One of the most popular game series in recent history, Assassin’s Creed has been around since 2007 and shows no signs of stopping. The latest version, Syndicate, was recently released to positive reviews across the board; however, one can’t help but notice that the game is squandering one of its most perfect settings – Victorian London in the 19th century. Here’s why this setting is wasted potential at best and criminal neglect at worst. Is Assassin’s Creed Wasting One of its Most Perfect Settings?
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Island of Sodor (Thomas and Friends)
Sodor is an island in the Irish Sea, part of a group that includes only two other inhabited islands. It is part of a wider archipelago known as The Isles, which also include nearby Barra and Benbecula. Sodor’s population has increased by nearly 40 percent since 2006, when Benbecula was devolved to Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (The Western Isles Council), but it remains one of Europe’s most sparsely-populated areas.
Saint Michel Archange Parish, Quebec, Canada
The perfect setting for a new Assassin’s Creed game. Ubisoft should put Quebec City in their next AC title. Assassin’s Creed has been one of my favorite series since it first came out, but I can’t help but feel that they are wasting one of their most perfect settings. If you haven’t played any Assassin’s Creed games, they take place in various historical periods ranging from ancient Egypt to World War II. However, if you look at all these different time periods, there is one glaring omission: Quebec City and Saint-Michel-Archange Parish!
Salzburg, Austria
a pristine, Gothic city surrounded by picturesque mountains and lakes. With so much beauty in such a small space, it’s hard to believe that you could even begin to run out of things to see or do—and yet that’s exactly what developer Ubisoft is doing with one of its most perfect settings. That’s right: The next game in the Assassin’s Creed series will be set here, but don’t get too excited; it won’t actually be about anything interesting happening here at all.
Neo-Tokyo, Japan
The Future for a New Story: The announcement that a new Assassin’s Creed game would be set in feudal Japan was met with gasps of excitement from longtime fans. The time period is perfect, after all: Feudal Japan is full of secrets and lies, rife with conflict and warring factions, and teeming with stories just waiting to be told. It’s a setting that could help revitalize what many consider to be an aging franchise. But instead, Ubisoft seems content on delivering another rehash of Ezio Auditore’s adventures in Renaissance Italy. While it’s true there are some similarities between feudal Japan and Renaissance Italy (namely their rich histories), it feels like Ubisoft is missing out on one of gaming’s most perfect settings by not exploring Neo-Tokyo any further.
Assassin’s Creed games are set across a variety of different time periods, and Ubisoft does a great job at showing off how diverse and unique those settings can be. But even so, the one place you’d expect to see Assassin’s Creed go that it never has is Renaissance Italy; specifically the city of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, which was filled with rich history and fascinating characters around every corner. So why doesn’t Assassin’s Creed take us there?
With its release of Assassin’s Creed Unity, Ubisoft is not only furthering its exploration into the French Revolution, but it’s giving players the ability to explore this tumultuous time period on new consoles and in glorious 1080p resolution. However, there may be one thing the game is missing that could make its setting even more captivating than it already is — the use of an eagle companion, similar to the ones you can control in Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Rise of the Tomb Raider. If Ubisoft can implement this feature, then Assassin’s Creed Unity may just take over as our most anticipated game of 2015.
