There really are an awful lot of people in ancient Greece. And people, as a rule, generally need a lot of help to get through their daily struggles. They're often willing to trade shiny trinkets, sharp swords, stylish armor, and piles of drachmae for the help that they need. That's why you'll find so many side quests sprinkled throughout Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The only problem players are likely to encounter here is choosing which ones are the best to pursue.
Of course, ideally, gamers would do all of them. But with hundreds of these glowing exclamation points over the course of a given odyssey, the sheer variety can prove overwhelming for an inexperienced young misthios with coin purses and inventory slots that need filling.
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Well, never fear. As always, The Gamer is here to help narrow the down list. This article features twenty of these side ventures that are definitely worth the time, as well as five little secrets or easter eggs that are worth a detour while players are taking care of storyline-based business.
Just as a note, some of these entries stand for the entirety of a given questline - a lot of them just have to be taken in as a whole in order to appreciate them! Not to mention, reap the entirety of due rewards. And while this goes without saying, there are some minor spoilers in store.
Updated July 25, 2021 by Russ Boswell: Although many players have moved on to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and are currently storming their way through an epic tale of Norse Gods and Vikings, there is still so much to appreciate in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. Those that have yet to experience the Greecian epic can likely find it on sale at their local game shop or pick it up online even cheaper. With a small lull in games at the time of writing, now is the best time to jump into an expansive game like AC Odyssey. There's a wonderful story to unfold and a lot of great gameplay but many players will likely be impressed with all of the Assassin's Creed: Odyssey secrets to uncover. With so many islands to explore and side quests to uncover, there is enough content to keep content-hungry gamers occupied for hours. To help new players (and veterans alike) uncover all of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey's secrets, this guide has been updated to offer better clarity. photos, and information.
This list features Assassin's Creed Odyssey storyline spoilers.
25 Call To Arms
There are a lot of side quests packed throughout the mithios' journey in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey. Most of them can be found through general exploration and players will amass quite the list of "optional quests" organically. But some missions are much harder to find than others. Case in point, Call To Arms, an available "side conquest" that many players will likely glaze over during their first playthrough.
The trigger for this side quest is a Spartan Polemarch, who must be spoken to (which activates the quest). He's at the second rebel camp (closer to the sea) on the Island of Melos. It's not a quest that completionists and achievement-hunters are particularly interested in but it's one of the most massive battles found in the entirety of AC: Odyssey. Players will need to sift through 99 opponents during the scuffle and will be rewarded with a heap of experience, drachmae, and a helmet for their trouble.
24 The Blood Fever
This is one of the first side ventures players will be presented with during a new odyssey, provided by none other than Phoibe after tracking down Markos for the first time. Players will be charged with investigating a sickness that has overtaken the small village of Kausos.
Once players arrive, they'll notice that the town's been put to the torch, and one of the remaining, disease-stricken families have been cornered by a priest and his hired thugs. Approaching them will present gamers with a tough choice. Take care to weigh the options, as this one will have definite consequences in the near future.
23 The Goddesses Hunt
This one's a lengthy chain of quests that will have players taking on some of the toughest mythical beasts to be found in the whole of Greece, but it's immensely rewarding. To get started on the hunt, seek out Daphnae at the Temple of Artemis, in the northwestern region of Phokis.
Among the rewards for hunting down beasts like the Kalydonian Boar and Nemean Lion will be legendary weapons like Artemis' Bow and Pandora's Kopis, respectively. But players will again be presented with a moral dilemma once they reach the conclusion, as well as a possible romance option.
22 A Business Opportunity
Are we really surprised to find that our old friend Markos has gotten himself waist-deep into a new pile of troubles since Kephallonia? Players will find him imprisoned in Artemisia Fort on the island of Kos, and needless to say, he's a little worse for wear. Go ahead and lend the man a helping hand.
This will kick off a series of Markos-related hijinks that will go as one would expect anything Markos is involved in to go, and will culminate in players receiving one of his treasured family heirlooms, his mama's axe.
21 Writhing Dead
Anyone itching to follow in the steps of Perseus and face down the infamous Medusa, then here's the chance. Just mind that things will be a bit dicier for the misthios, what with players lacking the nifty mirrored shield and all.
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First, head to the island of Lesbos. In the southwestern corner of the island is a town called Eresos, and players are looking for an angry mob after a woman named Bryce. After lending her a hand, or a sword as it is, follow her next few quests. When players see this quest title pop up, they should gird themselves for a tough boss fight. The struggle bears spoils though, in the forms of a legendary sword and a unique figurehead for the ship.
Marking one of, if not the highest climbable mountains in the game is a sword wedged into stone in what we can only surmise is a plain reference to the legend of King Arthur.
If players want to get eyes on it themselves, or maybe take a photo opportunity, they can head towards the southwestern part of Lakonia and start climbing the snow-capped peaks. The target is the tallest one in all the range. Players will be rewarded with this little secret, a beautiful view, and usually, some crafting resources clumped together nearby.
19 Crewless
This one's fairly easy to pick up when players first land in Phokis, as the woman who gives this quest won't be too far off from the docking area. Her name's Gelon, and as players soon find out, she's a pirate captain missing both her lover and her ship. She'd really like someone to find them.
Players can find both. Or what's left of them, anyway. Gelon will be fairly distraught at the news, but players get the option to offer her a spot on their crew. And why not? Good hands can be hard to come by, and players could end up with much worse things than a former pirate for a lieutenant.
18 Family Values
Players hanging around the beach of Red Lake Bay on Phokis may notice a peculiar situation with a man that's locked himself in a cage and his two distraught parents. The Oracle has convinced him that he'll do them harm, but he seems convinced that players can help him circumvent the prophecy by arming his parents with his stolen weapons.
What follows is a humorous little journey involving a blacksmith, his "broken spear," and a few bandits that require a thorough thumping. It's worth it for the chuckles alone, but players will also walk away with a nice bit of experience.
17 A Small Odyssey
This one begins fairly early on, by encountering the lovely Odessa on the island of Ithaka near Kephallonia. Assuming players lend her a hand here and discover her heroic lineage, they'll bump into her again in Megara, east from the city of Megaris.
She'll put gamers through a series of quests involving helping her sick papa and protecting her farm from local thugs bent on taking it from her. Hang in there and do the deeds, and players can walk away with her bow. As well as her heart, if they play their cards right.
16 Helping A Healer
Here's the chance to play nurse! A violent sort of nurse, anyway. After players have made a bit of progress in Phokis, they can seek out Lykaon the healer in the Chora of Delphi. Things begin pretty innocently, by fetching him a few herbs to make some medicine. Fair enough. However, the next few quests will take a darker turn.
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It turns out that Lykaon's grandmother took a turn as the Oracle of Delphi, a crime for which Lykaon feels she must atone. Oh, she also might have had a hand in players being thrown from a cliff as a child. On the brighter side, resolving the quest will result in Lykaon inviting players to, ahem, play doctor with him.
When players first take a break from the Animus and get to have a look around the present-day world, they should take an extra few minutes to comb through Layla's office. Savvy gamers will find a small treasure trove of easter eggs tucked away throughout.
The most obvious of these is probably this iconic set of night vision goggles referencing Ubisoft's Splinter Cell stealth action series, haphazardly tossed into a corner atop some dusty old cardboard boxes near what appears to be her bunk.
14 We're Not Thieves, We're Treasure Hunters!
In Koressia, on the pirate island of Keos, players will want to keep an eye out for lovely lady Obelia. She wants someone to sneakily retrieve a treasure map from the local Leader House, and will afterward fancy that players take a dive into some underwater ruins to retrieve a certain artifact for her. Oh, and there are sharks. So mind that.
Retrieve her bauble from the ruins and surface to find she's been nice enough to pilot her ship nearby, and just as you hand it over... oh, right. Betrayal in its finest form. Players could surrender peacefully, but really, what fun is that?
13 What Lies Below The Surface
The island of Pephka seems to have a bit of a minotaur problem, and the brave misthios is the solution. First, seek out the "Minotaur De Force" side quest from Leiandros and run through the three challenges it presents, afterward players will be directed to the minotaur's cave to face him head-on.
Except... well, he's not quite a minotaur, is he? He really, really seems to think that he is. But he's actually just a scrawny fellow with a bull mask saying "moo" rather ferociously. As ferociously as he can, anyway. If it wasn't evident already, the whole thing's a racket, albeit one that is almost too hilarious.
12 Art Leading Life
Up for a sightseeing tour? Link up with Phidias sometime after rescuing him in Athens, he'll have a new workshop in Olympia and a few favors that need doing. Players will be doing an awful lot of traveling, as they'll be investigating statues all over Greece. The first one's easy enough, being right across from Phidias' shop.
Next, head to a statue of Aphrodite on the Kytheran Islands, the statue of Poseidon between Samos and Chios, and finally a statue of Theagenes on Thasos. When players return, they'll find out that someone's done Phidias in. Examine him to get on with the last quest in this chain, leading towards a puzzle that'll reward players with some legendary loot.
11 Age Is Just A Number
Players have the chance to meet Auxesia around the Sanctuary of Delphi on Phokis. She's a sweet old lady, but she's got certain appetites that her husband just can't keep up with. That's where players come in, naturally! She wants help mixing up a potion to lend her husband some vigor.
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The next step is to gather the ingredients. They're a bit on the odd side of things, but aren't too difficult to locate. However, big surprise, her husband still doesn't feel up to the task and outright invites players to take his place. Yeah, things can get a little awkward at this point.
Contemporary open-world adventure games are likely to be making nods towards Breath of the Wild for years to come, and Ubisoft made sure to pay a little homage to the impact this landmark title in the Legend of Zelda series has had on the industry.
Head for Pandora's Cove in Malis, and see there's a single, solitary island just off the shore. That's where players should head. On a small cliff above the fishing camp on the beach, a sharp-eyed misthios might catch the Korok seed reference within a circle of stones.
9 He Waits
Yet another tango with a legendary beast awaits players in Messara, if they've got the stones for it. Seek out the "Myths and Minotaurs" quest in Messara's central area to get started, because there's a bit of work to take care of before gamers have the chance to take him on.
Once players have finished the lead-up quests, braved the labyrinth, and taken the actual Minotaur down a peg, they'll walk away satisfied with the many nods to proper Greek mythology. Oh, and pocket a legendary axe as well, the Minotaur's Labrys.
8 Trouble In Paradise
Barnabas is likely to mention something concerning a rebel group needing a bit of misthios-quality help while players are sailing around, and if they're in the mood for adventure, romance, and just a little bit of mayhem, they should go ahead and set a course for the Silver Islands.
Players will be aiding a group of dissidents in overthrowing a corrupt Athenian leader. There are piles of experience and drachmae to be had for the endeavor, but players will need to make a choice between following the lead of cautious Kyra or hot-headed Thaletas. Consider the options carefully, as they have a pretty profound impact on how this narrative plays out.
7 Idiot Hunt
Doing a good deed is always worth the trouble, right? Right? Players will want to land on Kythera Island and poke around Skandeia Harbor until they locate a properly distraught lady.
Her fisherman husband was somehow struck with the notion that he'd make a gifted hunter. And needless to say, it didn't work out too well for him. Retrieve him from a nearby cave to make a little drachmae and score a pretty decent bow.
6 Heart of Stone
All's fair in love, war, and any mixture of the two. While traversing the Pirate Islands, make a pit stop on the isle of Seriphos and hit the southwestern area to find a gaggle of women fawning over some rich jerk named Aetios. He's about to hold a "wife-choosing" ceremony, and there's no shortage of volunteers.
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One among them, however, is seeking an edge over the competition. Kallikleia is her name, and she wants to enlist the help of a Hekate witch to brew up a potion that'll knock Aetios head over heels for her. Naturally, players are the perfect fit for gathering the necessary ingredients. Unfortunately, witches don't have a great track record for being trustworthy. Players can knock out a nice chunk of experience for this one.
