Ubisoft has just unveiled the newest instalment of the Assassin’s Creed Saga, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, which will be available on the 23rd of October for Playstation 4 and X-box One, whilst later in Spring for PC. The fifteen minute trailer released at 2am this morning solidified many details about what to expect next from the well-known series.
The game is set in London, 1868, where the Industrial Revolution is taking place. The world is ruled by money, and whilst some have much of it, the working class live in poverty. As a result, the lower classes would band together into crime gangs known as syndicates.
The story follows Jacob Frye, 21 years old, who (as the footage tells) “plans to take back London with the help of his gang, The Rooks.” He is being described as a more full-on protagonist, who’s more fiery and brash than has been seen in prior games.
“Jacob will always approach a situation with a very hands-on and head-on approach, so he will be more rash, more brutal, more confrontational. He’s all about the thrill, he’s all about the chase.”
Unfortunately, the gameplay shown depicts Jacob as being the only playable character thus far. Leaks of intel prior to the trailer release suggested that his twin sister, Evie, may have also been an option, however nothing is certain, they could have hidden it for a special surprise or something. Despite this, Evie will be a core part of the plotline.
“Jacob is a born and raised Assassin. He’s going to have allies that are the street gangs of London. Evie is the twin sister of Jacob. She is the more calculated, the more rational of personalities. She’s the one that’s going to guide Jacob through his quest to free up London.”
Looking at the technical specs of the game shown in the teaser, it appears Ubisoft have been hard at work to incorporate many new facets.
- Shiny new graphics that frankly look awesome, even in their current pre-alpha state. Hopefully, the bugs are removed before release this time. (nudge nudge, Unity anyone?)
- New weapons (obviously), however they are more specialised for close range fighting and brawling. Particular emphasis was placed on the use of knives in combat, and the addition of brass knuckles.
- A piece of equipment known as the rope launcher has been added to help scale buildings faster, as well as utilise as a zip line (something similar to the cables in Revelations)
- Faster combat, which will be focused on a more hand-to-hand, brawl style. The main reason for this is consistency to the time, where weapons needed to be smaller and concealed.
- New vehicles that can be controlled as modes of transportation, used as hiding spots or for stealth, and utilised in assassinations. The vehicles can be integrated with the parkour capabilities of the game. The major focus is horse-drawn carriages, however NPC trains appear to be present also.
- The ability to switch between stealth and street mode is now player activated, not automatic as it was in Unity.
- Environments can be manipulated to take out enemies.
- Templar Burrows take the place of strongholds and the like in regards to controlling territories, and gang wars result from attempts to take over.
The creators want this game to “feel like it’s the best Assassin’s Creed that’s ever been made”, and hopefully, it will be.