Assassin’s Creed Might Just Be Back

With a bevy of Assassin’s Creed announcements last night, it looks like the future might be bright for Assassin’s Creed.

The hit franchise, which first appeared in the PS3/Xbox 360 era, has long been a staple for AAA gamers since the original following Altair. An update to the formula with Assassin’s Creed Origins meant it stayed relevant after fatigue for the franchise had begun to set in.

But five years of giant RPGs has started to have their toll, mixed with a general push against the ‘Ubisoft formula’, in which you are given lots of objective over a very large area. Find tower, solve objectives, kill enemies, and keep going until you remember there’s a plot to follow somewhere.

Reviews for the most recent games have still been very strong, and initial reaction is always good, however.

Last night, Ubi unveiled the future of Assassin’s Creed, and there really is something for everybody. Fans of the franchise new and old – and those that just love everything – will be very happy.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Starting out as DLC for Valhalla, this next Assassin’s Creed release will be a throwback to the older games. It’s clear from the trailer that they have borrowed some of the feel and look from the original Assassin’s Creed, released in 2007. And while you’re recovering from that shock, here’s the video.

Bigger fans than I am will be able to point out hint after hint in here. I’m just excited to see so many of the classic Assassin’s Creed traits poking through.

This will be cheaper than normal games, with preorders available from $50.

Infinity

Infinity is the new way of playing this franchise. And while it’s not entirely clear what exactly it will consist of, Ubi have tried to explain it.

Via IGN:

Vice president executive producer of Assassin’s Creed, Marc-Alexis Côté, explained that “Infinity is not a game, per-se. It’s going to be the single entry point for our fans into the Assassin’s Creed franchise into the future. Infinity is going to be a hub that will unite all our different experiences and our players together in meaningful ways.”

Two games are in development for the platform, currently codenamed Red and Hexe.

Red is the game Assassin’s Creed fans have been hungry for since 2007. It will be set in feudal Japan, and you’ll interact with samurai from across the era.

Hexe was described as a new direction for the franchise, which is interesting enough in itself. But what’s most interesting is that the logo is hinting at a witchcraft-themed game.

This one is further out than Red, which in itself is further out than Mirage. Suffice to say, these games will probably be you main entries in the franchise for the remainder of the generation.

Reaction

Although there’s never really been a time when Assassin’s Creed has gone away, it’s true that it’s lost fans over the span of its existence. The Ezio stories were a high point critically, but by Revelations people were already complaining about the samey nature. Over the span of seven or eight years after that, they continued to release games under the same formula with varying degrees of success. By Syndicate – itself an underrated gem – people were begging for something new.

And then they got it – Origins. An action RPG that seems so different and so similar all at once. The scope, along with that of Valhalla and Odyssey, can often be overwhelming.

But with the announcements of Mirage, Red and Hexe, it’s a very exciting time to be interested in the franchise again. You have a return to the classic, a journey to a much-requested location and the tantalizing hint at something brand new. Will it all work out? Time will tell – but for now, it’s easy to be curious.