2020 has been a sensational year for video games. Despite the turmoil in the world, video games are more popular than ever. There have been several sleeper hits this year that have gained recognition as well. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a surprise hit for Ubisoft. This new IP from Ubisoft Quebec serves as a promising start in a new franchise.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is not without faults, however. Several key design choices will wear on players when they reach the end. Issues like this aren't deal-breakers but do impede the enjoyment of the experience. There is an amazing game here, but focusing on improving these problems will ensure that future installments are even better.
10 Players Must Manually Mark Collectibles
It's not surprising that the creators of Assassin's Creed Odyssey are the minds behind Immortals Fenyx Rising. The similarities between the two separate series are uncanny, with this new IP borrowing several features from its predecessor. One of these is the viewpoint system, where syncing unveils portions of the map.
Unlike in Assassin's Creed, Immortals Fenyx Rising forces players to manually scope out most points of interest unrelated to the story. Completionists will spend an irritating amount of time carefully following the cursor to find important items.
9 Tasks For Cosmetic Currency Are A Grind
Those looking to expand customization items in Immortals are in for a grind. Most cosmetic options are tied to a currency only obtainable via busywork given by Hermes. These tasks can range from collecting flowers to finding mythical beasts and killing them.
Not only will players have to go to the Hall of the Gods to grab these tasks, but they will have a limited amount of time to complete them. It's ultimately more trouble than it's worth and siphons any enjoyment from the game.
8 Farming Potion Materials Is Monotonous
Towards the final phases of the game, the enemy difficulty increases exponentially. Bosses and regular creatures chip away at the health bar consistently, and tackling these tougher foes will require an ample potion supply. One tedious aspect of the game sees players gathering pomegranates for health potions.
These fruits can take ages to gather, and five of these fruits are needed to make a single potion. Failing a boss encounter or fighting a tough group of enemies can drain Fenyx's entire supply. Having a set level of potions to spawn with would be appreciated.
7 Â Medusa Boss Fight
In Immortals, Fenyx must restore the gods to their rightful forms. On her journey, she must explore several unique dungeons, one for each god she needs to help. For Athena's dungeon, there is a strange design choice that can be irritating for those looking to progress.
There is a series of four puzzles that need to be completed in this area of the game. Each puzzle ends with players fighting Medusa. This boss must be beaten four separate times before the dungeon ends. Why the developers didn't just let Fenyx fight this gorgon once is a mystery.
6 Selecting The Menus Doesn't Open The Map
For those aiming for completion, constant map checks will be a staple of the endgame grind. To get to the map in Immortals, players will have to toggle the menu and shift over to the map manually. While this may not seem too tedious at first, the process becomes a chore when the map is so integral to exploration in the game.
The possibility to set the map to the default selection when hitting the options menu is something that could save explorers a ton of time in the long run.
5 Dungeon Puzzles Are Hit Or Miss
Assassin's Creed isn't the only game that inspires Immortals, as Ubisoft's newest franchise takes heavy inspiration from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as well. The Vaults of Tartaros are this game's equivalent to Breath of the Wild's shrines. While Immortals does its best to create exciting challenges in these vaults, they often fall short when compared to Zelda's excellent design.
Some vaults are enjoyable, offering puzzles that are fair with reasonable length. Others are nightmarish like the aforementioned Medusa gauntlet and can get repetitive quickly.
4 No Saving In Dungeons
Another odd choice by the developers is the one that prohibits saves while in the Vaults of Tartaros. Unlike the game it draws inspiration from, Breath of the Wild, players must leave a dungeon entirely to make a manual save.
Immortals Fenyx Rising offers generous autosaves, but those interested in ensuring they can resume right where they left off are out of luck. Hopefully, in future franchise installments, this restriction is lifted. It serves no purpose other than to lock players into longer sessions than they originally planned.
3 Upgrades Are A Headache
Starting in Immortals, players have a single stamina bar and three health segments. If Fenyx wants to get stronger, she'll have to explore the world in search of resources. This includes taking on the Vaults of Tartaros in search of Zeus's lightning bolts to upgrade stamina. Hunting down Ambrosia hidden around the map is key to increasing health to take on tougher enemies.
There are even inventory capacity upgrades and weapon damage upgrades. Each one uses a different resource that can be hard to keep track of. Streamlining the upgrade process in further installments should be a priority going forward for Ubisoft Quebec.
2 Constant Reminders Of The Season Pass
One of the most intrusive things in Immortals is the game's insistence on pushing the Season Pass content. Every time the pause menu is opened, players are bombarded with posts related to the future expansion packs. For those interested in focusing on the game they already purchased, this can feel a bit insulting.
Not only is the company pushing the Season Pass so heavily, but it also reveals very little information about it. A vague concept for the content Ubisoft is charging $40 for isn't assurance enough to fork over that type of cash.
1 Microtransactions In A Single Player Game
A recurring blemish in Ubisoft's recent single-player experiences would be its intrusive Microtransaction system. For a game that costs full retail price, players deserve to have all this content. Instead, Ubisoft has opted to lock some of the most appealing customization options behind a paywall.
With Hermes's list of chores being the only other way to obtain premium customization items, players must choose between grinding for hours or handing over their credit card information. This growing trend in gaming has grown tiresome and weighs down an otherwise excellent experience.