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Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Cinematic World Premiere Trailer Released News Share 30 Apr 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Ubisoft have just released the Cinematic World Premiere trailer for Assassin's Creed marking the dawn of a new era of the series. The next chapter set during the Viking age will take players on the adventure of a lifetime, travelling from Scandinavia to distant lands. Download now in HD What did you think of the trailer? Are you excited for the game? Let us know in the comments! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Spring 2020: Assassin's Creed Community Projects To Watch Community Share 26 Mar 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Spring is finally here, and even under the terrible circumstances affecting the world, members of the Assassin's Creed Community are working on projects from home. Here are our top 6 projects to keep an eye on this Spring, in no particular order. 6: Modern Day Fan Art Check out this fan art for a new present day Assassin's Creed character by Valery Black. The hood resembles Charlotte de la Cruz, but the robes keep a traditional appearance, giving the character an overall classic look. The artist has named her Assassin Alith, meaning 'seasoned warrior' in old English. Alith would have fit in perfectly to the Assassin's Creed Titan comics series, or even the follow up series titled Uprising. So far, only two images have been released, but we're hoping to see a lot more from Valery in the future! 5: Eagle sculpt Next up we have a sculpted eagle, which has been handcrafted by Instagram user Valara Atran . The piece will be used as part of a Spartan helmet, taking it's inspiration from Assassin's Creed Odyssey's eagle companion Ikaros. This alone would take a great amount of time, and the level of detail required truly is incredible. You can begin to imagine what the finished product will look like. The next stage of the process is likely a careful first coat of paint, so don't forget to follow Valara on Instagram to follow her work. 4: Kassandra Sketch Considering this is Instagram user Artophily's first ever Assassin's Creed drawing, it's fair to say it's going well. The shading really gives the artwork a sense of depth, created using only pencils. Although the sketch is a WIP, we can't wait to see the finished piece! Head over to Instagram and drop a like, and maybe they'll cover more Assassin's Creed characters in the future! 3: Assassin's Creed Art Sale Speaking of talented artists, our very own Lisa Zaman from the AC Partnership Program has kindly donated a number of Assassin's Creed art prints, which are available now at our Facebook Store! All of the profits raised go towards our Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser , which has so far raised over £400 for The Italian Red Cross, who are doing everything possible to battle the CoronaVirus. The prints are only on sale for a limited time, so act fast Assassins! 2: Ezio Sketch We've got another WIP Assassin's Creed sketch on the list, this time by commnity artist Fernando Huitz. Ezio is a fan favourite, and rightly so, and it's great to see young artists bringing the character to life. The hood is particularly detailed on this sketch, and it's a great representation of Ezio's AC Brotherhood robes. Keep an eye on Fernando's Instagram for the finished piece! 1: Templar Costume Finally, our good friend Caleb from the AC Partnership Program has revealed his latest project. Striking a solemn pose, he looks ready for battle in his Templar Knight outfit. Caleb is a huge fan of history, and regularly attends events such as Sarasota Medieval Fair, so if you see a Templar walking around, know that he's friendly and not an enemy of the Assassins! A ton of work goes in behind the scenes to make costumes, and Caleb is an extremely talented member of the cosplay community. We can't wait to see what he's got planned next! That's a wrap on our countdown, but hopefully you enjoyed this small glimpse in to the world of Assassin's Creed Community Projects. Stay safe all. Col comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Best quotes in Assassin's Creed II (2009) Share Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Back To Database The game introduced players to Ezio Auditore, a character who is often rated as the best of the whole series. range comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Evolution of Modern Day storytelling and structure throughout the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Analysis Share 27 Sept 2021 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database The Assassin’s Creed series is highly praised for beautifully recreated landscapes that allows players to experience the most convoluted eras of history and its major events, as we know all of this is possible due to a high-tech device called “The Animus”. The Animus is what makes it possible for the player to experience not just the modern day, but moments from the past. By stepping into the machine you are able to delve into the genetic memories of the modern day character's ancestor's and relive their memories through their eyes. When the first iteration of this franchise came out in November 2007, it was revolutionary. The concept of having history as our playground whilst playing through a fictional plot based in historical fact was amazing, hence our love and passion for this franchise. However, it is important to note that not all of Assassin’s Creed is supposed to take place in the past. We have to remember and keep in mind that when the first entry came out, we were playing as a young man who was abducted by a multinational corporate conglomerate which serves as a front for the modern day activities of the Templars. Which means that they are still present in modern times. The first iterations of the franchise started somewhat bland on the character development of Desmond Miles, only using his persona as a tool for us to understand the modern day situation and what is to come and what to do then. But as the story progressed and hidden information starts to be discovered in the emails from Lucy Stillman’s personal computer, that’s when we could finally get a glimpse of how the modern day storyline was intended to be implemented in the game. It is no surprise that the most part of the modern day plot is revealed via E-mails, notes, messages left over by employees or within the database of the animus itself, due to the limited scope of exploration available to Desmond due to his imprisonment. This method of information discovery is reutilized in future games for the development of the characters knowledge surrounding the brotherhood and Abstergo. When we take a look back at the first games, Desmond was not very well explored until Assassin’s Creed II, where we could see his personality and skills develop in terms of response to danger, his coping with the bleeding effect and involvement after discovering his Assassin Heritage. The follow-up, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, allowed us to finally get out of that attic in Italy, and for the first time explore a small modern day environment that made us connect even more with Desmond’s ancestry when exploring the crypt of his ancestor’s family villa. Not to mention that the DLC for Brotherhood “The Da Vinci Disappearance” first implemented the ARG concept of mixing reality with fiction by adding a special set of coordinates that, when googled, would lead us to a random wooded area in upstate New York, which had the fans baffled for many years until Assassin’s Creed III was released shedding light over the mystery behind said coordinates. Assassin’s Creed Revelations picks up where Brotherhood ended, with the stressful cliffhanger (Desmond kills Lucy) making us wonder what would happen next, but instead of making us play an actual modern day section like in the prior installment, we received optional missions in which you navigate through Desmond’s life through the use of flashbacks while he is in the animus in a comatose state. This was actually refreshing as it was a good insight into how Desmond had to recover his past life’s memories, in order to separate them from those of his ancestors which were overlapping with his and invading his mind, accompanied by those weird and cold yet attractive geometrical shapes and blocks emulating the core systems of the animus. Assassin's Creed III was the end of a cycle. Sadly the end of Desmond Miles’ story on behalf of what everyone expected. In this particular entry of the franchise, Desmond was now a capable Assassin having inherited all of the abilities his ancestors possessed through the Bleeding Effect. The modern day sections of this game are, to this day, considered by many fans as perfect, and what the balance between past & present sections ought to be in any Assassin’s Creed game. Unfortunately for them at the time, little did they know that it was just going to happen for one time only. Moving on to the next entry, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, that came out in 2013, was the turning point of it all, officially aligning the timeline of the modern day with the real word allowing players to better follow the chronology of the games, which was actually a smart move, as some years in the expanded universe are pretty tough to correctly organize in terms of dates and months. As Desmond’s cycle was now over, it was time for Ubisoft to start thinking outside the box and figure out a way to properly set future instalments without the need of Desmond himself. They had it all at their disposal to write whatever they wanted. That’s where Abstergo Entertainment joins the game. They shifted from the perspective of one character to be the center of a story to multiple points of view, characters and ways of exploring genetic memories. The creation of Abstergo Entertainment was really an incredible idea, the stories could now be “Infinite” because of the introduction of technology which allows you to relieve genetic memories without the direct descendant was genius. It opened up a door to what we would later know as “Helix”. However, Black Flag also started the lore-telling structure that we know today, which did not please everyone, as we went straight from the perspective of one single character experiencing everything continuously, to a lot of different stories and events happening simultaneously in the same game, poorly explained through Emails, files you’d have to find and recover and lots of notes scattered around the offices of Abstergo, thus, thwarting the quality of the Modern Day storytelling altogether. From there on, this procedure would last for every installment to come until 2015, switching between voiceless and non-playable characters, with the exception of Assassin’s Creed Unity and Syndicate which incorporated cinematic cutscenes as substitutes for playable sections. The Impact of Transmedia. (Comics, Novels & Info-Books) In November 2010, Karl Kerschl & Cameron Stewart in collaboration with Ubisoft, published through Ubiworkshop the graphic novel that would utilize a well known trend in the marketing sector when it came to promote storytelling through different platforms: The Transmedia. From 2010 to 2014 a total of 5 comic books plus reprints were made, besides the already existing novels based on the games written by Oliver Bowden. In which he added more background and lore to characters such as Altaïr and Ezio enriching the universe, but forcing others to buy books and comics in order to obtain knowledge that was supposed to be in the games in the first place. Of course this is not an uncommon tactic, there’s nothing wrong in expanding a universe of fiction which is meant to entertain. But the real problem begins when the very company responsible for annual releases of a franchise (which is supposed to continue expanding the stories set by previous entries, or at least finish what others started in the next one) starts wrapping up important story arcs and plot lines such as Juno’s revenge over the world (Charlotte de La Cruz Saga) - (2015-2018) in a specifically-made line of comics for their conclusion, introducing new characters which makes the Modern Day story even more difficult to get a hold on, as you don’t just have to discover new faces, but you also have to remember all that happened in the previous entries to understand the connections that tie the main games to all these new chapters within the expanded universe. Therefore, totally bypassing these interesting story arcs in the games to come, just as an excuse to apply new settings and expand the IP without any “Artistic freedom restriction tied to the already established lore”, which as we have been witnesses for the past five years, happened with the releases of the new RPG trilogy that according to a now divided fanbase, caused some lore retcon. See Assassin’s Creed Unity for instance. It’s one of the clearest examples of an Assassin’s Creed game being directly affected by the Transmedia in terms of Modern Day storytelling. The game is supposed to take place in November 2014, right when an Abstergo analyst finishes exploring a set of pre-loaded genetic memories belonging to a bodyguard of the Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay, said to be a sage and thus, person of interest to Abstergo. That’s when the Assassin Technician Bishop comes in and convinces our voiceless, genderless character to work for her and explore a specific genetic memory set that she provides to them, which are those of Arno Dorian, protagonist of Unity. Right, let’s backtrack 7 months prior. According to the Abstergo Entertainment Employee Handbook, way more interesting things happened in the time frame of Assassin’s Creed Unity’s modern day. Starting from May, all the way to November, there was another person relieving Arno’s memories, a character named Robert Fraser, who the real-life book is supposed to have belonged to, who has his own story which is worthy of a thriller story on its own. Detailing aspects of the bleeding effect, never seen before in any other games, seeing an interesting character development as he goes mad by falling in love with Élise while he was relieving the memories of Arno, to the point that he was having hallucinations in which he believed himself to be Arno, struggling to maintain his identity separated from his. Why not just wait a little longer and make all of that playable as well? Or why not just make cutscenes in first person for that matter, during modern day, in which you see that character progression and the bleeding effect slowly affecting the character. I’m sure that would give a more in-depth look at how users are really affected by the secondary effects of the animus. So, for now, I’d say that the only way to improve modern day and make it more engaging for the public, would be to stop making comics and books with modern day sections in them. And maybe focus on making a full on game instead. Time changes, civilizations evolve, wars evolve, technology… Yes of course! Assassin’s Creed has always been a game of blades and steel. But let’s be honest, Ubisoft has the potential, gameplay references and tools in order to make a capable and polished modern day only game, with maybe a couple of interactions with the past to complete something in the present if need be. But that would more likely be a secondary thing as I’m talking about a modern day game and not a game focused only in the past. Splinter Cell Conviction and Blacklist have the perfect playability for that hypothetical game as does the recent Watch Dogs Legion (Which recently had an Assassin’s Creed Crossover) But that is something for another day. What about weapons? Well, according to the lore, Galina Voronina, Gavin Bank’s Cell, Jasdip Dhami and so on, use firearms in combat. And it’s not that awful, it’s actually realistic as we have seen in many films and shows where the character would ensue a fight with guns but when out of ammo use his/her fists to neutralize threats. We are too focused on the old fashioned Assassin weaponry which hinders the possibility of having a modern day game as we cannot ask fans make a united decision. I really think that is what we need in order to heal the storytelling or at least make it more appealing to people. Maybe implementing old plots that are yet unfinished or old characters that have disappeared for a while now, such as Harlan and Arend, Gavin, Galina, Kiyoshi, etc. This is all an idea of mine that comes from the analysis of the Modern Day’s lore of course. But I think we should consider pressing Ubisoft for this kind of game in the future. Though, I’ve noticed that all recent transmedia books are only focusing on the past.. Could that mean something? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. UbiCypher (Joe)

The Ones Who Came Before: Plans for 2021 News Share 29 Dec 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database 2020 is nearly over, and it's been a crazy year for everyone. Although we were all limited due to restrictions, we here at TOWCB tried to make the most of it . The new year is almost here, so in this article we will be outlining some of our plans and goals for 2021. Huge thank you to everyone who has supported TOWCB this year, and especially to those who have been shopping via our Amazon links , helping to keep the site running and ad-free. Assassin's Creed Valhalla Review Look our for our review for Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which was delayed due to the sheer size of the game, and time required to complete. By pushing our review back, we have given our fans a window to explore the game for themselves, and make up their own minds. It also gave fans who received the game for Christmas a chance to play without spoiler-related discussions appearing online. Here's a sneak peak: "There's never a dull moment whilst exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as it continues to find ways to surprise the player at every turn. It's the first game in the series to properly fill the open world, making it feel dynamic and life-like" Anti-Spoiler Filter Removed We will also be removing our Anti-Spoiler filter in January, meaning we will finally be discussing plot points and other elements that we have not yet covered. It's a great opportunity to dive into some Isu lore and dig our teeth into the real history that inspired the game. With the help of our Partnership Program team, we will be covering fresh aspects of the game that we have not yet explored. More opportunities and giveaways We were recently invited to join The Mentors Guild, an official community program that bridges the gap between community members and developers. So far, Ubisoft has so far arranged two giveaways (Valhalla codes) along with constant social media support, creating numerous opportunities for members of the AC community. We are looking forward to working closely with Ubisoft in the new year on the program, and strive to make the most of our new position. Wedding Prep! Ash and Col from the admin team are getting married in November! As you might expect, the wedding may have one or two Assassin's Creed related elements! Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates, or check out the Rally The Creed podcast Reboot The AC Partnership Program In 2021, we are looking to do a soft reboot of our AC Partnership Program, a community initiative that provides a platform for content creators to shine. We are always looking out for the next wave of passionate AC fans who are creating content on a regular basis, and we hope to discover new talent in 2021 to join us. If you are interested, simply message our social media channels and send some of your projects our way. Fundraising projects 2020 was our biggest year so far for fundraising projects, and we would like to recognise the efforts of Ashlea Buckley and Lisa Zaman who helped raise over £500 for The Italian Red Cross! These efforts provided resources for Italy in it's time of need, and brought the entire community together. We will be doing even more fundraising in the new year, and Ashlea, who is now our Charity Project Coordinator, will be taking charge of these efforts. Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates. We hope that you enjoyed our last article of 2020! As you can see, we have a lot planned for 2021, and we can't wait to get started! See you all in the New Year! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin's Creed Shadows: TOWCB Spoiler-Free Review Review Share 18 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Frame Hold Photography. Thanks to Ubisoft for providing a code for the purposes of this review Contributions by: Colum Blackett Taylor McKay UbiCypher Aaron Young Frame Hold Photography Turið Torkilsdóttir ''Japan is a land of danger. Navigating it will take some thought and skill, as enemies lurk in the shadows. It’s a truly immersive experience.'' Described by one developer as ‘Ubisoft’s suicide note’, Assassin’s Creed Shadows could be the single most important game that Ubisoft has ever released, as the fate of the company may ride on its success. It’s a game that media outlets have pitched as a ‘make or break’ title for Ubisoft after a difficult financial year, so does Assassin’s Creed Shadows do enough to turn the tide? Early on in the marketing campaign, the development team dubbed it ‘the ultimate Assassin’s Creed game’, a bold statement considering the success of former releases. In this review, we will outline its strengths and weaknesses, dissecting it bit by bit to rate it not just as a video game but as an entry into the Assassin’s Creed universe, with the full weight of history and lore that came before stacked against it. After 2018’s Odyssey, Ubisoft Quebec moved on to 2020’s Immortals Fenyx Rising while envisioning their next AC in pre production. Full production began in 2021 leading Shadows to have the longest development cycle since the 2007 original, leading to a reinvention and re-evaluation of the core mechanics of AC. The game was also delayed twice, which massively increased expectations, but also gave the development more time to polish and finalise, something which is clear in the finished product. Shadows massively delivers on the majority of core Assassin's Creed pillars, and provides an engaging narrative which serves as a major cornerstone for the game's triumph. Promotional image for Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025) Narrative and Story 1579 Feudal Japan Our story begins in the Iga province of Japan in 1579 with a young woman named Naoe, training as Shinobi to protect Iga from Oda Nobunaga, who is conquering Japan into one united unit under the Shogun and Iga wants to remain independent. leading the game to open during Oda’s invasion in 1581. The game is set during a time where Portuguese influence was growing across Japan, and deals were being struck to increase the freedom of trading and movement for the Church. In return, Nobunaga gets a a new weapon in his arsenal, in the form of gunpowder called Toppo. This makes him and his forces a deadly adversary as they seek to conquer under one banner. Dual protagonists return in Assassin's Creed Shadows, connecting two personal stories into a shared arc which aligns at connected intervals, forming an engaging and interwoven narrative that drives the player forward. The game uses history to weave together a powerful story, in a way that has never been done before in the series. The attack on Iga event is seen from both perspectives, something which is new to the franchise, acting as a major lifechanging event for both Yasuke and Naoe. The connected story, which provides 9 main targets (the Shinbakufu), is incredibly satisfying. They can be completed in numerous ways, taking the original idea of a 'sandbox assassination' to another level. Both characters are incredibly driven in their pursuits and put themselves in danger to achieve their goals for the people of Japan. There are personal quests for each character, which demonstrate their personality in different ways. Many of the quests are calm and don't require combat, giving the players a glimpse at the humanity of each protagonist. They are both very likeable for various reasons: Naoe ‘’The life of an Assassin is pain’’ (Ezio Auditore) Naoe is the embodiment of this, and channels it, using her pain as motivation to strike against her enemies. She has to live with pain caused by her enemies, suffering a tragic backstory, as many Assassin's Creed characters do. It is used as motivation that fuels her. Anger turned into calculated risk. She is incredibly intelligent for her age considering her youth, and not rash when hitting back in response. She was trained as a Shinobi by her father for two years prior to the start of the game, giving her a great grasp of parkour and a sense of righteousness. As she is a native Japanese she has a clear understanding of the culture and world making her feel very part of the world. Although things are very different in her village compared to the rest of Japan, she is able to blend into society by keeping her true thoughts and motivations for only her most trusted allies. The flashbacks to Naoe’s past are excellent. They do interrupt the flow of the main campaign but they are used to further the audience's connection to her, making her history, a clear part of her future. She looks both backwards and forwards at the same time. Yasuke Yasuke is an outsider in a foreign land, possibly Mozambique in Southeastern Africa, who gains the interest of Oda Nobunaga, who sees his potential from the offset. Initially known as ‘Diogo’, a slave captured by the Portuguese, he takes back control of his situation by learning the language and customs of Japan. He is a stranger in a strange land. He is immediately an outsider, not only due to his skin colour but also his height as he is taller (6 foot) than the Japanese in general (average is 5 ft 4 inches) so they see him as giant. He has to fight for his place among the Samurai and Nobunaga’s presence as well as forging a name for himself. But once a samurai he has interactivity in the world as NPCs will bow to him when walking around the world and he will be acknowledged by other Samurai making him feel part of the world He is a tank, as when you control him he feels very heavy and slow to move: think of Eivor but with more physicality. The ‘One man army’ storms across Japan, making an impact, but there is also a more human and softer side to Yasuke that makes him likeable and caring about the plights of others. He begins his journey as a victim, but rises well above his expected station by becoming a respected warrior for Oda Nobunaga, winning battles and helping to unite Japan. He does not let power go to his head, but uses his new position to help people on a more personal level. Think of the homestead activities or world events in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but with more opportunities to help and gain reward and status for doing so. Joint story The Joint story involves both Naoe and Yasuke hunting down the remaining members of the Shinbakafu as they each have a personal stake in seeing the order ended. They will each go through a personal journey and grow and develop and thus learn to work together with their skill sets. The story is engaging and aligns itself more with Origins than the previous few entries. Shadows is a slow burner, and requires a bit of patience. It is well worth it though once the game opens up and Ubisoft does what it knows best. With the possibility of 60+hours to complete the main storyline, players will haver plenty of time to get to know both Yasuke and Naoe. Both the main characters are very strong in their own right. We believe that Naoe is the most compelling and we wouldn't be surprised if she is able to match Kassandra as a fan favourite. That being said, Yaskue has his own playstyle and mystery so you constantly debate switching between the two, opening up more possibilities. Throughout the main storyline, multiple minor characters catch the attention of the audience early on in the game, with their stories slowly developing as you progress. It's nice to see the calmer moments which contrast against the violence, and bring depth to the world. We feel that players will be drawn to the main storyline and a higher number of players than usual will complete the game, as it is incredibly interesting and connects at numerous intersections that provides both satisfaction and at points, emotion. Naoe and Yasuke The World The world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is incredibly beautiful and full of opportunities. The dynamic weather cycle adds depth to exploration, and also makes it possible to notice the passage of time. Shadows introduces the first fully next gen open world Assassin’s Creed game, built for the latest platforms, pushing technology to be the best it can be. Vibrant colours contrast against the dark night, adding a layer of beauty to a land of war and politics. The weather can massively impact decisions for players, as a windy day can turn into a storm, making it easier to attack, whilst a sunny afternoon makes the chances of being spotted more likely. You can also feel the wind in the game, as trees and nature respond to it. There is a distinct balance of violence and beauty, contrasting between conflict and slower moments such as art, eating, celebrating, ordinary everyday actions that make the world feel more authentic to the period. The new method of synchronization encourages players to unfog the map for themselves, highlighting points of interest rather than revealing everything at once. This leads to more exploration, and takes players deeper into the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Japan is full of opportunities, and provides an atmospheric sense of uncovering the next secret, creating a rewarding journey for players. Throughout the world players will uncover: Shinto shrines, which provide some temporary bonus. Praying at temples, Kodas (Samuari training). Kofun, Shadows’ equivalent to tomb puzzles that reward a piece of gear. Kuji-Kiri (meditation areas that do trigger some flashbacks for Naoe). Sumi-E (Allows Naoe and Yasuke to exercise their drawing skill and draw paintings of animals that can be added to the hideout as pets and decorate buildings with. Horse archery practice Renga-shi (collaborative poetry). Outside of all these, players will also discover white orbs that appear in certain locations and these are the codex entries, similar to how they appeared in 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage. If you wish to find all of them, as they do not appear on the map, you will have to find them. This action and design decision encourages exploration so you may find several each time you play. Although the scenery is visually appealing, Japan is also a land of danger. Navigating it will take some thought and skill, as enemies lurk in the shadows. It’s a truly immersive experience. Animals in the game are peaceful, and are to be admired, not hunted like in previous games or the Far Cry series. The danger comes from enemies scattered across the land, posing a threat in restricted areas. The best way to proceed is by building a network of spies and scouts who can provide intel when deployed correctly, or assist players when called upon. Just like in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, the scouts patrol nearby and eliminate threats from stealth positions. The world of Assassin's Creed Shadows is incredibly detailed and beautiful, and we can't wait to see the photo mode captures at launch! Promotional image for Assassin's Creed Shadows Stealth This is by far the most ambitious, care taken, polished and refined stealth since the days of AC1. This is where the game really shines, from allowing you the ability to go prone and the inclusion of an expert mode for hardcore players. The introduction of prone l the team to completely rethink the standard Assassin’s Creed control mapping, which shows the dedication and commitment of the team to revamp this essential core pillar of the series. A s the title of the game implies, stealth is an element which is pivotal to the series. Valhalla did a good job at creating opportunities for stealth, but a lack of tools and an imperfect social stealth system made it difficult to master. Shadows introduces fresh ideas and tools, such as the ability to extinguish lights to operate in the shadows, perform double Hidden Blade assassinations and new tools such as the kukri (throwing knife), bells (to distract enemies), Shuriken, and of course, the return of the classic smoke bomb. Tall grass is new, and can be used to go prone in. It can also be destroyed if detected or hit with a weapon. The useful 'Last detected shadow' once again appears, allowing you to see where enemies lost sight of you allowing you to react. A simple feature is back with the whistle, which can be used to lure enemies away from their guarding positions. You can draw enemies towards a certain death if used correctly. Hiding spots return such as haystack, a coffin, a closet and a chandelier on the roof. Naoe is the master of stealth, but it can be challenging to use it effectively. Time and thought is needed for the player to also become the true stealth master. She is very fast and agile and you can feel the difference when playing as both characters. Something in particular which is incredibly satisfying in the game is the unlockable Shoji door assassination, which takes inspiration from old school Ninja movies. On the other hand, Stealth is challenging for Yasuke, with limited options available. Although he can go prone, it feels like his character is built purely for combat, although we have no doubt some players will master stealth for Yasuke, using the rifle to dispatch enemies from the bushes. You can infiltrate castles and hunt down samurai Dashos, who's death leads to a reward by gaining a mastery point. Clear all of them in a castle to unlock its gear chest. As restricted areas house many enemies, it is rewarding to use stealth to enter and dispatch enemies. Eagle vision is restricted to Naoe only but you can tag enemies with both characters; you can also play as Naoe to tag enemies, then switch to Yasuke and the tags remain. This is because Naoe observes her surroundings differently to Yasuke, due to her training and discipline. It is worth mentioning that social stealth has been removed. Blending, distracting enemies by sending large groups and bench sitting have all gone, but we feel that it is acceptable as Naoe operates in the shadows rather than in plain sight. For her to expose herself too often could lead to increased danger, and she has enough new tools, abilities and kill moves to make stealth both fun, challenging and rewarding. Stealth promo image for Assassin's Creed Shadows Parkour Naoe is lightweight and nimble, moving effortlessly across the rooftops. The revamped parkour system has been fully redeveloped. Gone are the days of every surface being climbable since the days of Origins. This has been replaced with a similar system seen in the Ezio and Kenway games with a definite parkour start and finish alongside path markers like bridges and robes, as well as the “yellow” paint with player guidance. Naoe’s rope can allow her to reach high places but it can’t be used as a rope between buildings. The tree swing assassination encourages parkour, so players will find themselves looking down on opponents frequently throughout the game to get the satisfaction of death from above. Naoe bring the delicate balance of precise manoeuvres, mastered during her time in Iga. She can quickly gain a vantage point and tag enemies or observe surroundings from above. Parkour feels useful again. Enemies no longer frequent high places, as was the case in Mirage and previous games, as parkour is limited to a select number throughout Japan, such as Shinobi. The game does a really good job at taking Naoe from street level to a high place in the blink of an eye, either by using the rope or by climbing structures. Some buildings are still in development, and Naoe can climb up the wooden beams before a roof has been added, also allowing her to enter and loot chests. Parkour has a host of new animations and flips which make it both fun and energetic. It's clear that Ubisoft put a lot of thought and effort into this, as Naoe moves effortlessly. The Parkour up and down functions serve the game well, providing opportunities to move with speed and purpose. Yasuke’s heavy build means that parkour is limited. He can climb on to roofs but not tall buildings making him ineffective in stealthy castle infiltrations. We feel that players will switch to Naoe if they wish to get a parkour experience, as Yasuke's physique makes it difficult to do more than jump from ledge to ledge or climb basic platforms. Overall, we're really impressed with the new parkour system. It doesn't feel sticky, and the player feels like they have full control over movement when freerunning. The animation team did a really great job at updating a system that hasn't really changed in recent Assassin's Creed games. It's great to see that the series still shows such a willingness to adapt and evolve. Naoe throws a smokebomb above her target, using height to her advantage. Combat Combat is a very different experience for Naoe and Yasuke. Combat for Naoe is a mixture of light and heavy attacks, carefully waiting for the opportunity to strike. She is better at waiting for the right opportunity to strike, rather than lashing out in haste. Due to her small size, a heavy attack can do major damage to Naoe. Yasuke has increased health due to his stature and heavy armour. He is lethal in combat due to his huge arsenal of weapons and abilities. In combat, players have the objective of destroying armour before delivering the killing blow, breaking down opponents and catching them off guard. Yasuke tends to block or parry rather than dodge, the favoured approach by Naoe due to her size. Each character has their own arsenal. Naoe has her aforementioned tools alongside a Katana, Tanto, and a Kusarigama, a long range weapon. Yasuke has a more varied arsenal with a Long Katana, a Kanabo, a Naginata, alongside ranged weaponry consisting of a bow and a Teppo (early firearm), exclusive to him is the ability to parry unblockable attacks as well as more health and two more health rations. He can also charge doors, which in missions can allow allies to join the fight. One thing that Naoe can do to even the odds is use silent arrows, which can pierce armour and break down an opponent before she even has to consider close quarters combat. The brutality of combat is immediate, with decapitations common and increased blood. A new series of kill animations will shock players, as Naoe can flip behind a player and slit their throat. Both players can cut an enemies head clean off its shoulders, making it easily the most fierce combat system in an Assassin's Creed game, beating the brutality of Valhalla. Yasuke has many unlockable abilities for combat, all of which make him more deadly when facing enemies. His kick in particular is strong, knocking enemies of all sizes to the ground. Think, Sparta Kick in AC Odyssey without the need for a Piece of Eden powering it. His size is pure muscle and strength, which he channels in combat. Even though Yasuke is a huge man, the enemies he faces are varied in size, so he doesn't always feel overpowered. Smaller foe like Shinobi are much quicker and can surprise with quick reflexes and multiple attacks at once. Learning the best course of action will keep players occupied when choosing the more direct approach. We thoroughly enjoyed combat in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but the majority of our team prefer the stealth approach in AC Title. That being said, both playstyles have their own benefits in AC Shadows that will keep players swapping depending on the situation or quest requirements. Yasuke in combat Modern Day Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces a new present day story which is connected to the Animus Hub platform, the new overarching platform which acts as the home of Assassin’s Creed content. Immediately players are introduced to the ‘Animus Ego’, an incredibly powerful piece of Abstergo marketing which is hacked by an unknown digital entity known as ‘The Guide’, a hologram which provides cryptic digital support. It’s without a doubt the most visual and immersive Animus experience yet, but it would be a mistake to overly praise a modern day Animus experience that strips away gameplay entirely. ‘Welcome to the dark’. From the offset, it’s an engaging Modern Day storyline that calls back to the darker tones layed out in previous titles, channelling the easy vibes that were present during the Clay Kaczmarek glyphs and the Erudito Animus hacking cutscenes in Assassin’s Creed Liberation. The Modern Day air of mystery returns, something which will be a relief for old-school fans of the Assassin’s Creed Initiates platform, as completing activities in-game unlocks information and data that is stored in the Animus Hub database. Plus, the references to Carl Gustav Jung from which the Animus Ego is named after referencing his archetypes from which “The Shadow” is conveniently one of them, and the fact that it is a new type of Animus managed by an AI “Ego” that is able to harness the power of the Bleeding Effect by overloading the user's senses in order to subdue them and render then totally controllable. A new story arc revolving around Tatyana Dane and Joel Eastman in what seems like an “almost apocalyptic world” hunted down by operatives in Marrakech. The name Geoff Eastman also appears and is implied to be somewhat of an “Assassin” archetype as he is apparently the main reason why Joel (his son) is doing what he's doing in Morocco; “To change the world and make a difference”. Through the Animus Hub, you have memories, projects, exchange and vault Memories: Here players will be welcomed to a timeline and are greeted with images of the protagonist from recent Assassin’s Creed titles such as Basim, Kassandra and Eivor, booting up their memories, as the Hub acts as an all-in-one game launcher. Right now only Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, Mirage, and Shadows are available. Projects : Data streams are corrupted. These quests are tied to the projects tab within the Animus Hub, these act as mini battle passes, and completing these tasks reward helix keys, you can also find them randomly strewn across the world. You can use these Keys at the exchange which replaces Reda’s shops with daily rewards. Exchange: This is Shadow’s version of Reda’s shop from Origins and Valhalla where you can see the deal of the day or gear to spend those hard earned helix keys earned through projects. The Vault: Here you can find text, voice or video files related to the modern day overarching narrative that are unlock through progression of shadow’s story and through levels completed through projects. There's a lot to look forward to in the Modern Day storyline, but it's disappointing to see a lack of playable missions. Shadows is another attempt at making the present day story optional, and running in the background via the Animus Hub. After Valhalla and Mirage helped to establish Basim as a new threat in the Modern Day, it would have been very interesting to learn more about his activities, rather than completing missions to gain intel. After years of stripping away Modern Day Assassination missions, should we even be surprised at this point? Things you missed We have exclusive information from Akim Milne, Director of Cinematography from Ubisoft Quebec who gave a fascinating presentation at the UK Assassin's Creed Shadows Community Launch event, showing the incredible depth of research and thought that went into the game's development. Camera Angles and references The game uses a wide range of camera angles which take inspiration from a number of sources, such as Japanese cinema, anime, Western cartoons and mainstream Western depictions of the East. These reference points can be seen throughout the game and have also appeared in the marketing campaign for Shadows. For example, Crash zooms, which appears in a number of films by Director Quentin Tarantino, famously appearing in the Kill Bill series. In Assassin's Creed Shadows, when an enemy of rank is revealed, the camera zooms in, revealing the true title of enemy. The team really pushed to get Japanese film references into the game, for example callbacks to Seven Samurai (1954), which were even present in early mood boards. When presenting Iga, the team wanted to show that all members of the community were constantly practicing martial arts, as is customary throughout Japanese cinema. More recently, in the film 47 Ronin (2023), an infiltration with grappling hooks takes place in the daytime, and this is something which the development team wished to replicate as players can't change the day and night cycle due to the dynamic weather feature. Another film reference is Naoe's rope dart which draws inspiration from Mortal Kombat when used in combat. Cultural references from a wide range of historical sources have been included in the game. The Hideout represents this, and shows the normality of everyday life, with NPC’s performing everyday tasks such as washing clothes. Due to the notable size differences between Naoe and Yasuke, during cutscenes, low angle lenses were often used to make Naoe feel small in a gigantic world, grounding the camera work and giving perspective against the ever present landscape. Many times throughout cutscenes, over the shoulder camera angles were used to highlight distance, creating a sense of awkwardness. For example, when Naoe meets leaders, the camera angles purposely build tension by showing her as a small figure who is meeting someone of power, raised on a platform. There is an ever growing sense of danger should she say the wrong thing. At times, there is a focus on forefront details as things go on in the background to draw viewers to facial expressions, an intentional artistic decision to highlight emotions, often fear, and show the power dynamic between the one kneeling, and the one standing. For example, a sacrificial beheading scene. It's worth noting that Akim believes that Naoe at times is faking the submissive role, not making direct eye contact, looking away, something which causes tension. Iga is independent and remote, so didn't adhere to social hierarchy. As an Igan shinobi, she has been trained as an equal, but must succumb to the hierarchy and customs of respect that were prevalent in the period, or at least pretend to do so. Eye contact changes throughout the game depending on the relationship Yasuke or Naoe have with the character. This changes depending on the level of formality, as they wish to present themselves correctly. The game presents the historical mandatory distance for addressing a person of power. The intentional awkwardness of being on the floor, giving a full bow, feeling a sense of fear, and no eye contact really comes across in the final product. Some cutscenes aim to be fully immersive, with no talking whatsoever. Lots of cinematic shots in the game also look like paintings. The team really wanted to demonstrate the relationship between ink and blood, often using tones of red when calligraphy is represented to give the sense that war is always looming, and the spill of blood can be caused by the beautiful and peaceful act of ink painting, such as giving an order. The colour grade in the game is intentionally noticeable. The colours in Spring pop, and contrast the darkness of night, which are incredibly dark compared to previous AC titles, making Naoe practically invisible. The hyper saturated colours also mean that the cherry blossom trees stand out in a vivid shade of pink. Completely different light rigs were used for the two protagonists. Naoe has young skin lighter, creating shadows on her face. Yasuke beard, and darker skin complexion natural uses contrast to show colouring, with natural tones of orange and purple to add warmth and naturalise complexion in different lighting. Performance and Animation Focus on cultural gestures, bowing, early animation tests, authentic, came about from research. Minimalist approach was taken. Often in games, gestures exaggerated in approach. The team went back to drawing board and carefully select ones that felt legit to time, before creating their own. Traditional poses, Samurai would sit in Agura pose, proper way of sitting. Correct posture and stances were to feel minimal, and authentic. Mocap is used to capture moves etc, and are then sent to the animation team, who use them to embody scenes they shoot, rather than static storyboards. They are a reference to animation team rather than doing full body mocap like in the past. Performance capture is dots on faces, and records exact performance, but is very expensive, due to it requiring the full film crew, actors and stunt doubles. Combat moments are done this way. The voice actors include Japanese tonality phrasing of sentences. The actor who plays Yasuke would embody character, mentally transform, becoming larger in his posture. When Naoe talks to an ally, she can be herself. This is seen in her eye movement and facial expressions. Naoe weaponises her decision to use eye contact, faking it at times to infiltrate and gain information, pretending to be subservient. Yasuke will full bow at the start of the game, and do less as he gains rank. Bows are a major part of Japanese culture, so a wide variety of bow animations, depending on hierarchy and situation were created. They vary in length, show respect, and have different levels of eye contact too depending on circumstances. Villagers will bow to Yasuke, as Samurai have power and respect. There are situations where player needs to remember which bow is appropriate 700+ cutscenes feature in the game. As there are weather differences, height and body differences, the team had to create every cutscene independently as camera angles can't be shared. Also choices may branch differently, so a lot of time went into creating cutscenes. They had to Test animations in each and every scenario to make sense, ground the scenes and make them immersive regardless of time or day. The Transmog system can vary in depth, ranging from changing the look of a certain weapon to stripping it part by part, creating ultimate version of a weapon Conclusion After an insensitive marketing campaign struggled to drum up hype for the game until late in production, due to questionable marketing practices and lack of research, the game itself is overall a wonderful balance of old and new, bringing together the most complete relationship between the old games and the newer RPG titles, all within a well crafted immersive world. Strengths Voice acting performances and dialogue. Facial expressions and animations are much improved. Music is excellent throughout Atmosphere balances light and dark. Connected narrative, seen from both perspectives. Stealth options. Revamped parkour system. Naoe and Yasuke are both interesting protagonists. Negatives Lack of playable Modern Day The main Templar group feels undeveloped as characters The character not in use doesn't really do anything No hunting and crafting Removal of social stealth OUR SCORE 9/10 Closing Remarks Aaron Comments The opening sections of the game suffer with some flat lighting which makes the game feel a little outdated. However this becomes less frequent once the prologue has been completed. In fact I think the lighting can be quite impressive, especially in darker areas later in the game. I do feel like the skin textures of some characters feel a little off. Naoe especially has less facial details than Eivor or Basim. The Score is fantastic, really complimenting the story. You can feel the Japanese influence. At times there is a Taratino vibe when aspects of the game collide with this quirky soundtrack. The combat is a huge step up from the previous games. There is now a real sense of satisfaction from timing and a smoothness that enables encounters to flow seamlessly. The Animus Hub is a fantastic idea and presents itself very well to the player. I love the fact you can launch the previous RPG AC games from there. The animations of the characters are great and I love that for Shadows both protagonists wear what you currently have on in the game. The menus in the game are very clean and impressive. I like the dark backgrounds as it makes everything seem really professional and easy to read. Codex entries function like they did in Mirage. I actually enjoy this way of learning about the world. It does make me sad that we might not get a Discovery Tour though. I think it would be wise to mention the chromatic aberration. This was a contentious issue with Mirage. Once again it is turned on as default. If you are a virtual photographer it might be worth switching it off from the start. I found it negatively impacted the photo mode. Photo Mode Congratulations to Ubisoft for braving a new Photo Mode. It would have been easy to just copy paste from Mirage. The old PM is so user friendly, albeit a little outdated. You now have a completely different layout for the PM. There are tabs to switch between, similar to what we saw in Star Wars Outlaws. All the parameters in the Photo Mode are slow to adjust. This makes editing a shot a lengthy process, especially when compared to the previous games. The filters are such a cool edition, allowing players to diversify their captures. The red dragon is a particular favorite. I still believe that adding expressions for the characters would have further enhanced this photo mode. Unless you are in combat both Naoe and Yasuke have the same look on their face. With Star Wars Outlaws getting a time of day function, it is pretty disappointing that Shadows misses out. Especially as we can be locked in a season for quite some time. I am really sad that the fog option has been removed. This was such a unique feature to AC photo modes. The only saving grace is that the natural weather in the game produces some very nice fog. The depth of field is now aligned to a real camera. It functions well enough but can be hindered by the slow movement. It is tricker to use than the previous games and may become a barrier for new virtual photographers. With the lack of a bird companion in this game the range is now an issue. I think you can move the camera further than in the previous games but without the height of an eagle those long distance shots will be tricky. The Photo Mode does allow for nicer shots, with less post editing than we are used to. Once again you can post your shots straight to Ubi Connect or upload them to your console. Seeing everyones capture on the world map is always a joy. The frames are more aligned to Odyssey’s PM which I know will delight a few people. Frame Hold Photography’s Comments: Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a visually stunning and immersive game, and I have had so much fun with it during my early access preview. This latest entry into the Assassin’s Creed series truly takes advantage of all the newest tech to provide a gorgeous rendition of Feudal Japan for players to explore. The new dynamic weather and season systems are fantastic. It is incredible how much the world changes as you progress through the seasons and how the environment affects your play. Tall grass that was in one location in the summer is dead by winter, and water that you could once swim through freezes over. Snowstorms and thunderstorms can aid in your stealthy approaches toward camps, castles, and forts, while sunny summer days make it easier for guards to spot you. These elements are playstyles that never had to be considered in previous Assassin’s Creed games, making Shadows all the more unique and impressive. Shadows does not include a bird companion for Naoe or Yasuke. I was a bit upset when I first heard this news since the recon Senu, Ikaros, Synin, and Enkidu provided was extremely useful for tagging enemies, loot, and mission markers. Once I started playing Shadows, I soon understood why a bird companion wouldn’t fit into this game's pace, style, and philosophy. Everything in Shadows encourages players to slow down, calculate their movements, plan attacks, and admire the natural world and its beauties. The new Observe Mechanic better fits into this philosophy since it has players look around their environments, climb to higher places to have better vantage points, and pay attention to more minor details. While the bird companion was a much quicker and instantly gratifying tool, the Observe Mechanic is a new way to immerse players into the world. The combat and stealth systems in Shadows feel great. Combat feels weighty, parrys feel powerful, and abilities change the tides of fights. I’ve been enjoying the three weapon types both Naoe and Yasuke have access to. My favorite for Naoe is the Tanto blade since it’s fast and incorporates hidden-blade combat again! For Yasuke, I have been enjoying the heavy weight of the Kanabo. While slow, this weapon can absolutely decimate enemies. When it comes to stealth, Naoe’s grappling hook makes it easy to scamper up buildings quietly, and the ability for both characters to go prone opens up a host of new stealth opportunities. I have only experienced a fraction of the whole game, but the writing and character development within the first 20 hours have been rich, exciting, and outright shocking at times. Much like the Odyssey, the beginning of Shadows is starting to form a core ensemble of characters, and I am excited to see how they all develop throughout the main story. Lastly, I’d like to comment on the game’s music. The Flight, who composed the soundtrack for Odyssey, also composed the soundtrack for Shadows. The soundtrack weaves traditional Japanese instruments with modern Japanese Rock, creating a diverse range of sonic tones for the game–from peaceful and meditative to action-packed and adrenaline-filled. I love that this mix of styles pays homage to the musical history of Japan. Gentle tracks accompany the player as you explore the vast world, and heart-pumping rock songs set the tone for boss fights and intense game moments. Overall, I am incredibly impressed with what I have experienced so far in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and am excited to continue my playthrough! Taylor's comments The story is an interesting part of shadows. It is very dark and serious in tone, not comedic in any way. The pacing does suffer a little bit as unfortunately the prologue feels a little rushed and chopped up making the beginning feel off. In addition Act 2 also suffers pacing issues due to its non linear structure, think of a procedural case of the week TV show. While Naoe and Yasuke's personal quests let them shine. Some of the antagonists/targets feel underdeveloped as villians. The soundtrack is fantastic but i felt in some scenes it ruined the atmosphere or the music choice didn't fit. The world design impressed me with the variety of biomes as well the Codex entries have to be found by exploring, this encourages the player it really impressed further. This was further illustrated by the ?s really highlighting the culture of Japan with praying at Shinto shrines and meditating, it really makes the world feel that more real. I also appreciate the effort taken to provide Japanese and Portuguese audio as it adds to the historical accuracy. However I found some flaws that gave me concern. Side quests aren't marked for what character leading to tedious character switching. Season timer is not explained and needs more tutorialzation. When a character isn't in use they don't really do anything just sit in the hideout and it makes me upset as they feel more Avatarish than an inhabitant in the world. I feel that the English VO is kind of flat either due to a lack of direction or interpretation. Another thing I noticed is when it snows or rains in the game, their clothes get wet or snow on them but their hair is clear of any such blemish. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Why Assassin's Creed Shadows Succeeded Analysis Share 29 Jul 2025 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database Assassin’s Creed Shadows , the long-awaited newest major instalment of the Assassin’s Creed franchise is off to a hot start now several months since launch. It has exceeded Ubisoft's expectations both financially and critically. It became the second biggest launch of a game in franchise history, only behind 2020’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla , but that was a much different time when the Covid-19 Pandemic was in full effect and gaming consoles and games themselves were highly in demand as most people were staying at home to quarantine and social distance. Shadows has succeeded in a market where Covid-19 is no longer a major crisis, and now in a world once again where going out to work or school is the usual again. Shadows had that as a minor disadvantage, but its sales records thus far and player count has been a massive success despite a time of uncertainty for Ubisoft and some controversies surrounding the game all the way up until launch. Shadows was a success for many reasons, and was the big hit Ubisoft needed most desperately. Yasuke and Naoe in promotional material for Assassin's Creed Shadows Assassin’s Creed Shadows was the best-selling game in the United States for three weeks straight post launch and is currently the second highest selling game in the US this entire year only behind Monster Hunter Wilds . It is impressive that Shadows was able to produce such strong numbers in a much different gaming market that was the norm for several years and despite controversy surrounding the game for various reasons. A lot of people expected the game to fail, but that has not been the case at all. Ubisoft needed a smash hit like this in a time where their company is facing some serious uncharted territory and needs all the hits they can get with their major new releases after a trend of disappointments in the past years. Shadows in a way was their make or break game. If it didn’t succeed the way it has so far, things would have only gotten worse for the company. Thankfully, the fans and gamers alike have enjoyed the game and their journey into Feudal Japan and the sales reports have proven that Shadows became the hit Ubisoft expected it to become. Shadows has most recently been announced to have reached five million total players across all platforms. This is a huge success and really goes to show how strong the Assassin’s Creed fanbase is, along with gamers in general who may not consider themselves to be big fans but enjoyed the ride nonetheless. Having such a large player count shows Ubisoft’s strategy of focusing on their top franchises in an uncertain time is paying off. Shadows certainly can credit a good amount of the game's success to its day-one Steam release. Ubisoft had fully skipped Steam since it released The Division 2 in 2019 after striking a deal with the rival Epic Games Store. Multiple gaming companies have gone down this route with PC gaming yet all of them ended up returning to Steam, where it is still the dominant place that the majority of PC gamers play at. Steam continues to break its all time records in player count even decades later into its creation, so the fact that Steam remains the king of PC gaming was clearly a sign for Ubisoft to launch Shadows day one so their game can reach the maximum amount of players as a lot of PC gamers avoid other platforms like the Epic Games Store and prefer to keep all their games in one place on Steam. Ubisoft's choice to return to Steam for the first time in over five years clearly was a smart one. Promo image for Assassin's Creed Shadows Ubisoft has a lot more in store for Shadows post-launch, as they have multiple DLC’s, which stands for downloadable content, that are planned to release in the following months that will give players who have already completed the main story and side quests more content to enjoy and new storylines to further expand on the ending of the main game. Fans are highly anticipating the upcoming releases such as the DLC called ‘ Claws of Awaji ’ that takes gamers to a new location based on Awaji Island near Osaka Bay, which are all in real life Japan as well. This DLC is heavily anticipated as fans cannot wait to continue the story of the two main protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, and see where their journey leads them next after the events of the main game. Along with this DLC, more add-on content is planned with features such as New Game Plus, which offers gamers a chance to play through the story of the game again but without losing their progress and not having to start all over. This feature has become highly common amongst games released in the previous years. Along with the New Game Plus, an enhanced Photo Mode option is coming in the near future too. A lot of gamers love the feature of the Photo Mode, where they can create digital captures of things they see in game that can be enhanced via the options the game usually gives players to customize their photos like having filters, color changes, and lots of features to make your capture beautifully the way you'd want it. Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been everything fans could’ve asked for, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the developers at Ubisoft who relied on this game to be the hit they expected it to be. The future of the game is bright, and there’s plenty to look forward to for gamers who enjoyed the game that want to see more content for both the story and the gameplay as well. Ubisoft made a very successful game that had fans waiting for a long time for, and this big hit only shows that Ubisoft has truly doubled down on the Assassin’s Creed franchise as a whole and the future of not only Shadows , but the entire series as a whole, is undeniably bright with endless possibilities ahead. Promo image for Assassin's Creed Shadows comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Assassin's Creed Mirage Early Access Demo Gameplay Round-up News Share 12 Sept 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database On the 12th September 2023, an embargo lifted for Assassin's Creed Mirage which saw a flood of content circulate the internet. The coverage included gameplay, screenshots and information captured and documented by media outlets, community members and Youtubers, taken from the first few hours of the game. We here at The Ones Who Came Before made a conscious decision not to share any of the footage on our social media channels as we are so close to launch. Instead, we have decided to round-up all of the gameplay videos we can find and share them here on our website! Please enjoy and support the content creators listed below, and always be considerate when sharing unreleased content. Footage by Jackfrags and first impressions Footage by IGN. Previewed on PC by Nick Maillet. Footage captured by theRadBrad Footage captured by Luke Stephens Footage captured by jayvee Footage captured by Zanar Aesthetics Footage captured by JorRaptor Footage captured by That Boy Aqua Footage captured by GameSpot Footage captured by GameRiot Footage captured by Hollow Highlights video by Playstation Access Footage by Nick930 Footage by Easy Allies Footage by Arekkz Gaming Footage by Rickster2344 Footage by Shirrako Footage and Impressions by Franky Boy and JorRaptor Footage by Mirror Gaming Footage by MadMorph Footage by GamersPrey Footage by Access the Animus Screenshots Image captured by @ LegacyKillaHD Screenshots by RockPaperShotgun Screenshots by TheLoadout Did we miss your early access coverage of Assassin's Creed Mirage? Message us privately to be featured on the site! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

AC Community Questions: Michael Doyle Community Interview Share 7 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database For this round of Assassin's Creed Community Questions, we invited Michael Doyle, member of the Assassin's Creed Partnership Program // Isu Network's Writing Team. Col: Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your connection to the Assassin's Creed Community. Michael: Hi I'm Michael, I'm 25 years old and I'm from the UK. I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember, with the first game I ever played being Cool Boarders on the PS1. My connection to Assassin's Creed began when I was about 10/11 years old, getting the first game on release in my local Blockbuster. One of my favourite early memories from Assassin’s Creed is a horse glitch that launched my character across the map. More recently, my close friendship with TOWCB admin team has brought me back into the AC Community. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? Michael: AC III - I loved the history, weapons, different environments and Connor’s character development. Especially with the twist that his father was a Templar. I also loved the introduction of the battle ship mechanics, which was a great addition to the franchise. Col : Have you visited any of the locations from the games? Michael: I’ve been to Rome, where I was able to explore the Castel Sant'Angelo, the Pantheon, the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum. Whilst at the Castel Sant’Angelo I also recreated some assassin parkour photos. Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show. Michael: My ideal location for an upcoming AC Netflix TV show would be Egypt, as this is one of my favourite historical periods and would be totally unique. Col: Where do you personally think the franchise is heading to next, and are you excited for the future of Assassin's Creed? Michael: I’d love to see the franchise do something in the modern day, almost like the Kingsman, with honour and tradition in todays world. The idea of a modern day assassin in futurist city like Singapore or Dubai would be interesting take. Col: What are some of your most recent Assassin's Creed Community Projects, and what are you working on currently? Michael : As I am new to the community I have only just starting writing content. So far I have recently written a Valhalla weapons guide for a fire build. However, I am looking to do more of this content over the coming months with a focus on how-to, and tips and tricks to optimise gameplay. Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? Michael: I have always wanted to speed run an assassins creed game, preferably AC III. I have speed ran a number of games in the past such as Skyrim and Crisis 2, but never an AC game. I’d also love to meet the voice actor of Ezio. Col: What do you think Ubisoft are planning to show at the September AC event? Michael: I think Ubisoft are planning to show the new AC Title, in addition to the AC Infinity hub which I can see being marketed as a similar platform to the Halo Master Chief Collection/Halo Waypoint. All we can hope for is that the Ubisoft showcase is going to be more exciting than the September Apple announcements. Col : Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what if your favourite item? Michael : Not yet… I do collect Marvel, Harry Potter, Pokémon and Star Wars merchandise. The only AC merchandise that I remember owning is an original AC poster from HMV. If I could own any one piece of AC merchandise it would actually be a game, and that would be the Ezio Collection. Col: Where can our community members find you online? Michael: I have a new Twitter account where I keep track of the AC community and all the latest Ubisoft content. We would like to say a huge thank you to Michael for joining us for this round of AC Community Questions! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 12th January Community Share 23 Jan 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Witch Hunt Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ RossHiroAsmara The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ TuridTorkil I’ll probably never get enough of Rosshiro’s edits. This one stands out because of the beautiful background and the clear silhouette. The flaming sunset is an auspicious foreshadowing of the events that await us in AC Hexe. Great work! Aaron ( FalconSwift87 ) “You always fear what you don’t understand”. Codename Hexe has to be one of the most anticipated Assassin’s Creed games. The talk of the game taking a different approach has certainly helped with the hype along with the witch hunt vibes. I am very much hoping for a linier approach. This cool edit goes a long way to imagining what Hexe could look and feel like. The moody atmosphere is foreboding and the shadow work impressive. This would have been a great shot for our Halloween week. I love the church in the background with the sun setting and Eivor cloaked upon her horse. The addition of the Hexe logo really wraps up an impressive capture. Mists Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ SubspaceNinja_ “Sometimes the face we show to the world needs to be one of strength, despite the chaos we harbour beneath.” Basim’s frequent encounters with the mysterious djinn add a level of complexity to an already fascinating character. These torturous nightmares that plague him throughout Assassin’s Creed Mirage, are directly linked to memories repressed by Loki. This beautiful capture embodies the feel of a man lost to himself. I adore how the details of the robe are highlighted, a genius move to use the water to help with the lighting. The white misty background adds that sinister feel, and Basim’s hidden face makes him seem like a shadow walker send to collect corpses. The Valhalla robes definitely have that perfect balance of Assassin/Loki with the spilt of white and black. This capture excellently shows Basim in his darker state. Reflection Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ UnfazedVP “Spartan’s never retreat.” If you ever wanted to live the Spartan fantasy, then Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is your game. Right from the off the game delivers epic moments, from the battle of Thermopylae to the glorious vistas that dominate the Greek world. This shot is from a breath-taking set that symbolises the brutal and beautiful story of Kassandra/Alexios. The wide view of this shot adds so much exquisiteness. Alexios looks powerful atop the cliff edge. The sun breaking across the water is elegant and the mountain rage on the horizon is gorgeous. The composition and lighting are immense and complete the shot perfectly. Birds Eye View Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ CrimsonLenz “I feel its breath on my neck.” Enkidu is Basim’s eagle companion, and eye in the skies. Before Basim sets off to uncover the Order in Baghdad, he is gifted Enkidu by the Eagle master of Alamut. As Basim’s companion he locates targets and objects of interest in the world. In this shot we get to see the mysterious sand eagle that is inspired by the Prince of Persia series. The perspective and framing of this capture are outstanding. I am a big fan of the colour tones, as they really make Enkidu look like a bubbling volcano. The depth of field has been utilised effectively, with an almost cinematic feel. An awesome shot of an Assassin seeking his prey. Friend or Foe Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ cop_filip “It’s better to have faith in something than nothing at all.” If you take the time to study the NPC’s roaming the streets of Baghdad, you will realise that the variety and detail is quite extraordinary. A lot of effort clearly went into building the best possible city filled with its various cultures and therefore styles. This elegant capture of a women wearing her hijab with stunning golden lining highlights the exquisite aspects in the game. The level of detail in this capture is quite something. The balance of light and shadows adds a mystique, but it is her eyes that look so impressive. Filip has a knack for taking shots that standout and this is probably one of his best, especially in Mirage. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Partnership with A Nutrition Transformation Announcement Community Share 10 Jun 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database We are excited to announce that we have agreed terms with Andrew Brown from A Nutrition Transformation for a promotional partnership! Andrew is a qualified GPNi Sports Nutrition Specialist who is looking to work with members of the Assassin's Creed Community seeking to achieve their health, fitness and wellbeing goals. Through our collaboration, Andrew will be offering his services at reduced rates, providing expert advice and education at an affordable price. We can't wait to get started! Keep an eye on our socials for updates. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Hidden Blades outside of Assassin's Creed Other Share 11 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database From time to time, eagle-eyed fans of the Assassin's Creed franchise spot similarities between the series and other TV shows or movies. In particular, weapons which carry a likeness to the iconic signature blade of the Assassins, The Hidden Blade. In this article, we will be looking at various concealed weapons outside of the Assassin's Creed series, some of which may have taken inspiration from the Assassin Brotherhood. Star Wars: Bo - Katan Kryze and the 'Gauntlet Blade' First introduced in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Bo - Katan Kryze sports a 'Gauntlet Blade', which will no doubt be familiar to fans of the Assassin's Creed series. Her movement is swift and clinical, as she takes down Imperial guards with ease. Of particular note is her ability with the weapon in Season 2 Episode of The Mandalorian titled ' The Heiress'. The Punisher: Billy Russo's Retractable Wrist Blade (Jigsaw) A former Marine and close friend of Frank Castle ( The Punisher ), Billy Russo is an interesting character who goes on to become 'Jigsaw' in the Marvel Cinematic Universe., a mask-wearing vigilante. His many betrayals lead to a life of pain, which eventually come back to haunt him. Working as a private contracter that specialises in weapons and training facilities, Russo fashions himself a silent weapon, The Hidden Blade, for stealth assassinations. He uses the blade to murder Morty Bennett , with a clean surprise attack. R usso was an expert at brutal hand to hand combat, making him a deadly foe for The Punisher to eliminate. Man of Steel: General Zod kills Jor-El Jor-El, a Kryptonian scientist is killed at the start of Man of Steel (2013), a scene which has a huge impact on the DCU, as it allows Kal-El (Superman) to escape Krypton and go on to live a life on Earth. In a thrilling chase by House El to escape the Kryptonian Military, Jor-El is killed by General Zod for breaking the rules of Krypton by bonding the cells of his child with tthe stolen Kryptonian Growth Codex, which contained the genetic makeup of Kryptonians prior to the introduction of a predetermination system which produced citizens fit to benefit society. To say that Kal-El is the physical embodiment of freewill due to his genetic makeup is a theme that certainly resonates with the Assassin's Creed franchise. The tragic introductary scene sees Jor-El relieved that his son Kal-El escapes Krypton, which he and fellow scientists theorise will be destroyed due to an unstable core. His relief is cut short though, as his former friend executes him with a retractable wrist-blade, leading to his arrest and imprisonment off-world, ultimately saving him from the fate of Krypton. Gotham: Talon members from The Court of Owls and the Wrist Blade In the Gotham TV Series, 'Talon' is a rank given to deadly assassins who act on the orders of a powerful elite shadow group known as The Court of Owls, who manipulate events from behind the scenes. Appearing throughout Season 3, only two members of the Talon wield the wrist blade, suggesting that it may only be given to high ranking members of the group, or to those who at excel at hand to hand combat. Deus Ex: Adam Jensen's Nanoblade Deus Ex: Human Revolution acted as a reboot for the franchise, taking players to a futuristic cyber-industrial world filled with corruption and social division. Through the use of augmentations, humans willingly select enhancements, upgrading their physical bodies by merging with technology. The main character, Adam Jensen is a security officer working for Sarif Industries , where he begins to uncover a conspiracy at the heart of the growing opinion that augmentations benefit society, orchestrated by the Illuminati acting through global megacorporations. After an attack leaves Jensen for dead, he is revivied by Sarif and his team who surgically install advanced augmentations, resulting in him becoming more cyborg than human. One of these enhancements is the Nanoblade: a deadly retractable blade installed in Jensen's arm p rostheses which can be used at close quarters to trigger special killmoves. It is long reaching and efficient, making it a useful took for Jensen as he investigates a disturbing secret hidden at the heart of society. Dr. Christian Szell's wrist knife from Marathon Man Dr. Christian Szell, known as Szell, or The White Angel of Auschwitz (played by Laurence Olivier) is the primary antagonist of the 1976 film Marathon Man. He is former Nazi scientist who used to torture the prisoners of Auschwitz through dental surgeries, but since leaving the camp went on to pursue international diamond dealing. After being recognised in the street for his crimes, Szell uses a weapon known as a 'wrist knife' to silence a man by slicing his throat. He then pretends to have simply found the man in an injured state, and calls for help from the crowd. In an effort to help the man, people approach hoping to assist, providing the perfect cover for Szell to leave the scene in a Taxi. Later in the film, Szell uses the blade to kill Henry 'Doc' Levy after suspecting that Doc is planning to steal his diamonds. This may be the first known use of a hidden blade outside of the Assassin's Creed series, as the Marathon Man conspiracy thriller novel by William Goldman released in 1974. Did we miss any Hidden Blades? Let us know in the comments below! Look out for Part 2 of our Hidden Blades outside of Assassin's Creed article, which will release end of May 2023! comments debug Comments (3) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest Sep 16, 2023 Saw 1 Like Reply Guest May 11, 2023 In Twin Peaks https://i.imgur.com/ap8JvrP.jpeg Like Reply Guest May 11, 2023 In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark uses a hidden blade. Like Reply About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 7th - 13th May 2022 Community Share 18 May 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Leap of Faith Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @ The_LoadScreen over on Twitter. There is definitely something poetic about Eivor performing the leap of faith from a church in Valhalla. I love that this shot is black and white for it adds a certain grandeur, along with the church steeple. I also particularly like how the sky is a mix of dark clouds and bright light. Even the little details in the background are impressive. 2) The Arrow Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @ TheChad_1978 over on Twitter. I am always a sucker for archery captures and this one is no different. I adore the composition of this shot. The light is truly incredible, so much so it reminds me of concept art for the game. Obviously the archer won me over though, especially in that gear set with the green arrow glowing, absolutely brilliant. 3) True Assassin Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity This week’s third shot comes from @ CoalaBR14 over on Twitter. This shot is classic Assassin’s Creed with plenty of nostalgia. Unity still remains one of the best looking AC games around, and this capture tells you why. The level of detail is unbelievable, the developers clearly spent a lot of time on it. If you were looking for a phone wallpaper this would be perfect. 4) Moon Night Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @ Brentassins over on Twitter. Wow the colours in this shot are amazing, and the positioning is perfect. The moon shining brightly in between the clouds is the real standout. The sparks in the sky, reflecting off the water are genius too. Most of the time great VP comes down to a balance of skill and timing, and clearly this shot has both. 5) Travelling Italy Game: Assassin’s Creed II The final capture of the week comes from @ CreedScholars over at ACFirstCiv Community . The final shot of the week showcases Italy at its finest. What a fantastic selection of photos with a great assortment of colours and landscapes. I am really starting to love these style of pictures as you get so much variety. I think my favourite is the first shot as that yells AC/Ezio to me. Just imagine if they made these games today, the cities would be unbelievable. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Rally the Creed Episode 1 TOWCB Highlights Podcasts Share 24 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Michael Doyle Back To Database We here at TOWCB admin team have been overwhelmed by the positive community reaction to the launch of our latest project: Rally the Creed video podcast. Each episode of Rally the Creed (2023+) will be released in three versions: Video, Audio and Transcript, as to create a more personal experience, and allow for viewers to enjoy the podcast in multiple ways. The second and most important change is host rotation, as we plan on getting different members of TOWCB Team to host each episode. We hope that this new and exciting structure keeps the podcast fresh, and helps it to stand out from other fan projects. The new series will cover a huge range of topics relating to the Assassin's Creed series, and give a voice to community members. For some, the podcast will provide the opportunity to step out of the shadows for the first time, and introduce themselves to the community, whilst for others, it becomes a meeting place for long-time fans of the series to discuss all things Assassin's Creed. In episode #1 , Col and Michael from TOWCB Core Team discuss Assassin's Creed Mirage, the new podcast format and choices in Assassin's Creed. Highlights 1 - Explaining the new formula. We kicked off our new podcast by outlining the changes we have made since it's original launch to make it stand out in the community. We are committed to giving Assassin's Creed community members a platform from which they can share their thoughts and feelings, in order to spark meaningful discussions. Here we see Col from the admin team explaining host rotation and our hopes of creating a social hangout for fans of the franchise. 2 - Why Assassin's Creed Mirage needs to be a success Michael and Col discuss the damaging effects of neglecting a marketing campaign, and the importance for Ubisoft to end the silence regarding Assassin's Creed Mirage and provide clarity on the current status of the game. 3 - Assassin's Creed Infinity should look at adding content to older games. In this snippet, Col discusses the potential of the Assassins' Creed Infinity platform to one day become the home of all things Assassin's Creed, and add content to previously released titles to encourage fans to return and play. 4 - Assassin's Creed Mirage needs to return to the roots of Assassin's Creed Michael outlines the need for Assassin's Creed Mirage to return the series to its roots, in a way that feels authentic and deliberate. 5 - Michael pitches the idea of an Assassin's Creed with consequences. Talking about the future of the series, Michael pitches the idea of choices and their impact upon the world. Should Ubisoft focus on pushing the series forward, adding meaningful decisions that have real repercussions on the game could change the series for the better, making players weigh-up options and think before acting in-game. 6 - Swear Word Censoring We conclude by showcasing our new swear word censoring, which aims to assassinate all cursing in a very on-brand way, courtesy of our video-editor FrameHoldPhotography! See it in action during this hilarious rampage by Michael listing the many problems he found whilst watching the Halo TV series. Thanks for watching! We had a ton of fun creating the podcast and we are striving to make it as interesting as possible for fans of the franchise. If you have any feedback on how we can improve, or simply want to join us for an episode, get in touch via the comments section below! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 6th - 12th August 2022 Community Share 13 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to our weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Cloak Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 This week’s first capture comes from @ Junos_Wings over on Twitter. First up this week we have a bit of nostalgia, with Eivor dressed in Ezio’s Master Assassin outfit. I love the colour tones of this shot, as it add a certain quality to the photo. The light and the dark make for great symbolism of what Assassin’s Creed is all about. The shot is from a set that is truly beautiful and inspiring. Captures showcasing old outfits in the newer games give us a sense of what a next gen Ezio game would look like. Link to set 2) Huntress Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @ Birgamerinalbu1 over on Twitter. Next up we head to Greece for a bit of Kassandra dressed as a true huntress. This photo reminds me of the Assassin’s Creed graphic novels. From memory there wasn’t a comic to go alongside Odyssey which is a shame. I am always a fan of people getting creative with their virtual photography. The lighting behind Kassandra really helps accentuate her magnificent hair, but also does a great job of highlighting the incredible face paint of this set. 3) Desmond Game: Assassin’s Creed III This week’s third shot comes from @ FrameHoldPhotos , a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Photo number three takes us to this week’s AC15 celebration with Desmond, the modern assassin. This is the first time I have featured a modern day piece of VP and I am shocked these section don’t get more love. This capture really does give us an insight into what a modern day game could feel like. I always prefer the historical stuff but I would 100% love a modern day game or even a substantial DLC. Hoods, bows and swords in a city would be like AC meets Marvel and I would be down for that. 4) Wolf Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: Xbox Series S VP number four comes from @ Huldera1 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. I always enjoy wildlife shots from Assassin’s Creed games. The way the animals interact in the world is truly amazing. This impressive capture has three key elements and they all stand out in different ways. The colour of the sky is so rich, the grass slightly out of focus makes you feel like you’re there. Of course the growling wolf is the standout, fantastic timing to align all these elements. I wonder if Eivor made it away alive. 5) Ratonhnhake:ton Game: Assassin’s Creed III The final capture of the week comes from @ nkeiiin over on Twitter. I thought it only right we end the showcase with Connor himself. What a stunning portrait of the Colonial Assassin. The black background with the light pouring down onto Connor adds such an epic feel to this capture. I love the positioning as it showcases the eagle on the hood and touches of the blue on his outfit. I am also won over by the fact the bow and arrows can been seen on his back. The first playable Assassin with a bow, such good times. Checkout the set below for two more breath taking shots. Link to set And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! Previous Next ActualSpider-Man Writer Previous Partner Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! Twitter | YouTube | Twitch | Subreddit Work Deciphering the Secrets of the Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Marketing Campaign Breakdown Codex Transferendum v2.0.2 | The Isu-to-English Dictionary & Language Guide Released Analysis John Wick Temporized Breakdown Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe Theories Theory Assassin's Creed Fans Launch Isu - English Dictionary News The Ones Who Came Before Spider-Man Logos Art Music Mash-up: The Amazing Spider-Man theme by James Horner & Ezio’s Family by Jesper Kyd Other Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Sword of the White Horse Temporized Breakdowns Load More

TOWCB: 7 Year Anniversary Update News Share 14 Aug 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Hey Assassins! Today we mark seven years since the creation of The Ones Who Came Before! Although we are immensely proud of the community we have created and our fans, it didn't feel right to throw a huge celebration this year. There are much more important things going on in the world right now, such as the widespread sexual misconduct allegations within the video games industry, and the Covid-19 pandemic. It just didn't feel right to us to throw a huge celebration, so we're keeping it low-key. We'll be dropping some Assassin's Creed Valhalla Season Pass Codes on Twitter over the next week, courtesy of Ubisoft. Instead of the usual week-long celebrations, we will be using our platforms to highlight female members of the Assassin's Creed community in an initiative known as the 'Community Uplift Initiative'. We will also be promoting the 'Assassins In Need' community fundraiser, which has raised nearly £1400 for World Federation for Mental Health. Behind the Scenes As many of you know, The Ones Who Came Before is run by Col & Ash, who are getting married in November. The past 12 months have been tough for everyone, and we've actually been struggling financially to support the community in ways that we would like. Worldwide giveaways are no longer a possibility, and the website only remained up and running due to a credit card. To make matters even worse, the gaming PC we used to run the website completely died in June, so things have slowed down on our end as we battle with a slow laptop. It's currently not possible for us to even play Assassin's Creed, but we've started saving for a new machine. As you can imagine, this makes running an AC community pretty hard. If you would like to support TOWCB, or even our Wedding / Honeymoon fund, you can do so via Amazon links. Simply click the links before making a purchase, and we'll get a small percentage from Amazon. It doesn't cost you any extra: Another way you can support us is by purchasing our Assassin's Creed items, which will soon be appearing on eBay. It's up to you, but all support is greatly appreciated. Other than that, we just want to once again express our thanks to the community for an amazing seven year journey. We are incredibly lucky to be Mentors within the community, and we look forward to working on new projects for our fans as soon as possible. Thank you for your support. Col & Ash. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Interview with Charles Benoit: Assassin's Creed Shadows Game Director Interview Share 17 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Welcome to the first article in a new series of interviews covering all things Assassin's Creed Shadows. Today we are joined by Game Director Charles Benoit from Ubisoft Quebec! Col: Hi Charles, thank you for joining us for this interview. Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role on Assassin's Creed Shadows. Charles: Hi! I’ve been working on the AC Brand for over 10 years now, starting on AC Freedom Cry and now Game Director on AC Shadows. Assassin's Creed Shadows (2015) and Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry (2013) Col: When did you first begin working on the project, and why did Ubisoft ultimately decide that the time was right to create an Assassin's Creed game set in Feudal Japan? Charles: I started working on Shadows a little more than 4 years ago. Honestly, it’s hard to know why, but I always wanted since I started on the brand to do an AC in Japan. It’s pretty much a mix of timing on which game we did before, what fans want, which team is available, etc. Col: Did the development team visit Japan at any point during production for inspiration? Charles: Yes we did! It was the best trip of my life. It was intense but we visited a big part of what we have in Shadows in term of landscape and historical locations, so for sure it was very inspirational. Col: What would you say were some of the main inspirations behind Assassin's Creed Shadows, perhaps movies, other games or comic books? Charles: I cannot talk for the whole team, we all of different inspirations, but for me, of course past AC games, but also a lot of Stealth games such as Metal Gear or even the good old Tenchu series. Col: What can you tell us about the lead motion-capture and performance actors for Assassin's Creed Shadows, Masumi Tsunoda and Tongayi Chirisa. How did they find the overall experience? Charles: I wasn’t involved with MOCAP. I know the team really felt in love with those actors, I especially like Tongayi as Yasuke and it’s probably one of the reason why I always have hard time to pick between Immersive mode where language is Japanese and the English version. Tongayi Chirisa and Masumi Tsunoda Col: Have you visited any other locations from the Assassin's Creed series? Charles: I didn’t have the chance to visit other locations. It’s always a small group of directors and art-oriented discipline that goes in those inspirational trips and on past AC projects I was directly in the production as Game Designer. Col: What would you say makes Assassin's Creed Shadows different to other games in the AC franchise? Charles: Clearly the Dual Protagonist gives a unique vibe on how you play it and how you discover the story from different points of view. I would say the seasons are also a great game changer on how you perceive the world and the time passing. Col: Can we expect encounters with wildlife whilst exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows? Charles: You will encounter animals while exploring the world, but you know, there is not a lot of dangerous animals in Japan except the cute bear with round ears. So, we decided to keep wildlife peaceful; you cannot hurt them, they won’t hurt you and you can hunt them to paint them. Col: It's been mentioned previously that the game features 'Seasons' and dynamic weather cycles. How long does a season last roughly, and can players change it manually? Charles: We split the seasons in 8 chunks, so the start and the end of the 4 seasons. Each chunk is a bit more than 1h of gameplay time where winter is a bit longer since it’s so unique and it will switch automatically when you fast travel. You can decide to switch it manually when the time is up if you don’t want to fast travel, but not at any moment since we have multiple systems tied to season switch and it would break the economy. Col: Looking at the gameplay released during the marketing campaign, it looks like a lot of effort went into creating new animations for Naoe and Yasuke, from parkour to combat. Are there any new animations in particular that will excite players? Charles: There are a ton of new animations that are fantastic. It’s really hard to pick just a few examples. Personally, I feel the Assassinations are worth mentioning; they are fast and efficient to really work well with the small stature of Naoe. I also love the flips in the parkour, but also the beam walk of Yasuke. There are some funny ones like the “Leap of fail” of Yasuke when he destroys the haystack and some really intense like all those over-the-top Abilities and Finishers. You see, I have a hard time to stop! Col: Compared to other games in the Assassin's Creed series, how big would you estimate the map to be? Charles: We compare it to Origins. The map is really large, but it’s surrounded by the sea and mountains, so we can compare the playable space to Origins. Col: As Naoe is noticeably quicker than previous protagonists, can we expect mounts such as horses to also be faster when exploring the world? Charles: Yes the horses speed has been increased so Naoe is not faster than a horse and the horses are still relevant to navigate long distance. Official promo image for Assassin's Creed Shadows via Ubisoft Col: Will a photo mode tool be available at launch? Charles: Yes of course! Col: What sort of collectibles will players be able to find in the world? Charles: We have a couple of them, linked to your progression or your quests. For example, you’ll find Hideout cosmetic in chests that you can then use to decorate. We also have few quests that ask you to find Clan’s Crests, food from different regions, Kano painting, Tea set for Sen no Rikyu and Valuables inside some Tenshu. Col: Are you pleased with the response to the game from fans so far, and how excited are the team for launch? Charles: Since the last few months, we’re very hyped by the feedbacks we received from our deep dive articles, the Preview event reception and our internal playtests. We’re working hard to keep pushing the quality of Shadows and we feel it’s paying off. Col: What would be your dream setting for a future Assassin's Creed game? Charles: It’s a hard question because my dream setting was Japan. I would love to continue exploring Japan, there is so much we can do in this period or even after. We’ll see what fans want, there is always something great to discover and learn in any setting and time period. Col: Describe Assassin's Creed Shadows in three words. Charles: “Shinobi-Samurai-Fantasy" Assassin's Creed Shadows: Available March 20th 2025 We would like to say a huge thank you to Charles for joining us for this interview, and to Ubisoft for making it happen. In particular, we acknowledge the efforts of Dan St Germain from the AC Community Team! Look out for more interviews in the series, coming soon! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Fan Fiction Pitch: Christmas Armistice by Finn Fletcher Other Share 11 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Colum Blackett Back To Database Cover art by Lisa Zaman from TOWCB Art Team. In our next fan fiction Assassin's Creed story pitch, we begin to imagine a temporary alliance between Assassins and Templars in the year 1878. It is our hope that by pitching stories set in the Assassin's Creed universe, we can generate enough interest and excitement for it to be developed further by TOWCB team. We would love to create recognisable OC Assassins, so if any of our pitches spark interest, let us know in the comments below! Synopsis The story is the diary of a Victorian Assassin around a decade after the events of Syndicate. The Assassin, Charles (name will probably be changed) is sent by Evie Frye on a working holiday over Christmas to Ravensthorpe. Evie says that it’s to meet up with a local archaeologist who calls himself Ragnar and research the town's history to learn more about the early British brotherhood; she also believes this task to be something that will personally help Charles deal with his stress and growing frustrations about the Brotherhood. Arriving in Ravensthorpe, Charles despises the quaint town (imagine Hot Fuzz). He’s stuck in rain, lacking the amenities he’s used to and finds the residents frustrating. He meets up with Ragnar and is instantly put off by the odd fellow. Ragnar lives as and seemingly believes himself to be a viking, despite the fact he is a scrawny man who holds his drinks with both hands. Still, his knowledge is useful and the two begin researching and exploring some of the oldest remaining parts of the town. The trip, while not what Charles wants, is going well after a few days. They learn more of Hytham and find some long abandoned weapons and armour of the Raven Clan. Charles returns to his hotel to find a new resident in the room across from him, an abrasive American oil baron named Teddy who’s come to England for a vacation. He quickly makes it known that he is aware of who Charles is and the Assassins, dropping in tidbits of personal information about Charles when they meet. Their discussions become heated, and Teddy reveals that he is a Templar. In fact, he almost seems to gloat about it. This only increases tensions, as the two are bound by an agreement referred to as The Christmas Armistice . The history of this can be changed, but it was an agreement made between Assassins and Templars shortly after the death of Cesare Borgia, mostly negotiated by Machiavelli. In short, it restricts either side to kill one another over the advent period, leaving Charles without any violent options. Teddy is happily aware of this restriction and flaunts his presence, desperately trying to get a rise out of Charles by picking at his every fault. Feeling his anger rise, Charles locks himself away for the night and writes to Evie. Waiting on a response from the Mentor, Charles commits himself to carrying on his work, with one eye constantly looking out for Teddy. Teddy and Charles end up repeatedly running across one another, having to put up with each other during the hotel's breakfast, or when grabbing a drink at the local pub. One morning at breakfast, Teddy brings his plate to Charles' table and strikes up a conversation. He insists it to be peaceful, asking to know more about the real Charles and his commitment to the Brotherhood. While difficult, the two genuinely begin to have an enjoyable conversation about their shared goals. Strangely, the two genuinely enjoy one's company, and while continuing his work Charles ensures he spends time with Teddy. The friendship is still guarded though and each spies on one another. They also express their own frustrations with each order they belong to, criticising the lack of action and inability to make any real change. One morning Charles decides to investigate Teddy’s room, finding letters between Teddy and his wife. It seems to detail a breakup of both their marriage and his mental state, as he’s begun suffering from serious depression. Christmas day is fast approaching and the two friendly rivals understand that soon they will have to turn on one another, despite the clear affection and empathy they’ve gained for each other's perspectives. The historical investigation bears fruit, as Ragnar and Charles break into an old vault left by Hytham. It’s a treasure trove of trinkets, weapons and detailed notes. These seem to be Hythams last writings before leaving the Hidden Ones, where he talks about how most of the Raven Clan chose not to join the Brotherhood but still fought for what is right nonetheless. He questions why he dedicated so much to a single creed rather than working out of kindness, though importantly doesn’t regret his decision. In his final musings he’s clearly happy, just unsure for the future and what these secret conflicts will amount to, especially after the rise of what he calls “a new Order of the Ancients”. He also explains that Eivor left Mjolnir to him before leaving for America, with a handful of other First Civilisation trinkets she’d collected on her adventure. Some of which are locked in this bunker, others were sent across the country. Mjolnir will be described as being much stronger than we saw in the games, with the power to destroy whole buildings with a single strike. Charles begins to remove a Raven Clan banner that covers some boxes, to reveal the bright golden glow of Mjolnir. At this point, Teddy drops out of the shadows, more agile than he’s ever seen before. The two face off, as Teddy explains that he’s been following Charles but now questions his own orders. He proposes a new alliance, to use the power of Mjolnir and forge a new order that isn’t trapped by the problems of The Assassins or Templars. Charles is intrigued, and plays along with Teddy’s ramblings, hoping to find something of interest in it. Ragnar explodes with rage, he’s confused and clearly being left out of the conversation. He’s unsure what Mjolnir even is, and for him this magical artefact is changing his core understanding of the world. Teddy goes to kill Ragnar, claiming that he is just a ‘civilian’ someone who shouldn’t know as much as he does and threatens exposing the secrets that have allowed both Assassins and Templars to exist for so long. Charles turns, he hates this suggestion and claims that the war won’t end by writing more secrets, that if anyone will create peace it is civilians, normal people working for good. The ideological debate grows, until the two end up fighting. Charles kills Teddy to defend Ragnar, breaking the armistice and killing off any chance for something new. He asks Teddy to seal this vault backup and everything in it, to keep it a secret. He says that sometimes the allure of power is too destructive, and a weapon as powerful as Mjolnir should exist in no one's hands. Charles returns to London, knowing that he has killed off this annual period of peace, hoping that the people will find a chance in future, a clear nod to the real Christmas armistice of WW1. Character Profiles Charles An Assassin in his 30s, Charles is at a point of reflection where he feels the battles he's fighting for are destined to fail. Day to day he runs a steel mill, where he does his best to support unions and provide resources to the Brotherhood. Yet he keeps seeing the same problems pop up everywhere; unethical companies excel, Templars and Assassins struggle endlessly for power over London, it all feels rather Sisyphiean. Through the story he learns that these thoughts have been presented before, and has to figure out whether the Assassins or Templars are truly the best solution to the world's problems. Teddy The last remnant of the American robber gang of businessmen, Teddy runs his oil company ruthlessly. Unions are strictly banned, and workers have to "earn their place". He's endlessly proud of his role within the Templar Order, and stands by the might is right approach of leadership, though has grown tired of the timid nature of their actions. Reaching middle age, he's now suffering with bouts of depression and feels like the 'weaker' people he's used to chastising. Needing a rest, Teddy arrives in Ravensthorpe with the goal of following Charles and finding what the Assassins are searching for, though ends up building a friendship he truly wasn't expecting. Ragnar Some Assassins claim Ragnar is secretly a sage, someone with a kind of natural animus that makes him believe he is one of his ancestors. Charles however, believes the man to simply be a weirdo. His oddities are matched by his knowledge of local history, and without him the secrets left by the Raven Clan may have been lost forever. His journey allows him to appreciate more of his own time period, and the things he must fight for in the 'modern' world. Additional notes While not mentioned in the synopsis because I'm currently unsure of how to tie it in, I imagine Charles meeting a young thief while in Ravensthorpe. Rather than chastising the thief or demanding her to return his coin, Charles seeks to train the thief and help them improve their skills. He fully intends to take her back to London to join the Brotherhood, though by the end of the story leaves her in ravensthorpe with the last of his coin, leaving her to build her own life Thematically the story is inspired by The Inspector Calls . Dramatic irony should be at the forefront, as these characters discuss their own past and plans for the future, constantly making predictions we know as a modern audience to never come to fruition. It's only Charles' final reflection that the fate of humanity lies in every individual that holds any truth to our own futures While the synopsis mostly mentions the history of Eivor and the Raven Clan, other periods will be explored by Charles and Ragnar. Particularly of note is a 15th century Spanish Assassin who moved to England and was assigned to defend Ravensthorpe. She left many notes arguing that while Ravensthorpe is culturally important to the Assassins, it holds little strategic value. She suggests spending more time attacking templars and less defending their own history. Charles likes her opinion and this is the implication for why the history of Ravensthorpe was lost Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases so far including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! Finn Fletcher

'Forgotten Youth' Project Launched Community Share 2 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We here at The Ones Who Came Before are once again teaming up with our good friend Gustav from the AC Partnership Program to make a difference. We are proud to announce that we will be fully supporting 'Forgotten Youth', a new initiative that aims to shine a light on the collective trauma young people face due to worldwide lockdowns. The project will be a gathering point for discussion, reflecting on the long-lasting consequences and damage caused by COVID-19. If you feel that the pandemic has affected you in any way, you are not alone. Share your stories in a community network as society begins to open up, and we begin to understand the full extent of the worldwide ramifications. Do you feel like the worldwide lockdowns have thrown you into a state of loneliness, sadness or depression? Do you feel uncertain towards the future because of them? Do you have something on your mind you want to talk about, or simply want off your chest? Do you want your voice to be heard? Our very own @ Gargudon , who is mostly known for hosting “The Memory Corridor” podcast and sharing AC virtual photography on The Ones Who Came Before, has recently launched the project Forgotten Youth . The project aims to spread awareness about young people, who have been mentally affected by the lockdowns, by gathering and sharing stories. The lockdowns have taken their toll on the mental health among the youth in different ways. Young people are currently living through the transition into adulthood with limited opportunities to shape themselves, during the formative shaping years of their youth. Links to the Forgotten Youth project, as well as to how you can share your own story can be found below. If anyone has any questions regarding the project, feel free to DM us or @ Gargudon directly." Links Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube: How to Share your Story comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)