Search

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 Compartilhe sua opinião Seja o primeiro a escrever um comentário. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

TO BE COMPLETED The Story of The Underrated Assassin’s Creed Rogue Share Written By: Edited By: Reporter Name Back To Database ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. ! Widget Didn’t Load Check your internet and refresh this page. If that doesn’t work, contact us. About the Author This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. About the Author

Weekly Assassin's Creed News Recap: 24th - 30th July 2022 News Share 31 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to a new weekly Assassin's Creed News Recap series, hosted by Colum Blackett (Col_96) from The Ubisoft Star Players Program (Formerly Mentors Guild). Every week, we will be rounding up Assassin's Creed News and sharing it here on The Ones Who Came Before website. Keep an eye on the site every Sunday for more weekly recaps, or check out our social media links down below to stay updated on everything Assassin's Creed. 1) We begin this week's Assassin's Creed recap by sharing another collaborative project by community members Arshak ( AC: Landmarks ) , Zark ( Master Hekate's Ceremonials ) & Science_creed, who once again came together to host a 2-hour long virtual tour and trivia, this time for Assassin's Creed Unity! In this week's stream, the team covered everything from the Palace of Versailles to Napoleon Bonaparte, and dived deeper into the bloody history behind the French Revolution. You can find the AC Unity Virtual Tour / Trivia here 2) We here at TOWCB released a new article titled Aztec Empire: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game The article, written by new Isu Network member Finn Fletcher launched on Wednesday this week, and has already broken one of our own personal records! The sensational piece is now the biggest debut article to launch in the history of our website, attracting thousands of new readers to the site! In the article, Finn pitches an Assassin's Creed game set during the Aztec Empire, along the way creating an original character and unique storyline! We will certainly be exploring this era and other potential settings further in future articles. You can look to more articles by Finn, which are set to launch 3) This week, Aaron Young from the Writing Team launched a special edition of our ' This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography ' series. For the first time ever, we featured six shots, to mark six months worth of articles! The theme for the article was Black and White, showcasing incredible captures by community members. A big congratulations to Aaron for reaching the milestone, and to all of the community members featured in the article! You can look forward to more articles in the series, which release every Saturday, or head to the VP Hub to see everything in the series so far. 4) Ubisoft revealed that an Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Community Cosplay Championship event would be taking place at Insomnia Gaming Festival #i69 in August! In a short video shared on social media, cosplay projects, including those created and worn by our good friends Kim Beacham and Jamie Oakley from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom advertised the upcoming event. According to the Insomnia website, the winner of the event will win a 'true Assassin’s Creed VIP Experience'. More details will be shared on this at a later date, but the prize will be a 'fantastic moment' for any Assassin’s Creed fan! Good luck to all the participants! 5) Some disturbing news to share this week. According to Axios's Stephen Totilo former Assassin's Creed creative director Ashraf Ismail (terminated by Ubisoft in 2020 after an internal misconduct investigation) has been quietly working for Tencent's TiMi studios since 2021 as "a consulting creative director". Here is the statement provided to Axios by TiMi's company rep : “During our work with Ash, he has carried himself in a professional manner and has consistently shown an eagerness to learn and grow as both a team member and person," The news broke on Twitter and sparked an uneasy feeling within the community. The wound is still fresh, and for many, the disgraced figure gaining a position at another gaming company simply feels like abusers can be recycled to other companies. The other worrying factor for many is that this individual could potentially be working with fans again one day. A link also remains, as Ubisoft and Tencent are working together on various projects, including Assassin's Creed mobile games launching in Asian territories. As this is a difficult topic, we have opted to share our message to the community from 2020 instead of a photo of a person which we deem to be highly toxic. We stand with the victims and our fans 6) New State Mobile announced an unexpected collaboration with Assassin's Creed. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, a free battle royale game available on Steam will soon be launching an Assassin's Creed crossover event, beginning August 17th and running until September 22nd. According to PC Gamer , the following items will be available: Costumes (x2 sets) Bag Skins (x2 sets) Parachute Skin Emote Gun Charm Spray Item (x2 sets) PUBG's Haven map will also be transforming a main building into an Abstergo Industries facility, featuring an Animus machine and Leap of Faith ledges! Although this crossover came completely out of the blue, it sounds like a ton of fun for gamers. We look forward to seeing the community response to the event! 7) Sad news to report this week, as Assassin's Creed Community Developer Sebasteann Barradas announced that he would be leaving the position. In a closing statement posted on Twitter, he reflected on his 'rewarding, transformative, and utterly unbelievable time working on Assassin's Creed.'' ''I will always remember the warmth and passion of this community, how AC acts as a unifier, and how every detail matters. I need to thank you all. Thank you for your ambition. Thank you for your wonder.'' Although Sebasteann only joined the AC dev team in January 2022, he demonstrated great community engagement and passion for the brand. Our own experiences with Seb were extremely positive. Most recently, Seb was one of the team members who hosted the Assassin's Creed 15 Year Anniversary Celebrations stream. We wish him good luck on his future endeavours. 8) Finally, we close our recap by revealing that this week, Ubisoft announced the release date for Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Forgotten Saga, along with the launch of the 2022 Sigrblot Festival! The Forgotten Saga is a free roguelite game mode which is set to launch August 2nd, and take players to Niflheim, the Norse Hell. Odin will battle the forces of Niflheim, making critical decisions along the way which will determine the outcome. Challenges will take place throughout the four regions of the realm, with the end goal being to defeat all of the enemies, and return to the realm even stronger with upgraded weaponry. This mode is perfect for speedrunners, (also known as Creedrunners), who will no doubt discover the best ways of slaying dragons and other forces of Hel. Also announced was the return of the Sigrblot Festival, which last year introduced a number of new activities and rewards to Ravensthorpe. We understand that the 2021 festival brought with it some major technical issues, so we hope that the 2022 version is much smoother for players. What are your thoughts on Assassin's Creed Valhalla's post-launch content so far? Let us know in the comments below! We hope that you enjoyed this Assassin's Creed News Recap! You can look forward to more articles like this, dropping every Sunday! What was your highlight of the week? 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)

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Merchandise Guide - Part 2 Updated 3/3/21 By Colum Blackett Edited by Ashlea Buckley Share Here we will be logging all of the merchandise we find for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. Please note that this guide contains Amazon affiliate links, Learn more The ultimate guide for Assassin's Creed Valhalla Merchandise. Apparel (Continued) Assassin's Creed Valhalla Long Sleeved T-shirt by WeAreNations Are we missing anything? Let us know and we'll update the article Did you buy anything from the Merchandise Guide? Let us know in the comments! Assassin's Creed Valhalla Long Sleeved T-shirt by WeAreNations Assassin's Creed Valhalla Raven Jersey by WeAreNations Assassin's Creed Valhalla Raven Short Sleeve T-shirt by WeAreNations Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wolf-Kissed Jersey by WeAreNations Assassin's Creed Valhalla Eivor Defense T-shirt by Jinx Assassin's Creed Valhalla Snapback Hat by Jinx Assassin's Creed Valhalla Winter Warrior by Jinx Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Leader of the Pack Premium T-shirt by Jinx Assassin's Creed Valhalla Sweatpants by Graph Assassin's Creed Valhalla Anorak by Graph Assassin's Creed Valhalla Eivor Socks by Graph Assassin's Creed Valhalla Crew Socks by Jinx Assassin's Creed Valhalla Face Mask by Graph Assassin's Creed Valhalla Logo Hoodie. Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wolf-Kissed T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wolf T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla Odin T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla Like A Viking T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla: A Good Reputation T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Meet You in Valhalla T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Longboat T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Live, Think, Conquer T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Thor's Hammer T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed: For Odin T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed: Meet You in Valhalla T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Norse T-shirt Available from Hot Topic Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wolf Cap Available exclusively from Ubisoft Store Brazil Assassin's Creed Valhalla Face Mask Available exclusively from Ubisoft Store Brazil Assassin's Creed Valhalla Slippers Available July 2021 via GroovyUK PART 1 PART 3 Assassin's Creed Valhalla Dressing Gown Available July 2021 via GroovyUK Merchandise

Community Merchandise Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Merchandise Guide (Part 2) Share Article contains ads that support TOWCB. Previous Guides Literature The Making of Assassin’s Creed – 15th Anniversary Edition Available Soon via DarkHorse Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Laminated Poster Available from Amazon Part 1 (Apparel) Other Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Laminated Poster. Preview GB Eye will distribute products to various retailers. Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Mug - 320 ml AbyStyle will distribute products to various retailers. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Year Flexible Mousepad AbyStyle will distribute products to various retailers. Preview ASSASSIN’S CREED - LEAP INTO HISTORY (LIMITED EDITION X5LP BOXSET) by LacedRecords. 70 tracks from 12 mainline Assassin’s Creed games, following the historical timeline from Odyssey to Syndicate Music by Jesper Kyd, Lorne Balfe, Brian Tyler, Michiel Schrey, Seán Dagher, Nils Brown, Chris Tilton, Sarah Schachner, Elitsa Alexandrova, Austin Wintory, The Flight (Joe Henson and Alexis Smith), and Einar Selvik. Available for pre-order from LacedRecords Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Phone Case Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Phone Case Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Phone Case Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Case for iPad Mini Available from Amazon Head Case Designs Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Eivor Silhouette Phone Case Available from Amazon Assassin's Creed Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Antheum Studios Available in the USA from LoveScotch Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary - 1 oz Proof Silver w/Tin & COA by Apmex Available via Apmex Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary - 1 oz Proof Gold w/Tin & COA Apmex Available via Apmex Part 1 (Apparel) Official Assassins Creed 15th Anniversary Shadowbox and Lithograph Set. Releases April 2023 Available for pre-order from FinalBossBundle Welcome to our very special Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Merchandise Guide! Here we will be logging all of the merchandise we find celebrating 15 years of the series! Previous Guides AC Odyssey AC Movie Funko Pops Valhalla AC Origins AC Rogue Black Flag Mirage 21/9/22 Written by Colum Blackett Edited by Ashlea Blackett About the Author Col is the Community Admin for The Ones Who Came Before, and one of the Assassin's Creed Community Ambassadors (formerly for The Mentors Guild.) He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player, and has spent the last 8 years working within the Assassin's Creed community on countless projects. Twitter Colum Blackett

Community Assassin's Creed Mirage Merchandise Guide Share Welcome to our Assassin's Creed Mirage Merchandise Guide! Here we will be logging all of the merchandise we find for Assassin's Creed Mirage! About the Author Col is the Community Admin for The Ones Who Came Before, and one of the Assassin's Creed Community Ambassadors (formerly for The Mentors Guild.) He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player, and has spent the last 8 years working within the Assassin's Creed community on countless projects. Twitter Colum Blackett Article contains ads that support TOWCB. Previous Guides AC Odyssey AC Origins AC Movie AC Rogue Funko Pops Black Flag Valhalla UbiCollectibles Assassin's Creed Mirage Collector Case: The Deluxe Edition of Assassin’s Creed. Master Assassin Basim figurine. Assassin’s Creed Mirage OST. A unique steelbook with design elected by Assassin’s Creed’s fans. A perfect replica of Basim’s brooch and a Baghdad map. Bonus content** with a digital artbook & more! Available for pre-order from Ubisoft Store Micromania EBGames Apparel Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement T-shirt (Blue) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement T-shirt (Orange) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement T-shirt (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement T-shirt (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement T-shirt (Cream) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement Hoodie (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement Cap (Navy) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement Hoodie (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Mirage Announcement Cap (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Transmedia Merchandise

Assassin's Creed Rogue Merchandise Guide 17/3/18 Written by Colum Blackett Share To celebrate the release of Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered, we put together a Merchandise Guide for the Community! A number of Templar items have also been added! (Ubisoft Store and Amazon Links used due to international shipping) May The Father of Understanding Guide Us Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered for Xbox One Amazon Link Ubisoft Store Link Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered for PS4 Amazon Link Ubisoft Store Link Assassin's Creed Rogue: Collector's Edition Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue Wristband Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue: Prima Official Game Guide Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue Keychain Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue Hoodie Amazon Link Templar Jacket Gamerabilia Assassin's Creed Rogue T-shirt Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue Soundtrack by Elitsa Alexandrova Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue T-shirt Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue T-shirt (White) Currently not listed to Amazon Gamestop exclusive (Rare) Assassin's Creed Rogue T-shirt Available on Ebay Merchandise Shay Cormac figure by Mcfarlane Toys Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue: The Renegade Amazon UbiShop Forbidden Planet Custom Made Shay Cormac Lego Figure Available on Ebay Shay Cormac's Templar Robes! Available on Oasis Costume Shay Cormac Figure Available in the Assassin's Creed Mini set (Lucky Dip) Assassin's Creed Templar T-shirt (Technically a Black Flag T-shirt) Amazon Link Assassin's Creed Rogue: Turn Against T-shirt Ubisoft Store (Out of Stock) Assassin's Creed Rogue Official Pin Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Rogue: Turn Against Hoodie (Female) Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed Rogue Wallet Currently Unavailable on Amazon Shay Cormac Figure Available in Assassin's Creed: The Official Collection Issue 7 Templar Merchandise Unleash your inner Templar with these great products! Knights Templar Tie Amazon Link Templar Cufflinks Amazon Link Templar Stickers Show your allegiance to the world! Amazon Link Knights Templar Watch Amazon Link Templar T-shirt Amazon Link Templar Pin Amazon Link Templar Mug Amazon Link Templar Pin Amazon Assassin's Creed Movie sticker pack (contains a Templar one) Amazon

The Evolution of Assassin's Creed Analysis Share 27 Aug 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series has come a long way since its creation way back in 2007. The games have been forced to adapt to coexist with the rapid evolution of technology. The technology that game developers had in 2007 is extremely different from what gaming companies have access to now. Having a game series that started in the late 2000’s to the present day means a lot of change over time, both with the games and with the world as it is today. Ubisoft had a challenge given to them in trying to make the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series acceptable in today's standards, but also not to abandon the premise and idea of the games that fans have known and loved for so many years. ‘Assassin’s Creed’ has undergone some changes to the series, in nearly all aspects. Fans of the games have sometimes been divided in their love for this franchise. ‘Assassin’s Creed’ is really a lot more than just a game, it's a family as well. To have a community that can share their love for the games together is harmonious for the creators and the fans, and Ubisoft hit the jackpot by bringing together people from all over the world into one family. There is no denying the games have been through many changes, and doing this has helped keep the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series alive and well as it is today. The main evolution that the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games have been through is the major shift in gameplay. The original games were much different from the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ we know today. For starters, the original games followed a more predictable formula, meaning that mostly every game released in their once annual cycle were quite similar to one another. They followed stealth, action, and some tactical ideas, while the more modern games in the series have transitioned to more RPG, which stands for Role Playing Game, and adopted this approach for the current formula of almost all the modern games. There are significant differences in the old and the new formulas, such as combat and stealth have been heavily reworked. In past games, combat was mostly a matter of timing and countering enemy attacks. It was too easy to kill basically any enemy in the game, it was so easy to the point where the games would offer more expensive in-game weapons that supposedly could help you deeper into the game, but it was quite common for players to not even need to upgrade any of their equipment one time, as it was simple playing the entire game with the base weapons and still being able to get past all enemies with ease. The new games changed this flaw from past games in the series, as now it is vital to upgrade your weapons and equipment to match that of your personal level in the game, as using under-leveled equipment vs stronger enemies would prove much more challenging. This ensured that the games were not only up to modern standards, but also that they were believable and played well like most big and successful games do today. The major overhaul of the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series began after the sales disappointment of 2015’s ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ . It caused Ubisoft to change course from their usual annual installment schedule and instead decided to take a year off in the franchise for the first time since after the very first game released back in 2007 with the two year gap between the first and second game. Since then the series grew accustomed to releasing a new game every year. So, in 2016 there was no new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game, as they put all their efforts into focusing on 2017’s ‘Assassin’s Creed Origins’ . This game marked a new era for the franchise, as it was the overhaul of almost all the features the previous games had created. The change in formula was hit with positive responses from both critics and fans. It was a rebirth of the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series in a way. Ever since 2017, nearly all games in the series have followed a similar path that ‘Origins’ started. Of course, there are fans who miss and prefer the old formula, as it was the identity of the franchise since its creation. Some fans even these many years later would still rather play an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game like it used to be played. Ubisoft listened to these fans, and released last year's ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ as a tribute to the beginning of the franchise 15 years later to that date. It was a game directed at fans of the previous formula, as it abandoned most of the heavy RPG aspects that recent games have adopted, and instead brought back a lot of what the old formula began. It was a great gesture by Ubisoft to also create a new game in the formula of the past, as they knew fans who missed the past formula would feel catered to once again. Many fans even today think Ubisoft should continue a trend like this, by catering to fans of both the older and newer games, and finding a balance that all fans could enjoy together. The newer ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games have proved very successful both critically and financially. The games have helped keep the core foundation of the series together to match that of modern expectations. The tech industry moves very quickly, and those who fail to adapt often get left behind, and the same goes for the video game industry. You have to stay current with your games, otherwise fans will lose interest and the series itself would begin to lose its massive impact on the entire gaming world that ‘Assassin’s Creed’ has created its positive reputation all these years later. Not having their unique and popular identity would be bad for the franchise, and the games we know today may cease to exist without the major change the games have had to take. It’s just the way the tech business is, you need to stay up to date otherwise fans will go somewhere else, and lose interest. Ubisoft had quite a bold task on their hands when they rebooted the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series years ago, and according to gamers and the majority of the fanbase alike, Ubisoft nailed it and has managed to breathe new life into the franchise. The evidence for this is the fact that the games are as popular as ever today, and continue to make a long-lasting impact on the gaming world. The series we know and love has undergone some significant changes in the past, but was for the best, and vital to its current success to this day. comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Ordenar por: Mais recente Convidado: 28 de ago. de 2024 Awesome article! Well written! Like Reply 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. Hayden Bird

Rally The Creed Episode #3 Released Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography & AC Netflix Podcast Share 4 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to release episode #3 of Rally the Creed podcast, covering Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography and Assassin's Creed Netflix. Note this episode is recorded before the recent announcement of AC Mirage's release date. In episode #3 , guest host Jack from ThePhotoMode E-Magazine joins TOWCB Team members Lisa Zaman (Portrait Artist) and Aaron Young (Writer) to discuss all things in AC. Note: This episode was recorded before the recent announcement of AC Mirage's release date. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Deel je gedachten Plaats de eerste opmerking. 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)

Privacy Policy for The Ones Who Came Before Privacy Policy Your privacy is extremely important to The Ones Who Came Before, so we have created a Privacy Policy that outlines the types of data that are stored, collected, and used. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our Privacy Policy. The use of: "We", "Us", "Our" refers to The Ones Who Came Before Assassin's Creed Fan Community. This Policy is updated from time to time, and updates will be made clear. Your use of this site, in any and all forms, constitutes an acceptance of this Privacy Policy. By using this site, you agree to follow the community standards and code of conduct. How we collect and use your information There are several circumstances in which we may ask for personal information from our users. Competitions: If one of our users wins a competition, we will ask for: Real name, Address. We ask for this information so that prizes can be sent directly to an address. Upon winning a competition, we may publicly publish your: Real Name/User Name to inform other users that the competition has ended, and that a winner has been selected. We may also ask for your age, if the competition has an age restriction upon it. We may also share: Real Names/ Addresses with Third Parties who are helping us to organise a Giveaway/ Event/ Project Crediting a user: If a user provides information that we feel should be shared on this site, in any or all forms, we may publicly share your: Real Name/User Name, as to thank the user for giving us the information. Contact: If you contact The Ones Who Came Before (via Facebook, Twitter, or Email), we may ask for: Real Name/ User Name, Home Address. This is so that we can proceed with the project in the most productive way possible, and know the best ways in which to contact the user. Enter our promotions, contests, or sweepstakes: We may need: User Name/ Real Name/ Age /Address in order to proceed with the project. Users will be contacted directly if any of the above are needed. Projects: We may ask users to send us a video/article to be used for an article. In this case, we will be sharing that segment with the Community. How we use your personal information The Personal Information that we collect allows for us to connect with Assassin's Creed Community Members, creating a personal experience that allows for us to communicate efficiently. It also allows for us to provide users with unique opportunities, such as giveaways and community projects. Community Projects: Our Admins may contact Assassin's Creed Community Members when working on Projects such as Interviews, Videos, etc, so that more people can be involved. This is to the benefit of users, as they are then given unique opportunities to work with other members of the Community. If Users do not wish to take part in any of our projects, then they are free to decline the offer at any point. Sharing Information: Our Admins may share: Contact Information/User Name/Real Names with Third Parties such as: Ubisoft, The Mentor's Guild, Access The Animus, The Codex, Assassin's Creed Community Team (etc), if we believe that is to the benefit of the user, such as a project/opportunity. We will ask for consent before using information for a purpose other those set out in this Privacy Policy. Records: When you contact The Ones Who Came Before, we keep a copy of the communication for our records, so that we may refer back to it in the future. This means that if you email us, we will not delete the email, in case it is needed once again in the future. This applies to all communication on this site such as: Emails, Twitter Messages, Facebook Messages. Communication: Our Admins may contact you to ask questions, as to improve the experience for users of The Ones Who Came Before: This means that we may send you: Survey/ Questions, in order to create the best possible experience for users. For this to happen, we would contact users via: Email, Twitter, Facebook Messages. Admins may also contact Users in other circumstances such as: Offering an Admin Position on TOWCB, Questions, Reaching out to discuss projects/giveaways etc. An acceptance of this Privacy Policy confirms that you are willing to be contacted by our Admins to discuss any of the above. Google Analytics The Ones Who Came Before is a participant of the Google Analytics Program, a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google Analytics uses a technical tool called cookies to collect information about our website visitors, app users and their online behaviours. Google Analytics services cannot function without the use of cookies. By using The Ones Who Came Before website, you consent to the use of cookies. You can opt out here: How your data is used: Google Analytics does not identify individual users or associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. We use reports provided by Google Analytics to help us understand website traffic and webpage usage. The program collects information which records: The duration of web visits, and the number of views per page. The number of users on the site at any given time. Audience referral figures - How many users were redirected from third party sites such as social media platforms. Location - Amount of users by country. New vs returning users Devices the site has been viewed on. We use the information we get from Google Analytics only to improve this site. Changes to Contact Information Users may contact us at any point to request that we make changes to stored contact information. This may be: Real Name: Address, Email Address etc, User Name etc. Users may also request for us to delete contact information at any point. This may include: Real Name, Email Address, User Name (etc). Upon Request, Contact Information will be deleted from our systems within 10 days. The User will also be notified upon deletion. Wix Cookies Policy Cookies are small pieces of data stored on a site visitor's browser. They are typically used to keep track of the settings users have selected and actions they have taken on a site. In accordance with the GDPR , you must inform your visitors that you are using cookies on your site. This can be done by adding a section about your site's cookies in your privacy policy. Make sure to include details about the types of cookies your site uses. Learn more about creating a privacy policy . Wix uses cookies for many important reasons, such as: To provide a great experience for your visitors and customers. To identify your registered members (users who registered to your site) To monitor and analyze the performance, operation and effectiveness of Wix's platform. To ensure our platform is secure and safe to use. Google Adsense Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to your website or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to TOWCB website users based on their visit to our site and other sites on the internet. Users may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Ads Settings . (Alternatively, you can direct users to opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info. Advertising The Ones Who Came Before is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This helps with costs such as website maintenance, giveaways and shipping. We believe that by participating in the program, we are creating more opportunities for the community long term. The Ones Who Came Before is a participant of Awin affiliate advertising, a global affiliate marketing network which empowers advertisers and publishers of all sizes to grow their businesses online. The program enables publishers to select relevant advertising, and earn advertising fees in return. The Ones Who Came Before Admins reserve the right to: Add or change advertising on the site. Join Affiliate Programs Promote content we believe is relevant Changes to this Privacy Policy The Ones Who Came Before Admins reserve the right to: Revise, Update or Modify this Policy at any time. All changes will be highlighted in the Privacy Policy, so that users can clearly see that changes have been made. Contact Us Contacting The Ones Who Came Before: Feel free to contact our Admins at any point via: Email: Theoneswhocamebefore@googlemail.com Facebook Message Twitter Message Instagram Message

Assassin's Creed Community Fundraising Campaigns for Charity Fundraising Each year, we dedicate ourselves to raising money for a charity / fundraising cause with links to the Assassins' Creed franchise. In early 2020, we appointed Ashlea Blackett as our Charity Project Coordinator. £2456 raised 2023 The Ones Who Came Before joined fellow content creators within the Assassin's Creed community to raise funds for Save The Children Foundation to raise funds for the devastating earthquakes affecting Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria. The collaborative effort, led by AC Landmarks raised a total of $25,660.00, the largest amount ever raised by the Assassin's Creed community. 2023 Fundraising Assisted to raise $25,660.00 2022 Assassins in Need: Heart of the Creed Community Fundraiser: On the 15th August, we launched our 2022 community fundraiser for British Heart Foundation and The American Heart Association, two incredible organisations providing critical cardiovascular medical research and education to facilities around the world. This lifesaving campaign launched by The Ones Who Came Before in association with various different companies and communities hopes to be our biggest yet, 2022 Fundraising £430 raised 2021 Assassins in Need Community Fundraiser: On the 1st July 2021, we launched this year's Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser for World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with over 20 different content creators! Learn more We're teaming up with community member Gustav Poulsen to promote and support the launch of a new initiative called 'Forgotten Youth', a project that aims to shed a light on the long-lasting consequences of worldwide lockdowns. 2021 Fundraising £1380 raised 2020 The Ones Who Came Before are raising money for The Italian Red Cross (IFRC), who are doing everything possible to combat the Coronavirus. Learn more GoFundMe Art Sale 2020 Fundraising Campaign: £530 raised 2019 To celebrate World Oceans Day, we are proud to announce that this year's Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser will be supporting Ocean Conservancy, a movement dedicated to protecting the ocean. Our partners for the campaign are Assassin's Creed United Kingdom and The Mentor's Guild. Learn more 2019 Fundraising Campaign: £264 raised 2018 We're pleased to announce a new collaborative fundraising project between Access the Animus and The Ones Who Came Before for Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation! £282 raised by the Assassin's Creed Community! 2018 Fundraising Campaign: £282 raised

🔧 Restoration In Progress- Check Back Soon! Review Share 20 Nov 2010 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) WIP Back To Database Restoration In Progress- Check Back 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)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 25th to 01st October Community Share 3 Oct 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the 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 captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Origins White Senu Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Be my eye, Senu” The friendship between Bayek and Senu is heart-warming. She is his only friend while gallivanting around the desert. Senu is Bayek’s eyes in the sky, spotting danger before it is too late. Her ability to distract guards and hunt animals make Senu a powerful alley. This capture of the special white feathered Senu is so good. I love the composition with Senu nestled beautifully between the pyramids. The contrast of colours are charming with the luscious green of the trees popping behind her. I have to applaud the timing, Senu looks so graceful coming in to land on Bayek. Let’s Dive In Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ Defalt368 “Fear not the darkness, but welcome its embrace!” Ezio’s Brotherhood robes seem to be a staple for all Assassin’s Creed games. The legendary Italian is a real fan favourite. He went from young tearaway to Master Assassin thanks to the tragedy of house Auditore. In that sense he mirrors Bayek, making it fitting the Medjay should wear his robes. What I love about this capture is the classic Assassin’s Creed feel. The leap of faith always looks fantastic but add to it those amazing reds from the flags and we have one hell of a shot. The positioning and depth of field really help to showcase the shot, with Bayek nicely in the centre of the flags. You could not wish for a better framed shot. The Hood Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ giraph_1 “Every morning of my childhood, my father and I spoke the Prayer of the Medjay, a promise to those in need” The Egyptian Hedj outfit is definitely one of my favourites in the game. It has such distinguishing features and works perfectly to help Bayek hide in plain sight. I was over the moon when Ubisoft added it to Valhalla. This shot immaculately showcases the finer details of the hood, allowing Bayek to look just like an Egyptian Assassin. The angle is brilliant permitting us to only see his nose and mouth. The sandy tones are beautiful, but the darkness entering from the right really epitomises Bayek’s story. A wonderful capture that tells of Bayek’s fight against evil. Link to Set: The Wonders of Egypt Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ Cll3ar “We will find you. We will find you, in your sleep” There is an elegance to Assassin’s Creed Origins thanks to the beautiful landscapes of Egypt. It must have been a dream for the developers to recreate such a famous place in history. However underneath the visage is a deeply corrupted Order who Bayek must put to the sword. This gorgeous capture could easily be mistaken for a painting. I adore the colours and the framing, and those trees either side of the columns look exquisite. I think Raven has captured the beauty of Origins in this shot, and it shows us why Bayek and Aya were so keen to protect their beloved Egypt. Link to set: The Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ KaiVirtualPhoto “You are the Medjay from Siwa” Bayek is one of the last Medjay of Egypt and the co-founder of the Hidden Ones. His time training with his father prepared him for the duty he would later endure. The death of his son to the Order ignited a vengeful streak that saw Bayek cross Egypt in search of those responsible. This cinematic style shot of Bayek is so good. I am loving the assassin come warrior look with the Anubis sword at his side. The desert sandstorm feel is really elevating the shot with those stunning particles blowing pass him. The level of detail here is insane, and I cannot believe how lifelike he looks. I cannot wait to see what Kai can do in the Mirage photo mode. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ DaveWoodwardAC ''The reason I have selected this shot for feature of the week is I absolutely love the colour tone which is a big stand out for me. The use of the sun in order to capture this image is fantastic.'' 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

Community Merchandise Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Merchandise Guide 21/9/22 By Colum Blackett Edited by Ashlea Blackett Share Welcome to our very special Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Merchandise Guide! Here we will be logging all of the merchandise we find celebrating 15 years of the series! About the Author Col is the Community Admin for The Ones Who Came Before, and one of the Assassin's Creed Community Ambassadors (formerly for The Mentors Guild.) He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player, and has spent the last 8 years working within the Assassin's Creed community on countless projects. Twitter Colum Blackett Article contains ads that support TOWCB. Apparel Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary T-shirt (Black or Dark Grey) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Altair (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt (Black or Dark Grey) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Hoodie (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Hoodie (Grey) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Cap (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Year Anniversary Cap (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Altair (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Altair (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Ezio (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Ezio (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Ezio (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Ezio (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Ezio (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Ezio (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Ezio (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Connor (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Connor (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Connor White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Edward (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Edward (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Edward (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Shay (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Shay (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Shay (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Arno (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Arno (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Arno (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Jacob (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Jacob (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Jacob & Evie (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Bayek (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Bayek & Senu (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Bayek & Aya (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Kassandra (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Kassandra (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Kassandra & Alexios (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary T-shirt: Eivor (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Eivor (Black) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Hoodie: Eivor (White) Available from Ubisoft Store Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Men's Short Sleeved T-shirt. Difuzed delivers to various retailers, shops and businesses. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Men's Zipped Hoodie Yvolve Difuzed delivers to various retailers, shops and businesses. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Men's Short Sleeved T-shirt. Difuzed delivers to various retailers, shops and businesses. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Men's Adjustable Cap Difuzed delivers to various retailers, shops and businesses. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Men's Adjustable Cap Difuzed delivers to various retailers, shops and businesses. Preview Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary Men's Dressing Gown Available from GameStop Part 2 Previous Guides AC Odyssey AC Movie Funko Pops Valhalla AC Origins AC Rogue Black Flag Mirage

Feedback from Assassin's Creed community members Reviews Below, you can find feedback and reviews left by members of the AC Community. If you would like to record a testimonial video to be featured on the site, please send us a message. References JorRaptor JorRaptor dedicated a section of his video to information provided by TOWCB Blackwoodz Blackwoodz created a video based on a new interview posted by our admin team! Fizhy Fizhy also put together an information round-up based on information gathered in an interview by TOWCB team. Dark Strider Our article on the Odin's Rune Mystery prompted a response from Narrative Director Darby McDevitt, who confirmed that the mysterious symbols are part of a mystery that cannot be fully solved yet. After months of theorising and searching, community members could finally stop their investigations. JorRaptor Our community was featured on JorRaptor's video in 2021, exploring the Odin Runes mystery. Kotaku Our article on the Odin's Rune Mystery was featured in an article by Kotaku, who commended our comprehensive list of locations and fan theories! You can read Kotaku's article here. Lisa Zaman In an article with Ubisoft Quebec, portrait artist Lisa Zaman kindly recommended TOWCB social media accounts You can find the article here GameRant TOWCB was featured in an article by GameRant to provide details on the sudden closure of The Mentors Guild program. Article

Ubisoft have just released the World Premiere trailer for Assassin's Creed marking the dawn of a new era of the series Community The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today Analysis Cracking the Isu Code: Part 3 Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Top Stories 16/12/21 By Preston Carbonaro Edited by Ashlea Blackett Share Assassin's Creed fans are working hard to crack messages written in the secret language of the highly advanced precursor race known as the Isu, and in the process, decode multiple hidden messages We here at TOWCB have joined the community efforts to try our hands at decoding these messages which are scattered around throughout the game; in Standing Stone puzzles, on Layla’s laptop, and even promotional content. We sincerely hope that none of you experience the Bleeding Effect during the decoding process … Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Col is the Community Admin for The Ones Who Came Before, and one of the Community Builders for The Mentors Guild. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player, and has spent the last 7 years working within the Assassin's Creed community on countless projects. Twitter About the Author Preston Carbonaro Article contains ads that support TOWCB. Top Stories Decoding Brendan of Clonfert’s passage on the Isle of Skye (AC Valhalla)

Benoît Richer Interview: Assassin's Creed Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview Share 14 Oct 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database We are proud to release the second interview in our new series dedicated to the development of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, featuring Co-Dev Game Director Benoît Richer from Ubisoft Montreal! Col: First of all, congratulations on the reveal of AC Valhalla, it looks absolutely phenomenal and we can't wait to learn more. Are you pleased with the response to the game so far? Benoît: Very much yes! All of our key new features along with some legacy ones that we want to bring back with a fresh new take really resonated well, people are excited about the game experience that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will offer! We were excited to be able to show an early look at the game right at announcement, even as we are working on it and the game is clearly not finished. People need to be aware that if we want to show them stuff early instead of holding back everything, there’s still going to be some issues that we know as game devs that we’ll have the time to fix. There’s still going to be people that judge the whole game harshly by seeing a bug & or a detail they didn’t like in a video, without playing. For me it’s like judging a wine by its color and not by tasting the full experience, how every element comes together. But honestly the vast majority that we see online are really hyped for the game and it’s awesome! It’s really motivating for everyone! Col: Have you seen any of the Valhalla fan content created so far, and is so, does anything special come to mind? Benoît: I’m actually following a lot what’s happening online with the fan & the community and I’m really impressed with everything I see (quality & quantity!), like beautiful fan art, amazing cosplays, gear crafting, Discord channels, the #ACSisterhood movement, YouTube videos, live Twitch sessions, historical research, etc.! All of those actually show a great passion for this game and it’s really exciting to be part of it! I try, as much as I can, to answer questions online (that I can answer obviously) and give my support! The AC community is really awesome! Col: How excited are the team to be working on such a unique project? Benoît: You have no idea how much the whole team (hundreds of people across the world) is very hyped and excited to work on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla! It’s quite a challenge to be working on an Assassin’s Creed title as it comes with a lot of expectations from the players, but if you look at the passion, dedication and expertise that this team has, everyone is confident in the unique experience that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will offer. What makes it unique in my opinion is how everything comes together in perfect harmony to create THE best Viking experience out there in an Assassin’s Creed world; like the theme, the historical pivotal story moment, the strong narrative moments, the lore, the new features and systems that makes you feel #LikeAViking , the music, the immersion of the world filled with activities that represent their culture, beliefs and way of life! Assassin's Creed Valhalla releases November 10th 2020 Col: How large can your settlement grow to, and how does Eivor deal with the problem of over population? Benoît: We’re about to reveal more about the settlement soon, but from what I could say right now, is that we’ve designed the settlement to be quite expandable and the more you level it up, the more there’s people that bring their story, contribution and opportunities for Eivor. Each new buildings has their purpose and some will even provide new abilities! Col: Can you choose the strategic positioning of your settlement? Benoît: No. When you arrive in England, there’s an area where you go to build your settlement but as for the why this place was chosen, I can’t say more not to spoil the story. Col: The UK is know for it's unpredictable weather. Do NPC's react to the weather accordingly? If so, can you give us a few examples of this mechanic? Benoît: Indeed this is an aspect that we wanted to make sure was represented and something that the player could use for their own advantage. For example, you can see a storm coming in the sky, or if there’s dense fog (especially in certain areas or time of day), players can take advantage of this as it’s going to impact enemy perception. Col: Do we hear accents in the game? Benoît: Yes of course. You can hear Norse, Welsh, Danish and Scot giving a true phonologic texture. Our Vikings are made up of Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish actors, so yes a lot of beautiful accents. When Eivor first arrives, Ravensthorpe is little more than a Saxon longhouse and a couple of tumbledown shacks. Col: What can you tell us about 'Puzzle Forest', and the mysteries that can be found in the world? Benoît: I’ll start by saying that we do have puzzle wood that you can explore and what you encounter there is really interesting. We do have quite a lot of various activities in the world that represent the Norse/Saxon culture, beliefs and the time period under 3 different categories; 1-Wealth, 2-Mysteries and 3-Secrets. For the Mysteries, among them there’s the offering altars where you can bring back specific offerings to receive blessings from the gods, Standing stones where you have visual anamorphism gameplay to find the hidden place of energy, the World events that are individual captivating story moments that tells more about who these people were and give different emotional tones to the experience, the Animus anomalies that are present day moments merged into the simulation where you need to complete very interesting puzzles in order to recover part of a hidden message that was left for Layla to find, various World boss encounters from legendary folklore beasts to very hardened characters that has deep and interesting stories, hidden underground Caverns concealing secrets, and some others that were exposed already such as Cairn stones landmarks, Flyting the famous rap battles, and more that we’ll let the player discover for themselves. As for the Secrets, among them there’s Roman artefacts that you could find old Roman vestige structures and bring back to a collector in your settlement, Curse symbols to find and destroy that are affecting you psychologically and even physically as the Norse were affected by those curses, Hallucination mushrooms you can consume in order to resolve 3 different types of imaginative puzzles, Flying papers which are a nice homage to Black flag as you can find customisation items, Manuscripts where you can find hidden treasures in the world and other secrets to discover. Col: Other than the Ringleader, what are some of the other new enemy types that feature in the game? Benoît: I’ve never worked on a game where there was such a wide and interesting variety of different enemy archetypes & bosses in a game! We have many different factions such as the Norse, Saxon, bandits, Celts, Picts and others and each of them has unique archetypes & unique abilities. Like a Norse Viking Rusher that rushes and jumps at you (or your raid crew) with dual wielding axes, a huge Saxon Housecarl that gives a lot of pressures constantly attacking with his flail, a Bandit Boar Master that use long fire torches to sends his boars at you and so many more that we’ll let the player discover! Also it’s worth mentioning that this time around, we have archetypes that work in synergy, like for example that Ring leader in the presence of archers could assemble them to call “volley shots”, a huge bandit Destroyer that could spill oil on your and the floor while a bandit Pyro set it on fire or the boar master with his long fire torch. All of those, along with player skills & abilities are going to ensure a very cool progression and variation through the course of the game and in various territories! Col: As the world is filled with meaningful content, what sort of collectibles will players be able to find in the world? Benoît: A lot of them has been covered in the Mysteries and Secrets questions, but there’s a lot more that the player will discover in the world helping his survival skills (as Norse were amazing survivalist and we wanted to cover this aspect in gameplay in a more significant way) such as healing Plants, various Mushrooms that has different effect such as adding adrenaline for players to unleash their abilities, healing, however some other are more dangerous so players will have to be careful and learn the distinction, Minerals to collect or hunting for Leather in order to upgrade your gear and also your carriable capacity of arrows and health rations, Notes & flavor items that are adding richness, depth and historical background to the world, Tattoos in flying papers and some more that we’ll let the player discover! We would like to thank Benoît for joining us for this interview, and to Gabe Graziani and the Ubisoft PR department for making it possible. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Поделитесь своим мнением Добавьте первый комментарий. 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)

The Gaming Library: How Assassin’s Creed Influenced My Interest in History Books Other Share 12 Feb 2024 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Thea Marie Rivedal (Moonchildgecko) from TOWCB Art Team. Collecting has been my favorite hobby since I was a child. Whether it be games, comics, trading cards, or random items with a shared theme, I was always driven to collecting. As I grew, my focus would change and my collections would be the funding to help me start my next pivot at reaching an undetermined and unmet goal of having an interest to talk about. This would continue with only one collection ever growing, my gaming library. Each year (or sooner) I would find myself bored with my current system and with no way of getting money to purchase something new, I would gather what I owned, go to a game store and trade it all in towards a different console, usually something older as they were cheaper at the time. In 2020 I made a decision to pivot my collecting of games for the Nintendo Switch, to the Xbox family of systems. Selling most of my games, I was able to fund a secondhand system (and later a Series X) and start a new collection of game series that I had interest in or had played before and wanted to revisit. It was a quick way to build my library up again and play games that I actually wanted to and not ones that I felt like I had to because I purchased them for my shelves. One of these series was Assassin’s Creed. A few months after starting this new gaming journey, I began expanding my collection for the Assassin’s Creed series. Purchasing all of the games, their respective strategy guides, novels, art books, and anything I could get my hands on that were considered content for the full world of this franchise; in addition to collectables like statues and figures. My plan was to layout all of the content and transmedia into one large timeline and play/read everything from the oldest historical time periods to the most recent. This is something I have openly shared in other articles written for The Ones Who Came Before and one of the biggest accomplishments in my years of gaming. Starting with Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, I explored and absorbed the history of Ancient Greece. I wanted to search every inch of the map to complete the game in its fullest form and try to catch up on the series as I was very behind, with Valhalla being the current game at the time. After finishing the game and reading the extra content in the strategy guide and art book, I moved to the novelization of the game and then onto AC Origins. This trend will continue as I work through the series, where I am currently in the 18th Century during the Golden Age of Piracy. As I continue, I keep revisiting older centuries while new content is released, waiting for more from Assassin’s Creed Mirage at the time of this writing. In June of 2022, I was walking around a local bookstore and saw a series of museum photo books for Ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome, and the Viking era. I gathered them and flipped through a few pages to see what they were and sparked the idea of building a library to help me learn more about the real world history that is laid out in the Assassin’s Creed games so that I could have a better understanding and experience when I replay the games in the future. Prior to this visit, I had finished reading Kate Heartfield’s first entry in the Assassin’s Creed Engine of History trilogy; The Magus Conspiracy . In this story, Assassin in training, Simeon Price studies under the mentorship of Oscar Kane and is tasked not just in the art of stealth and combat, but also studies to better his education. Listed in various parts of the book, Simeon reads tomes of great historical value to mankind. This was the first time that an Assassin’s Creed story has provided insight to the materials an Assassin would study. Opening the digital copy I kept on my phone, I went to my highlighted notes and looked at the books Simeon read. Two of them I knew to be easily available so I searched for them with the assistance of an employee and left with the four previously mentioned museum books and a copy of the 1818 text edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall . The former was a book that Simeon was tasked in reading and the former was used in comparison of the creation and rebellion of Frankenstein’s monster to that of the humans to the Isu race; the ancient civilization behind the lore of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. I purchased these two books and when I returned home, I started my comment thread on Twitter to catalogue and share my progress on this new project. Over the course of the next few months, I started scrubbing through the Assassin’s Creed transmedia items in my collection, looking for references to any book in their pages. When I started a new game, such as Black Flag, I would document the books that were used for the codex, mentioned in conversation, or referenced in the Modern Day content or the supplementary strategy guide and art book. I would continue to do this for each new media I consumed and at some point, I will go through the games I have already finished when I work through my timeline the second time. While doing so I will also make note of figures and events in the games so that I can expand my library past the referenced materials. One of the more entertaining ways of finding books that were used to design the games was through old production videos from Ubisoft and pausing to look at the covers and spines and write down what I found. I luckily had picked up one of these books for Assassin’s Creed Origins titled, Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds without realizing it until I saw the BTS video for it. This just excited me more so when I ran out of videos to review, I reached out to a few people around the internet to gather additional book titles and would ask authors for their lists of research books for the novels I would read going forward. Since I started I have collected 81 books covering nearly all of the time periods that have been depicted in the Assassin’s Creed series. Each section is noticeable, especially next to the games that were based around them, and Ancient Greece seems to be the largest group of books. What is funny about collecting is that I don’t read everything right away, so of the 81 books I own, I have only read 10 of them. I’m reading these sporadically, but collecting is the fun part. It is because of Assassin’s Creed that I have an actual interest in history now. In all games and media that I consume these days, I am listening for period appropriate texts and plan on continuing this collection once I finish the AC series with other game titles. Wanting to learn more about the contents of history so that I can better understand the games is enjoyable and I’ve learned a lot in doing so. I think about the future, of having a library that I can not only enjoy, but share with others. Not knowing where the series will go, or if it will even continue after the next decade, I can guarantee that my exploration of history will continue with other games & media. My most recent purchases have been based around the Middle East and The Golden Age of Piracy. I received books for Christmas tied to Assassin’s Creed: Mirage and Assassin’s Creed: The Golden City in addition to books I purchased about the pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy as seen in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag . I wasn’t aiming to get these specifically, but they were what first caught my eye and I had been wanting a few of them for a while (mainly the pirate books). This weekend I plan on going out again to see what I can find and maybe one day I can find and afford to purchase an original printing of an old book such as The Prince by Machiavelli, or a first edition of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as that would be a great focal point to my library. My love of the franchise has only grown with my yearning to learn more about history. Having the opportunity to look into the process of the developers and how they make the games, studying as Shaun Hastings would to assist Desmond Miles. For now though, I await to see what knowledge I will read from Feudal Japan, the witch hunts of Germany, the Great Wall of China and onwards. History has become my playground, much like Ubisoft sings from this franchise and the creed of the Assassins Brotherhood. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

In our new article, we begin to imagine an Assassin's Creed Black Flag style game set during The Golden Age of Piracy in China. The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today Community ? Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Addiction Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Top Stories 16/9/22 By Finn Fletcher Edited by Ashlea Blackett Share It's 2013, you're 13 years old and waiting for what would become one of your favourite games. You've always loved pirates, spent your childhood watching the Pirates of the Caribbean films so obsessively you nearly know them word for word. You could tell people the difference between a schooner and a brigg, and have visited the last remaining sailing ship of the era docked in London. It's 2013, you're 13 years old and you learn you'll never see your dad again. He introduced you to Pirates of the Caribbean when you were probably too young. He'd bought history books for you, and had plastic sword fights throughout the house with you when you were younger. He's gone now, and you don't know why. 9 years have passed and you still think of that strange autumn, the wild month around your birthday which went from excitement to depression. You remember being too young to really understand what's going on, what account documents you're being told about and the will you've been left with. In all honesty you don't care, what does stuff matter now, just leave me to play my games. Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Article may contain ads that support TOWCB. Top Stories 9 years have passed and you still replay Black Flag, no game has ever come close to completely absorbing you since. You remember swimming between islands just to see if you can, and finding a glitch to keep your hood up (because honestly who wants it down). The story progresses, and you realise that it's got more to teach you than you thought. Suicide, you've heard the word before but never really understood it. It was mentioned in bible class when you were younger, but like everything it just washed over your head, a word without any real meaning. Alcoholic is said now and again, you get the concept but now why people end up like that. "Just stop drinking," you'd think, "it's not that hard." Edward Kenway hits rock bottom, he's pushed away all his friends, his families halfway across the planet, hope has disappeared. He tumbles through the memory corridor, an area that's become symbolic for beginning your journey, and the success of defeating another target. Now, it's nothing but the falling ground for a man with nothing but a bottle. It's strange how art can affect you, what it teaches you without you ever expecting. No one went in to Black Flag for an emotional revelation about what it feels like to be hopeless, to give up and turn to bad habits to survive. The fun swashbuckling adventure has slowly peeled away to reveal the sad truths of the heroes of children's books and films, the reality of feeling without a place in a growing world. I struggled to understand my dad, he was distant and strange, without any explanation. He lived in a village in the middle of nowhere, he was part of a church whose rules he didn't follow, and seemed rudderless in everything he did. It's hard to express what being a child and seeing that feels like, trying to comprehend emotions you're too young or naive to experience feels like. That confusion can become resentment, misplaced anger or endless sadness. It's easy to repeat the cycle, act out without reason and continue the self destruction. If it weren't for an odd little game about Pirates and hooded Assassins. This month marks the 9th anniversary of that tumultuous year, and a lot definitely happens in your teen years. You go through your own heartbreak, learn your own lessons, get to experience some of the emotions that once seemed so alien. 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. On a blog dedicated to writing, Finn has been sharing reviews, stories and thoughts. By joining the AC Partnership Program's Writing Team, we are hoping to take Finn's passion for writing to the next level. Finn Fletcher Community Hub Blog Twitter Instagram The best part of growing up is being old enough to hear the full story, to learn details that were understandably kept secret. But that journey, surprisingly of all, started with Assassins Creed showing a real, human and flawed character. It's strange to look back, after games with demigods and narrative choices, to think about how personally impactful watching a pre-written story about a Welsh dude with a few too many guns was in comparison. I know that to many Assassins Creed is pulpy historical fun, like marvel with dysentery. But it can't be understated, especially now in the age of "content" and "games as a service", how important it can be to include these darker moments and themes in your games. Black Flag was undeniably a fun romp, and the team behind it were exceptionally successful in making a great sandbox that you can jump back into after a long day. It's just amazing that through that medium, Darby McDevitt, Matt Ryan, and all the other actors, writers and developers made something that can, at least for one gamer, be life changing. It's soppy and melodramatic sure, but these fun corny games can be so impactful. They can last for nearly a decade in the minds of players by trying something, by trying to make a statement or express an emotion. I don't want to interfere in the lives of developers, but there's something so personal to the narrative of Black Flag, a passion to its presentation and themes that shines through. If we don't discuss depression, addiction, greed and imperfections, we're doomed to leave people clueless. Entertainment and art can teach so much, and even without realising, can help improve our understanding of the human experience immeasurably. I love Assassin's Creed, I love it's gameplay, philosophy and history. I just hope to see more stories from more creative, that touch upon something with such raw truth as Black Flag did all those years ago.

Colours in Assassin's Creed - a short review Analysis Share 18 Apr 2019 Written By: Edited By: Thea (Moonchildgecko) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database With the white hood and red attire, the hidden blade and a hunt for the Pieces of Eden, it’s not that far-fetched to say the Assassin’s Creed franchise is littered with symbols. Some may be in plain sight and speak for themselves, whilst others are to be found when taking a second look and digging deeper into the symbolic meanings. However, just finding the symbols doesn’t always make it clear what they mean. It’s time to take a closer look into the franchise and see what it can reveal through its symbols, statuses, clothing, attire and weaponry we’ve become all so familiar with. For this article, the focus will be on the different colours that appear throughout the franchise, from the standard red and white, seen with the templars and assassins alike, to a brief look on the differing of colours according to game and historical setting. Why the Red and White? When speaking of colours, the numbers in the spectrum would take ages to describe and decode, some colours barely have names, some only numbers. They are infinite. Yet the three colours it is mainly agreed upon that all the others originate from are blue, red and yellow. Additionally, some are more human made colours like black and white, where white is defined as the absence of colour and black having all the colours combined. Through time we humans have supplemented the colours with a variety of symbolic meanings and usage. Some colours have had totally different meanings through time and place, and some have stayed the same. What then lies beneath the red and white clothing we familiarise with the Assassins? White is the colour of the long robes we are introduced to in the first game. The Assassins, during the crusades, use the clothing to blend in with scholars as a way of disguising themselves while in big crowds or when there was a need to come close to a specific target without them knowing; in most cases simply to slip past guards without any danger. White is mostly associated with purity and peace, quite an ironic choice of wardrobe when our beloved characters dwell in the occupation of assassinations. To choose the white robe as a way of blending in is, of course, ingenious, and it is a tradition the later Assassins keep up. Speaking of purity, wearing white attire in a dessert would keep it somewhat neat, but when rolling around in mud, blood, dust and dirt from the highest rooftop to the lowest sewers and caves, staying white would be a hazardous fulltime job. Traditionally outside of the AC franchise, when introduced to an assassin of any background, be it a ninja, a mercenary or just someone up to no good, they are, more often than not, clothed in black or dark colours to hide their identity and presence. To dress in white may as well be the Assassins way of boldly saying “we are here, and we’re not going anywhere”, as the colour white truly stands out in both night and daytime. If you want to stay hidden, don’t wear white, you’ll be seen from a mile away. Still the Assassins choose to wear it if given the chance. This can be interpreted as a way of letting the enemies know the Assassins don’t doubt their skills and presence, with no fear of being seen. Throughout the franchise, Ubisoft manage to design each character in a way so that they keep their beloved white colour and remain hidden in plain sight. The dressing also alters with the time and place we meet the given character. After a while, it seems like the hood becomes the soul symbol of the Assassins, and the white recedes more. Red is the colour of blood, of love, of hatred and of pulsing life. Its relation to anger, aggression and war also makes it a contradicting colour all depending on which culture the colour is viewed through. The active and masculine colour has been a symbol of both power and peace, of strength and happiness. In Egyptian mythology, the colour is linked to evil, seen as being the colour belonging to the god Seth and the chaos serpent Apep. In the Roman period however, it was a colour of the war god Ares, and was associated with strength and war in a positive way, giving courage to the soldiers. In Chinese tradition, however, the colour is a representative of luck, happiness, fertility, energy, wealth and life. When it comes to Assassin's Creed, the colour red appears together with the main characters throughout the franchise, mostly as a piece of fabric. Its representation can be linked to the colour of blood, a colour of power and strength or a combination of both. To have red being linked to the symbolic meaning of blood isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it appears in the franchise, blood can be viewed as something cleansing. The first time we see this colour in association with an assassin is on Altaïr, as a red fabric underneath his leather belt. This tradition follows the future assassins from Ezio and all the way up to Evie and Jacob Frye. Later in the franchise with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, red is the colour of Sparta; a city and its citizens built for war. Blue is a colour which has been represented for thousands of years. Its meaning is varied and rich. Albeit having different meanings, its foundation lies in the infinite, the divine and heavenly. Blue being the colour of the sky and the ocean, it represents that which is far away and out of reach, a cold and distant colour. This may be why it has represented gods, deities and that which can’t be reached by humans. In ancient Egypt the colour was a representation of the sky and linked to the god Amun who was often painted blue but has also been linked to death. In Assassin’s Creed, the frequent use of blue is in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, where the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens sparks the use of both red and blue. There are no clear sources pinpointing the colour blue to Athens. This link may be a representation from modern times as it is an opposing colour to red, the colour of Sparta. Athens was also right next to the sea, so blue might be a colour they could have chosen to represent themselves. Having Athena as their chosen god could also have amplified this choice of colour, where the colour also represents both wisdom, fertility and the female gender. Gold is a powerful colour, or more correctly speaking , metal. Although gold is not found in the colour spectrum, it is often used as a way to show power, wealth and divinity. It has throughout time been a symbol of the sun, the gods and immortality, used by many cultures from the dawn of human civilisations. The metal is also associated with hidden or illusive treasures that illustrates supreme illumination. In ancient Egypt the flesh of the gods was thought to be made out of gold, hence the gilded face masks and sarcophagus's of royals. Its representation and link to the sun god Ra was also present in the golden pyramid tops, standing as a mountain of gold. The link between golden apples and immortality is also found in both Japanese, Greek and Norse mythology. The golden apple may have given it away, but both gilded and gold objects are to be found throughout the entire Assassin’s Creed franchise. Most notorious are the Pieces of Eden, powerful objects inhabiting great scientific knowledge, history, illusions and the ability to control the free will of humans. They come in several shapes and sizes, most know as apples, but additionally appear in the shape of a scepter, a sword and as the golden fleece (has streaks of gold in it). Black Darkness and the absence of light, shadowy and mysterious. The colour associated with death, dark magic, temptation, grief, loss and old age, black has mainly had this meaning through both time and cultures. Before moving on, its still important to note that black has its feminine side in Yin from the Chinese tai-ji symbol of Yin and Yang, and was associated with the ancient land of Egypt and the gods Anubis and Pluto; though in the latter both are gods of the Underworld. The colour black has also been hard to dye, suggesting its status as a wealthy colour. Moving on, the colour with its grim symbolic meaning may have the larger strategical advantage. If you want to lurk around in the dark and do things which normally would be questioned, like the occasional assassination, roof-observing or casual stalking, black is the go-to-colour. It is also noticeable through the Assassin’s Creed franchise that the colours of the in-game-characters turns to a darker point rather quickly. In this case, but not only, the truly black attire fully emerges with the Frye twins in Victorian London and its darker era. Coal and smog in the air, trains, carriages, mud and blood makes the black colour-of-choice an appropriate candidate, keeping the twins at a rather low key profile (or maybe not, I’m looking at you Jacob) giving them the blending effect and staying classy. Both the twins however also mostly have a tad of red with them, indicating a sense of tradition and salute to the old Assassin Masters. A Colourful Franchise As every Assassin has their own take on the traditional attire, customizing it to their need, time and place, it leaves us with a grand and astounding collection of outfits through the franchise. The traditional hood first used by the mercenaries in Greece. The white as an adaptation to the desert perhaps by Bayek and Aya. Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton’s white robes as angels of death. Pirates, rebels, visionaries, brothers and sisters, the colours are many, the stories they tell even more. With black as the leading colour for the more modern Assassins working their way through corrupt regimes, states and organisations, it also may be symbolically fitting to the era. If we take a brief look upon the franchise, the closer we get to today's society, the darker the attire becomes. Mostly as a way of blending in, it could also symbolise the Assassin’s mourning over civilisation. Put in context with the symbolism of black, you could almost suggest the Assassin’s role is needed as a destructive force necessary to keep the balance of civilisation in check. It doesn’t mean they enjoy it, watching society crumble to greed, it simply indicates that they’re not going anywhere for the time being, unaffected by their choice of dressing and colour. Sources Cirlot, J.E. (1983) A Dictionary of Symbols. 2nd edition. London and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Shepherd, R. and Shepherd, R. (2002) 1000 Symbols. London: Thames and Hudson. Tresidder, J. (2004) The Complete Dictionary of Symbols in Myth, Art and Literature. London: Duncan Baird Publishers. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Compartilhe sua opinião Seja o primeiro a escrever um comentário. About the Author Thea is a full time student studying archaeology at the University of Bergen in Norway. She is a huge fan of the franchise and enjoys writing both fictional and academic texts. In her spare time, Thea is a passionate artist, creating detailed pencil sketches and watercolour/acrylic paintings. She has even created tattoos and replica historical props/ clothing before! In Summer 2022, Thea joined TOWCB's art team, where she will have the chance to work on a variety of projects and expand her art portfolio. Thea (Moonchildgecko)