Immortals: Fenyx Rising – Gold Edition

Immortals: Fenyx Rising – Gold Edition bundles the base game and its Season Pass DLC, immersing players in a vibrant open world inspired by Greek mythology. Players assume the role of Fenyx, a customizable mortal hero who must rescue their brother and defeat the monstrous Typhon after his escape from the underworld. Gameplay combines dynamic combat against mythical creatures, puzzle-filled Vaults of Tartaros, and exploration across seven distinct regions of the Golden Isle through climbing, flying, and mounted traversal.

Immortals: Fenyx Rising – Gold Edition: Review

Introduction

In a gaming landscape dominated by gritty realism and sprawling historical epics, Immortals: Fenyx Rising – Gold Edition emerges as a vibrant, tongue-in-cheek love letter to Greek mythology. Developed by Ubisoft Quebec, the studio behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, this 2020 action-adventure title carves its own identity with a whimsical narrative, a painterly open world, and a combat system that melds divine powers with satisfying melee brawls. While comparisons to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are inevitable, Fenyx Rising distinguishes itself through its irreverent humor, godly slapstick, and a protagonist whose journey from mortal to demigod feels uniquely empowering. This review argues that Fenyx Rising is a standout in Ubisoft’s catalog, offering a refreshing take on the open-world formula despite occasional stumbles in innovation.

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Development History & Context

Studio Vision & Origins
Immortals: Fenyx Rising was born from a serendipitous bug during Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s development, where crew members on triremes glitched into cyclopes. This inspired Ubisoft Quebec to explore a standalone title embracing Greek mythology’s fantastical side. Originally titled Gods and Monsters, the game was rebranded in 2020 after a trademark dispute with Monster Energy, adopting the name Immortals: Fenyx Rising to emphasize its protagonist and narrative focus.

Technological Foundations
Built on Ubisoft’s AnvilNext engine, the game leverages lessons from Odyssey while introducing a stylized art direction. The shift allowed for dynamic lighting, vibrant colors, and mythic-scale environments, though the team faced challenges balancing performance across platforms, particularly the Nintendo Switch. A delay from its initial February 2020 release provided time to refine accessibility features, including colorblind modes and adjustable difficulty settings.

Industry Landscape
Launched in December 2020, Fenyx Rising entered a market saturated with open-world titles. Its lighthearted tone and family-friendly approach contrasted sharply with contemporaries like Cyberpunk 2077, positioning it as a palatable alternative for players seeking humor and exploration over grim storytelling.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Plot & Characters
The game’s story is framed as a tale narrated by Prometheus to a captive Zeus, whose snarky banter injects levity into Fenyx’s quest to save Olympus from Typhon, the titan unleashed from Tartaros. Players guide Fenyx, a customizable mortal-turned-demigod, through a corrupted Golden Isle to restore gods like Aphrodite (transformed into a tree) and Ares (reduced to a rooster). The narrative cleverly subverts Greek myths, portraying gods as flawed, insecure figures—Ares grapples with cowardice, while Hephaistos confronts his self-doubt.

Themes
At its core, Fenyx Rising explores redemption and legacy. Zeus’ arc—from a selfish ruler to a humbled father—mirrors Fenyx’s growth from an overlooked soldier to a mythic hero. The game’s humor, inspired by The Princess Bride and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, contrasts with darker mythological undertones, such as Typhon’s nihilistic wrath. Writer Jeffrey Yohalem described the story as a critique of modern ego, drawing parallels between the gods’ petty rivalries and social media narcissism.

Writing & Voice Acting
The dual narration by Zeus (Daniel Matmor) and Prometheus (Elias Toufexis) steals the show, blending slapstick with poignant moments. Fenyx’s voice options (Elana Dunkelman and Tyrone Savage) offer personality without overshadowing player agency. However, the script’s reliance on modern slang (“OK, boomer,” Zeus quips) occasionally undermines its mythological gravitas.

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Core Loop
Fenyx Rising combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat across seven biomes. The Golden Isle is fully accessible from the start, encouraging nonlinear progression. Stamina management governs climbing, gliding, and combat, with upgrades tied to collectibles like Zeus’s Lightning (stamina) and Ambrosia (health).

Combat
The combat system blends fast-paced swordplay, heavy axe strikes, and bow mechanics. Godly abilities—such as Ares’ Wrath (explosive spears) and Athena’s Dash (phasing through attacks)—add depth, while aerial combos and parries reward timing. Enemy variety includes minotaurs, cyclopes, and gorgons, though later encounters lean on spongier foes rather than smarter AI.

Puzzles & Vaults
The Vaults of Tartaros, akin to Breath of the Wild’s shrines, test players with physics-based challenges. Highlights include constellation puzzles and laser-grid mazes, though repetition creeps in with too many “move the block” tasks. The DLC A New God exacerbates this with grueling trials that prioritize precision over creativity.

Progression
Customization thrives via the Hall of the Gods, where players upgrade gear, potions, and skills using resources like Adamantine Shards. The Phosphor system—collectible phoenix skins with perks like stealth or fire damage—adds strategic variety.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Visual Design
The Golden Isle’s regions reflect their patron gods: Aphrodite’s Valley of Eternal Spring bursts with pastel flora, while Hephaistos’ Forgelands meld volcanic industry with steampunk automatons. The cartoony aesthetic avoids Fortnite comparisons through intricate details, such as ruined temples etched with mythic frescoes.

Atmosphere
Dynamic weather and day-night cycles enhance immersion—King’s Peak’s blizzards drain stamina, while nightfall unveils hidden Night Chests. Despite its vibrancy, the world feels less interactive than Breath of the Wild’s, with fewer emergent systems.

Soundtrack
Composer Gareth Coker (Ori series) fuses lyres and kitharas with orchestral swells. Tracks like “Heart of the Hero” underscore exploration, while the DLC Myths of the Eastern Realm introduces Chinese instrumentation, reflecting its new mythos.

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Reception & Legacy

Launch Reception
Critics praised the game’s humor, art style, and puzzles (Metacritic: 77–81), but noted its lack of innovation. IGN dubbed it “Breath of the Mild,” while Game Informer lauded its “excellent open-world experience.” The Nintendo Switch version suffered technically, with framerate dips and blurry textures.

Commercial Performance
While not a blockbuster, Fenyx Rising found a niche, particularly on Switch. Its Gold Edition—bundling the base game and Season Pass—offered strong value, though Ubisoft canceled a planned Polynesian-themed sequel in 2023 to focus on established IPs.

Influence
The game’s success lies in balancing Ubisoft’s checklist-driven design with heartfelt storytelling. It inspired softer, mythology-driven titles like Mythforce, though its legacy is overshadowed by its Assassin’s Creed siblings.

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Conclusion

Immortals: Fenyx Rising – Gold Edition is a flawed gem—a joyous romp through Greek mythology that prioritizes charm over complexity. Its striking world, engaging combat, and laugh-out-loud narration outweigh repetitive puzzles and a derivative structure. While it won’t dethrone Breath of the Wild as the open-world benchmark, it carves a niche as a colorful, accessible adventure perfect for myth lovers and casual gamers alike. In an industry fixated on realism, Fenyx Rising dares to ask: What if the gods were just deeply messy people? The answer is a game that’s as memorable as the legends it celebrates.

Final Verdict: 8.5/10 – A mythic journey brimming with humor and heart, albeit one that plays it safe.