Ubisoft’s big reveal is here: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is coming in October 2015. If it looks like Gangs of New York meets Sherlock Holmes: Game of Death meets Assassin’s Creed, and it turns out as awesome as that sounds, then Syndicate might just be the AC game to bring Ubisoft out of their latest slump. Which honestly for Ubisoft is a one-game streak, given their pretty successful history. Syndicate could be the throwback to the golden days of Assassin’s Creed that we’ve almost forgotten.
I was very late to the Assassin’s Creed party. I missed the hubbub and fuss when it made its debut back in 2007. I didn’t have a PS3 or Xbox360 at the time, and when it was ported to Windows I lacked a PC capable of running the game. But even if I had the required hardware I probably would have passed it by anyway; I was deep into RPG gaming (and Portal) and didn’t have interest in much else.
When I eventually got around to playing it, I was hooked. Going on assassination missions, gathering information, and doing some small side games was super fun. Altair was great, Ezio hit it out of the park, and the games just kept getting better. When Revelations was over I thought it couldn’t get any better.
And then like many popular titles the Assassin’s Creed franchise embraced the open-world sandbox design. The focus on assassination that was tight and spot-on in ACI and ACII was taking something of a supporting role. ACIII represented this first major shift. It featured a sprawling world with multiple cities more familiar to fans of the Witcher games or Skyrim.
Minigames such as the hunting quests and naval battles sweetened the pot, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag cemented the deal. Not an assassin in the traditional sense any more but now a pirate, Assassin’s Creed moved squarely into the action adventure genre with stealth as more of an afterthought. Sure, the elements of sneakiness were still present but they paled in comparison to the rip-roaring sea battles and mass combats.
Fans and critics raved over Black Flag for these exact reasons. Rightfully so; it was a fantastic game. Open world exploration on land and sea was exactly what the players wanted. That it looked fantastic at the same time was icing on the cake, and Black Flag enamored many to the new direction Assassin’s Creed took.
Enter Assassin’s Creed Rogue, and the naval aspect only grew in prominence. Though this title didn’t fare as well as Black Flag in the critics’ eyes it wasn’t a complete failure and continued the open-world push of Black Flag. The series’ fate seemed set in stone, and its gameplay was developing well. All was good.
Good, that is, until Assassin’s Creed Unity.
Assassin’s Creed Unity was gorgeous, no lie there. Being the first AC game designed on the newest generation of consoles and PC hardware, this was to be expected. It was also expected that the game’s hyped co-op multiplayer would be enjoyable and fun.
It was also expected to be released as if it were a finished product. Based on the reactions of players eager for the latest installment, the game’s reputation was well-earned. Forcing Ubisoft to release multiple patches and even apologize for the botched release, it seems as though Unity was a valuable wake-up call for the company.
Because now Assassin’s Creed Syndicate has been announced, and it’s set for an October 23rd, 2015 release. And if Unity is still a raw memory, that might seem a little too fast. Less than a year after Unity, is Ubisoft tempting fate by rushing another cash cow out the door?
Probably not. Syndicate represents Ubisoft’s big chance to turn their fortunes around. Unity made tons of money but it alienated fans and newcomers with shoddy performance out of the box and a lackluster multiplayer experience. Other complaints about the game abounded; Metacritic’s aggregate scores for it were the lowest out of all the main titles in the series to date.
But Syndicate is already looking to rectify those mistakes. Right off the bat multiplayer will not be a part of the game. Dual protagonists, a feature used prominently by Grant Theft Auto V, will be used – a brother and sister with different skills and abilities. And the developers are already promising smoother controls and navigation, something of a mainstay complaint for the series.
And the London organized crime look’n’feel so far is absolutely smashing. Completely changing the aesthetic from the previous games, Syndicate looks like it will use the characters of Jacob and Evie Frye to give players a chance to be that sneaky assassin once again, or a cocksure brawler with a vicious hook and his own fair share of tricks. If the latest combat rework plays as well as the fighting images and clips look, Syndicate will rock socks off.
A core single player experience. Multiple protagonists, one of which is a lady. Revamped gameplay. New gadgets. And a gritty new setting with a character-driven story centered around the gangs of London. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is looking like Ubisoft’s best shot and winning back a lot of fans.
Are you planning on giving Ubisoft another chance, or are you fed up and done? Let us know in the comments!
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