Sleeping on Immortals

Photo credit: Ubisoft Game Cover Art

One of the presents I got for my birthday was a PS gift card and it took me a minute to figure out what to spend it on. “Why?” you ask. “Do you not have a backlog?” Oh but I do. See, that’s part of the problem. There are lots of games both newer and retro that sound good, but not really great. Yes, I learned my lesson with Days Gone and Biomutant that reviews can’t predict what I’ll really get into. Just because other gamers dislike something doesn’t always mean I won’t enjoy it.

There’s a game that’s been on my “to buy” list for a while and there are lots of reasons it’s languished there. One, since it was released last year, the price on it is still pretty hefty. There are few games I’ll pay full price for, it’s got to be a game that starts me salivating every time I think about it. Immortals Fenyx Rising just wasn’t a drool-worthy title. It’s also Ubisoft…and no, I’m not Ubisoft bashing, but they can be a little hit or miss so I wasn’t gonna pay $60 to find out if they got this one right.

Aside from the price, there were also a lot of other games that I had already purchased that needed playing and some new releases that took precedence, such as Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. So yeah, Immortals just kept being pushed down the list until my birthday came. Eight months after the game’s release, a PS gift card and a sale price aligned: it was time to dive into Fenyx Rising. And my patience did pay off because I got the gold edition for only $40, which leaves me with $10 for RDO or ESO micro-transactions. Yesssss!

Given the reviews which were all over the place and the general lack of discussion about the game in the gamer community, I really didn’t expect much. I was pleasantly surprised when the opening cut scene made me laugh. As I explored further, I discovered the title is a charming good time that can only be described as AC: Odyssey (I mean why would Ubisoft reinvent the wheel?) meets Disney’s Hercules meets Tomb Raider. It just so happens I love all three of those works of art, so f@#k yeah, the game is fun.

“But Cindy,” you say, “IGN only gave the game a 7/10! How can it be fun?” Well, I had just such a discussion with many of my friends on Twitter. As they pointed out, some gamers consider anything less than an eight unplayable. He doesn’t happen to be of that opinion and neither am I. Also, this isn’t the first time I’ve disagreed with reviewers on a game score. No, Immortals isn’t GOTY material, but I don’t think it’s quite a seven either. Maybe a 7.5 or 7.75…7.6492? Whatever, point being, regardless of the game’s reviews, it is just plain fun.

Another friend on Twitter pointed out that Immortals released hot on the heels of Assasin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion so it might have been overshadowed by those heavy hitters. Whatever the case, Immortals is a good bit of fun. If you’ve been sleeping on it like I was, seriously, give it a try. Will it change your life? No…no it won’t. Will it it amuse you during a time of financial uncertainty during this ever evolving pandemic. Yes, it most likely will. I suppose that’s my real point. There’s too little joy in the world today to overlook a diamond in the rough that will make you laugh, challenge you and give you the perfect excuse to ignore the outside world.

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