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Assassin's Creed Shadows Eve of Launch Statement Community Share 19 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Gargudon Back To Database comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Ask the VP Episode 15: Interview with TOWCB Virtual Photography Team Leader Aaron Young Interviews Share 5 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database On the 4th November 2023, The PhotoMode invited our very own Aaron Young // FalconVP (Team Leader for TOWCB Virtual Photography Team) for an interview on Twitter Spaces, as part of the 'Ask the VP' series, covering hi s VP Style and process, being a part of The Ones Who Came Before // Isu_Network team, his love for Assassin's Creed and more! Check it out here! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Assassin's Creed Odyssey: Eve of Launch Message News Share 1 Oct 2018 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are now extremely close to the early access release of Assassin's Creed Odyssey! We would like to take this opportunity to thank our loyal fanbase, who have followed our coverage of the game since its reveal at E3. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome our new members, who we hope are enjoying their time in the Assassin's Creed Community! Although Assassin's Creed Odyssey was a very unusual direction for the brand to take, we believe that fans will fall in love with the wonders of the ancient world, and consider the game to be a worthy sequel to AC Origins, and an excellent addition to the franchise. During the promotional campaign for Assassin's Creed Odyssey, we strived to provide regular giveaways for the community, and will continue to do so after its launch. We are currently giving away a variety of Assassin's Creed items, kindly donated by Ubisoft Montreal! As many of you will soon be receiving your ACO merchandise and editions of the game in the mail, we decided that a community project was the best way in order to select winners. Simply record a short unboxing video, and send it to Theoneswhocamebefore@googlemail.com . We look forward to seeing your reactions! Whoever you choose to play as, we want to hear about your AC Odyssey experience! Feel free to contact us with your screenshots, stories & questions! We hope that you have a fantastic experience playing the game, and thank you all for following the rules as we enter our annual 'lockdown mode', in order to prevent spoilers. We can't wait to explore Ancient Greece, and hope that you guys have a great time playing! - TOWCB Admin Team 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)

Mentor Memories: Remembering the Mentors Guild In Memoriam Share 19 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Just before the unexpected closure of The Mentors Guild program, members of the Assassin's Creed community shared their favourite memories in the now deleted Discord server, all of which we saved just in time. A huge network of AC Community members came together to reflect on their fondest moments and accomplishments. In Part one of this two-part series, we share with you some of those wonderful memories so that TMG is never forgotten. Many members of the Mentors Guild (TMG) have now been moved across to the Star Player 2.0 Program, which is set to be bigger and better for community members, increasing opportunities by merging several Ubisoft community programs together. It's clear that TMG meant a lot to the AC Community, and its closure leaves a huge gap. We here at TOWCB will miss The Mentors Guild, especially what it became in its later days, where it opened the doors to hundreds of community members around the world, but we also look forward to seeing what comes next with the creation of the Star Player 2.0 program, which will hopefully be just as rewarding for content creators and community members. LOADING FIRMWARE..... ANIMUS 2.02....... MEMORIES SYNCHRONISING...... Memory by Kim Beacham from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom ''I have started getting voice actors from the AC series to sign my Mentors Guild T-shirt that we got last year with their favourite quotes or character names. Only a few weeks ago added to it, were Nolan North (Desmond Miles) and Matt Ryan. I'm going to get it signed by as many Assassin's Creed voice actors as I can by attending events and cons to then frame it once full, front and back!'' By Dave Woodward from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom My fondest Mentors Guild Memories. ''Getting the opportunity to represent the AC brand through The Mentors Guild and wearing the t-shirt with pride, and letting people in our amazing community know what TMG is and what we do as fans. I got to meet the amazing members of our community. I was invited to London to see the AC Symphony and had the opportunity to go an amazing tour of London with my fellow UK member, enjoying the scenery and the company. To top the evening off, through TMG, an Assassin's Creed meet-up in a local pub was arranged before the start of the London premier of the AC Symphony, which saw Alexios himself, Michael Antonakos as a surprise guest, which made everyone attending really happy. Being able to see the AC Symphony live was something which I'll never forget. Also through myself and our Mentors in the Assassin's Creed United Kingdom group, we arranged several cosplay meet-ups which saw members of our community attending and getting the chance to meet the stars of AC franchise such as Matt Ryan (Edward Kenway), Abubakar Salim (Bayek) and Paul Amos (Jacob Frye).'' 13/7/22: '' Today marks the sad day that the Mentors Guild program will close after 5 years, I am truly grateful to have been apart of this program for the last 2 years, thank you to the Com Devs for everyone you've done Looking forward what we can do in the Star Player 2.0 program'' Memory by Louise Chase (TheNerdyArcher) from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom ''I think the Weapons Workshop last year was so much fun and it was great to work with some of the other Mentors! Also it got me set on the idea of making prop weapons and cosplay so I have it to thank; maybe one day I'll reveal the final piece.'' 'So you've seen the Mentor's Guild weapons which will be added into AC Valhalla - but what about the other concepts? Presenting: Viggo's Brandr'' Memory by Declan from Let's Talk Assassin's Creed ''I had no idea what to send at first but then I remembered this moment that still makes me laugh. Attending a Discord call with the epic UK Mentors in my blanket as I had Covid, and now it's become standard for me to arrive in any Discord Call wearing the blanket.'' ''I learned a lot from The Mentors Guild and made a ton of amazing friends and I hope to continue to do so with fellow Star Players'' Memory by Siobhan from Assassin's Creed United Kingdom ''So many memories to chose from! Up in the top few moments would definitely be getting our Christmas Jumpers'' ''Absolutely delighted to announce I've been invited to join the Star Player 2.0 programme! I've had a blast as part of the Mentor's Guild so I'm really looking forward to where this leads. Thank you @Ubisoft_UK and @Assassins_UK for this amazing opportunity.'' Memory by Anastasia Neuer ''I've always really liked the modern-day storyline of AC and it's a huge inspiration for my art. The majority of my AC art is dedicated to modern-day characters and Sofia Rikkin in particular. This fan art of her is the most important one for me. I want modern-day characters to get more recognition within the AC community and I'm so happy to be a part of the Mentors Guild for the chance to share my love for these characters with more people.'' Memory by Mikael from Assassin's Creed France ''Shortly after the official release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, we were offered a pack with several objects including the French press kit and the AC Valhalla face masks. It was a great moment. We opened our packages at the same time on a video call. I loved seeing the reaction of my Mentor friends when they opened and discovered their package. Fun fact: I had fun putting the AC Valhalla mask on my life-sized statue of Arno'' Memory by Kangarrru (Valorianru) Although I've only been with the guild a short time. It's been an incredible privilege. I'm from a small town outside Melbourne so the opportunities in gaming are few and far between. Joining the Guild was the biggest opportunity I'd ever received. The Guild encouraged me to create, to make new friends and engage with a community. TMG got me through the longest lockdowns in the world and gave me a support network across the world. Being able to talk with people who love something like I do. It's been an incredible opportunity and I wish I had the headspace to express just how something like this has meant to me. Thank you to all the Ubisoft team and thank you to each and every Mentor. Safety and Peace. Gratitude by GronnUlv ''Thanks to Ubisoft for their support, nothing like this has ever happened in my life before. Thank you so much for this opportunity to be a part of the Mentors Guild. I'm sad that I didn't have the opportunity to do more. But I hope that someday in this life something will get better and I will be able to return to drawing fanarts for Assassins Creed. Still, this universe occupies an important part of my life and without it I wouldn't have met many wonderful people'' We would like to say a huge thank you to all the Mentors who shared their touching stories. Do you have any Mentors Guild Memories you would like to share? Get in touch with The Ones Who Came Before ( @ACFirstCiv ) on Twitter to be featured in part 2 of this mini series dedicated to The Mentors Guild! 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)

Veteran Assassin's Creed Writer Darby McDevitt announces surprise return to Ubisoft News Share 13 Nov 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database In a surprise tweet that took Twitter by storm, fan favourite Assassin's Creed script writer Darby McDevitt has announced his return to Ubisoft after an eight month long hiatus. "Yes, I have returned to Ubisoft! As I pondered my career over the past year, I focused on my desire to explore new ideas and unknown frontiers. Much to my delight, this is reflected in my return to Ubisoft to work on AC. I’m excited to continue my journey. Stay tuned!” Back in March 202, McDevitt announced his departure from the company on Twitter, in search of new adventures and opportunities. In a final Tweet, he thanked all of the fans & content creators that have supported & expanded on his work over the years. The news was met with disbelief, as one of the longest serving and most loved developers working on the franchise would no longer be at the helm. Over a 12 year+ period, he has worked on many games and projects, including Revelations, Black Flag, Embers and Bloodlines. Most recently serving as the Narrative Director on Assassin's Creed Valhalla, McDevitt made it his mission to tie up loose narrative threads. His efforts were recognised, as the game featured many callbacks and clever links to previous games, alongside helping to restore the franchise's fading identity. The news was met with online applause, as fans of the franchise revelled in the knowledge that a true loremaster and mentor had returned. Going forward, it is hoped that McDevitt and the narrative teams at Ubisoft can shape new experiences to honour the legacy of the franchise, and restore the elements that feel so distant in recent games. Within the community, Darby is known for his intriguing and sometimes cryptic tweets, making fans dig beneath the surface to discover the truth. He represents the best that the Assassin's Creed series can be, and we here at TOWCB are thrilled by the news, especially as the upcoming 'Assassin's Creed Infinity' project brings with it such uncertainty, as the series moves towards a live service. Little is known about the upcoming project, but Ubisoft recently made it clear that the project is being led by a new cross-studio, collaborative structure, directed by Marc-Alexis Côté, who will serve as executive producer of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Also joining the project is Étienne Allonier, brand director for Assassin’s Creed for the last 10 years, who together with senior producer Julien Laferrière, Creative Directors Jonathan Dumont and Clint Hocking, will change the way the Assassin's Creed series evolves. In the past, studios have passed the baton on to the next, allowing a time window for them to begin work on the next. With the new structure, One group within Ubisoft, made up of multiple teams, will work on Assassin's Creed coherently. With Darby McDevitt back, it's a sigh of relief for many fans to see that the narrative is once again being cared for by safe hands. Stay tuned for further updates. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

AC Community Questions: Calvin Whiteway Interview Share 3 Feb 2026 Written By: Edited By: Calvin Whiteway Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome back to another article in our Assassin's Creed Community Questions series, made up of interviews with Assassins based around the world. This week, we are joined by Calvin Whiteway, who joined our Assassin's Creed Partnership program as a Video Content Creator in Autumn 2024, best known for his hilarious skits on the ACFirstCiv TikTok account. Col: Hi Calvin, thank you for joining me for this interview. Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role within the Assassin's Creed Community. Calvin: Hey, my name's Calvin. Content creator. I'm a nerd for cameras, films, acting and just being creative. I also love the gym, getting outside and working hard. I've been a fan of AC since I was a kid, played the games loads. Calvin Whiteway Col: In Autumn 2024 you joined The Ones Who Came Before's Assassin's Creed Partnership Program, known as the Isu_Network. How have you found working alongside the Video Content Creation Team, and how excited are you for the future of Assassin's Creed? Calvin: Grateful for this opportunity to work with this cool team and I'm excited to see the future of the company. It 's been really interesting working with the team. Coming out with ideas and everyone having different styles, which is good to see. Hoping for the future to work together on more projects but all around, happy to create AC content as best I can! Excited to see where the creators take Assassin's Creed but it's hard to best the originals. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game have you been playing recently, and which game are you playing next? Calvin: Playing AC III recently, which is really good. I recommend it if you haven't, I think it's underrated. Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? Calvin: I haven't visited any yet but the goal is to head to Rome and Valencia, Italy sometime soon! Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? Calvin: It's hard to choose a favourite as they all have their styles and story lines but I'm going to say AC Brotherhood, as it had the best story, dialogue and characters you connected with. Promo image for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (2010) Col: Have you attended any events within the Assassin's Creed Community? Calvin: Haven't been to any events but hoping for a comic con trip, dressed as an assassin will come soon! Col: Do you have a favourite Assassin's Creed community moment/ story you would like to share? Calvin: I think joining the team has been an interesting experience as I've heard and seen a lot more BTS of AC and built connections with people who love the same thing as me. That's been nice. Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? Calvin: Dream setting?! Hmmm. To not remake any moments from the games but create a new story line and to have characters we can relate to and care for as the season goes on. I wish to star in it also, I wouldn't mind that Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? Calvin: To see my keep consistent in helping the brand. Keep uploading content and experience cool opportunities that I would never have the chance too. Col: What would you say is your most significant community achievement to date? Calvin: Significant achievement in AC? Probably collecting 5 platinum trophies on the AC franchise. Col: What is your favourite part of being a community member? Calvin: Getting inside information, building bonds and connecting with others who like the same thing as me. Also, like to see people debating and banter that comes with it. Col: Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? Calvin: Currently got a few collection bits. I've got an AC hat with an Eagle on it and a small figure of Ezio on top of a building. Col: What advice do you have for people looking to get into content creation, in particular, video editing and recording. Calvin: Honestly, build what you want, don't let others tell you what's right and wrong. Find the creative thing you like, get started and keep consistent. Col: Where can our community members find you online? Calvin: The best way to find me is on Instagram (@ cw.content ) or Calvinin3d ) business and personal account. Keep an eye out for more content by Calvin at ACFirstCiv on TikTok comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Calvin is a video creator based in the UK who joined TOWCB's Video Content Creation Team in Autumn 2024. Known online for his short comedy videos (skits), Calvin was brought onboard to inject a degree of personality and humour into TOWCB's social media presence. He is a big fan of the Assassin's Creed series who will be helping TOWCB grow, with a particular focus on producing content for Tiktok, Youtube and Instagram. Calvin Whiteway

AC Community Questions: The Ælchemist Interview Share 5 Feb 2025 Written By: Edited By: TheÆlchemist Colum Blackett Back To Database Hi The Ælchemist , thank you for joining me for this introductory interview. Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role within the Assassin's Creed Community. Col: In January 2025, you joined The Ones Who Came Before's Assassin's Creed Partnership Program, known as the Isu_Network. Are you looking forward to working alongside the team during the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows? The Ælchemist : : Yes! I'm very much looking forward to working alongside the team. AC Shadows will be a lot of fun. I've been waiting for this instalment since I first started playing Assassin's Creed. Col: How excited are you to get your hands on the upcoming instalment? The Ælchemist : As a person born and raised in the region where the game takes place, that has only increased my hype further. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game have you been playing recently, and which game are you playing next? The Ælchemist : I'm currently playing Syndicate on my Xbox due to its 60 FPS update. I'm having a lot of fun with it and will likely play AC Shadows next. Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? The Ælchemist : I have visited London many times and love the Elizabeth Tower. I enjoy visiting historical locations. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? The Ælchemist : don’t really have a favorite AC game, but the closest to my favorite is Black Flag, as I love the naval combat and the Moby Dick mission. Official Promo Image for Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag Col: Have you attended any events within the Assassin's Creed Community? The Ælchemist : I haven’t attended any AC events specifically, but whenever there’s a convention I’m at, I make sure to check out their displays. Col: Do you have a favourite Assassin's Creed community moment/ story you would like to share? The Ælchemist : My favorite moment was meeting Desmond's voice actor, Nolan North, and hearing him talk about voicing Desmond Miles. Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? The Ælchemist : My dream setting for upcoming AC content would be WW2 or the Inca empire. Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? The Ælchemist : My personal AC goal is to someday become involved in some way with the making of a AC game, (voice actor, writer, Mocap Actor etc). Animus Hub: The new home of all things Assassin's Creed Col: What would you say is your most significant community achievement to date? The Ælchemist : My most significant community achievement would probably have to be, becoming a partner with, The Ones Who Came Before. Col: What is your favourite part of being a community member? The Ælchemist : My favorite part of being a community member is being able to talk to and make friends with people who have similar interests. Col: Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? The Ælchemist : I do collect AC merchandise, mostly books, but my favorite is a behind-the-scenes book of the movie. Col: What advice do you have for people looking to get into social media management? The Ælchemist : My advice for people looking into social media management is: Work hard, show kindness to your community, and never take anything personally. As long as you work hard and are kind, good people will follow you. Sadly, there will always be bad people on the internet. Don’t engage with them—they want a reaction. Ignore them, and either they will go away, or if they don’t and start talking about you on their accounts, it’s free advertising. As an Asian person on the internet, I’ve seen my fair share of racism. I strive to keep my communities free from discrimination and racism, and I have a zero-tolerance policy for it. So in short, just be nice, be kind, be smart, and work hard—you will grow as a person as well as your following. It’s always slow in the beginning, but once you get things rolling, it will start to pick up speed. Never give up and always work hard. Col: Where can our community members find you online? The Ælchemist : You can find me on: Youtube: @ TheÆLCHEMIST Twitter: Master Shinobi comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author TheÆlchemist is a passionate social media manager based in Japan who joined TOWCB's Social Media Team in January 2025 to help the team prepare for coverage of Assassin's Creed Shadows news and updates. He is known for providing in-depth detailed analysis on all things Assassin's Creed, something which we here at TOWCB always strive to provide. He is also a keen video creator, a skill which we hope to nurture through collaborations with our video content creation team. By joining the partnership program, we will be sharing content created by TheÆlchemist with a larger audience, and he will help our fan community surpass 70,000 followers across all platforms. TheÆlchemist

Assassin's Creed Nexus VR Non-Spoiler Review Reviews Share 21 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database I have always loved when a videogame that I like becomes much more than a simple matter of sitting in front of a TV and playing it. The universe in which the game itself is rooted in, that’s what appeals to me. I love exploring the deepest corners of such worlds and all their possible adaptations and literary works that would help me expand on those very worlds. This is exactly what Assassin’s Creed Nexus does, being a VR title and also a lover of virtual reality ever since it was a thing, having the opportunity to be in the world of my favourite video game franchise ever makes me feel so satisfied and it will most likely be a point of no return in terms of experience, as after several hours of gameplay this is without a doubt, the true Assassin’s Creed experience, in which YOU are the Assassin, and it all depends on you. First and foremost I should say for the record that this is truly an amazing experience. The fact that you can climb and assassinate in first person is simply a dream come true. I know that this is nothing new and there are certainly mods that some adventurous souls dared to make for games like Boneworks or Blade and Sorcery, however this is of course executed much better, on top of the fact that it comes from Ubisoft’s hand itself. Assassin’s Creed Nexus behaves itself mostly as any other VR action/adventure title available on the market, with the ability to choose between smooth movement or teleportation, which comes in handy to reduce motion sickness. When it comes down to movement and traversal, this is where the game really shines and allows you to freely interact with the world around you however you like. You need to grab ledges and climbable surfaces with your controllers without losing grip, otherwise your character falsl flat on their face, which is pretty cool, adding an extra feel of immersion/stress, constantly reminding you that you are about to take a long fall if you somehow think it is ok to release the grab button for some reason. Of course, this comes with some cons that I find are a bit draining at times while playing the game for a long session. However I would say this is somewhat compensated by the feel of actually being able to scour through the streets of Monteriggioni and revisit the iconic church of the village or the Auditore Crypt with a now 1:1 scale of how the statues really look, it is simply a constant rush of those sweet 2009 memories when you first ventured into the villa’s main hall, and where I felt at home, just as if I picked up right where I left it back in the day with a complete knowledge of the villa’s room distribution. But I digress. Don't be afraid! In the game menu you can swap to the option of one press of the grab button to make the climbing easier, allowing you to forget the danger of falling down and focus on the next anchor point for your hands but honestly, I recommend for you to try and train yourself into actually manually climbing walls for extra immersion. Even though you can customize your climbing experience, since the climbing system is a constant movement of your arms in real life, you will most likely end up tired the longer and more aggressively you play the game as there is no speed limit to how you can actually climb surfaces, which is a nice feature on its own but it may encourage players to take a more proactive approach while starting your game and ending up tired and walking in the streets rather than rooftops the longer you play. While the grab and climb system is mostly accurate and effective, due to the clunky nature of the yet underdeveloped VR technology, you may have a hard time actually climbing on surfaces. As for the pull-up you need to pull yourself up as if you were climbing an imaginary ledge and the subsequent jump performed by the character in-game can sometimes eject you or simply not mantle over the spot you would like to land on, leading to a very frustrating experience and sometimes even more tiring for your arms. (It's as if this bug follows Assassin's Creed everywhere it gets ported to!). You can manually jump but only in the vicinity of actual surfaces that require mantling or vaulting over them to perform the jump itself, which at times can be inconsistent and you might find yourself not reaching some specific ledges or roofs and having to start over and climb your way up again which is rather annoying. The fact that they made jumping only available when near objects that trigger the action often causes the game not to register the input properly and it can lead to the alternative of taking a ladder instead, which you can find conveniently placed around the map as if developers knew of this problem. Movement aside, the combat however is really something that needs to be reworked completely. The game encourages you to act as a real swordsman but the hits and parries don’t register that well either. You will often find yourself leaving your hand held up with your sword to automatically block the enemy’s attacks. The game allows you to use multiple weapons from ranged weapons like Bows and Throwing Knives to close-quarter combat ones like Swords, a Tomahawk and the iconic Hidden Blade. Even though the combat might feel inconsistent at times, the blade feels very satisfying to use when you engage in combat and land successful finishers. This can be an instakill if the enemy is weakened before performing a Hidden Blade attack depending on the enemy type which range to basic, medium and professional (elite) NPC’s carrying a wide variety of weapons in the likes of ranged and close quarter weapons. (Bows, Spears, Heavy Swords etc..). In some sections you are given the option to use Throwing Knives but there is no HUD or indicator as to where your knife will end up, resulting in a random throw with the hopes of actually hitting the target, which I missed on multiple occasions hitting the wall next to the enemies and of course since the game has a noise detection system if you miss you will attract uninvited NPCs. For my first walkthrough I immediately decided to set the difficulty option to hard to see what the game has to offer and to add another level to that feel of immersion. To my surprise, the game is relatively easy. As for my first few hours of gameplay, the game doesn’t throw too many NPCs at you and their AI is somewhat dull, similar to that of the franchise’s main games showing once again Ubisoft’s lack of dedication to their NPC’s AI. Most of the levels can be passed easily using stealth which is highly encouraged, distracting enemies by throwing objects or whistling behind cover, putting your fingers in a circle position at the height of your mouth which the game automatically recognizes as a whistle, which in itself is amazing, but again as many of the other features that are on-point and add an extreme level of immersion to the game, you will sometimes find yourself attempting to perform the whistle, and in the heat of the moment, were it adrenaline or simply excitement of getting past guards undetected while crouching, you will most likely hit your headset with your controller’s detection ring once or twice. Be careful with that. Also I should add that while in combat with your Hidden Blade deployed, if you get your hand close to your headset while in a defensive stance you might get distracted by a whistle sound that the headset mistakenly recognizes for some reason. Don’t do that either. The levels are fairly open and nicely merged with linear sections for what the VR has to offer in terms of power and rendering capability, obviously not as good as the main open world titles but still visually impressive for the regular VR titles available out there. In the levels, you can take the time to perform various activities like free running challenges or looking for hidden objects scattered across the small open world as well as during the linear-levels pretty much like in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood’s Romulus Lair missions where you had to look for hidden chests. It isn’t something too rewarding as there isn’t anything substantial rewarded to you for obtaining them, but you still can access special historical database entries that you can find across the levels sharing some juicy historical facts supplied by Shaun Hastings, and let’s be honest, we all love Shaun. They also included some puzzles in a good old fashioned AC II style, with parkour puzzles and secret rooms pretty much like what you would find in the original Resident Evil games. But I won't spoil them. Overall Assassin’s Creed Nexus is a dream come true for long-time fans who craved to be in the shoes of their favourite Assassins. The Hidden Blade actually retracting and extending at will with a flick of the wrist is one of the most satisfying feels the game has to offer. From the soundtrack to the level of details on the maps I would say Assassin’s Creed Nexus surely deserves some praise, especially for the amazing soundtrack composed by Christ Tilton, who managed to capture the Modern Day-esque feel of the Animus in the VR headset, as well as the nostalgia of our most beloved adventures of Ezio back in the day blended with well known tracks refreshed with a modern touch. This wraps it up for the spoiler-free review covering the core mechanics of Assassin’s Creed Nexus, stay tuned for the upcoming spoiler review that will be available soon in which I will cover the story and the memories of each Assassin, as well as the ties to the actual lore of the franchise. Assassin’s Creed Nexus is now available for Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 on the Meta store for $39.99 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. UbiCypher (Joe)

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Should We Be Worried by the Delay? Analysis Share 27 Sept 2024 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Colum Blackett Back To Database The news of Assassin's Creed Shadows’ delay has been coming for a while now, but the official announcement has got me worried. Over the past few weeks Ubisoft have been pulling out of planned press showings, causing fans to hypothesise that a delay was coming. Now, following an official announcement that it has been delayed until February 2025, the demo builds of the game have been pulled from other events like Pax Australia and I'm sure other planned previews will be cancelled in the coming weeks, such as EGX which is scheduled to take place in the UK at the end of October. This is only the second time an Assassin's Creed game has ever been delayed, though it's a lot more dramatic than Unity's two week push back. Now I want to say that I'm not opposed to delays. I'd rather see developers take their time to release the game they want, rather than be crunched or push out an unfinished product. But this isn't quite the same as Cyberpunk 2077, The Last Guardian or Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, nor can it really be compared to minor delays or release changes that many AAA games experience. While in those cases release schedules were being regularly pushed back months in advance, Ubisoft waited until the very last minute with Shadows. Refunds are being issued, DLC plans have been changed and retailers are scrambling as they try and figure out what's happening with larger collectors edition pre-orders. The fact the that the game's not even in a good enough condition to be previewed at what are usually highly tailored press events is worrying. If they can't get out a half an hour playable demo at this stage, what does it say about the final product? Assassin's Creed is Ubisoft's flagship franchise. It's maintained a winter release window since the first game came out 17 years ago and a delay isn't just going to affect finances now from refunds, but could lead to lower sales as people refuse to pre-order again and longer-term consequences from disruption to DLC release plans. This isn't to mention the new competition it will face with GTA 6 and Ghost of Yotei, a sequel to what was seen as Assassin's Creed’s spiritual successor set in the exact same location and period. Ubisoft wouldn't do this unless they were desperate, after all we've seen the state they've released games in before. From what I've seen I'm liking the look of Shadows, and it seems to be doing everything I want. But we've not seen a lot and I worry what this delay means for a game fans have been clamouring for. Official statement from Ubisoft, released 25th September 2024. Coverage by Gargudon comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases so far including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! Finn Fletcher

Yasmin is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. By joining TOWCB, we hope to introduce Yasmin to the AC Community by collaborating on a number of exciting projects such as art releases and podcasts. Previous Next Yasmin Page Artist Yasmin is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. By joining TOWCB, we hope to introduce Yasmin to the AC Community by collaborating on a number of exciting projects such as art releases and podcasts. Instagram | ArtStation | Tumblr | Twitter Work

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography 12 Month Special: 30th - 5th February 2023 Community Share 7 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week we have our 12 month special, you will find 1 shot from the last 6 months ranked by myself. There were so many wonderful captures over the months it really was a difficult task picking out 6. 1. Nordic Adventure Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: September 2022 The winning shot comes from @ _ Virtualtourism This shot resonates with me as I feel it is the essence of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. When looking at this capture all I can think of/hear is Out of the North by Jesper Kyd. That stunning sky takes me back to my first time on the game, memories that I will never forget. I have said it many times before Valhalla has such beautiful scenery. The composition is o n point, I am lo ving Eivor stood atop of the mountain with the hood up and torch in hand. 2. A Hero’s Tale Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Month: August 2022 2nd Place goes to @ Jakeste66386991 This is probably one of the best send-off shots you could hope to take. It is my pick for August 2022 because I feel it signifies how I felt at the end of Assassin's Creed Origins. This capture is so gorgeous, the silhouette of Bayek walking off into the sunset is a real delight. I remember at the time being a fan of the b order too, as it makes the shot stand out. That sun though is something else. 3. Valhalla Awaits Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: December 2022 3rd Place goes to @ Petanni If Ubisoft ever wanted a photo to signal the end of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it's this one. The colours of this shot are tremendous. I really can't get enough of those autumnal trees. There is something poetic about Eivor walking off into the countryside dressed as an Assassin. No one really knows what's in store for Eivor, but sometimes its best left to the imagination. 4. Outsider Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: October 2022 4th place goes to @ punkncreed I love this shot because it resembles both Assassin and Viking. I adore the use of depth of field in this image drawing your focus to Eivor, with the background slightly blurred. The mist and the flickers of light are such small details but add a great deal to the ambiance of this capture. Eivor feels like an outsider here, someone trying to go about their work incognito. 5. Pirate Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: November 2022 5th place goes to @ PodToGo Next up we have one of many awesome Kenway outfit shots from PodToGo. I was surprised how well this legacy outfit fits the time period of Valhalla. You have to admire captures like this, they give us insight to what the older games would look like today. Although the outfit look s cool, it's the surrounding area that really catches my eye. 6. Beautiful Countryside Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: January 2023 6th place goes to @NoviKaiba23 It feels weird writing about this shot so soon after selecting it for the weekly showcase. This picturesque capture is a complete delight on the eyes. There is a real magical vibe to this shot, mostly brought on by the deep red flowers and the lighting. I think Michael Doyle summed it up perfectly in our previous article, everything together within this shot, mirrors the principles of the brotherhood. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography 6 month special. A special thank you to everyone who has taken part over the last 6 months, I would not be able to do this without you. 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

Calvin Roberts Video Collection Community Share 29 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Calvin Whiteway TOWCB Team Back To Database Here are the first four Assassin's Creed skits created by Calvin Roberts, the latest member to join TOWCB's Video Content Creation Team, as we seek to branch into entirely new territory for our community. Calvin's appointment to the team is a big step for TOWCB, as it cements our dedication to producing humorous parody content which sets us apart from other AC fan communities. Scared of heights 2) Assassin killing someone in public 3) Waiting for the new Assassin's Creed game to come out 4) First Leap of Faith Keep an eye on our social media accounts for more Assassin's Creed content by Calvin Roberts , as we continue to create content in collaboration with creators that stands out. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Calvin is a video creator based in the UK who joined TOWCB's Video Content Creation Team in Autumn 2024. Known online for his short comedy videos (skits), Calvin was brought onboard to inject a degree of personality and humour into TOWCB's social media presence. He is a big fan of the Assassin's Creed series who will be helping TOWCB grow, with a particular focus on producing content for Tiktok, Youtube and Instagram. Calvin Whiteway

Assassin's Creed Winter Wallpaper Collection Released Community Share 20 Dec 2025 Written By: Edited By: Frame Hold Photography TOWCB Team Back To Database We are pleased to announce that our very own Frame Hold Photography from TOWCB Core Team has released an Assassin's Creed Winter Wallpaper collection! Feel free to use them however you see fit, and let us know in the comments which version is your favourite! Merry Creedmas Assassins! Happy Holidays! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Frame Hold Photography

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 19th November to 12th December Community Share 8 Dec 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Back To Database Welcome to the virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Each theme Aaron and the team will be picking their top five favourite Assassin’s Creed shots from across multiple social media platforms and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website. Our aim is to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the @ACFirstCiv Virtual Photography team, with special guest judge @JChoukroun – Jean is a technical artist at Ubisoft Paris and worked on Valley of Memory. However more importantly he is an avid virtual photographer. His passion to the medium shows through his wonderful portfolio of captures. Jean has also been a judge with the VPAwards for the last two years. Keep an eye on the site as more articles are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Valley of Memory Tomb Raider Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: capturedby.allister (Instagram) The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Theme Judge: @JChoukroun Jean I really like this one because it focuses on the biggest component of Valley of Memory: the world of AlUla. The tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza is AlUla’s most well-known landmark, and is the main focus of this shot. Basim and his camel are looking at it, as if in awe of its beauty, and are gently blurred by the depth of field. This ensures the viewer’s focus remains on the tomb itself. Aaron For me Assassin’s Creed Mirage not only brought the nostalgia back to the franchise, but it also harnessed the vibes we experienced in Assassin’s Creed Origins. The base game and this fantastic DLC are a platform to show how much love and attention went into the development process. I have to agree with Jean; the depth of field is such a contributor to why this shot is so magnificent. The tomb of Lihyan looks majestic in the arid desert. I really like the colour palette here because it makes you feel the harshness of the environment Basim is exploring. Jumping In Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @StormSpider2022 The populated areas within Valley of Memory are so excellently crafted for Basim to explore. Having these playgrounds with lots of parkour opportunities helps to add variety and tie the game to its roots. I found the balance worked well with the wide-open deserts. Here we find Basim performing a leap of faith in front of the AlUla prison. Its presence in the game serving the story well both narratively and visually. Once again, I am enjoying the colours on show, and I find the tilt very satisfying. This is a classic Assassin’s Creed photo that reminds us of why we love this incredible franchise. Alleyways Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: Virtualtourism (Instagram) I always find the details in video games to be some of the most interesting aspects to take in. I found becoming a virtual photographer that I notice so much more of these now I actually take the time to pause and view my surroundings. Jack has always had an inclination for the finer details, most famously his pots and sand. This capture tells me he enjoyed his foray into the DLC. The light and shadow work on show helps the viewer feel as if they are in the alleyway as Basim. I am a fan of the carpets and sheets framing the photo nicely. Its elements like these that bring these world to life. Purple Sky Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: cyriellevp.bsky.social A peaceful moment is not always the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Assassin’s Creed. However, I found that Valley of Memory really embraced this side, especially within the story. The way Basim's journey unfolded showed a lot of emotion which is just as important as the combat. I think Cyrielle has found a nice vibe here that evokes feelings of closure and solace. The minimalist approach has always been a forte of Cyrielle and Mirage obliges with its environments. The purple sky with the orange glow gives a feeling of warmth, and the birds circling a nice touch. Shadows Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @unfazedvp Hiding in the shadows has got to be one of the best things you can do in an Assassin’s Creed game. The towns and cities of these games allow us to be the hidden one and wield the hidden blade as the order intended. Julio’s shot is taking me back to the market section within the main game. I am not sure how he has managed to find one sole person wandering in such a busy place. Once again, we see a nice balance of light and shadows, which help to set the scene. I especially like the silhouette of the person walking toward us. A good use of grain to give that movielike feel. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography showcase. Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

William is a young writer and Assassin's Creed fan who joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. ​Throughout 2021, William and other writers joined the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Guide Database, which you can find here. ​William left the program in June 2021 due to a change in personal circumstances, Previous Next William Adler Writer Previous Partner William is a young writer and Assassin's Creed fan who joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. Throughout 2021, William and other writers joined the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Guide Database, which you can find here. William left the program in June 2021 due to a change in personal circumstances, --- Work

Junaid is a UK-based digital artist who joined the art team in Summer 2022. In 2017, he created various art pieces to mark the 10 year anniversary of Assassin's Creed, and by joining the program, we will be collaborating on a number of projects that create exclusive artwork for the community to mark events such as the 15 year anniversary, and the annual AC community fundraiser for charity. Previous Next Junaid Iqbal (Medjay_Graphics) Artist Previous Partner Junaid is a UK-based digital artist who joined the art team in Summer 2022. In 2017, he created various art pieces to mark the 10 year anniversary of Assassin's Creed, and by joining the program, we will be collaborating on a number of projects that create exclusive artwork for the community to mark events such as the 15 year anniversary, and the annual AC community fundraiser for charity. Twitter | Instagram | Website Work

Aztec Empire: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game Wishlist Share 26 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Since the release of Assassins Creed II, one of the most exciting aspects of the franchise has always been fantasising about how the creed could apply to different places in history. Although many websites have created drawn out listicles, I want to try something different, creating a detailed pitch for a games setting. Discussing the true history, the style of the story, and the type of unique gameplay that could be applied to this period. One of the most important factors when choosing a setting is applying themes relevant to the turmoil and struggles of the time. AC III used the American Revolution to discuss freedom and corruption, while Black Flag used piracy to discuss greed and inequality. So today, I'm going to take the opportunity to pitch a game in what is currently one of the most heavily rumoured settings, the Aztec Empire. Now simply saying "Aztecs" is pretty broad, covering a people and Empire who existed for centuries. First things first then, a little history. The legend goes that the Aztec people founded their capital city of Tenochtitlan under strict instructions of one of their gods Huitzilopochtli. He told the settlers to build a city where they find a giant eagle eating a snake while perched on a cactus (a symbol which is now used on the Mexican flag). Supposedly, this strange event was seen in the marshy land of Lake Texcoco around 1325 CE, and construction began. The city's construction was a technical marvel, consisting of multiple connected artificial islands, that allowed for irrigation of gardens as well as construction for towering pyramids. Moveable causeways connected the islands to the mainland, while also functioning as dikes that could separate the freshwater and saltwater of the lake. It truly was a floating marvel, like Venice on steroids, that at its height was the most populated city in Mesoamerica. Originally one of many city states in pre-colonial Mexico, the Aztecs' impressive military conquered the surrounding land, with the aid of an intelligent group of diplomats and traders. By the early 16th century, the Aztecs had come to rule 5 to 6 million people across 200,000 square kilometres. It was around this time that tragedy struck. The arrival of the Spanish led to the destruction of the empire and genocide of it's people. Through disgusting military tactics, and the spreading of diseases that the native people lacked immunity to, the Spanish managed to tear the entire civilization to the ground, destroying centuries of history and culture in the process. This is the period I believe the game should be set, during the final war of the empire against the Spanish. This period of tragedy could be used as a great foundation for a discussion of grief, loss and imperialism. What a perfect time for this story to be released, after we ourselves have come out of the biggest pandemics of our lifetime and are currently facing rising temperatures causing wildfires across the planet. If done well, this touching story of someone watching the destruction of everything they know, the whole world from their perspective, could allow for a relevant and inspiring journey for players. The story will follow Guatemoc (OC: name translates to 'attacks like an eagle'), an elite soldier of the Eagle Warrior guild. From a poor background, he worked in the military as all men were expected to at the time, showing great prowess and rising through the ranks. The greatest units of soldiers were the Jaguar or Eagle battalions, with soldiers having to take enemy captives to rise to this divine duty, a group Guatemoc rightly earned his place in. The opening of the game will be set before the Spanish arrived in Tenochtitlan, with NPC's discussing and questioning the rumours about new arrivals to the land. During this time the player will be sent on tasks for the Eagle warriors, acting as a gameplay tutorial, while the open world will give an opportunity for exploration of a still fully native Aztec world. The city of Tenochtitlan will be filled with different activities, allowing for full immersion in the period. Mainly I would love to see mini games (a fan favourite within the franchise, just think of Orlog), that would allow you to play Ullamaliztli, an Aztec sport, as well as Patolli, a board game of the time. Ullamaliztli would definitely be more difficult, a type of proto-basketball where two teams of seven players aim to get a rubber ball through a ring on either side of the court. If this is too difficult to create in gameplay, it would still be great to watch and potentially place bets on games played by NPC's. I believe the open world as a whole would benefit from remaining rather small, focusing mainly on the city of Tenochtitlan, which needs the same level of detail as Paris or London from previous titles. I do however believe it's important that the game isn't limited to a single city, with the surrounding area offering an important perspective for the period. Smaller towns and villages can provide quest opportunities and loot for players, whilst ancient ruins, functioning as tombs, unravel a larger mystery and provide access to late game armour. Veracruz, the Spanish headquarters in Mexico, needs to be a secondary city in the game that can be used to shine a better light on Spanish culture, and will also offer a completely unique setting to explore for this game. In terms of gameplay, I think it's important to return to the roots of the series somewhat, especially in regards to parkour. As much as I may enjoy the recent RPG games, the parkour has been undoubtedly lacklustre, providing nowhere near as much complexity and style as before. Traversing across rooftops shouldn't be a simple task, it needs to be challenging, where finding and successfully pulling off the best route will reward you with more speed, and some visual flair. I would also love to see the return of tree climbing from Assassins Creed III. The Aztecs lived among rich jungles that were difficult to travel across. It would be amazing to see a change from the usual use of horseback, in favour of full parkour, where in a seamless open world you can travel from city to city across tree branches while never touching the ground. Combat meanwhile needs to retain the grittiness of the newer games, especially Origins, while fine tuning to adjust for new weapon types. Aztecs used a variety of weapons, from short spears to clubs, and having the option to use them all would be incredible. Obviously when meeting the Spanish, players will also be introduced to early muskets, as well as more European weapons like lances and crossbows. These should definitely be usable by the players, though I would like guns to be temporary tools, similar to muskets in The Kenway Saga, where they can't be added to the players main arsenal. After completing these introductory tasks for the Eagle Warriors, the narrative will introduce Hernán Cortés, when he arrived at Tenochtitlan in November 1519; one of the most important moments in Aztec history. Cortès was a vile human, a bloodthirsty warmonger who's only thought was who to kill next. He even directly defied the orders of his higher ups in his determination for nothing short of genocide. These historical accounts provide a clear path for Cortès to be the main villain of this title. His arrival in Tenochtitlan however, was unusually peaceful as he entered the city as an honoured guest of King Montezuma. This diplomatic invitation was quickly upended, when Cortès slaughtered his way out of the house he was staying in, entered the Royal Palace and took the king hostage, claiming the city as his own. I imagine this event being a major set piece for the game, with Guatemoc acting as a guard for the Montezuma and Cortès, allowing peaceful interactions with the villain prior to the conflict. Additionally, for the keen eyed players, a white hooded figure can be seen skulking in the shadows, watching the ensuing events. The conquest of the palace will then play as a drawn-out action sequence, where Guatemoc fights his way through the burning city, barely escaping after failing to kill Cortès. It would be obvious to make Cortès a Templar, however I feel that his cartoonishly evil behaviour doesn't fit with the more sympathetic Templars we've come to expect. Instead, I would make him a failed Templar candidate, someone aware of the ancient struggle who was denied entry to the Templar Order due to his brash attitude and uncontrolled rage. Since that point, he has aimed to surpass the Templars, his ego getting the best of him as he hopes to someday show the Order what they missed. By taking over Tenochtitlan, he effectively became the Spanish ruler of the land, leaving him somewhat in command of even Templar officials. Meanwhile, the loss of his home will leave Guatemoc in the worst position of his life, and it is here that we will be introduced to the Assassins. Alejandra is a Spanish master Assassin, born to wealth and finding the Brotherhood after her curious young mind spent too many hours searching through the inconsistencies of historical texts. She's a devout follower of the creed, loyal to her core. When learning of the "new world", she snuck aboard a ship, hiding away to attack the Templars who have already settled in America. After the attack on Tenochtitlan, she would follow Guatemoc, a clearly skilled soldier closer to the king and culture than she will ever be. Finding him passed out in the dirt, she will wake him and introduce him to the creed, giving him the hidden blade. Despite being deep within the rainforest, Alejandra needs to be perfectly clean, with every inch of her robes in place. Her upbringing left her with a posh sensibility; she speaks well and even as an Assassin, looks down on others. Guatemoc only earn her respect because he is useful to her. It is then through her, that the player will learn more enhanced stealth techniques, as Guatemoc becomes a blend of Aztec warrior, and ancient Assassin. This game could finally provide a return to the much beloved stealth of older Assassin's Creed games which has been missing from recent titles. Stealth will be vital for our Aztec Assassin, with a return to tools and a need for fleeing from battle when outnumbered. Spanish Conquistadors will be unstoppable in open combat, heavily armoured with better weapons. Attacking from the shadows will be the only option, with in-depth social stealth mechanics playing a key role. As an Aztec soldier, appearing in Spanish controlled areas will instantly attract attention, meaning a hood and crowd blending approach will be the only effective way to travel safely. I would also love to also see the option to raise and lower the hood at will, just for the aesthetic. A range of new and exciting tools will be available to players, I personally would like a range of poisons that cause different effects to enemies. These can be deployed through atlatls, Aztec dart and spear throwers that would be a historically accurate and unique weapon for this outing. Additionally throwable smoke bombs and the bows of Origins are a must. This will provide the basic foundation for the rest of the game, as Guatemoc assassinates Spanish Templars across the land, working his way to Cortès. Each target needs a solid reason for invading, with some being completely opposed and trying to take down the manic Cortès, while others have become corrupted by his actions. Historically speaking, it was decades after the invasion that Cortès died in Spain after fighting dysentery. Part of me wished to change this to allow for a final battle to the death in Tenochtitlan, possibly atop one of their incredible pyramids, however after reflection I don't think this is the best solution. That fight could still take place as the climactic action scene of the game, but there's something more tragic about Cortès escaping and living a full life despite his despicable behaviour. This made me reconsider, with Cortès' death still taking place during the epilogue of the game set at a much later date in time. In 1547, having spent his life trying to save his people and culture, Guatemoc is a bitter old man. His people have been killed, his history tarnished, and Mexico is now nothing more than an extension of the Spanish Empire. Having tracked Cortès down, the man whose actions he cannot forget, Guatemoc approaches him while he's stuck in bed worsening from his illnesses. Even after all these years, Cortès recognises the old Aztec and smiles. They have a discussion about what's been lost. Having mellowed somewhat in age, Cortès does admit to regretting some of his actions, having children of his own now from Aztec heritage who he truly cares for (according to historical accounts). Still, he can't help but smile when thinking back to those days, clinging on to the moments where he "ruled the world". Angered, Guatemoc finally finishes off Cortès, knowing full well it means little now. Everything he knew is gone, and the killing of an old man is the only compensation he can get. Throughout the story, Alejandra, while an ally, will grow into a more antagonistic role. Her self determination and snooty attitude contrasts with Guatemoc's humble beginnings, and the further she pushes him to her own ideals, the more he feels distanced from his cultural beliefs. This could even progress into her initiating plans which include the destruction of Aztec monuments, rigging them to blow with Templars inside. In the end, even the Assassins in this story are colonisers, judging the Aztec culture as primitive and in need of their guidance to progress. This may cause contention with some fans, but I believe this story would be most effective if by the end Guatemoc disowns the Assassins, turning his back on all those who's petty political and philosophical struggles led to the destruction of his home. He, like us, is the everyman, watching as titans battle with little care for those they claim to protect. And so that's it, my pitch for Assassins Creed Aztec. I've tried to provide something different, while not forgetting what made the series great. I hope you enjoyed it, and we would love to hear your ideas for future Assassin's Creed games in the comments. A special thanks goes to all the artists whose work continues to amaze, especially BQoverlord0 who's work helped create a visual inspiration for our original creation. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases so far including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! Finn Fletcher

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 7th May Community Share 9 May 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: Portraits & Quotes Basim Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Majdulf47 “A man you trust with anything, can take everything” a quote that sums Basim up. He works in the dark but not necessary to serve the light, although his origins story may expand on this. I admire this shot so much. I love the lighting across his face as he exits the shadows. The level of detail in this capture is excellent. I am in awe of how good his facial features look. A really stunning Assassin’s Creed portrait. Ragnar Lothbrok Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ JinxyVP This shot gives me massive Ragnar Lothbrok vibes. The way Eivor/Havi is staring into the abyss is reminiscent of Ragnar in the TV show Vikings. I can hear him saying “Don’t waste your time looking back, you’re not going that way.” This is such an atmospheric shot amplified by the striking background. The short hair and the beard help with the Viking feel and I admire that face tattoo as it adds something different to the shot. Guided by the Light Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Its_Gurly “The truth of a man lies not in the land of his birth, but in his heart. A king must be a king on his own terms. He cannot be his father, he can only be himself”. I feel like this quote and capture go together so well. Eivor spends most of his time with regret about his father’s death and the lack of ambition from Styrbjorn his adopted father. I feel the shot symbolises Eivor breaking free of his past and stepping out of the shadow of Sigurd. A beautiful capture that amplifies every detail, kudos for the shadow work truly spectacular. My Saga has ended Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ KeenEyeVP This week’s #Thorsday shot had to be Eivor deep thought about her time in England. There is a sadness to this shot. “My road forward has been a muddy one. Slick with blood and tears, but we can reach its end together”. I felt this quote best summed up this shot. Once again the shadow work here is excellent and that face tattoo brings some nice Origins vibes. Eivor always gets you with her eyes though, so mesmerising. Spinner Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @Cll3ar You would think this shot was right out of The Witcher. The three spinners play a big role in Norse mythology and also in Eivor’s journey. “Deep under the earth, where the corpse serpent gnaws at the roots of Yggdrasil, the tree of life, there are three spinners. Three women who make our fate” Eivor feels like she is in control of her destiny but we all know that is not true. This moody and gothic shot embodies the quote in exquisite fashion, the lighting is on point to make it incredibly eerie. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) from TOWCB Video Content Creation Team Taking the title as Photo of the Week this round is "Spinner" by @Cll3ar . A perfectly framed shot, with a very special and mysterious tone and look to it, where Eivor and her brightly coloured outfit shines perfectly in the otherwise dark. This shot also feels like something that could be a poster for a movie / show, or and album cover, with its simple yet very cinematic style. 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 (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest May 10, 2023 Fantastic Article! Thank you for including me with other incredible Virtual Photographers. I look forward to your next ~Jinx 💙 Like Reply 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

Sounds Of History - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental project by Gargudon: Influences and Inspirations Other Share 8 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database In this article, Gustav Poulsen ( Gargudon ) from the The Ones Who Came Before team talks influences and inspirations, for his upcoming original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental project titled Sounds Of History. Project Synopsis: A unique fan project, never really seen before in the Assassin’s Creed community, featuring five original tracks written, arranged and produced by Gargudon, each inspired by different AC games. A tribute to the soundtrack, to sneaking, fighting and free running throughout the years, and the composers behind them who have shaped the sound of the franchise. French Highlands - Inspired by Assassin’s Creed Unity The project and the whole idea for it started with this track. I was sitting with my acoustic guitar one day just “noodling”, played this random shape, and just from those few notes I suddenly heard this whole piece in my head. Having found the remaining notes and playing the full piece, I realised it had this very cinematic, AC soundtrack leaning vibe to it, and hence the idea for an instrumental project inspired by the games was born. I felt like it had this very prominent Medieval tone to it that reminded me of Unity specifically; the Medieval sequences of that game and various areas of Paris, from old (abandoned) cathedrals to the underground catacombs. To accompany the main guitar piece, I wanted an instrumental relying on a certain ambient soundscape - which among other sounds features direct in-game noise from the Paris catacombs - and all sorts of Medieval sounds and instruments, to really capture that dark vibe and tone of 14th century Medieval France seen and felt in the game, whether in old towns and fortresses or the vast surrounding highlands. ...Away From The Crowds... - Inspired by Assassin’s Creed 2 & Brotherhood This is one of my favorite tracks from the project, and it was a lot of fun to write and work on. I knew early on I wanted this track to capture some of the most prominent sounds and vibes of Jesper Kyd’s iconic Assassin’s Creed 2 soundtrack, which ones and how I wanted to try and do that. Some very certain eerie and ominous ambiences, reminiscent of the old abandoned undergrounds and empty cathedrals explored in AC2 and Brotherhood, the dark secrets of which make the beauty and glamour of the Renaissance, but a facade for something larger. Ultimately, the track is quite simplistic, not relying on much to make it sound big, but achieves a lot and just what I wanted it to with just that. Another major influence for this track would actually be Alternative Rock band Bring Me The Horizon, especially their 2010 album “There Is A Hell Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is A Heaven Let’s Keep It A Secret”. A lot of the sounds and production on that album remind me of Assassin’s Creed 2’s soundtrack; strings, choir voices, glitchy electronics, ambient guitars, big reverbs and many more that brilliantly capture the hidden darkness of the Italian Renaissance. 60’s - Inspired by Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Despite this track being the shortest, it was actually the one that went through the most changes, fully settling upon as to how I wanted it to sound. I did however know from the beginning I wanted something inspired by British Rock, specifically Oasis, their instrumental songs and that whole 90’s Britpop sound. A lot of that music has this certain attitude and rawness to it, reflective of the working classes of England at the core of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Originally I thought of just making this something along the lines of a regular song with the sound of a full band, but that ended up just feeling quite off. Then I tried taking that same idea but stripping it down to just an acoustic arrangement, but that sounded a bit bland. Then finally I got the idea of fusing that Oasis inspired acoustic instrumental, with that ambient Animus leaning soundscape that also comes across on other tracks, and that would turn out to be the best approach for this. Admittedly I might have free styled a bit with this one in some places, at least compared to the official Syndicate soundtrack, but still wanted to stay true to some of the sounds of that, some of which oddly enough also come across in Britpop, hence that influence. Eagle’s Path - Inspired by Assassin’s Creed 3 & Liberation While I have tried to stay true to some of the sounds of Assassin’s Creed 3’s existing soundtrack with this one, I have admittedly also free styled a bit with it, for example with the more Western sounding sections; all intentional though and with good reasoning. I knew I wanted one of the primary tones of this track to be very tribal, Native American sounding, and what better style for that to go with than among other some Western? I also wanted a section of it to capture the tone of AC3’s add-on Liberation, and it’s southern Louisiana setting, hence the middle section that relies on more Cajun and African percussion, to capture the vibe of the bayous explored in that g ame. In addition to the primary tribal aspects, I also wanted the track to be reflective of the American Revolution itself, and American history overall to some degree, past, present and future from the time period of the game. Hence the section with big sounding horns, symbolising the fight for freedom, and once again the Western tone that’s also heavily prominent towards the end with the gunslinger-esque electric guitar, symbolising one of the next big eras awaiting the future of American history. Tales Of The Winds And Waters - Inspired by Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag This track has got to be my favorite from the project. I got to play around with so many cool ideas and sounds, capturing the spirit of not only my favorite Assassin’s Creed game, but one of my favorite games overall. I actually fully wrote and made arrangements for this one last, and as it would turn out the track would be a good chunk longer than anticipated, closing in around 10 full minutes; really I suppose it is 2-3 tracks all crammed into one big one. Oddly enough, that process was pretty easy though, and I built most of the track’s foundations fairly quickly not too long after. From the beginning though, I had a good rough idea of how I wanted this track to sound, and what styles I should be tapping into. Black Flag’s soundtrack is ultimately quite diverse, from traditional Spanish, electronic glitchy Animus ambience, Caribbean and tropical, to classic Pirate music with a touch of Celtic to it, so there were a lot of possibilities and I wanted to cover as many of these as possible in my own way. In addition to incorporating these melodies and tapping into various styles, trying to capture the vibe of exploring the Caribbean and its many islands and settlements, I also wanted the chronology of track to try and be a representation of Edward’s journey throughout the game. From first wandering the lively and wild streets of Havana, sailing the vast waters at day and night, reaching Kingston, discovering the Observatory, to having eliminated the Templar threat, meeting his daughter and peacefully being homebound, taking the Jackdaw for one last sail. As a tribute to not only the existing Black Flag soundtrack, which is one of if not the best in the franchise in my book, but composer behind it Brian Tyler overall, I wanted to implement some melodies from other favorite score pieces of his, which oddly enough have some of the same vibes and instrumentation as the tracks from the game. Featured in the beginning during the traditional Spanish section are the melodies from “Letty & Dom” and “Neela Drifts” from the Fast & Furious movies. Beautiful pieces and melodies played on classical guitar, which tones in some ways are similar to the tracks of the Black Flag soundtrack. The Sounds Of History project is coming soon! Stay tuned here on the site and our social media channels for updates and previews! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

​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. Previous Next Thea (Moonchildgecko) Artist 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. Twitter Work