Immortals Fenyx Rising, formerly known asGods and Monsters, is the latest out of leadAssassin’s Creed Odysseydeveloper Ubisoft Quebec. Despite sharing the same mythology as the GreekACgame, it’s markedly different in tone. Indeed, perhaps the one thing players will realize if they hadn’t been keeping up with it before is thatImmortals Fenyx Risingis, first and foremost, a satirical game.
This applies to everything from the Greek pantheon of Gods to Ubisoft itself, with the story being told from a narrative framed in a discussion between Zeus and Prometheus. What this means for players is that Zeus laughs about everything, at least for the most part, and there are “dad jokes” aplenty. Tales are retold in ludicrous and hilarious ways, but it’s not just thisGreek storytelling inImmortals Fenyx Risingthat is used for laughs.
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Immortals Fenyx Risingis a game that wears its inspirations on its sleeves and it’s no surprise that it comes from the same studio that madeAssassin’s Creed Odyssey. There are mockings of Ubisoft as a company, of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise’s leap of faith, and even of the bird companions that joinAssassin’s Creed’s most recent protagonists in action. Players may even notice that the UI of theImmortals Fenyx Risingis similar toAssassin’s Creed Odyssey, and players will spend a lot of time climbing large statues as if this were anACgame. There is an undeniable quality that links the two, even if the games are drastically different.
Underneath the satirical moments, however, is what all good satire accomplishes: a potent message.Immortals Fenyx Risingmay seem like a game focused on bawdy, toilet humor—and it is—but it manages to tell a compelling story about families, strained parent-child relationships, self-growth, self-acceptance, and all the tiny imperfections that make someone unique. These moments, which are scattered and serve as a slow burn in terms of storytelling, help ultimately define what the game is about, and that’s a seemingly ordinary person rising to greatness. There are moments where the line between the serious and the satirical become muddied and moments where one directly undercuts the other, but there is no denying that there is a great story beneath the surface.
For the most part, players can expect the typical Ubisoft formula in terms of gameplay. Theworld ofImmortals Fenyx Rising(aka the Golden Isles) is littered with collectibles, quests, enemies, and more that players can take on at their leisure as they cross from area to area. Another game thatImmortals Fenyx Risinghas been compared to isThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and indeed, it seems that game has been crossed over into the typical Ubisoft formula. Players must manage stamina as they engage in combat and exploration, players have wings with which to glide around the world, and more that really combine the two’s DNA.
There is the question of how wellImmortals Fenyx Risingutilizes this DNA, though, as the stamina doesn’t really limit or control a player’s ability to engage in combat or explore the world. At times, the stamina gauge feels like an arbitrary addition whose limitations feel more binary. In combat, running out of stamina doesn’t do much more than limit the use of abilities until it is restored, and ultimately, anycomparison made toBreath of the Wildis only skin deep.
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Speaking of, the combat is rather run-of-the-mill. Players simply need to hit enemies until they die, complete with a standard light attack, heavy attack, parry, and dodge set-up.Immortals Fenyx Risingplayers can unlock new abilities as the game progresses, but soon enough, they find that one tactic tends to work for most enemies, particularly those that are not boss encounters. Notably, while players are able to engage various Greek monsters across the setting, ranging from Lions (due to the Nemean Lion) to Cyclopes, these encounters become repetitive quickly. This is worsened by the fact that the most common enemy is one of Typhon’s army of the dead soldiers, who are mostly fodder and come off as uninteresting. Still, combat is used to break the monotony ofImmortals Fenyx Rising’s puzzle and platforming gameplaywell enough.
ThroughoutImmortals Fenyx Rising, players will be tasked with completing puzzles and platforming exercises that, for the most part, are rather fun. When coming across Myth Challenges or Navigation Challenges aroundthe Golden Isle, there is a level of mystery and investigation involved. Much like the combat, though, it becomes more of the same quickly, as players will spend most of their time rolling balls, moving boxes, or completing the standard video game array of puzzles. Two activities where this is improved but also worsened are the Rifts and Vaults of Tartaros.
One of the main tools of delivery for the aforementioned puzzle and platforming challenges are Rifts, which are scattered around the game as optional dives into the underworld but also required during various story moments. Unfortunately, all of these Rifts share the same dark blue aesthetic as all the others, and ifImmortals Fenyx Risingplayers have done one, they’ve effectively done them all. One notable exception is the God Vaults, which share a similar environment but offer puzzles that are more unique.
Ultimately,Immortals Fenyx Risingmay not take itself too seriously but it ends up offering an emotional story of family drama with some genuinely funny moments. There is a lot of familiarity both in the game’s DNA and the core gameplay loops, but it is still a fun experience nonetheless.Immortals Fenyx Rising, as with all new IP, may have been a risky jump forUbisoft, but it was a leap worth taking.
Immortals Fenyx Risingreleases June 21, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Game Rant was provided an Xbox Series X code for the purposes of this review.
Immortals Fenyx Rising
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Immortals Fenyx Rising features a lush open world inspired by Greek Mythology. The game plays similarly to titles like Breath of the Wild or Assassin’s Creed. In the game, players world the powers of ancient gods, including Achilles' sword and Daidalos' wings, and take them to battle against powerful foes like the Cyclops and Medusa.Fight with a diverse set of weapons and skills, like the self-guided arrow and telekinesis. The gameplay also includes seven unique regions and solving of puzzles.
