Assassins Creed Odyssey is out on October 5, and it features a new way of playing for the franchise. Not just having a choice between a male and female main character, but right at the start the game offers you a choice between two different modes called ‘Exploration’ and ‘Guided’. Just what are Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Exploration Mode and Guided Mode? Which is better for you? We’ll try and help you decide.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Exploration Mode vs. Guided Mode
Upon starting Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Exploration Mode is described as “the way the game is meant to be played.” Previous Assassins Creed games, and many other Ubisoft games, just give you a game map and all the icons for things to do already available. Exploration Mode does away with this, and players must investigate the world if they want to get by. For example, if a quest giver says that some bandits are hiding in the wood close to Mount Geraneia, you may get a vague marker on your map, but not a direct waypoint on the bandit camp. You have to explore the area yourself and use your eagle Ikaros to scout when you get close.
Guided Mode, on the other hand, is far closer to the classic Assassins Creed experience. Quests have proper waypoints, places of interest are all marked, and if you want to explore you’ll have an idea of something to aim for.
Which Mode is Better, Guided or Exploration?
Now this question is entirely up to you. Exploration is clearly stated as the way Ubisoft wants you to play, but it’s also a lot more vague. If you utterly adore Assassins Creed games, fully plan to explore every inch of Odyssey, and don’t plan on playing any other games in the meantime, we strongly recommend Exploration Mode. It’s more natural and exciting, and forces you to go off the beaten path in search of your objectives.
On the other hand, if your game time is limited, and you’re not planning on vaguely wandering around Greece in search of interesting things, then maybe Guided Mode is for you. It’ll tell you exactly where the points of interest are, and the game won’t spoil everything so there still will be plenty of exploration and the thrill of discovery.
The choice is yours. However, don’t worry if you start one and want to switch to the other, since you can swap between Exploration and Guided modes at any time from the menu. Just head to the main menu page, then Options and it’ll be on the ‘gameplay’ tab.
