TL:DR - definitely recommended from someone who completed the game 100%. Interesting choice for an RPG fan. Exciting change for an AC series fan. It is somewhere around the top in the AC ranking of my own, perhaps even around the bottom step of the podium (I have not played Odyssey, Valhalla and Mirage yet). My is rating 93/100.

What a game! I absolutely devoured it, and I'd say that the 120 hours it took me was just about the right amount of time not to get bored. I guess I have to underline at the beginning of the review that this is an entirely different approach to AC games. Apart from the more complex story telling with meaningful choices (supposedly that comes in Odyssey - I've not played yet), you are getting a complete RPG package with a little sprinkle of good old AC mechanics/traits on top. Let's get to the details.

Graphics are a pleasant upgrade from the last instalment of this franchise, especially the character models. The desert look might get slightly repetitive, but it's mixed with a few stunning locations like Alexandria, Thebes (Curse of the Pharaohs), Krokodilopolis, Cyrene and more. I think Ubisoft nailed the style and captured the spirit of the time period beautifully (although they do that part right for most of the AC series).

Game-play is engaging, and you are free to choose your own pace. Between all the main story, side quests, POIs, playing around in modern day (Layla) and DLCs, I never found myself forced and tied to just one of the aspects. I have no idea how long it would take to do each, but I can tell you that 100% (main story, side, achievements, DLCs) took me around 120 hours to complete. That's without rushing anything and taking the occasional minute or two to enjoy the view.

What surprised me in a positive way was the amount of settings offered to play around with the game's difficulty. Before playing, I was really at the point of frustration that since the legendary ships in AC 4/Rogue, I was not offered a proper challenge (you know, the one where you scream at the top of your lungs each time you die but get absolutely ecstatic when you defeat the enemy - that one ;)).
In AC Origins, I went for nightmare difficulty straightaway. It dragged me through the dirt at the start (combat mechanics are different than before). However, once I learned it, I enabled the enemy auto-level since it was getting easier. That allowed for a satisfying experience all the way until the last boss fight in CotP DLC.

Combat mechanics received a significant upgrade. It really added to the experience to play around and learn all the types of bows and melee weapons. As you master the game, you utilise the right tools at the right time, which obviously adds to the quality of game-play.

I assure that the stealth aspect is still there. The point is that you now have much more freedom of choosing how to approach a mission. If you like to go in head first, slashing and bashing left, right and center, then go ahead, you do you. If the stealth assassination style keeps you interested in AC series, you can still carefully plan your approach to a location, take down the guards and sneak up on your target. The game does not have the 100% additional objectives, forcing you to play it one way or the other.

If I had to point out a flaw, the most noticeable was that the main plot tried too hard to be this complex and intertwined story. I must confess that it got somewhat lost between all the other things to do in Egypt (it could be because of my play-style). However, I loved most of the characters. They helped to immerse in the game (Bayek, Aya, Phoxidas, Julius Ceasar etc.).

My final rating is 93/100. It definitely got my appetite for next AC games going again.