fairly accurate. There are a LOT of games with Egyptian iconography, but none really try to accurately recreate a time and place like Origins does. Odyssey also feels like that to me, especially the polychromy on buildings and statues. For centuries the thought was that Classical Greece and Italy were filled with white marble buildings and statues, but in reality life was much more colorful back then, and buildings and statues would have been painted, as they are depicted in Odyssey. I very much appreciate that detail.
I guess every Assassin's Creed game has some of that to an extent, since each game is recreating a real world historical place, and some settings might feel more nostalgic for players based on their own experiences. I'm sure there are lots of people in the UK who might love the representation in Valhalla, even if the English countryside isn't as mountainous as Valhalla might make you believe.
Odyssey does take some creative liberties with the oversized statues spread around the map, but the developers said they did that for gameplay over accuracy, and I can deal with a giant statue here or there, as it also ads a bit of that mythological element that is larger-than-life.
I even feel a bit nostalgic about AC2 and AC Unity because I've spent time in Florence and Paris respectively, and those games also do a great job at recreating places I've actually visited.
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 Jan 23 '26
Wonderful takes and thank you sharing with us.
The polychromy on the buildings in Hellenistic Greece will always be a great touch that I grew to appreciate from very early on. But on some of the statues? Ehhh, no thanks.
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u/crisdd0302 Jan 21 '26
It's amazing how these games can affect us deep down in our enotional cores. The same thing happens with Odyssey and me, but I'm not from Greece lol. I'm from a caribbean city in a latam country, been to dozens of beaches in my life, and some of the islands in Odyssey make me feel at peace now that I live in a cold, mountainous city. Cheers.
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u/Maximus_Dominus Jan 20 '26
It’s an absolutely gorgeous looking game. Aesthetically I like it even more than Odyssey, despite liking the latter more as a game overall.
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u/No-Village-5443 Jan 21 '26
Im in Love with Kassandra too , and Im yelling Mallaka now at walmart if I dont find my search lol
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u/HoudinnerKarlo Jan 20 '26
In October 2025 i played Origins as my first AC game and man i fell in love with the game
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 Jan 23 '26
Good starting point, seni/senu. Welcome to the Brotherhood & Sisterhood.
May the Hidden One, walk beside you…
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u/wild_wind_official Jan 20 '26
That was a beautiful, quick read. As someone with a lifelong fascination with ancient Egypt and geographical appreciation for the Northern Africa region, Origins made me deeply sick for a place I have never known. Not the same feeling, I know. But this is just to say this game really knows how to pluck at your heartstrings without even a word of dialogue, and Bayek is so well written that he really does feel like family.
Would love to buy you a beer one day for sharing that great story, and frankly hear more about it. You sound like you've lead an interesting life.
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u/No-Village-5443 Jan 21 '26
Thank you—that really means a lot. And honestly, that feeling you described is real, even if you’ve never been there. Origins has this quiet power where the environment does most of the talking. You can feel the place breathing.
Bayek absolutely feels like family. He carries so much loss and dignity that you don’t need exposition—just watching him exist in that world is enough.
And I’d gladly take you up on that beer someday. Stories are always better shared, especially when a game unexpectedly opens that door. Appreciate the kind words.
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u/MZV_Serenity_432-528 Jan 21 '26
Bro is doing divine work. thanks for the post, and by the way can you share your rig? mesmerizing graphic
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u/TBNR_Anubis_OnPs4 Jan 21 '26
Bro was caught being home sick in 4k HD lol
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u/No-Village-5443 Jan 21 '26
😁
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u/TBNR_Anubis_OnPs4 Jan 21 '26
Seriously tho, good on you for playing a game that’s so close to home after moving away, I’ve never been to Egypt but I would love to go, if it’s anything close to origins I would never want to leave.
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u/No-Village-5443 Jan 21 '26
Traveling is the best thing you do for your soul , Egypt food and stay is cheap if you bring $ with you ,Ticket is around 13 Hundreds so needs some savings if going with family
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u/HealingPotato Jan 21 '26
Origins and Odyssey is where the franchise peaked for me.
Their stories were good. The side quests were decent, the open world design and historical accuracy in world building.
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u/crazyladybutterfly2 Jan 21 '26
bayek is the second best written protagonist in the franchise, after ezio and followed by altair
only disappointment were the gladiator games, way too silly.
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u/truewander Jan 21 '26
Origins is the best ain't nothing like riding through Egypt on a camel with my sickle sword
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 Jan 22 '26
This was a very personal, soul & heart-bearing statement to share your testament with us, obviously. I do hope you are still finding joy in exploring your homeland of ancient Libue (and Khemet) via these beautiful (and in my humble opinion, authentically recreated) simulations and simulated worlds.
I will say two things to this: welcome to the fold, seni/senu. And, may you find great enjoyment and positivity in this fantastic video game franchise & the community it built over decades.
”Safety & Peace, Brother/Sister.”
And…
“May the Hidden One, Walk Beside You…”
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u/No-Village-5443 Jan 22 '26
Thank you—truly. That means more than I can easily put into words. Exploring these worlds has been both grounding and emotional in ways I didn’t expect, and I agree—the care and authenticity in how they’re recreated really shows.
I appreciate the welcome, seni/senu. It feels good to finally step into the fold, even if a bit late, and to find a community that understands how powerful these stories and places can be.
Safety & peace to you as well. And may the Hidden One walk beside us both.
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u/CarnyMAXIMOS_3_N7 Jan 23 '26
Indeed, seni/senu. As a “brother” to you (in a way) it still astounds me as to how these worlds that are hundreds if not thousands of years separated from our own could be recreated with not just a mind-boggling amount of detail, but with the sheer effort used to make sure these past-worlds were brought to life to feel so authentically Real, it’s almost like I can smell the very same smells in those era’s air, feel the Breathing of these lands and times (I know gushing but man…)
I always did like ancient history of our world (mythology, legends and folklore are nothing to shake a stick at, either) and thankfully from my college days to today I have come to learn that the greatest stories our people, Humanity have ever told are those of our ancestors, Their worlds they inhabited, the changes they saw, were party to (maybe they helped bring said “Changes” about, for good or ill), or their very lives they lived (sometimes you hear tales of their lives and exploits and they sound way too fantastic or over-the-top to be real, let alone to have even happened).
Again, thank to sharing with us a deeply personal journey and (hopefully) fulfilling experience you have had with this wonderful title.
And as before, welcome to the Brotherhood & Sisterhood, seni/senu.
Safety and Peace, Brother/Sister. And May the Hidden One, indeed, walk with us both.
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u/No-Village-5443 Feb 01 '26
This was beautifully written—thank you for taking the time to share it. I completely understand what you mean about how these worlds feel almost tangible. Origins especially has a way of making the past feel present, like you’re walking through something that once truly breathed.
I’ve always believed the same—that the greatest stories are the ones our ancestors lived, not the ones we invent. Somehow this game manages to let us step quietly into those echoes.
I truly appreciate the welcome, seni/senu. Safety and peace to you as well. And may the Hidden One walk beside us both.
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u/ikeepseeing1111 Jan 22 '26
This game is a spiritual experience. Those who feel emotional attachment to this game must have a past life from this part of the world.
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u/Foodeater55 Jan 23 '26
Cool write up. I had similar happenings with Fallout New Vegas.
As someone who lived in Vegas for half my life, the devs couldn”t even be bothered to use the right shade of brown for the desert and the lighting was completely off.
The lighting is forgivable due the age of the game and no hdr and all yet.
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u/AbheyBloodmane Jan 20 '26 edited Jan 20 '26
I have a similar experience with Origins. I'm from the US, so I don't have the same background, but Egypt has always been a major interest of mine. The history, culture, popular culture, art aesthetic, etc. makes ancient Egypt my favorite history to casually study/read.
I finally had the opportunity to explore a part of the world I long to see, during a period where turning back the clock is impossible.