Ubisoft Québec unveiled today their largest project yet, leading the development of the latest addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Though the game had suffered some unexpected leaks prior to today’s world premier, we got to experience firsthand both the official press conference as well as a pre-alpha live demo. Here’s the top 5 things we’re excited about in the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game:
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Gang Leader by Ubisoft Quebec
1. You’ll Be Playing as Twins Jacob and Evie Frye.
Yup, Assassin’s Creed is switching up it’s formula by featuring two separate playable characters as leads. Twin Assassin’s Jacob and Evie Frye set out to alleviate oppression and poverty in London 1868, and regain control from the Templars and other rivals who stand in their path. Though we don’t know much yet, we do know that Evie prefers stealth, while Jacob’s drawn to aggressive tactics. We’ll have to wait and see whether these preferences will transmit to the actual gameplay, or these are just narrative quirks.
The main story arc will dictate which character you use, switching fluidly between Evie and Jacob depending on the plot. As for side quests, you get to choose your assassin. Speaking of Evie, she’ll be the first female Assassin to headline in a major game from the franchise. Pretty cool, huh?
Assassins Creed Syndicate Assassination by Ubisoft Quebec
2. The Victorian Era Becomes the Creed’s Playground
I’m pretty stoked about the game’s setting. The Victorian Era is the birthplace of modernity, and through it came development of what we call the modern era. Between the Industrial Revolution, technological boom and the concept of romantic love, 19th century London was a momentous period in history. It was also the breeding ground for political unrest, legalized child slavery and unimaginable poverty. Ubisoft Québec have a lot to play off of, and the game’s narrative is sure to be immersive and interesting. Also, the city’s design will be the most ambitious and grandest of any Assassin’s Creed game to date. They’ve integrated actual London buildings and landmarks, including buildings who were destroyed during the London Blitz in 1940. Covered in smog from the height of the industrial era, history and political turmoil makes up most what we know of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate’s London thus far.
Assassins Creed Syndicate London Dark and Stormy by Ubisoft Quebec
3. Steal Yourself a Horse and Buggy
The title alsi marks the first game of the franchise where you can actually drive -and I use the term loosely- around the city to get from point to point, rather than fast traveling and/or parcouring your way across rooftops and alleys. Though there aren’t actual motorized vehicles (it’s still about 20 years too early), you’ll be able to steal yourself a horse and buggy in order to travel around. You can even destroy the vehicles of your enemies while they’re still in them.
The franchise just got a little more… badass.
Assassins Creed Syndicate Cart Race by Ubisoft Quebec
4. A Fancy Multipurpose Bracer
Alright, so the Assassins in the Creed have always been inventive, ingenuitive individuals who use various methods to both perform assassinations and to traverse across the world. Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate will now add an extra power to our repertoire with an additional piece of armor: the gauntlet. The projectile shooting, rope-launching gauntlet allows you zip line between buildings, shoot poisoned darts at your enemies, and throw knives to create distractions. Beware: as your arsenal of attack methods grow, so will the difficulty level. Like Assassin’s Creed Unity, hand-to-hand combat will be difficult, and brutal, requiring you to use your stealth methods more frequently. They’re also bringing back the multi-kill counter, so you’ll want to strategize your attack methods to maximize it.
Assassins Creed Syndicate Bracer by Ubisoft Quebec
5. Accurate Attire, Accurate Weaponry
A final aspect I really appreciated from both the conference and live demo was the details in attire and weaponry that Ubisoft Québec have integrated. If you pay close attention to videos or images, you may notice that Jacob sometimes wears a hood, and other times he wears a top hat. While he’s attempting to sneak, he will pull his hood over his head like any good ole’ ninja/Assassin. However, Jacob dons the infamous 18th century top hat while trying to blend into the crowd. That nod to historical detail pleased the nerd in me. Also speaking of historical accuracy, a weapon the studio is integrating into the game is the revolver. Not only was the revolver a revolutionary piece machinery, it will utilize a free-aim system, meaning you can shoot anywhere you want, including getting that sweet headshot.
Want to know more? Check out the pre-alpha footage below:
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is confirmed for October 23rd 2015 on the PS4 and Xbox One, Fall 2015 for Windows PC.
Have anything you’re excited about in Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate? Let us know below, or on Facebook or on Twitter!