Beginner’s Guide#
Choosing Your Protagonist#
Kassandra vs Alexios#
| Comparison |
Kassandra |
Alexios |
| Identity |
Protagonist (recommended) |
Protagonist |
| The other sibling |
Alexios (younger brother) |
Kassandra (older sister) |
| Voice actor |
Melissanthi Mahut |
Michael Antonakos |
| Emotional depth |
Richer, more moving |
Strong and forceful, if a bit direct |
| Official stance |
Ubisoft’s recommended protagonist |
— |
| Community reception |
Extremely high praise |
Good reception |
| DLC interactions |
Unique story lines |
Standard story lines |
| Ending differences |
Slightly different dialogue and scenes |
Slightly different dialogue and scenes |
The Recommendation#
Note Whichever character you pick, the core experience is essentially identical. The “other” character swaps roles in the story (pick Kassandra and Alexios becomes Deimos; pick Alexios and the reverse happens).
Controls Guide#
Basic Controls#
| Action |
PS4 |
|
|
| Move |
Left stick |
|
|
| Camera |
Right stick |
Right stick |
Mouse |
| Sprint |
L3 (press left stick) |
L3 |
|
| Climb |
X |
X |
Space |
| Jump |
X |
X |
Space |
| Leap of Faith |
X (specific spots) |
X |
Space |
| Light attack |
□ |
X |
Left click |
| Heavy attack |
△ |
Y |
Right click |
| Defend/Block |
L1 |
LB |
Q |
| Dodge |
O |
B |
Alt |
| Hunter bow |
R2 |
RT |
Hold right click |
| Assassinate |
X (up close) |
X |
Left click |
| Open menu |
Options |
Menu/Start |
Tab |
| Open map |
Options > Map |
Menu > Map |
M |
| Call mount |
Hold D-pad down |
Hold D-pad down |
X |
| Eagle scan |
L3 + R3 |
L3 + R3 |
V |
Mount Controls#
| Action |
Button |
| Mount/Dismount |
△ |
| Speed up |
R2 |
| Brake |
L2 |
| Turn left/right |
Left stick |
| Attack while mounted |
X or △ |
Core Systems Overview#
Levels and XP#
| System |
Description |
| Max level |
Level 99 |
| Main quest level requirements |
Rise steadily, up to around level 50 |
| XP sources |
Quests, kills, exploration, contracts |
| Level gaps |
±2 levels (Easy) to ±4 (Nightmare) |
| Attribute points |
1 per level |
| Skill respec |
Any time (costs drachmae) |
The Three Playstyles#
| Playstyle |
Core Play |
Best For |
| Warrior |
Melee brawling, head-on fights |
Players who love action combat |
| Hunter |
Ranged archery, strike first |
Players who love ranged attacks |
| Assassin |
Stealth kills, high burst |
Players who love stealth |
Resources and Currency#
| Resource |
How to Get |
Used For |
| Drachmae |
Quests, selling items, looting |
Buying items, upgrades, skill respecs |
| Iron ore |
Pickup, salvaging gear |
Crafting and upgrading weapons |
| Leather |
Pickup, salvaging gear, hunting animals |
Crafting and upgrading armor |
| Wood |
Pickup, gathering plants, salvaging bows |
Crafting ammo, ship upgrades |
| Gems |
Pickup, selling gear |
Buying rare items |
| Obsidian glass |
Looting tombs, chests |
Upgrading gear to legendary tier |
| Flax |
Pickup, salvaging gear |
Crafting and upgrading armor |
| Pearls |
Seabed pickup |
Ship upgrades, crafting |
Opening Strategy#
Levels 1-15 Walkthrough#
| Stage |
Level |
Main Goals |
| Prologue |
1-5 |
Finish the Kephallonia prologue, learn the basics |
| Setting out |
5-10 |
Pick a playstyle direction, get your first mount |
| Exploration |
10-15 |
Start exploring more regions, clear camps |
| Expansion |
15-20 |
Engage with political choices, begin Cult hunting |
Top Advice for the First 10 Levels#
-
Finish the Kephallonia main quests — this is the tutorial region; completing every quest grants starter gear and XP
-
Experiment boldly with abilities — skill points are limited early, but you can respec any time, so try freely
-
Use tall-grass stealth kills — open combat is hard early on; stealth assassination is far more efficient
Must-Have Early Abilities#
| Ability |
Playstyle |
Priority |
Description |
| Leap of Faith |
Universal |
★★★★★ |
Fall from any height unharmed |
| Assassination |
Assassin |
★★★★★ |
Kill enemies up close |
| Spartan Kick |
Warrior |
★★★★☆ |
Launches enemies — extremely practical |
| Devastating Shot |
Hunter |
★★★★☆ |
Powerful ranged attack |
| Wings of Ikaros |
Universal |
★★★★★ |
Extends the eagle’s marking range |
| Venomous Blades |
Assassin |
★★★☆☆ |
Adds poison to weapons |
| Fire Attack |
Warrior |
★★★☆☆ |
Area fire damage |
| Reinforced Quiver |
Hunter |
★★★☆☆ |
Increases arrow capacity |
Important Advice#
The Choice System#
| Advice |
Description |
| No choice is absolutely right or wrong |
Most choices only affect dialogue; a few shape major endings |
| Be careful with family choices |
Some choices can permanently kill family members |
| Don’t compromise for drachmae |
Friendship and family matter more than money (in most cases) |
| Enjoy the role-play |
There’s no “correct” way — experience the story your way |
Avoiding Common Errors#
| Mistake |
Consequence |
Solution |
| Neglecting ship upgrades |
Naval battles become brutally hard |
Upgrade the Adrestia regularly |
| Challenging high-level regions too early |
Repeated deaths, wasted time |
Explore in level order |
| Salvaging legendary gear |
Can’t reobtain (some) |
Sell legendary gear, never salvage |
| Never respeccing skills |
Wastes points on unused abilities |
Respec whenever you change playstyles |
| Ignoring contract quests |
Misses huge XP and resources |
Pick up contracts on notice boards |
Starter Collectibles Guide#
| Collectible |
Location |
Importance |
| Tablets |
Scattered across regions |
Unlock regional treasure |
| Ainigmata Ostraka |
One per region |
Unlock engraving recipes |
| Treasure maps |
Found at specific spots |
Point to hidden treasure |
| Isu fragments |
Hidden locations |
Used to upgrade the Isu spear |
| Shipwreck chests |
Seabed |
Rare resources and gear |
The Most Common New-Player Mistakes#
| Mistake |
Symptom |
How to Avoid |
| Charging every enemy head-on |
Poor early gear means open fights leave you nearly dead |
Scout with the eagle first, and use tall grass and rooftops to engage |
| Hoarding drachmae |
Saving money while never upgrading gear |
Prioritize weapon and armor upgrades early — level pressure beats saving |
| Ignoring quest level tags |
Taking hard quests and failing repeatedly |
Check a quest’s recommended level before setting out |
| Scattering points across playstyles |
Spread skill points leave all three trees weak |
Focus one playstyle early and complete a core combo kit |
| Forgetting to scout with the eagle |
Walking into camps and getting swarmed |
Send the eagle to mark enemies and chests before every approach |
| Forgetting manual saves |
Wrong story choices with no way back |
Manual-save before major choices so you can revisit other branches |
Your First Three Days#
| Stage |
Goal |
Concrete Steps |
| Day one |
Master the basics |
Finish the Kephallonia prologue; practice climbing, dodging, blocking, and the Leap of Faith |
| Day two |
Pick a playstyle |
Around level 10, commit to Warrior, Hunter, or Assassin and focus your points |
| Day three |
Build a resource loop |
Learn to salvage spare gear and take contract quests to bank drachmae and materials |
Leveling Route Advice#
Here’s a smooth main-story progression order for the early game; pair it with regional quests to avoid level walls.
| Level Band |
Recommended Regions |
Notes |
| 1-15 |
Kephallonia, the Pheai islands |
Tutorial and home-base regions |
| 16-22 |
Megaris, Attika |
First contact with the Athenian faction line |
| 23-30 |
Korinthia, Lokris |
Cult hunting gradually opens up |
| 31-40 |
Boeotia, Arkadia |
Dense with family-line quests and political choices |
| 41-50 |
The islands and late-game regions |
Face the finale; round out gear and skills |
Gear Upgrading and Salvage Strategy#
| Decision |
Advice |
Reason |
| Common white and green gear |
Salvage directly |
Yields leather and iron ore — better value than selling |
| Purple rare gear |
Keep if the perks fit, otherwise salvage |
Perks are rich; no rush to sell |
| Legendary gold gear |
Keep and upgrade first |
Unique pieces — worth upgrading when level keeps pace |
| Unused blue gear |
Sell |
Trades into drachmae for supplies |
| Platform |
Notes |
| PC |
Supports mouse/keyboard and controllers; graphics freely adjustable |
| PS4 |
Performance mode raises frame rate |
| Xbox |
Supports quick resume and cloud saves |
| Cross-platform |
Saves don’t transfer between platforms — choose carefully |
Tip Don’t rush the main story. Spending time exploring the world and finishing side quests earns better gear and a deeper feel for the world and its characters. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a game whose pace you control — enjoy the adventure at your own speed! And don’t forget the weekly contract refresh — the best steady source of XP and supplies.
Explore more in our Assassin’s Creed Odyssey hub.