If you’ve played the last few Assassin’s Creed games then this news might not fill you with excitement, as the Assassin’s Creed formula has been feeling tired and worn for a couple of instalments now, with games suffering from a lack of innovation and a distinctly repetitive feel. However, Ubisoft finally listened to fan and critic feedback and took last year off, with only a movie release to tie fans over, in order to revamp the franchise. This new title has gone all the way back to ancient Egypt and follows a new protagonist, Bayek, and charts the birth of the assassin organisation.
Ubisoft have announced a more RPG styled direction to the franchise with character progression and a crafting system, along with quests which each have their own narrative, similar to Witcher 3 and Horizon Zero Dawn. It is also reported to deviate from the stealth restricted combat and now allows players to choose their own style of play be it sneaking or charging in sword swinging. There is also a choice of weaponry from spears to a sword and shield combination. Each weapon handles differently and facilitates slightly differing styles of combat.
Ubisoft have also announced an exploration only mode which allows players to explore the recreated ancient world and discover the history behind the temples, statues and buildings that populate it, without needing to worry about being chase out by a horde of mercenaries or angry temple guards. The grounding of the games in real history, is my favourite aspect of the franchise and I think the inclusion of this mode is fantastic idea and may facilitate an excellent learning environment that may even prove useful in schools similar to how Minecraft has been adopted into the classroom setting.
All in all, this latest addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, while breaking with its traditional formula, promises to be one of the best instalments to date. My copy is already ordered and I’ll be sure to feedback on my findings next week.
