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​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

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 30th July - 5th August 2022 - 6 Month Anniversary Special Community Share 8 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the 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 6 month special, you will find 1 shot from each month ranked by myself. There were so many wonderful captures over the months it really was a difficult task picking out just 6. 1) Golden Sands Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Month: June 2022 The winning shot comes from @ PodToGo using the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture Twitter hashtag. I had to pick this as my winning shot, the way the capture is presented mimics the promotional material Ubisoft used when launching Assassin’s Creed Origins. I remember seeing shots just like this one and being super hyped for the game. Origins would go on to become my favourite game in the series despite its move away from the classic formula. Just looking at this photo again now, I love the saturation and how it makes the sky and the sand standout. You also cannot overlook how cool Bayek looks marching across the desert in search of his next victim. 2) Twilight Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: March 2022 2nd Place goes to @ dpruttz_vp a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. This capture embodies the Dawn of Ragnarok expansion. At the time I was still pretty new to writing these articles, but its shots like this that just blow you away. A fantastic portrait capturing the whole of Havi as he stands ready to fight for Asgard. This photo could easily be mistaken for a painting it is that good! The Twilight armour came as a pre order bonus for the Ragnarok expansion, and I must say it makes for cracking captures. The excellent timing of this shot allowed the VP to capture the fiery sparks flying around Havi and the turn of the head showcases his famous eye patch. 3) London Calling Game: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Month: July 2022 3rd Place goes to @ MissEvieFrye , a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. I love this shot as, not only is it different, it comes from a game that, until recently, did not feature too heavily in the VP community. As a fan of in game captures, the AC15 celebrations have been a breath of fresh air, bringing shots from many different games. This photo stood out during Syndicate week due to its elegance. The black outfit with the gold markings and a classic touch of red, stand out thanks to the leap Jacob is currently performing. It’s crazy how the blurred background and the portrait format add to the feel of parkour in action. There are nice touches in this shot but most of all the hidden blade is the standout, subtle but classic 4) Collection Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: May 2022 4th place goes to @ Jakeste66386991 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. I am never sure if I looked into this one too much, but then again a photo can mean whatever you want it too I guess. During my time scrolling the many Assassin’s Creed captures, I am always impressed when people edit multiple shots together. I love the way that it create a kind of storyboard. For me this one sums up Valhalla and the time period in which it is set. Eivor representing the Assassins due to the hood and the hidden eyes. The Raven (Odin) signifying the Vikings/Norse Mythology and the cross symbolising the Saxons and King Alfred. The story of how England came to be, right there in a single photo. 5) Fox Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: April 2022 5th place goes to @ Gwyn_VP over on Twitter. This shot made my top 6 due to it being something a little different from the norm. I adore how the Ubisoft team have created a living environment in their games. Although Origins had the best predator/prey moments as you travel Egypt, I found Valhalla to be more peaceful and scenic. The fox’s details are wonderful and the pose so characteristic of an animal startled in the woods. It is not easy capturing the wildlife in Valhalla especially as perfectly as this, credit has to go to GwynVP for this. As I said before Valhalla is now the benchmark for Foxes, only time will tell if an upcoming game could takes that crown. 6) Viking Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: February 6th place goes to @ Snowy_exe over on Twitter. Featured in my very first article all the way back In Feb 22. Seems like a lifetime ago that I started doing these showcases. This portrait actually inspired me to attempt more black background shots. I love the lighting in this capture, along with the background because it simply allows Eivor to shine. The level of detail captured here is phenomenal. For all the bombastic armour sets we get in the game nothing compares to this classic Viking look. From hair to tattoos, furs to leathers all the intricacies are on show here. A fitting shot to conclude our showcase. 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

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

Assassin's Creed Shadows Phone and Desktop Wallpapers released by FrameHoldPhotography Community Share 18 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: Frame Hold Photography Colum Blackett Back To Database Check out the first wave of Desktop and Mobile Wallpapers for Assassin's Creed Shadows, created by Frame Hold Photography from TOWCB Core Team using recently released key art. Enjoy! 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

What to Expect in Assassin's Creed Shadows News Share 21 Jun 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database When Ubisoft initially announced the existence of a new Assassin’s Creed , it was given a codename, which was referred to as just ‘ Codename Red ’ for quite some time, leading fans into excitement for what the future had in store. It had gamers across the world excited for the next chapter in the beloved and long-running ‘ Assassin’s Creed’ series, which has gained a huge following since its creation in 2007. The series is loved for many reasons, including its classic parkour, storytelling, and charisma of the protagonists, and much more. It was a monumental and groundbreaking game back in its beginning, and the series is still running strong to this day, with no signs of slowing down. For a long time, fans had been asking and hoping for an Assassin’s Creed game set in Feudal Japan, as it had been a highly requested era in history fans have been wanting to visit for as long as the series has been around. Now, all our wishes have come true, as Ubisoft has announced ‘ Assassin’s Creed Shadows ’ officially to the public. Fans of the series, and even those unfamiliar with the series, are counting down the days until November 15th, 2024. ‘ Shadows ’ recently had a big gameplay reveal shown off at Ubisoft Forward in June of this year. Both protagonists Yasuke and Naoe were shown off. Yasuke, a Samurai, and Naoe, a Shin obi, are teaming up together to fight the injustice in Feudal Japan. The ga me will be adding a fan-favorite, and heavily requested addition to both our protagonists this time around: The ability to freely switch between characters. This option was first introduced in 2015’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Syndicate ’, where you were able to switch between the twin Assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye. This was a fun, but short-lived feature in the Assassin’s Creed series, and now fans can rejoice as Ubisoft is bringing it back in ‘ Shadows ’. You will now be able to pick freely anytime between both Yasuke or Naoe. This is a change from the recent dual-protagonist feature Ubisoft introduced with 2018’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ’, allowing the player the choice to play the game as either a male or female protagonist, but by selecting a character, you were unable to switch again for the rest of the game. This theme continued with ‘ Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ’, once more allowing players the choice between male or female Eivor, and still selecting that character will lock you in for the full game. It was a formula fans enjoyed, as it brought new life into the series that was once only one male protagonist each game, with the lack of a choice between Assassins. Now, sk ipping ahead to ‘ Shadows ’, you can pick and choose which character you’d like to play as for any mission, and also be able to switch freely at any time, just like ‘ Syndicate ’. This offers players a choice of strategy. Yasuke, being the combat expert Samurai, will be useful for missions requiring more muscle, and brute force , or you can choose to pick Naoe, a much quieter approach to be able to sneak in and out of trouble. Each mission should give players a real decision about which direction to take, and which playstyle best suits the mission ahead. Ubisoft has also shared that the size of the map in ‘ Shadows ’, will be similar to that of 2017’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Origins ’, rather than that of ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’. For example, the map will be large again, but will feel just right for the setting of Feudal Japan. Also allowing players to experience more of what Feudal Japan has to offer rather than potentially spending a lot of time traveling across the entire map, it should provide players a more direct experience. From what we all have seen through the gameplay revealed earlier this month, expectations are high amongst both fans and critics, who are all looking forward to getting their hands on ‘ Shadows ’. The more recent ‘ Assassin’s Creed ’ titles, also known as the “RPG” games in the series, have followed a similar format. A leveling system, skill trees, upgradable gear and weapons, and a healthy dose of side quests to choose from. Fans should expect some of the same with ‘ Shadows ’. It gives players the opportunity to explore the map more, rather than potentially rushing through the main missions. Each player has their own choice of how they want to play, and Ubisoft is catering to all fans with all interest levels. They know fans are wanting to be invested in this game, and giving the players plenty to do along with the main storyline. A lot of fans of the series were ones who started with the “RPG” titles, bringing a new audience to both new and old fans, as Ubisoft’s current formula has satisfied both classic and newer fans. We can expect some of those same elements in ‘ Shadows ’, such as the combat with dodging and parrying attacks, and the use of special abilities to give the player an edge over tricky enemies. Last year’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed ' game was ‘ Mirage ’, which was a smaller scale game suited to please fans of the classic format, and it was well received. It has now been four years since we had a game this size in 2020’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ’, and it should satisfy fans knowing they are in for a full on journey into Feudal Japan. With the game set for a November release date, there is plenty of marketing to be done on Ubisoft’s end, such as more gameplay videos or new information about the game to get fans excited even more as it comes closer to release. Many expect Ubisoft to create another masterpiece in the long running series. Fans have grown accustomed to a great experience with each game released. The hype of ‘ Shadows ’ is currently at an all time high, for both fans and even those who are skeptical, and will possibly need to see more of the game to persuade them into purchasing. For some, the whole idea of an ‘ Assassin’s Creed ’ game set in Feudal Japan is almost too good to be true, which could easily attract the fans who aren’t familiar with the series, and even some who may have never played an ‘ Assassin’s Creed ’ game in their life. ‘ Shadows ’ should do a great job being appealing to anyone, whether they be new or returning. One way or another, we can all expect fans of this series to come together again once the fall season rolls around, and celebrate another great adventure into history by Ubisoft. The countdown to November 15th is well and truly underway! comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest Jun 21, 2024 Awesome review! 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. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 23rd - 29th July 2022. Black & White Special Community Share 30 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the 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 a black and white special featuring 6 shots from the VP Community. 1) Elise de la Serre Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity This week’s first capture comes from @ JamesTiddlyQuid a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. First up we have an elegant photo of everyone’s favourite Templar. This particular shot comes from a stunning set of black and white portraits that showcase the details of Elise and her attire. I am loving the lighting and how it shows off Elise’s hair. As a character she is modelled so well and this shows how ahead of its time Unity was. this image conveys period drama vibes from the scenery, Elise's stance and the depth provided by the black and white filter, absolutely brilliant. Link to set 2) Eivor Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ warriorqueenvp a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Next up we have male Eivor looking quite vulnerable. The ability to customise your character is a major plus in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. From a VP perspective the option to add tattoos, beards, and hairstyles means many unique captures. Black and White VP is often overlooked but this shot shows the advantages to it. The way the tattoos pop against Eivor’s skin is just incredible. Check out the original tweets to see a comparison with the coloured version of the image. Link to set 3) Spartan Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @ kingforever008 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Although photo number three has a slight blue haze it’s still qualifies for this showcase. What I love about this shot is how historical it looks. It reminds me of the pictures you see in museums next to exhibits. The shadows, especially across Kassandra’s face give off a mysterious, yet brutal feel. It could easily be mistaken for a statue you might find in London when playing Valhalla. Obviously the helmet gives away who this really is and RenanVP does a great job of showcasing it. 4) Amunet Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ Subject_72 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Two weeks in a row for Subject_72 but how could I not feature this unbelievable shot of Amunet? Dressed for the kill, and wearing a stare that only Aya can pull off, this capture is an incredible achievement. I imagine this is what all her target see right before the blade is brandished. I am really enjoying the blurred out background because it lets Amunet shine, it also gives of the feel of a sandstorm sweeping in. 5) Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number five comes from @ petta_velan a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community . I wanted to include this capture as it’s a great representation of black and white VP. What’s confusing about Valhalla and this shot is how Eivor can look just like an assassin, but still have bulky armour on. The light shining off the armour plating brings so much light to the photo, you can almost see the colour. I think my favourite part of this capture would have to be the shadow covering Eivor’s eyes. Combined with the hood and the stance you can tell he is eavesdropping on a conversation. 6) Raven Clan Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 The final capture of the week comes from @ Brentassins over on Twitter. We end the Black and White special with a stunning portrait of Eivor dressed in her black raven helmet. This piece of gear is one of my favourites in the game, it especially looks impressive when worn with a hood. You can see that look in the link below. Once again this is a capture that shows off the benefits of black and white photography. The way it highlights the golden patterns on the helmet and adds those menacing white eyes is perfection. 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! 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

Assassin's Creed News Recap: 7th - 20th August 2022 News Share 21 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to a new 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 have quite a lot to cover in this Assassin's Creed news round-up, this time spanning a fortnight instead of a week due to the launch of our Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser! In collaboration with various community members and organisations, we here at TOWCB are raising funds for The British Heart Foundation and The American Heart Association, two incredible organisations providing critical cardiovascular medical research and education to facilities around the world. To increase donations, we are currently hosting an art sale! Lisa Zaman from the Assassin's Creed Partnership Program has kindly donated prints which we are selling via GoFundMe donations! To purchase a print, simply donate £15 for one, or £25 for x2, and message the admin team with your selections and details! Please donate if you can and help the fundraiser reach it's target of £1500! All donors receive a special thank you pack containing a surprise, and will be entered into raffles depending on donation amount. 2) Antheum Studios released new images of the Assassin's Creed Whisky, and it looks incredible! ''Crafted in the hill country of Texas and finished in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, this 4 year old straight bourbon whiskey carries a rich flavour with rye spice, wheat character, and hints of cherry, vanilla and oak. Appealing to spirit connoisseurs and fans alike, this iconic selection is a worthy addition to any bar. Game hard, drink responsibly.'' Look out for the Assassin’s Creed 15th Anniversary Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is available now from various retailers in the US! 3) The teaser trailer for the Assassin's Creed event coming to PUBG Battlegrounds dropped! Never did we expect to see Master Assassin Ezio Auditore using a frying pan to knock out enemies, but here we are. In fairness, the crossover has done a good job at replicating Abstergo Industries and Ezio's robes. It also looks like the game features a number of core pillars sacred to the identity of the brand like the leap of faith and the Hidden Blade, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in-game. 4) Mike Smith from the AC Partnership Program (Isu Network) released his fascinating new interview with Kate Heartfield, author of The Magus Conspiracy novel. In the interview, we discuss her book and working with publisher Aconyte Books on a new trilogy for the Assassin's Creed universe; The Engine of History. For the first time ever, we also released the interview transcript, so you can enjoy this interview on Youtube , or here in written form! 5) We were happy to release a Q&A with Michael Doyle, an online article writer who recently joined the AC Partnership Program (Isu Network). Michael is a close friend of TOWCB admin team and has provided support behind the scenes for many years. In the interview, we covered everything from the Netflix Assassin's Creed TV show to the upcoming Ubisoft Forward Assassin's Creed event. Check it out here! 6) Ubisoft shared three new creations for the weekly social media series titled Wallpaper Wednesday. To mark the 15th Anniversary of Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft have been commissioning community artists. The first image, featuring an Assassin underneath the AC15 logo, and the second, showcasing settings from the games were created by artist Valorianru , formerly of The Mentors Guild! We love the use of colours in these two creations! The third image, by Assassin's Crweed , shows Desmond Miles in a powerful stance holding the Apple of Eden, surrounded by shattered glass fragments featuring the faces of Assassins. Look carefully and you'll notice that even the tiny fragment closest to Arno has an Assassin looking back. It's great to see community artists getting opportunities like this, and we are very much enjoying all of the creations. 7) We celebrated 8 years since the creation of The Ones Who Came Before. The main focus for this year's celebration was to launch the Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser, but we still have one or two celebratory projects to release later on in the month. To mark our anniversary, we reflected on our history in a new article titled 8 Years of The Ones Who Came Before: Looking Back. Check it out here! 8) Hugo Sahuquet, Former Associate Narrative Director at Ubisoft Bordeaux shared some of his notes from the creation of the Wrath of the Druids DLC! We love stuff like this, showing the inner thought processes of the devs, and also how ideas change over time. Look carefully at the notes and you'll notice early dialogue ideas for a quest featuring Barid and Ciara! 9) Ubisoft shared a cryptic image featuring Morse Code on their Weibo account which reveals the phrase “coming soon” The second translation roughly says 'retrace the past, improve the present, define the future.' What do you think they are teasing? 10) Voice actor Roger Craig Smith (Ezio Auditore) shared an image of himself outside of the Ubisoft Montreal studio in Canada! This image sparked speculation that he could he be working on an Ezio project with Ubisoft, and we actually can't rule that out just yet. It could just be a fun tweet by Roger, but then again, it could be something more. The purpose for the visit remains a mystery, but with a new platform based Assassin's Creed project titled 'Infinity' currently in development, it may be that we start to see small chunks of content for older characters, so it may be possible to see Ezio again, or even get a conclusion for other characters such as Connor or Arno. Fingers crossed, the Mentor will return one day! 11) Several retailers including Amazon and IndieBound listed an upcoming novel titled 'Assassin's Creed: The Golden City', written by Jaleigh Johnson & published by Aconyte Books! The novel is set to release February 7th 2023! A young emperor’s life hangs in the balance, and only the Brotherhood of Assassins can save him, in this action-packed historical adventure from the award-winning Assassin’s Creed universe. Which Empire do you think it could it be referring to? 12) Ubisoft announced that CJ Allan (CJthegeek) would be host presenting the #AC15 Cosplay Competition by @CosXpo at Insomnia Gaming Festival! ''As a legendary host of past cosplay competitions, his expertise will benefit this amazing #AssassinsCreed event on Saturday 27th August'' Although we are unable to attend the event ourselves, we are very much looking forward to seeing all of the entries! Good luck Assassins! 13) Check out this incredible Assassin's Creed 15 Year Anniversary sand art project by @fallinginsand This impressive creation is one of many art projects commissioned by Ubisoft to mark the 15th Anniversary of Assassin's Creed It's interesting to see all the ways Ubisoft are thinking outside of the box to mark the occasion, and we love seeing unique creations such as this. 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)

Searching For The Creed - Rome Breakdown Share 12 Sept 2024 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Gargudon Back To Database The legendary and iconic Italian capital, has a special place in our hearts here at The Ones Who Came Before. It is where founder Colum got engaged, and a city others from our team also have fond memories with from when visiting. In continuation of our articles, showcasing and comparing the landmarks of London and Florence, portrayed in-game versus real life counterparts, we now shift focus towards the heart of the world’s first superpower, the streets wandered of in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Roma. Note any real life pictures of Rome’s landmarks, have been taken between 2018-2020, and may therefore be slightly outdated. Text, in-game and select Rome pictures by Gargudon. Select Rome pictures by Col_96. Pantheon Kicking off the list we’re taking a look at the Pantheon, the iconic Roman temple located in the heart of the city, famous for its roof with an always open oculus. Not much to say about the temple itself, other than Ubisoft Montréal did a great job replicating it. It’s more the area outside where the game takes its liberties, featuring a much wider and more open space, with much different looking buildings surrounding the temple. Construction of the temple originally began in 27 BCE, with it standing finished in the early 2nd century under Emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is open from 9:00-19:00, every day of the week year round with the exception of 1st January, 15th August for Ferragosto, as well as 25th December. Entry is 5€ for tourists, free on the first Sunday of each month, as well as for Roman residents, worshippers and people under 18. Piazza Navona The famous square in the heart of the city, more or less looks the same as it did 500 years ago. Only major differences being the game’s portrayal being moderately downsized, the addition of the Sant’Agnese in Agone church, as well as the Quattro Fiumi / Four Rivers fountain surrounding the obelisk in the 17th century. The place has certainly also seen a further uptick in crowds with the centuries, coming to house a number of restaurants, bars and street performers among other things. You can visit Piazza Navona almost any time of the day, witnessing its unique, vibrant life and atmosphere. The square was founded in 86 AD, under the commission of Emperor Domitian, with the purpose of serving as a stadium for athletics competitions, with stands where there are now buildings. Campidoglio There are a few notable differences, between the game’s portrayal of one of the seven hills of Rome, and its real life counterpart. The overall look and structure of the Senatorial palace, the Palazzo dei Conservatori, as well as outside square is pretty spot on, but there is some slight downsizing, and most notably this is prior to Michelangelo’s rework of the whole place starting in 1536, commissioned by Pope Paul III. While the game’s version houses a fountain in the middle of the square, part of Michelangelo’s renovation project included adding a statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius instead in 1537. Not only did he completely redesign and rework the facade of both existing palaces, but a third one, the Palazzo Nuovo, was added opposite the Conservatori. Today all three buildings serve as the Capitoline Museums, and can be visited from 09:30-19:30 for 32€. Santa Maria In Ara Coeli The small church of Santa Maria In Ara Coeli, located right besides the Campidoglio, is with the exception of its size, another landmark there isn’t much to say about, other than Montréal did a great job replicating it; both the outside seen in 1503, and the inside explored during the Modern Day finale of Brotherhood. As far as we and historians are concerned though, there are no secret advanced mechanisms within the church, nor any ancient civilisation temples hidden beneath it. The church was built in the 5th century, technically still on the ruins of the “Temple of Juno”; the Temple of Juno Moneta, a temple in Ancient Rome used to mint Roman coins. The Santa Maria In Ara Coeli can be visited free of charge, and is open from 7:00-19:00 every day of the week. Foro Romano Although fairly downsized, the heart of Ancient Rome in the centre of the city, located right between Capitoline Hill and Colosseum, is otherwise as accurate as can be, and Montréal did a stellar job recreating it. From the overall look and feel of the area, to the remaining ruins of all the temples and arches it houses. In ancient times, the Roman Forum was home to everything from public meetings, trials, and gladiatorial matches, as well as housing a number of shops and markets, and being home to different religious ceremonies. The Roman Forum can be visited every day of the year, from 8:30-19:15 from January-September, and from 8:30-18:30 from October-December. Tickets start at 24,90€, also including access to Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. Colosseum Up next, we take a look at one of the city’s as well as the world’s most famous landmarks, the iconic gladiatorial arena of Il Colosseo. The exterior of the arena more or less looks the same as it does in-game, and has done so for hundreds of years now, with one half of the original iconic facade still standing, the other destroyed by an earthquake in 1349. Constructed in 72 AD, the original facade is believed to have been fully round, more white coloured, with statues in each window and flags on top. Inside of the arena, a few notable differences are prominent, most notably on the centre battlefield itself. Not only is the game’s version moderately downsized, but also has a flatter, greener surface, and is a more open space, with the absence of the big walls standing there today. The area above with the old stands, then holding thousands and thousands of spectators is as spot on as can be. The Colosseum can be visited every day of the year, from 8:30-19:15 from January-September, and from 8:30-18:30 from October-December. Tickets start at 24,90€, also including access to Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. Castel Sant’Angelo Penultimately on this list, we shift focus towards the massive and iconic fortress of Castel Sant’Angelo, located right next and en route to The Vatican. Constructed between 135-139 AD, originally serving as the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, then converted into a fortress in the 5th century. Although absent in-game, a note worthy aspect of the castle, the atop statue of the archangel Michael, has quite the story behind it. Legend has it, in 590, Pope Gregory The Great, praying for the end of a plague, had a vision of said archangel sheathing his sword over the castle, signifying the end of the plague. Hence, the castle got its modern name, and said statue to symbolise it. Other than this statue, Brotherhood’s portrayal of the iconic castle is more or less spot on, including Ponte Sant’Angelo crossing the Tiber, leading to it. Militant use of the place ceased in 1901, the castle underwent restoration, and serves today as a military history museum. Castel Sant’Angelo can be visited every day of the year, with the exception of Mondays, 1st January, 1st May and 25th December, from 9:00-19:30, with tickets starting at 22,90€. Basilica Di San Pietro And last but not least, the iconic basilica of St. Peter’s, one of the most sacred sites in Christianity, has seen its fair share of change, from first being founded in 326 under Roman Emperor Constantine, to Pope Julius II in 1506, laying the first stone of the massive church standing today. As portrayed in Brotherhood, the original basilica was nowhere near as big as its successor, but based on a 19th century drawing, showing the place as it is believed to have looked mid 15th century, it is safe to say Montréal did a great job replicating it. From the basilica itself and its facade, the atrium, and most of the surrounding area. Only exception and where the game’s portrayal has free styled a bit, is the iconic dome, which technically wasn’t designed until mid 16th century by Michelangelo, with construction being finished from 1588-1590. The basilica stood fully finished in 1626, a whole 120 years after construction began. St. Peter’s Basilica is open and can be visited free of charge, every day of the week, all year round from 7:00-19:00. Going up in the dome costs 8€ using the stairs, and 10€ using the elevator. It is open from 7:30-18:00 in the summer months, closing one hour earlier in the winter months. And that concludes this comparison, of yet another iconic city, portrayed in-game versus its real life counterpart! Make sure to stay tuned as we shift focus towards other towns and cities in the future, and check out our other articles comparing London and Florence, as well as our video comparing Monteriggioni, available on our YouTube channel and TikTok page! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav is an active community member who specialises in Podcast Hosting & Composing. By joining the program, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further his skills, even helping to revive 'The Memory Corridor' series, which had been offline for nearly a year. His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our AC Partnership Program, of which he has been a part of since it began back in 2019. He is known in the community for the Sounds Of History music project; an original instrumental project featuring five tracks inspired by AC, written and produced by him, and more recently, video interviews with Jesper Kyd and Lee Majdoub. Fun Fact: Gustav is the only member of our team to have a tattoo of TOWCB logo! Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

TOWCB Team Members invited to join 'The Mentor's Order' News Share 14 Jan 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are thrilled to announce that our team members @col_96 (Colum Blackett), @lisazamanart (Lisa Zaman) & @Ashlea_97 (Ashlea Blackett) have been invited to join a new #AssassinsCreed community program called 'The Mentor's Order', a Ubisoft Star Player initiative! Back in July 2022, Ubisoft sadly closed down 'The Mentors Guild', an established community program made up of active content creators around the world. With the introduction of 'The Mentor's Order', we once again hope to maintain a positive relationship with Ubisoft. We are also optimistic that the new program will provide equal opportunities for all Assassin's Creed Star Players, new and old. We are also excited to hear that the new program is being led by the same team behind TMG, and the new restructuring will bring community members together under one roof within the Ubisoft Star Player program! We are eager to see how the new program develops, but we are thrilled to be a part of it. Keep an eye on our social media channels for behind the scenes updates detailing our experience of the new program! 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 Mirage: TOWCB Spoiler-Free Review Reviews Share 1 Jan 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database ''A solid entry that recommits the series to providing a memorable stealth experience'' Assassin's Creed Mirage is here, and our admin team over at The Ones Who Came Before headquarters were lucky enough to play the game early thanks to the Community Development Team at Ubisoft! Taking players back to 9th century Baghdad, Assassin's Creed Mirage is a thrilling stealth game that will surely act as a turning point for the whole series. Recent entries delivered expansive narrative arcs that can be overwhelming for players, but Mirage does everything it can to d eliver a more focussed narrative experience, with a main storyline which can be completed in 15-20 hours. This is a breath of fresh air, and a much needed change, as the risk of getting lost in its own size was beginning to seep in. The biggest strength of Assassin's Creed Mirage is that it isn't afraid to embrace it's identity, proudly reclaiming control over it's own image. The series found itself in a period where it began to lose itself, but Mirage is AC rediscovering itself after an identity crisis, and once again finding what makes it special. The game acts as a very reflective piece of content, and shows great awareness from the development team over the recent issues fans have had in general. I t r eintroduces mechanics which should never have been removed, and builds on the past to deliver an extremely strong and well thought out story that feels like the ultimate culmination of what came before. There's no doubt that Mirage is a solid entry that recommits the series to providing a memorable stealth experience. It really is a special game, and fans around the world are in for an absolute treat. After a lackluster marketing campaign, the main driving force of the marketing pushing general interest has been the passion of the development team who have been vocal in their belief in the project through intervews and dev diaries. After the announcement back in 2022, the community immediately got behind the time period and main character, as Basim is someone who immediately generates interest after his intriguing appearance in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. More importantly though, Mirage promised to return Assassin's Creed to its roots, and it certainly delivered. Comparisons can be drawn to just about every other game in the series, most obviously AC1 and AC2, with a parkour system inspired by Unity. The charm of the game is how it acts as a prequel to the original, released back in 2007, but drives the series forward by reintroducing elements from later games such as a notoriety system. To spark interest, Mirage soesn't need to do anything too innovative, past games laid the groundwork for mechanics, and the game just needed to reintroduce rather than reinvent. Rather than trialling new systems, Mirage examines what worked in previous titles and brings them back in a triumphant blend of past and present, colliding to produce the future. ''A triumphant blend of past and present'' Graphics and Stability I was immediately impressed with how stable the game feels at launch, encountering no bugs or glitches whilst running the game on PC with Ultra settings. In what feels like the most stable release in recent memory, Mirage runs on PC at an uncapped framerate, meaning high-powered machines can deliver an incredible experience for gamers. Baghdad and it's surrounding area are incredibly impressive, with the game doing a great job at bringing a real sense of individuality to the Round City, with each district feeling different from the next, something which was also featured in the original game. It's noticable how poorer districts of Baghdad are run-down, and the living conditions for those living there are insufficient. It's clear that the team did their homework when creating the city, taking great care with its overall creation and delivery. Mirage re-introduces impressive crowds, and along with it, the notion that an Assassin is but a blade in the crowd, waiting to strike. One thing that makes the city feel alive is how NPC's react to Basim's presence when he raises his notoriety. You can hear guards discussing his acts, or comment on his likeness to the culprit they are searching for. Regular civilians will even report Basim to the guards, in the hope that he will be reprimanded for his crimes. This is a first for the series, and a really nice feature to be introduced. Baghdad is a living, breathing environment, and the regularly changing day and night cycle and quest opportunities keep it interesting through the playthrough. The controls feel familiar, something which will be a relief for long-time fans. Change can take a long time to adapt to, but the controls for Mirage feel right, with no remapping needed. Safe parkour routes can be navigated by holding down space, and parkour down returns by pressing 'C', a nice and simple system that is made more dynamic through the flair of freerunning the game adds. One thing I did spot however graphically is how the faces sometimes let the game down. I found that Basim's facial expressions can be comical at times, especially in cutscenes. making him look wide-eyed and youthful. This may be something which the team choose to address in future patches, as releasing a stable and issue-free game at launch is more important. I would be keen to see enhanced details on faces added in a future update later down the line. In order to capture the beauty of the game, Photomode has been available at launch, something which will no doubt thrill the virtual photography community, who are eager to dive in and explore the world. During my playthrough, I frequently found myself stopping to capture the moment with the familiar photomode tool. I can't wait to see what the community manages to produce. ''Mirage re-introduces impressive crowds, and along with it, the notion that an Assassin is but a blade in the crowd, waiting to strike.'' Parkour Parkour is encouraged at every turn in Assassin's Creed Mirage, and the city of Baghdad provides many paths to elevation that compliment the enhanced flair of Basim's movement, which takes inspiration from Assassin's Creed Unity. The dynamic new parkour system is a break away from the wooden, sluggish freerunning styles recent games have provided, opting for a complete overhaul that introduces a splash of intensity and charisma. It feels as if the team behind the parkour animations really wanted to give Basim some personality within his movement, moving away from an uninspired, dated system. Elevators can be found on the streets to take Basim to the rooftops in seconds, giving him the element of surprise over unsuspecting enemies. Movement across the city is aided by the return of the corner swing, which featured heavily in Assassin's Creed Revelations. Ropes bridge the gap between buildings, providing clear routes to navigate. Mirage introduces a new mechanic for parkour, the pole vault, a balanced piece of wood which can be used to cross gaps between buildings or even water. This is a particularly usefu l feature when Basim is being pursued by guards, as each pole has a one-time use, meaning he cannot be followed. Speed of movement is adjustable in the settings, meaning players can tailor their parkour experience. Basim is faster and more agile than Eivor, and animations were produced specially to give players a sense of speed when running, jumping, vaulting and free roaming. Players will notice how the new parkour system allows Basim to glide over objects, moving seamlessly with flair. Also noticable is Basim's ability to jump further than previously possible, leading to more opportunities when on the more. I actually found the new parkour system to be much more realistic than what Assassin's Creed fans have been working with recently, leading me to wonder if the team possibly took inspiration from real-life parkour artists / freerunners. The range of movement in this game is seriously impressive, and it's only a matter of time before we s ee masters honing their craft and navigating the city of Baghdad with creative variety. You can climb fallen trees, which I found to be incredibly useful to gain an aerial advantage. In what is certainly the first 'traditional' Assassin's Creed game in years, Basim certainly has the moves to match his status within the Brotherhood. The game brings back Open windows for Basim to climb through, like in Assassin's Creed Unity,making the game feel more open and lifelike. Overall I think the game lends itself well to parkour, hinting at it's existence at every opportunity. I felt that it was especially pushed within the layout of Baghdad, and missions seem to provide routes for parkour which make quests easier when followed correctly. A good example of this are the tailing missions which make their return. I think Mirage's parkour is way better than the sluggish system we saw in Valhalla, and the introduction of new animations and fluidity makes it interesting and useful rather than a painful hinderence. ''Basim moves seamlessly with flair.'' Stealth Stealth in Assassin's Creed Valhalla was a step in the right direction, but Mirage goes even further fixes all of the issues players had in the previous title. Social stealth has been restored to it's former glory, and feels more alive than ever before. Basim can blend with crowds, pay groups for cover, use benches and hay bales for cover, and finally, stealthily enter a roof garden to dispatch a nearby guard with a whistle. It feels like the series has come full circle, bringing back the original stealth mechanics in a more lively open world. I like how guards are inquisitive, but don't spot you straight away like in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The player can once again hide in long grass and bushes to keep out of sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Basim can hide in prayer booths, and use them to hide bodies. The same can be said for the roof gardens, which featured in Assassin's Creed I. The most noticable change from Assassin's Creed Valhalla though are the new kill animations. Whilst waiting on a corner, Basim will cleanly dispatch an enemy with the hidden blade to then calmly drag their body out of sight. It's an instinctive but deadly manouver, and it very often prevents other enemies from spotting a body. Basim also has 'Assassin focus', a rapid series of moves that take out enemies so fast, the Animus simply can't keep up, resulting in a glitch effect. This feature was heavily controversial at first as some fans felt it was a supernatural fast-travel power, but it has since been explained as Basim's lightning fast reflexes. It can be incredibly useful to get out of tricky situations. The system stems from a similar thought process to what we saw in Assassin's Creed Syndicate, where Evie Frye could practically turn invisible by controlling her breathing. Air assassinations are the best they have ever been in the series, aided by Basim's long distance jumps, you can take an enemy out from further away than usual. You don't have to be directly above the target, which makes it fun to run and jump down on a target, dropping in to deliver a killing blow. The game provides great variety when it comes to assassination animations, so with practice, fans will soon be performing incredible speed runs featuring a balance of parkour and aerial assassinations. Death from above is extremely satisfying, and it seems that Basim and his Eagle Enkidu have more in common than first realised, moving swiftly like an Eagle above the crowds. The notoriety system returns in Assassin's Creed Mirage, and will affect all players as it did in the Ezio games. Tear down Wanted posters or pay heralds to reduce Basim's notoriety, reducing the heat as he moves through the city. When the wanted level is at its peak, the city will turn on him, making it incredibly difficult to operate undetected. For the first time, civilians will inform the guards of Basim's actions, and call for them to intervene should you commit a public offence. Information gathering plays a crucial role in the game, with all assassination missions starting out with an investigation. This is a real throwback to the original game, where Altair also had to conduct investigations to discover information before he could act. This is because he was demoted to the rank of a novice, which Basim is at the start of Assassin's Creed Mirage. Eavesdropping returns, and is once again a clever way of gaining information. During my play sessions, I have found it quite rewarding to once again sit on a bench and listen out for intel which could aid a later assassination mission. Basim's tools are essential to unlocking the full potential of stealth, with each tool in his Assassin arsenal acting as a lifeline in the right circumstances. The smoke bomb provides cover, masking his actions. This can be useful for assassinations or even for disorienting targets in order to pickpocket. You can escape guards in a cloud of smoke, as was demonstrated in the first trailer for Assassin's Creed Mirage. The Trap is a bomb which condures a plume of gas that renders guards immobile, giving Basim the chance to swoop in and deliver the finishing blow. The blowpipe, which returns from Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag, can be used to either knock out or poison enemies from distance. Throwing knives are similar, providing clean kills from distance. As the game does not allow for Basim to carry a bow, this is the main option for long-range distance kills. The noisemaker is a distraction device that can create a diversion, moving guards away from certain areas or clearing the path long enough for Basim to move. Finally, the flame, to light dark tunnels. This is my least favourite tool as I have not yet found a way of making it work in a stealth situation. Ideally, I would like to be able to throw the torch to set oil spillages on fire or even tents, but so far they have simply burnt out. Overall, the tools are incredibly important to increasing Basim's chances of a successful stealth mission, so I recommend unlocking them all as early as possible when playing Mirage. Finally, Basim's Eagle Enkidu can be used to look for opportunities in the world, and highlight the presence of nearby enemies. After a while I found the eagle mechanic to be quite jarring, as it hones in on a particular point of interest, but it certainly gets better with upgrades. Overall, I found the stealth system in Assassin's Creed Mirage to be excellent, restoring old mechanics and making it deadlier than ever. Basim has the killer instrinct, and his actions feels decisive and calculated. I think fans will be extremely pleased that Assassin's Creed is once again focussing on its stealth roots, and is now pushing itself to be better than ever before. ''The player can once again hide in long grass and bushes to keep out of sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.'' Combat In Assassin's Creed Mirage, combat is a last resort for Basim. Before enhancing skills, the game provides a primitive combat system, which amplifies the overall commitment to providing a masterful stealth experience. Attacks are hit-for-hit, and stamina depletes quickly, so it can be tough for the players who wish to battle their way through Baghdad. It certainly can be challenging, especially when facing numerous adversaries. Basim will be cut down in the street as his stamina depletes. Some attacks cannot be parried, leading Basim with just one option, dodge out of the way, a move which heavily depends on stamina. On hard mode, it's frequent to die whilst trying to take on numerous enemies, something which was never a problem in the RPG games. I like that this is the case though, as it really encourages players to reconcide their method, and resort back to a stealth approach. Skills add another element to the combat system, introducing features that make it easier when facing opponents. 'Kick Back' is a skill which introduces a powerful kick attack upon completion of a successful parry, which can be used to disorientate or even cause the death of an enemy by kicking off buildings or even into wooden structures which can collapse. This skill is similar to the Sparta Kick from Assassin's Creed Odyssey. 'Counter Roll' allows Basim to quickly move out of the way as an unblockable attack is about to land, moving him into a strategist position behind the enemy where he can inflict damage. Finally, 'knife recover', which is also a useful skill for stealth, which adds auto-collecting throwing knives which have already been used. In close-quarters, throwing knives can be used to eleminate enemies who are charging towards the Assassin. Although combat is quite basic in comparison to previous entries, it does provide a real sense of progression, as Basim climbs the ranks within the Brotherhood. The once-charistmastic thief uses his new training to defend himself in a scrape, and that's what the game does well. It feels like Basim only uses combat if there are no other options, as a true Assassin should act as a blade in the crowd. Plot Assassin's Creed Mirage follows the transition of Basim from a street thief to a Master Assassin. Players begin the game in Anbar, where Basim the thief uses his skills to steal money and food to help those around him and him self. The early on pickpocket tutorial introduces players to the timing mechanic, which can be tricky to master, but essential if you wish to avoid conflict. He wants a better life for himself and others around him facing poverty. He is a conflicted character, carrying a family burden, as his father Ishaq was an architect who was simply forgotten after the construction of the Great Mosque of Samarra was completed, when another took credit for the project. Ishaq was exhiled, and died in poverty, scarring Basim foreve r. He also finds himself experiencing nightmares, where a Jinni torments his resting hours. This is the first time seeing recurring dreams in the series, showing their intensity and effect upon his life. Fueled by confidence in himself and his abilities, Basim seeks a better life for himself, setting his sights upon the Assassins, an illusive group who provide work for street thieves. Desperate to prove himself, but lacking discretion, a trait worthy of The Hidden Ones, and something which is noticed by Mentor Roshan, rejecting his initial advance s to join. Basim is aware of the existence of The Hidden Ones and aspires to aid them more, but not to help their cause, but to better his own position in life. The game quickly evolves from tutorial missions to a main mission which gives the player a reason to care about the enemy faction, The Order of Ancients, which Basim stumbles upon. The opening main mission, the Winter Palace infiltration sets this up nicely, introduces the organisation as a powerful faction operating from the shadows, controlling the leaders of the land, and through their influence, the people. The Order operates ina similar way to the version we saw in Assassin's Creed Origins, hiding behind masks and nicknames to keep their identities secret. Upon joining the Assassins, Basim must hunt them down one-by-one to aid the cause of the Assassins. Additional areas in the game are a nice surprise, as the game was purely advertised as Baghdad. In fact, players can also visit the outskirts and other areas such as Alamut and Anbar for plot purposes. Basim is moved across the map seeking information on his targets and reporting to various Hidden Ones Bureaus. In this sense, the game feels very much like Assassin's Creed I, where Altair would travel across The Holy Land. Although short, Mirage features one of the strongest Isu stories we have seen so far, and makes it more personal and import ant than ever, continuing the reincarnation narrative outlined in Valhalla. Unfortunately the game continues the trend of gradually stripping away Modern Day gameplay that has left players with very little since the Desmond games. The narrative pushes an interesting modern day story through cutscenes, which is certainly better than it's entire removal which would probably be easier for new players to understand. For fans following the ongoing Modern Day narrative, Mirage has a lot to be excited about. I like how the Modern Day seems to be once again moving towards making the threat for humanity , similar to what we saw in Assassin's Creed III, where momentum came to it's conclusion as Juno escaped her prison and unleashed herself upon humanity. Shorter stories work so well in the Assassin's Creed series when told correctly, and what I like about Assassin's Creed Mirage is that it feels like it found clever ways of connecting the past and future. Hopefully this trend continues one-day with the introduction of 'Assassin's Creed Infinity', a project which is set to introduce a launcher which features all past and future content. Mirage reflects Basim's clever and cynical nature in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, revealing his troubled past and journey tow ards becoming an Assassin. Basim's actions have consequences, and Mirage takes the time to remind players of what more recent games in the series have been missing. Conclusion Assassin's Creed Mirage delivers a strong narrative which serves as a poignant tribute to Russell Lees, a writer who sadly passed away during the development of the game. Immediately after booting up the game, the award-worthy music takes hold and doesn't stop, providing atmospheric and moving tracks and sounds throughout. Basim becomes the embodiment of the Brotherhood, acting as its blade from the shadows. He is the stealthiest Assassins yet, using his tools to take down targets, masking himself in the crowd and creating opportunities to lure out targets to strike. The Voice acting was excellent throughout, with highlights from Shohreh Aghdashloo ( Roshan), Lee Majdoub (Basim), and notable performances from the voice actors behind Fulash and Rayhan The stand-out performance from Mirage is Baghdad itself, a city which feels bustling with life and diversity. Each district has it's own personality, and the use of Arabic speaking voice actors abd script writers makes the experience feel more authentic. Finally, I think fans will be particularly impressed with how the team behind Mirage hits pause on the RPG direction of the franchise, and sets a new course, rediscovering what makes Assassin's Creed special and reintroducing cut features which feel familar and refreshed. The game feels extremely satisfactory for old fans of the franchise, and is a great place to start for new players looking to kick off their Assassin's Creed journey. I hope that the developers behind Assassin's Creed Mirage go on to work on future AC projects, and that we don't suddenly have a huge surge of rushed content after this huge step in the right direction. Assassin's Creed Mirage: 9.5/10 'A solid entry that recommits the series to providing a memorable stealth experience'' 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)

Netflix have announced an upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series News Share 27 Oct 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Streaming service and production company Netflix have today announced that they are developing a live-action Assassin's Creed series in partnership with Ubisoft. The news broke when the @NXOnNetflix Twitter account posted a short teaser revealing a red Assassin's Creed insignia with the Netflix logo inside. The iconic Assassin's Creed II theme, Ezio's family theme plays softly in the background. Could this be a clue, or simply a nod to the series? “We’re thrilled to create an Assassin’s Creed series with Netflix and we look forward to developing the next saga in the Assassin’s Creed universe.” said Jason Altman, Head of Ubisoft Film & Television told Deadline. Netflix are looking to build an Assassin's Creed TV Universe, entering into a content agreement with Ubisoft to develop live-action, animated, and anime series based on the franchise. According to Deadline, the first series in development is as an epic, genre-bending live-action adaptation, and is being developed Ubisoft Film & Television’s Jason Altman and Danielle Kreinik, who are currently looking for a showrunner. “We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that Assassin’s Creed is beloved for. From its breathtaking historical worlds and massive global appeal as one of the best selling video game franchises of all time, we are committed to carefully crafting epic and thrilling entertainment based on this distinct IP and provide a deeper dive for fans and our members around the world to enjoy.” Peter Friedlander, VP, Original Series, Netflix. Details are currently limited regarding the first Assassin's Creed Netflix series, but you can stay up to date on all the news here at The Ones Who Came Before. Sources: Netflix Deadline 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)

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 Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. 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)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 17th to 23rd April Community Share 25 Apr 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 Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ 9b75 We start this week’s showcase with a captivating shot of Eivor appearing from the shadows. The lighting of this capture is truly breath-taking. The elegance of Eivor’s position allows the light to enhance the details on Ezio’s famous outfit. If you wanted a shot to epitomise the saying ‘we work in the dark to serve the light” then this is it. The Eyes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ warriorqueenvp Eivor always wanted the Raven clan to be feared. Well with a stare as intense as this she can’t help but succeed. I admire the use of colour in this shot, with just three elements the capture stands out incredibly. The face tattoo works so well with the yellow eyes, it also creates conflict with it looking very Christian but on a Pagans face. An excellent portrait of our favourite Viking. The Dogs of War Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ lightfallimage Kassandra may be a fearsome warrior but facing a three headed dog is something else. This is one hell of shot, I love the depth of field, just enough to make the situation seem threatening. Kassandra’s stance is so good with the spear and sword at the ready. I have to say the capture and quote go hand in hand and make for a powerful package. Truly spectacular stuff from Jonnybubs. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge: Colum Blackett (Col_96 from TOWCB Admin Team) This shot is incredible. It captures one of the most memorable moments from Assassin's Creed Odyssey and makes it cinematic. For me, this shot is worthy of recognition for numerous reasons. Kassandra's stance is incredibly powerful, with the three headed threat lurking in the background. She just looks so calm in the presence of an intimidating foe. I particularly like the depth of field in this shot, as although the background is out of focus, the colours shine through, creating a striking contrast to the calm, collected Misthios. Great shot. An epic capture. Winter Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Cll3ar This week’s #Thorsday shot is pure brilliance. The details on show here are magnificent, showing the VP artist skills and also Ubisoft’s epic world building. I believe this is from the Northumbria arc of the game. It was such a great idea to split the season over the different Kingdoms of England, allowing us to take vastly differing shots. I don’t think you could wish for a more Norse feel for our unofficial Thorsday theme. Checkout the set below. Link to set Vigilante Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ JPGphotomode We end this week’s showcase with a spectacular shot of Kassandra with her hood up. You can’t help but admire the shadow work in this shot. Mixed with the awesome face paint, Kassandra looks like she belongs to the league of assassins from DC. I would have loved to see Kassandra in a traditional assassin role, but maybe one day through the Infinity hub. 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

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 23rd to 29th January 2023 Community Share 31 Jan 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea 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 + Ezio Legacy 1) Make the Square Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Jonnybubs First up this week we have an excellent shot of Eivor in a duel with what looks to be another Viking. I love the positioning of this capture, and how it portrays the fight. Highlighting Varin’s axe with all those amazing details is a genius move. It is also a nice touch adding the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla logo, as it make s the shot feel like a movie poster. 2) Parkour Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ ophotongame Photo number two is simplicity at its best. For me this shot exudes class. The silhouette of Bayek, Senu and the statues are all perfectly captured . It takes fantastic timing to catch Bayek mid jump, as it's not always easy to enter the photo mode at the right time. Origin’s parkour wasn’t too bad, but I can’t wait to see what this artist can do with Mirage. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: Peter Strat - TOWCB Video Content Creation Team This shot is just wonderful! Such a different type of screenshot too with the white background contrasting the focal points of the image. Excellent timing with the shot of Bayek flying gracefully through the air and Senu ever present. And if you've ever tried to take a perfect shot with one of the birds as a part of it, you'll know how much of a pain this is! :D Truly exemplifies simplicity! 3) England Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: Xbox VP Artist: @ Chris25551 No matter what you say about Assassin’s Creed Valhalla the scenery and the world building is top draw. If there is one VP artist who captures it brilliantly it's CBVP. This capture is from a set that are all equal in beauty. I picked this particular shot because the mist combined with the rays of light make for one stunning photo. I really like the water details here. It looks ridiculously realistic. Link to set 4) Out for a Stroll Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ FrameHoldPhotos FrameHold deserves this shoutout. One for helping me put together the Ezio Legacy weekend, but also for her thoughtfully put together Ezio shots. I can instantly see the love and care that has been put into this capture. It is very Ezio , the background could easily be Italy. I must say that I am very impressed with the little details too, notably the lack of beard and that lovely shadow across Eivor’s body. 5) The Goat Game: Assassin’s Creed II VP Artist: @ Prophets_Codex We end this week with a classic Ezio shot from one of our new Community members. It is difficult to produce excellent shots in the older games where cameras cannot be manipulated as freely. What’s striking about this shot is Ezio’s outfit. The white pops so much, drawing your eye to every unique detail of this legendary outfit. 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 Jan 31, 2023 Thanks for the words Aaron! I'm the creator to second shot :) 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

Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe Theories Theory Share 27 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: ActualSpider-Man Colum Blackett Back To Database Let’s Revisit & Reanalyze What We Know on Codename Hexe Some of you may remember u/bool0011’s original Reddit post about some of this a few months ago, but if not, I wanna get deep into the weeds of what Access The Animus assumed early on, and what else has come to light. Things we the always questioning should take into account when looking at the decoding of the Official Logo, and what it might mean for the game on the way, albeit far from now! AtA did somewhat reveal most of the secrets hidden within, with their early access to the trailer allowing them to get out in front of the pack the day of the Ubisoft Forward. While they were correct in much of their findings, we can thank @ AC_Mac for their infographic translation and u/bool0011 for their more astute directions towards where and when we might be visiting in game, along with a commenter on their video sharing some interesting inputs regarding German history! As you might know, the AC Hexe logo contained several secret messages hidden around what’s called a Pentacle. The star inside that circle in the Hexe logo is the *Seventh Pentacle of Mars* from the book called The Key of Solomon, or Clavicus Salomonis in Latin. The symbols chalked inside each leaf of the pentacle and around the outside used a form of The Alphabet of the Magi, and we really should look into the front page for said alphabet on Wikipedia: “The Alphabet of the Magi is the modern name of a variant of the Hebrew alphabet used for inscriptions in talismans in 17th-century occultism. ... It is based on a variant of the Semitic alphabet given by Theseus Ambrosius (1469–1540) in his introduction in chaldaicam linguam (1539, pp. 202f.) ...Ambrosius here simply gives variant glyphs of the Hebrew alphabet, labelled Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, He, Vau, Zain, Hhet, Teth, Iod, Caph, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ain, Phe, Zadai, Coph, Res, Sin, Thau. The alphabet is different from the other variants of the Semitic abjad given by Ambrosius in that he mentions that these letters are said to have been invented by Gamaliel and transmitted in the a book called Liber ignis associated with the angel Raphiel. Claude Duret (1570?–1611) included it in his Thresor (1613, p. 117) under the name "the characters of the angel Raphael", citing Ambrosius.” “Edmund Fry included it in his Pantographia (pp. 28–29), stating: "Theseus Ambrosius asserts that this character was brought from Heaven by the Angel Raphael by who it was communicated to Adam who used it in composing Psalms after his expulsion from the terrestrial paradise. Some authors pretend that Moses and the prophets used this letter and that they were forbidden to divulge it to mortal man." ... That alphabet is described in the pseudo-Paracelsian Archidoxis magica, translated into English by R. Turner (1656). S.L. MacGregor Mathers included it in his 1888 edition of the Key of Solomon (plate XV) under the name "Alphabet of the Magi."” ‘Hexe’ itself was also a clue, as its origins come from Old Germanic and means “Witch”, so if the Blair Witch sticks and occult spiral of symbols wasn’t enough, there’s easy confirmation for witchy rituals happening. Now back to AtA’s findings. We now know the message around the outside of the circle to read: WIR ARBAITEN IM DEM TUNKEL UM DEM LICHT ZUDIENEN. “We work in the dark to serve the light.” An easy pull given the context of an AC game, despite “Tunkel” being an even older form of German for ‘dark’, as one commenter on their post has since said: “Love the analysis, some additions from a German native speaker: "Arbaiten" and "Tunckel" both are words written in "altdeutsch" (old german) used in the 15th to 16th century germany. U V W are the same letter because Latin only had the U. V and W evolved in the Romance languages as did J. So V and W are categorized with U and J with I and Y.” The words spirally etched into the pentacle itself read: MEPHISTO / RACHE / HAUS, and the native speaker in the comments shared more insights: “"Rache" is a noun translating to "revenge", singular imperativ would be "räche" In Goethes "Faust I." Faust uses the pentagram to keep MEPHISTO trapped in his home (HAUS), some would say to get the opportunity for revenge (RACHE). Act I. Study, line 1393 and on if you want to look it up. It could be an analogy to Faust I. but pentagrams were often used as a sign to protect your house from all Evil including the Devil (=Mephisto). Historic evidences of the Pentagram, e.g. the "Drudenfuß" found at a gate in "Ahrweiler", correlate to the era of witchhunts in Germany (16th century).” [Top right of the image, source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/ grim/kos/kos30.htm ] But first, about the Key of Solomon book (full book here). “The Key of Solomon (Latin: Clavicula Salomonis; Hebrew: שלמה מפתח]\ Mafteah Shelomoh\]) is a pseudepigraphical grimoire (also known as a book of spells) attributed to King Solomon. It probably dates back to the 14th or 15th century Italian Renaissance. It presents a typical example of Renaissance magic.” “The Key of Solomon is divided into two books. It describes the necessary drawings to prepare each "experiment" or, in more modern language, magical operations.” “Unlike later grimoires such as the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (16th century) or the Lemegeton (17th century), the Key of Solomon does not mention the signature of the 72 spirits constrained by King Solomon in a bronze vessel. As in most medieval grimoires, all magical operations are ostensibly performed through the power of God, to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations (termed "experiments") are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking the protection of God.” “Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate astrological time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words. All substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the Transitus Fluvii occult alphabet.” Interestingly enough, Key of Solomon was referenced in Goethe's Faust, and where? With Mephistopholes! “For such as your half-hellish crew – The Key of Solomon will do.” Now getting back to our Seventh Pentacle of Mars. “Write thou this upon virgin parchment or paper with the blood of a bat, in the day and hour of Mars; and uncover it within the Circle, invoking the Demons whose Names are therein written; and thou shalt immediately see hail and tempest. “ Editor's Note.--In the centre of the Pentacle are the Divine Names, El and Yiai, which have the same numerical value when written in Hebrew. The Letters in Hebrew, and in the Secret Alphabet called the Celestial, compose the Names of Spirits. Round the Pentacle is: --'He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. He smote their vines also, and their fig-trees.'--Psalm cv. 32, 33. What about other pentacles? The First Pentacle of Mars, Figure 25. --It is proper for invoking Spirits of the Nature of Mars, especially those which are written in the Pentacle. Editor's Note.--Mystical Characters of Mars, and the Names of the four Angels:--Madimiel, Bartzachiah, Eschiel, and Ithuriel written in Hebrew around the Pentacle. The Second Pentacle of Mars, Figure 26. --This Pentacle serveth with great success against all kinds of diseases, if it be applied unto the afflicted part. Editor's Note.--The letter Hé, in the angles of the Hexagram. Within the same the Names IHVH, IHSHVH Yeheshuah (the mystic Hebrew Name for Joshua or Jesus, formed of the ordinary IHVH with the letter SH placed therein as emblematical of the Spirit), and Elohim. Around it is the sentence, John i. 4:--'In Him was life, and the life was the light of man.' This may be adduced as an argument of the greater antiquity of the first few mystical verses of the Gospel of St. John. The Third Pentacle of Mars, Figure 27. -It is of great value for exciting war, wrath, discord, and hostility; also for resisting enemies, and striking terror into rebellious Spirits; the Names of God the All Powerful are therein expressly marked.Editor's Note.--The Letters of the Names Eloah and Shaddai. In the Centre is the great letter Vau, the signature of the Qabalistic Microprosopus. Around is the versicle from Psalm lxxvii. 13:--'Who is so great a God as our Elohim?'* The Fourth Pentacle of Mars, Figure 28. --It is of great virtue and power in war, wherefore without doubt it will give thee victory. Editor's Note.--In the Centre is the great Name Agla; right and left, the letters of the Name IHVH; above and below, El. Round it is the versicle from Psalm cx. 5:--'The Lord at thy right hand shall wound even Kings in the day of His Wrath.'* The Fifth Pentacle of Mars, Figure 29. --Write thou this Pentacle upon virgin parchment or paper, because it is terrible unto the Demons, and at its sight and aspect they will obey thee, for they cannot resist its presence. Editor's Note.--Around the figure of the Scorpion is the word HVL. The versicle is from Psalm xci. 13:--'Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.' The Sixth Pentacle of Mars, Figure 30. --It hath so great virtue that being armed therewith, if thou art attacked by any one, thou shalt neither be injured nor wounded when thou fightest with him, and his own weapons shall turn against him. Editor's Note.--Around the eight points of the radii of the Pentacle are the words 'Elohim qeber, Elohim hath covered (or protected),' written in the Secret Alphabet of Malachim, or the writing of the Angels. The versicle is from Psalm xxxvii. 15:--'Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.' Also, we should collect as much info as possible from the book itself, not just pictures. THE ORDER OF THE PENTACLES: Seven Pentacles consecrated to Saturn = Black Seven Pentacles consecrated to Jupiter = Blue Seven Pentacles consecrated to Mars = Red Seven Pentacles consecrated to the Sun = Yellow Six Pentacles consecrated to the Moon = Silver Five Pentacles consecrated to Venus = Green Five Pentacles consecrated to Mercury = Mixed CHAPTER XVIII CONCERNING THE HOLY PENTACLES OR METALS These Pentacles are usually made of the metal the most suitable to the nature of the Planet; and then there is no occasion to observe the rule of particular colours. They should be engraved with the instrument of Art in the days and hours proper to the Planet. Saturn ruleth over Lead; Jupiter over Tin; Mars over Iron; the Sun over Gold; Venus over Copper; Mercury over the mixture of Metals; and the Moon over Silver. They may also be made with exorcised virgin paper, writing thereon with the colours adopted for each Planet, referring to the rules already laid down in the proper Chapters, and according to the Planet with which the Pentacle is in sympathy. Wherefore unto Saturn the colour of Black is appropriated; Jupiter ruleth over Celestial Blue; Mars over Red; the Sun over Gold, or the colour of Yellow or Citron; Venus over Green; Mercury over Mixed Colours; the Moon over Silver, or the colour of Argentine Earth. CHAPTER II OF THE DAYS, AND HOURS, AND OF THE VIRTUES OF THE PLANETS It must, therefore, be understood that the Planets have their dominion over the day which approacheth nearest unto the name which is given and attributed unto them-viz., over Saturday, Saturn; Thursday, Jupiter; Tuesday, Mars; Sunday, the Sun; Friday, Venus; Wednesday, Mercury; and Monday, the Moon. The rule of the Planets over each hour begins from the dawn at the rising of the Sun on the day which takes its name from such Planet, and the Planet which follows it in order, succeeds to the rule over the next hour. Thus (on Saturday) Saturn rules the first hour, Jupiter the second, Mars the third, the Sun the fourth, Venus the fifth, Mercury the sixth, the Moon the seventh, and Saturn returns in the rule over the eighth, and the others in their turn, the Planets always keeping the same relative order. Note that each experiment or magical operation should be performed under the Planet, and usually in the hour, which refers to the same. For example:-- In the Days and Hours of Saturn thou canst perform experiments to summon the Souls from Hades, but only of those who have died a natural death. Similarly on these days and hours thou canst operate to bring either good or bad fortune to buildings; to have familiar Spirits attend thee in sleep; to cause good or ill success to business, possessions, goods, seeds, fruits, and similar things, in order to acquire learning; to bring destruction and to give death, and to sow hatred and discord. The Days and Hours of Jupiter are proper for obtaining honours, acquiring riches; contracting friendships, preserving health; and arriving at all that thou canst desire. In the Days and Hours of Mars thou canst make experiments regarding War; to arrive at military honour; to acquire courage; to overthrow enemies; and further to cause ruin, slaughter, cruelty, discord; to wound and to give death. The Days and Hours of the Sun are very good for perfecting experiments regarding temporal wealth, hope, gain, fortune, divination, the favour of princes, to dissolve hostile feeling, and to make friends. The Days and Hours of Venus are good for forming friendships; for kindness and love; for joyous and pleasant undertakings, and for travelling. The Days and Hours of Mercury are good to operate for eloquence and intelligence; promptitude in business; science and divination; wonders; apparitions; and answers regarding the future. Thou canst also operate under this Planet for thefts; writings; deceit; and merchandise. The Days and Hours of the Moon are good for embassies; voyages envoys; messages; navigation; reconciliation; love; and the acquisition of merchandise by water. Thou shouldest take care punctually to observe all the instructions contained in this chapter, if thou desirest to succeed, seeing that the truth of Magical Science dependeth thereon. The Hours of Saturn, of Mars, and of the Moon are alike good for communicating and speaking with Spirits; as those of Mercury are for recovering thefts by the means of Spirits. The Hours of Mars serve for summoning Souls from Hades, especially of those slain in battle. The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, are adapted for preparing any operations whatsoever of love, of kindness, and of invisibility, as is hereafter more fully shown, to which must be added other things of a similar nature which are contained in our work. The Hours of Saturn and Mars and also the days on which the Moon is conjunct with them, or when she receives their opposition or quartile aspect, are excellent for making experiments of hatred, enmity, quarrel, and discord; and other operations of the same kind which are given later on in this work. The Hours of Mercury are good for undertaking experiments relating to games, raillery, jests, sports, and the like. The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, particularly on the days which they rule, are good for all extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations. The Hours of the Moon are proper for making trial of experiments relating to recovery of stolen property, for obtaining nocturnal visions, for summoning Spirits in sleep, and for preparing anything relating to Water. The Hours of Venus are furthermore useful for lots, poisons, all things of the nature of Venus, for preparing powders provocative of madness and the like things. But in order to thoroughly effect the operations of this Art, thou shouldest perform them not only on the Hours but on the Days of the Planets as well, because then the experiment will always succeed better, provided thou observest the rules laid down later on, for if thou omittest one single condition thou wilt never arrive at the accomplishment of the Art. For those matters then which appertain unto the Moon, such as the Invocation of Spirits, the Works of Necromancy, and the recovery of stolen property, it is necessary that the Moon should be in a Terrestrial Sign, viz.:--Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn. For love, grace, and invisibility, the Moon should be in a Fiery Sign, viz.:--Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius. For hatred, discord, and destruction, the Moon should be in a Watery Sign, viz.:--Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. For experiments of a peculiar nature, which cannot be classed under any certain head, the Moon should be in an Airy Sign, viz.:--Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius. So here are the associations regarding Mars pentacles: • Its pentacle is made over Iron metal • Its adopted color is Red • Its dominion is on Tuesday • Mars comes third in the planet rule from the dawn; • Experiments under Days and Hours of Mars are cast for war, courage, giving death, military honour • Mars is also used in its hours to summon the souls from Hades, specifically if killed in battles, and to speak with the spirits But how does all this tie back into what we’ve already been told in Assassin’s Creed history? Where else have we heard of such True Magic and Divine Science before? It’s time we got deeper in the weeds on Project Legacy’s potential connections, beginning with the other alchemists we’ve met that had handled a very similar tome - or tomes - as the one we’ve been exploring, and may yet help us in theorizing when, who, and what we’ll be looking forward to in Hexe! Nicholas Flamel, Edward Kelley, John Dee, Paracelsus Bombastus, Giovanni Borgia, William Robert Woodman, Mina Bergson/Moina Mathers, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, William Wynn Westcott, Aleister Crowley. All these names either handled, experimented with, or otherwise knew of the secrets contained within a sacred alchemical text that had been split in two, in the hopes that its secrets would remain lost to whomever held only one or the other, though as it turned out, plenty of miracles and magick could be performed if the right reader researched its indecipherable pages. Heavily connected - though not explicitly confirmed - to the Voynich Manuscript we’ve seen pop up several times in various sources, Divine Science and True Magic have only been known to be combined in one man’s hands: Abraham of Würzburg. His name is mentioned by a lot of the above alchemists, and for good reason - they all attribute their findings to this man’s work before them, written and published into a grimoire titled The Book of Abramelin, or alternatively, The Book of Abraham. However, this book is somewhat confusing, as is the man it’s about, but we can diffuse as much confusion as possible by looking into things further. One such “Book of Abraham” was a collection of scrolls discovered in an early 19th century archeological expedition to Egypt by a man named Antonio Lebolo, which were then sold on July 3rd, 1835 to none other than Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism - and known Templar in AC - who then went on to translate and claim it to be the story of Abraham from the Bible, his early life in Canaan and Egypt, and his vision of the cosmos and creation. Smith then published this translated Book of Abraham into part of The Pearl of Great Price in the Book of Mormon. I can’t say definitively that Assassin’s Creed lore conflates this story with what I’m about to explain, but I think it holds much significance with the arguably more important Abraham at play in the lore. There’s another book that has manuscripts dating back to 1608, attributed to a man named Abraham von Worms, about a different Egyptian mage named Abraham from the 14th century (henceforth referred to as Abra-Melin). Abra-Melin made a grimoire that he then taught to another German man from the 14th century named Abraham of Würzburg, and this German Abraham’s journals of his trip to Egypt and his studies under Abra-Melin were catalogued into 4 major parts - “an autobiographical account of the travels of Abraham of Worms to Egypt, a book of assorted materials from the corpus of the practical Kabbalah (including some which is duplicated in the German-Jewish grimoire called "The Sixth and 7th Books of Moses") and the two books of magic given by Abramelin to Abraham.” Two books of magic, they said? Interesting... Now, the pages of this grimoire that Abra-Melin gave to Abraham of Würzburg are never claimed in our history to relate to the later-discovered Book of Abraham that would wind up in the Book of Mormon, but I think the culturally congruent Egyptian Abrahams both having books of particular importance revolving around nature and how things came to be, should put both of these stories in the same vein when talking about how this could be and has been used in AC. For an irrefutable example, we can look to the most famous grimoire to spawn from Samuel Mathers’ macabre magicks in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, whom took the writings of this supposed Abra-Melin as possibly more fervent gospel than Smith took his scrolls! Mathers would go on to publish his studies and findings into his own translated grimoire, titled The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, in 1897, sparking new interest in the occult in the early 20th century. But where does all this bring us in answers about Hexe? To sum up my theory on the story, it’s been posited for a while that we’ll be seeing 17th century German witch trials, but what I think is that we’ll be witnessing the fallout of whoever found these 1608 manuscripts regarding Abra-Melin, perhaps practicing what it contained, communing with “spirits of Hades”, and eventually being outed or going into hiding during the 1625-1631 Würzburg Witch Trials, a harrowing time in 17th century Germany for anyone showing any occult interests, and a hotbed for hidden Assassin and Templar - and Hermetic Order - secrets to discover! What did they know of Isu writings? Could the language connect to the ritualistic Hebrew and Alphabet of the Magi we see in the pentacles? I could add that Abramelin Oil is used in consecration rituals, but that’s a whole other rabbit hole of possible connections I’ll leave for you to explore further if you wish! But what are your thoughts? Am I stretching too many threads to make sense of what little we’ve been given so far? Or do you think my Spidey-senses are spot-on? What are you most excited for that might be coming in Codename Hexe? Let’s discuss! • Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor ṇoænos wahæáid oænosr zàrhṇdichṛ comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest May 01, 2023 Wow, that sounds extremely convincing Like Reply About the Author Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! ActualSpider-Man

TOWCB VP Team Members Aaron Young and Turið Torkilsdóttir Featured on Pixel Focus Podcast Episode 8 News Share 6 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Pixel Focus podcast is a show hosted by N7_spectres and Son_OG5 that provides insight into the world of Virtual Photography across a wide spectrum of gaming communities. In episode 8, the hosts are joined by two members of ACFirstCiv . Representing The Ones Who Came Before Assassin's Creed fan community via the AC Partnership Program ( Isu_Network ) were Aaron Young (FalconSwift87) and Turið Torkilsdóttir . Aaron and Turid make up 50% of TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, and in episode 8, they discuss their passion for Virtual Photography, time management when capturing VP shots as parents, and working alongside TOWCB to establish a VP branch. It's always fascinating to hear the inspirations that motivate players to take particular shots in gaming worlds, whether it be story driven, landscape photography or portraits. Are they planned or do moments just appear as you play is a question that is posed in the episode, and does gaming provide an outlet to escape outside of parenthood. This episode was particularly thought-provoking and reflected the dual balance of life and gaming that lots of gamers experience. You can listen now on Youtube or Spotify (below) Turið Torkilsdóttir is a member of the Isu_Network Virtual Photography team, and a moderator of our VP community. Back in 2020, she began sharing her Virtual Photography captures on Twitter, and interacting with the gaming community. In 2023, she joined TOWCB VP Team, and has been working behind the scenes on a number of social media and website strategies that spotlight community captures. She has also been contributing towards our VP projects, such as our bimonthly articles and showcase videos. You can normally find Turid interacting with community members in our Twitter VP community, spreading positivity and words of encouragement. Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2022. 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. 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)

The Bleeding Effect Podcast is an Assassin's Creed lore series which examines key moments of the franchise and explores pivotal elements of the story, run by brother and sister duo Jarrett and Tiffany. The pair sadly left the program in Summer 2022 after a long hiatus to focus on other projects. We wish them luck with their future endeavours. Previous Next Jarrett and Tiffany Video Content Previous Partner The Bleeding Effect Podcast is an Assassin's Creed lore series which examines key moments of the franchise and explores pivotal elements of the story, run by brother and sister duo Jarrett and Tiffany. The pair sadly left the program in Summer 2022 after a long hiatus to focus on other projects. We wish them luck with their future endeavours. YouTube Playlist Work

Education Through Story: An Overview of Discovery Tour: Viking Age Review Share 18 Dec 2021 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database The Ones Who Came Before published an article in September about the Discovery Tour by Ubisoft, discussing both the museum style game mode and the books published in France. At the time of publication, the new Discovery Tour: Viking age had been announced but had not been detailed outside that it would be a new experience. With time we were provided more information that the new Discovery Tour would be an experience that focuses on education via combat free storytelling. The excitement built as the first images of the new mode were release just a few weeks before launch and come October 19, the Assassin’s Creed Community had dove head first into the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla after countless hours of raiding monestaries, building settlements, and fighting the King of England. This was a new way to explore the beautiful landscapes and mythical realms of AC Valhalla. DT: Viking Age is told in eight chapters, following three storylines that intertwine across Norway, England, Jotunheim, and Asgard. Thorsteinn Silvertongue and his wife Gunnhilda, a merchant family from Stavanger, are seeking wealth through raiding under Jarl Harald Fairhair and the promise of a new life in England. In Grantebridgescire, a monk of the Isle of Ely Monastery, Brother Ealric is adapting to his new life as a brother of their church and strengthening his Christian faith. Lastly, King Aelfred of Wincestre works towards a solution to the “Great Heathen Army” and the protection of his Kingdom in England. When it comes to controls and mechanics, players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will find that the directional pad actions are usable to summon a horse, longship, use a torch, and meditate to pass time within the world. There are guided instructions for these actions via the story missions to assist those who have not played the prior release before. Additionally, Odin Sight and a personal raven are available to locate interactive nodes and examine the environment around them from a higher perspective. Keeping the same controls minus the combat has allowed a smooth transition into DT: Viking Age. The education portion of Discovery Tour is broken up into two types of collectable informative codex entries; Learnings (historical entries) and Behind the Scenes (game design entries). Subjects cover Daily Life, Law & Justice, Trade & Economy, Art & Culture, War & Politics, Religion & Magic, and lastly Science. The BTS sections are divided into Research, Immersion, England, and Scandinavia. The order these Learnings and BTS are unlocked are organized around the story in each chapter. In example, Chapter 3: Seaworthy provides information on relationships within a clan and their shipbuilding. On average, each chapter will provide 20 Learnings and at least 2 or more BTS Codex entries. When each chapter is completed, a short recap is provided by a research expert and the player is able to replay the chapter again or free roam the area in an open exploration, this is where the majority of Learnings and BTS can be gathered without breaking away from the story. Once the player gathers a fixed amount of either Codex type, a new character can be unlocked to be used as an avatar when traversing the world of DT: Viking Age. In total there are 24 total characters to choose from, 6 of which are available at the start of the story. 12 characters are unlocked from Learnings, 3 from BTS, and the last two are unlocked after finishing Chapters 6 & 8. One of the key benefits of having so many characters to roam around with is the Photo Mode function of the game, allowing players to take their favorite characters to any location within Norway, England, Jotunheim, or Asgard that do not require some form of combat to unlock (such as destructible coverings). Players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are also rewarded at the end of the remaining chapters that did not provide character rewards. These rewards cover all selective components of the main game around the customization of the character and their settlement. A new max level gear set, raven, longship, horse, tattoo set, and settlement decoration pack are the rewards. Once the player has completed all chapters in DT: Viking age, a Mythical Short Sword is unlocked to close the “Valhalla Rewards” provided. The theme of all of these unlocks is historical and more grounded than some of the mystical designs in the gear and decorations of the parent title. Discovery Tour: Viking Age, is an improvement on the original Museum style guided tours that were experienced in Ancient Egypt and Greece. Integrating the educational aspects of the history that influenced Assassin’s Creed Valhalla into bite sized chapters of a detailed and historically accurate story made the content interesting and captivating. Players that were dismissive of the original Discovery Tour method may find this interactive story to be more attention grasping and explore the content more. This is also supported by the use of DT: Viking Age in educational settings. The unique software has been provided to multiple schools and was spotlighted on the BBC at the time of launch. Multiple classrooms have presented this refreshed model to their classes and have had students take notes from the learnings to use for review. Gaming in the classroom is something that has been looked at for the future of education and Discovery Tour is a great source of historical information. With the success of the release, future entries in the Assassin’s Creed franchise will likely be followed by additional Discovery Tour experiences. With the game mode being offered separately, this series can continue via education, even when the series comes to an end or a reboot of sorts. The concept of educational story based tools can be expanded into other fields outside of history, and released in multiple languages. Expanding the library of tours for players to experience can also become a new focus for Ubisoft and their library of IPs. However, this can also lead to a higher price point for the mode. While the game is sold separately, there should be free application use for educators and students that are using the software for research. One option could be a more detailed database of Learnings and animated examples or levels to depict how something worked in the past. I found Discovery Tour Viking age to be my favorite entry of the series thus far. The overall gameplay feeling made it more interesting to come back to each night of my playthrough and not try to complete in a single sitting. The chapter format played like episodes in a TV series and the knowledge available in each chapter was never overwhelming. One thing I didn’t care for with DT: Viking Tour was that certain learnings were off the path of the story and were either left until the end of the chapter, or would be an off-course objective that pulls the player from the story. Everything should be included for a complete tour, or displayed as points of interest after the chapter was completed. In addition, once the chapter is complete, a quiz could be given as they were in the past for reward currency to unlock concept art or BTS videos, maybe even more characters to use with the games Photo Mode. It would be enjoyable to have an updated version of the previous two entries to this new format with stories of the era and not based on the games themselves, but more likely released around an anniversary of the games. Games that receive remasters or reboots could have the new mode added on disc or released as their own collection on disc. Assassin’s Creed Infinity could even add the new eras within its release if the game goes the route of the Helix service as seen in AC Unity. Implementing more and more education to the games will not only provide a stepping stone to those that do not play, but allow the ones that do to explore their new interest in the history of these characters via DTs or an in-game codex archive that covers all stories of the AC universe. All aspects covered in this review show not only the current, but future benefits of the Discovery Tour series. By presenting history in an interactive story-driven way similar to shows and film, the newer generations of students can experience their studies and not just absorb fact after fact. I have been able to speak more about the Viking Age, or at least know where I can find information over so many aspects of Viking life with this tool. Unlike the previous entries, while enjoyable, I have not retained the information as much and that alone shows the importance of this new version and a reason why everyone should play it that has interest in the history influencing Assassin’s Creed. Discovery Tour Viking Age is available now through the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla main menu on all systems and separately on the Ubisoft Store and Ubisoft+ for PC. 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

Brandon // @sirmcdonnell1 is a Twitch Streamer who has followed the Assassin's Creed series since it's launch back in 2007. In Summer 2023, he opened himself up to new opportunities and made it his mission to become a content creator. TOWCB Team spotted his potential and recruited him to the Video Content Team. Throughout 2024, Brandon will be working alongside fellow streamers, TikToker's and editors to boost the profile of our community on social media platforms. Previous Next Brandon McDonnell | Sirmcdonnell Video Content Brandon // @sirmcdonnell1 is a Twitch Streamer who has followed the Assassin's Creed series since it's launch back in 2007. In Summer 2023, he opened himself up to new opportunities and made it his mission to become a content creator. TOWCB Team spotted his potential and recruited him to the Video Content Team. Throughout 2024, Brandon will be working alongside fellow streamers, TikToker's and editors to boost the profile of our community on social media platforms. Twitter | Twitch Work

New PureArts Edward Kenway Animus Statue Revealed Merchandise Share 26 Aug 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database PureArts are proud to reveal the next entry in the Assassin's Creed Animus Statue Collection. Edward Kenway is one of the most iconic assassins from the Assassin’s Creed® Series. Featuring an LED system lighting up the Animus effect, Edward Kenway is displayed with his saber drawn on the stern of the Jackdaw, the impetuous ship he captains. Standard Edition: Limited to 2000 units. Price: $899.99 Estimated Delivery Q3 2021 PureArts.com Exclusive Edition: The Assassin’s Creed® Animus Edward Kenway ¼ Scale Statue Exclusive Edition, limited to only 500 units available exclusively from PureArts.com , includes a life-size clip-on replica of Edward’s shoulder strap buckle! Available now 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)