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Best Quotes in Assassin's Creed Valhalla Share Written By: Edited By: Reporter Name Back To Database hkjvvhk ''I will not be captive to another man's gaudy design. My destiny is mine to weave.'' (Eivor) VP and Edit by Turið Torkilsdóttir ''I do have a clan as you call it. But no family. I was orphaned quite young. It may be this lack that drove me to join The Hidden Ones. They certainly treated me as a son.'' (Hytham) VP by Aaron Young ( FalconSwift87 ) Edit by Turid Torkilsdóttir ''In the street of the blind the one-eyed man is called Guiding Light'' (Stowe) Edit by Turið Torkilsdóttir VP by Aaron Young ( FalconSwift87 ) ''Gaze upon my face and meet the dragon that will devour you!'' (Ivarr) Edit by Turið Torkilsdóttir VP by Aaron Young ( FalconSwift87 ) comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author This is placeholder text. To connect this element to content from your collection, select the element and click Connect to Data. About the Author

2025 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser Art by Serajeddine Community Share 21 Jun 2025 Written By: Edited By: Serajeddine TOWCB Team Back To Database Check out this promotional piece of artwork created by Serajeddine from TOWCB's Art Team for the 2025 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser, which is raising money and encouraging blood donation to aid in the battle against blood cancer! Support the cause comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author In March 2025, Serajeddine joined TOWCB's Art Team just before the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows, in a bid to re-energise the team with new ideas and projects. He is a digital and traditional artist with a special ink style, often resembling comic books, something which we have been searching for to bring something different to our content. Throughout 2025, Serajeddine worked be working alongside TOWCB's Art Team on a variety of projects which range from creating art for fundraising to live art creation watch-alongs! By joining the AC Partnership Program, we aimed to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Seraj left the team in October 2025 due to a change in personal circumstances. Serajeddine

“Odin-sama is with us!”: A Product Review for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Eivor Nendoroid Figure Review Share 7 Jun 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database From the latest entry in the popular stealth action game series "Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla" comes a Nendoroid of Eivor! The fine details of Eivor's head tattoo and his weapons have been faithfully captured in Nendoroid form. Optional parts include Eivor's axes, shield and the Hidden Blade, allowing you to recreate stealth poses and action scenes alike! Eivor's companion Sýnin is included in the set as well so you can enjoy displaying them together! Good Smile Company is a Japanese figurine manufacturer for pop culture properties that was founded in 2001. Their most recognisable line of products is their Nendoroid Series of figures. This series takes characters from various properties (primarily anime) and creates a chibi (“small person”) version in a vinyl figurine that is articulated and provided with multiple parts to allow the user to pose their character in different positions for display. Pre-orders for the “Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - Eivor” Nendoroid started in the summer of 2021 and after a brief delay, was released in May 2022. The Eivor (technically Havi) Nendoroid comes packaged with an assembled figurine in the Raven Clan armor, two axes (Varin’s Axe and the Raider Axe), the Raven Clan Shield, two sets of arms, hands, and legs in either straight or bent poses, two hidden blades (retracted and extended) and a base with stand to pose your Nendoroid. In addition, a mini version of Eivor’s animal companion Sýnin is included with two sets of wings and a separate stand to pose the bird. The included instruction pamphlet comes in Japanese and English, and provides a breakdown of the included 38 pieces and instructions on how to attach the parts to pose the Nendoroid in multiple poses, as well as how to interchange the faceplate from the stern gaze to the battle cry face, giving the figure even more personality and options for display. The Nendoroid stands at approximately 100mm in height with the included stand. Posing the Nendoroid is a simple process of snapping ball-jointed pieces into the figure and rotating the multiple locations throughout the figure until you reach the pose of choice. The included base provides support as the figure cannot stand on its own (easily). The small pieces can be hard to handle in humid or warm environments as while I was playing with the figure in the Texas humidity, I started dropping the tiny pieces such as the hands and hidden blade, as my skin was becoming slick with sweat. However, the paint on the figure did not show any wear to my oily skin, which is a plus in my eyes. This figure also comes with an extra neck joint which to my dismay, I broke the original joint when trying to remove it as I believed it to be a different type of joint. This was broken as I was wiggling the piece out of its holder in the neck with a pair of pliers. The instructions inform that if you have issues removing a piece, to run it under warm water to relax the vinyl (something I did not read). I spent the morning recreating the instructions and taking photos. The Nendroid has such a personality that with camera angles and patience, I was able to take some fun action shots that reminded me of the Photo Mode within Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This figurine looks great amongst my other Eivor statues and adds a lot to my collection in whole as having not only a licensed product from Ubisoft, but one that is in an animated style that the standard moulded pose of a statue allows me to change up how I want to display the figure. I also love seeing a poseable Sýnin as the support animals of the games do not get enough love in the merchandise. The Nendoroid Series #1661 - Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Eivor is available now from the Good Smile Company website for $54.99 USD. Prices and availability will vary by location. The Nendoroid line will also be releasing an Ezio Auditore figure later this year, which I hope to purchase once they are out of the currently closed pre-order phase. Add the Eivor Nendoroid to your collection today! Amazon 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

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 / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, among other things he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin's Creed Mirage: Assassin Cat designs shared by Ubisoft 3D Character Artist News Share 2 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Assassin's Creed Mirage: Patch 1:0:7 introduced a very special character to the game, in the form of an Assassin cat which seems to spawn at random throughout the game. It was recently sighted wandering the streets of Ukbara, a small town found on the North bank of the Tigris river, but I was unable to find it myself. In a special post on ArtStation by Valentin Yovchev , 3D Character Artist at Ubisoft, new details about the design and close-up images were shared which will benefit those looking to create costumes for their own Assassin cats at home. ''It was a great honor for me to work on Assassin's Creed Mirage, and I'm happy to share that I had the pleasure to design and create this outfit for the latest Easter egg in the game that was introduced in patch 1.0.7. Congrats on Lieven Ledegen , he was the first one to find this new purr assassin (the video is from him). Also since I saw in some posts on reddit that people will want to make a real outfit for their cat, I've decided to share the raw measurements of the outfit for people to use as guides if they ever want to build this outfit for their cat in real life And for everyone curious how to find this furry assassin in the game. Just walk around, and look for cats and eventually you'll run in to him, just be prepared to pet him Cheers! Valentin'' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW1P9KOuxJo The first set of character models shared by Valentin Yovchev show a number of key details such as a snake-inspired knife belt and engraved Assassin collar. The next set of designs are for those looking to create the costume at home. Let us know if you plan on taking on this challenge! Have you found the new Assassin cat in Assassin's Creed Mirage yet? Share your captures @ ACFirstCiv for a chance to feature on the website! comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest Mar 22, 2024 🤑🤑🤑 Like Reply About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: Feb 12th - Feb 18th 2022 Community Share 23 Feb 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 5) Raiding Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @KupOfGreenTea using the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture A stunning capture of Eivor’s longship docked at a raiding point in England. I love the stillness in this shot especially knowing the carnage that is likely happening behind the lens. The clouds coupled with the mist really make for a moody scene. The sun breaking through adds a warmth that makes this shot very picturesque. 4) Paradise Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Photo number two comes from @Helenthirty over on Twitter. A beautiful shot from Origins which really stood out. Most Origins landscape captures are of the desert so this one caught me out. I don’t actually remember the location from the game. I love the vibrant colours, the light blue sky with the thick white clouds really makes this shot pop. The ancient structure and the placements of the boats gives a real Odyssey feel. 3) Assassin’s Creed Game: Assassin’s Creed This week’s third shot comes from @RobRagiel over on Twitter. What a gem. I have not played this game since 2007. A true great that started it all. This capture really defines Assassin’s Creed. Altair on top of a building looking out across the city. The whites and greys so focal back then with the red of the Assassin standing out amongst the crowd. 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

Quick-Fire Community Questions - Round 4: McHeisenburglar (Irakli) Community Interview Share 30 Sept 2018 Written By: Edited By: Ashlea Blackett Colum Blackett Back To Database Ashlea: Hello Irakli, thank you for taking part in round four of our Quick-Fire Community Questions series! We would love to ask you a few questions about your work as an admin for The Ones Who Came Before and your time as a Star Player at Gamescom. As we already know you are one of the fellow admins here at The Ones Who Came Before, but tell us a little more abut yourself and the role you play in the Assassin's Creed Community. Irakli: My name is Irakli, though I mostly go by McHeisenburglar online, and I’ve been a member of the community for a couple of years now. Most of my work involves graphic design for Assassin’s Creed-related projects, such as the yearly Assassin’s Creed Marathon, the Assassin’s Creed subreddit, and, of course, The Ones Who Came Before. Ashlea: We know that you do a lot of work behind the scenes work within the Community. Please tell us more about this. Irakli: All the projects I am or have been a part of are team-based, so they’re often a cooperative effort with a lot of moving parts. For example, I help organize the Assassin’s Creed Marathon, and while I do take care of the designs you see online, I also help with the schedule of the Marathon, formatting and updating our daily threads, figuring out giveaway details and so on. On the subreddit, I help with updating the CSS, reworking the rules, wikis, FAQs, configuring AutoModerator. Ashlea: So when did you first start playing Assassins Creed, which game was the first you played? What intrigued you about the franchise leading you to start playing? Irakli: The first Assassin’s Creed game I played was AC3, though I had heard about the franchise for years. It was when one of my favorite YouTubers started a walkthrough for Assassin’s Creed 3 that I was intrigued by the idea, the gameplay and even the graphics. A couple of weeks later I got the game, and I played through it right away. While I did enjoy the single player, it was AC3’s multiplayer that really got me hooked and kept me playing for months, and I still consider AC3 to have the best multiplayer in the series. PvP was initially the only reason I purchased AC4 the following year, though it wasn’t long before I played the story of that as well and officially became obsessed with the series. A couple of months later, I bought all of the games I had been missing and played through the series in a little DIY-Marathon. Ashlea: How long have you been a part of the Community? How did you first become involved with The Ones Who Came Before? How long have you been involved with the AC marathons and as a Reddit moderator? What do you enjoy most about each of these roles you have? Irakli: I have been part of the online/Reddit-based Assassin’s Creed community for a little over three years. I visited the subreddit for the first time in June 2015, after watching the E3 gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and wanting to discuss it online. There, I saw an announcement for an ‘Assassin’s Creed Marathon’ and was drawn to it right away, and decided to reach out to the team and offer to help out. That’s really when I first started taking graphic design and project work seriously. A couple of months later, as the 2015 Marathon was already underway, I reached out to The Ones Who Came Before regarding some of their designs. We had been working with TOWCB for Marathon promotion and I’d spoken with Colum personally, and I thought I would give feedback on their graphics and suggest things they could improve for their branding, and within a couple of hours I was offered to join the team as a graphic designer. I spent the next two years working on annual Assassin’s Creed Marathons and making designs for The Ones Who Came Before, and in 2017, in preparation for that year’s Marathon, I talked frequently with Dylan/Turul, one of the subreddit moderators, as the Marathon had always been a cooperation between our team and the subreddit mods, to allow things like custom user flairs and daily stickied posts. There were a lot of things we needed to get done, and some of them would’ve been impossible through Twitter DMs alone, so I was given a temporary moderator role on the subreddit. This was primarily for Marathon purposes, but I was free to help out with other subreddit matters, as a ‘trial’ for being a permanent moderator. Over the following weeks, I helped fix some CSS issues, rework the rules and open up the official r/AssassinsCreed Discord Server, and by the time Origins rolled around, I was announced as an official addition to the team. I like these roles (and other ones I’ve had in the community) for different reasons, I suppose. The Marathon remains the project I’m most passionate and sort of ‘protective’ of, so whenever I’m not that free, I try to use most of my AC free time to help out with that. I really enjoy working on TOWCB because of how much graphic design experience and skill I get out of it. The logo we unveiled in 2017 remains one of my single favorite design projects to date. The subreddit, on the other hand, has taught me what moderating forums is actually like, and what goes into a well-managed and run subreddit/forum. Plus, 90% of the CSS I know is thanks to the AC subreddit. Ashlea: What is your favourite part of being in the community? Irakli: The memes are nice. Ashlea: Your Twitter name is quite unusual, could you tell us where the name McHeisenburglar came from? Irakli: Honestly, I don’t remember exactly how it all happened. A couple of years ago I had to register for some site, and I guess ‘McHeisenburger’ was pretty funny (I was binging Breaking Bad at the time), and I didn’t give it a second thought. Years later I had to register for Reddit, and I saw that ‘mcheisenburger’ was taken, so on a whim I decided to change the ‘burger’ to a ‘burglar’. It sort of stuck once I joined the community. Ashlea: One of your main responsibilities with The Ones Who Came Before is you Graphic Design work how did you get into graphic design? Are you self taught or was it something you learnt at school? Irakli: I initially got into graphic design when I watched some YouTube videos of people making graphics and wallpapers and whatnot, and thinking it was the most incredible thing in the world. I couldn’t fathom someone making their own wallpaper. So then I pirated a bunch of Adobe programs, including Photoshop, and tried it out for myself. I was not good AT ALL, but that didn’t stop me from making dumb crap every once in a while, including YouTube channel artwork and logos for fake companies. It was really the Assassin’s Creed projects that made me take it seriously, and really pushed me to actually be decent at design. The 2015 Marathon was the first project I worked on, and a lot of the tasks I had were things I’d never done before, so I learned it through trial and error, and they turned out good because I worked with a team that didn’t hesitate to criticize. Other projects followed it, including TOWCB, The Bureau Podcast, ‘Assassin’s Creed Legacies’, all of which helped me improve, even if incrementally. Now it’s fun to look back on those old designs and see the progress I’ve made. Ashlea: What it means to you to be selected as a Ubisoft Star Player? Was it something you were expecting or was it a complete surprise? Irakli: I would be lying if I said that I didn’t expect to be selected this year. I had been active in many parts of the AC community over the years, and had worked on various somewhat-known projects. However, I wouldn’t have been so confident if Sofija hadn’t been picked the year before. That invite made it clear to us that being a Star Player was actually realistic, even if by doing just project work like we were. Ashlea: As a star player you recently attended Gamescom, what were you most looking forward to about the event? Did it live up to your expectations? Irakli: In the weeks leading up to Gamescom, I didn’t know what I was most excited about, though I knew it wasn’t Odyssey. As we got closer to the event, a Twitter group was created of all the Assassin’s Creed people that would be attending Gamescom, which made it clear what Gamescom was going to be about — meeting people. In the end, the best part of the event was really the opportunity to meet so many Assassin’s Creed community members and other Star Players. I had known a lot of these people online, and actually having a face-to-face conversation felt surreal. The event itself was also outstanding, especially with the VIP treatment we got from Ubisoft, getting to play the games early, etc. Overall, the two days were unforgettable. Ashlea: Were you excited to be able to play AC Odyssey early? What were your thoughts about the game? Irakli: I had very, very little hopes going into the Odyssey demo. I was not excited for the game at all, and barely kept up with the news and marketing (definitely a first for me). I played the demo twice at Gamescom, and it was almost exactly what I imagined. It’s a beautiful, well-built game with a lot of stuff to do, but I have a hard time seeing its place in the Assassin’s Creed series. I don’t think it will be a bad game, in fact, I think most people that enjoyed Origins will have a good time with this game as well. Unfortunately, I don’t consider myself to be part of those people. Ashlea: Do you have any hopes for things you would like to see in the game? Do you have any concerns about anything? Irakli: Still have a bit of hope that the marketing isn’t telling the whole story, and there are more ‘Assassin’s Creed’ things in the game that we have yet to see. I’m hoping it enriches the lore and treats it carefully, though I don’t think that is too likely. As is the consensus, I’d love to see a lot of First Civilization exposition and involvement in Odyssey, as there is not much else to do in a time period that predates even Bayek. Ashlea: Now that you have been to Gamescom what do you have planned next within Community? Irakli: Honestly, I am not sure. Right after Gamescom I moved to Germany to start university, and so the last month has been a great change of pace for me. Unfortunately, this also means I don’t have as much time or heart to pour into Assassin’s Creed anymore, but only time will tell. I’ll try to stick around, but with university taking up more and more of my time and interest (and Odyssey… not), it might be time to take a small step back. Ashlea: Thank you so much for taking part in our fourth round of Quick Fire Community Questions. You can find Irakli on Twitter here comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Ashlea is the Editor/ Charity Project Coordinator for The Ones Who Came Before on its wide variety of social media platforms. Her main responsibilities for TOWCB involve creating and editing articles, organisation of events and coordinating our charity fundraising, as well as hosting the Rally The Creed Podcast. Ashlea Blackett

Music Release: East Again - An Original AC Mirage Inspired Instrumental by Gustav Poulsen Community Share 22 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database We are thrilled to announce that a new original instrumental composed and recorded by TOWCB Team member Gargudon ( Gustav Poulsen ) inspired by the world Assassin's Creed Mirage is available now on streaming platforms! The track acts as a tribute to the newest instalment in the franchise, returning East where everything began. Here is the ambient visualiser video, featuring gameplay recorded in and taken directly from the game by Isu_Network admin UbiCypher ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DWaOdfr94g Let us know your thoughts on the track in the comments, and stay tuned for more original music! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016 - hosting the discussion based show “The Memory Corridor” - but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews and composing. He joined The Ones Who Came Before in 2019 for a merger, publishing new episodes - and reviving the show following nearly a year of inactivity - on our platforms, until phased out in 2023. Today, among other things he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Interview with Kate Heartfield Author of Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy Interviews Share 8 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Kate Heartfield is a multiple finalist for Canada's Aurora Award. A Sunday Times Best Seller (The Embroidered Book). A former journalist and editor for the Ottawa Citizen, with a degree in Political Science and Masters in Journalism. Her latest release is Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy, the first book in The Engine of History Trilogy. You can read our review of her book at the link below and read further for the interview she and I had during her press tour with publisher Aconyte Books. Michael: Kate, How are you doing today? Kate: I'm doing great. Very happy to be here. Michael : I wanted to start with something you had said in an interview you did with Second Life Book Club about Assassin's Creed being bid in your household. Can you tell us more about the history you have with the series? Kate : Yeah, for sure. I'm just so happy to be talking about it and thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support. It’s really exciting to be talking with fans about this and joining this cannon. As you can tell, I'm excited. I have a lot of enthusiasm for the games and for the universe. So my personal history with Assassin's Creed is that I have a twelve year-old kid and a partner and all three of us are gamers. So we are quite frequently in our introvert corners of the house on a game of some kind. I've played Syndicate, and I've played a little bit of Origins and I am currently working my way through AC2 at the moment. I've watched my kid play even more Assassin's Creed. So there have been many, many hours where I've been sitting in the living room, doing some work and he's been playing Assassin's Creed on PS4 and my partner also plays and I watch him sometimes as well. So, between the three of us I've probably at least watched most of the games being played. Michael: It’s funny you note about playing through Assassin's Creed II. You also did some work with Choice of Gaming with the Magician's Workshop. Have you found any influence for the writing that you did with that from Assassin's Creed II, or vice versa? Have you noticed a lot of your personal choices for how you describe the characters, or the historical figures with how they [are] represented in Assassin's Creed II? Kate: I hadn't played Assassin's Creed II before I wrote The Magician's Workshop. So, I didn't have a connection from that direction. But it's interesting now having written it, because The Magician's Workshop is set in Florence in 1512. It's really interesting now, seeing the characters and that setting. And one of the things I love about all Assassin's Creed games is the immersiveness of the setting and feeling you're there in a way that interactive fiction kind of coerces you in a different way that emphasizes agency and everything else, but it doesn't have that visual element a video game has. Michael: How do you decide what mechanics to include, or write about, that were in the games? Kate: Yeah, that's really interesting, and it was definitely deliberate strategy on my part to think, "Okay, how can I take what's cool about playing Assassin's Creed games" and not really replicate that in prose, because it's not the same format, but create that same sense of excitement and same sense of immersion and the choice of having sort of side quests and multiple plots happening at the same time, and it all coming together. So, I thought about, I didn't want to make it too mechanical either as that can be quite annoying in prose if you had sort of "Here's my weapon's inventory". It wouldn't work the same way in a novel as the game. So in fact my editor had to pull me back a few times, because he noted that I would keep saying exactly what kind of knife it was or what kind of gun it was, and that kind of thing. And eventually "You don't have to give the entire serial number, everytime". So I had, maybe a little too much of that in mind. I was thinking about all of those aspects of a game and... You know I did want things like weaponry to be there though, and to be important to think about how can they reflect the personality of each of the main characters? Like which kind of knife would they choose, for example. In the same way that you make that choice when you are putting together your character in a game. So that was definitely top of my mind. Michael: Would you say that is the same thought process that you had when choosing which books for Simeon, specifically to study while he was going through his apprenticeship? Did you specifically pinpoint those books that you wanted him to read? What was your process with that decision? Kate: That was lots of fun. I think what I wanted to do with the reading list that Simeon has... So Simeon is the main character, one of the two main characters in the book. He's a soldier, and he has a sort of a unconventional education. We learn early on that he was quite bright, and taken into a rich person's house early on to be educated, but it didn't work out. So he has a sort of a patchwork of an education. Then he meets his mentor, who an interesting character in his own right. So the reading list, [the] books that Kane provides Simeon to read, I wanted them to reflect what I though an Assassin's education should be, or could be about. So its sort of a mix of different things. You have very traditional fighting manuals, these traditions of German and Italian and French manuals for swordplay and for wrestling. I thought it would be really cool to draw on that really old tradition, because the brotherhood itself would have been around for so long and they might have incorporated those traditions of those old fighting manuals. But then also, a sort of renaissance man approach to understanding the world. So there's fiction in there, there's philosophy. It is a bit of a grab bag of different things that I though an Assassin should know, but its also reflecting the personality of the teacher that's assigning them as well. Michael: When you're deciding the history that you want to explore, where you taking the "This is the historical timeline for this period, and then here are some blanks I can fill in fictional characters", or was it more of "Here is the idea of what I want to do. Let me find what period, or what events in history would fill into this"? Kate: For us it really started with the period. Aconyte and Ubisoft had an idea that they wanted a trilogy set in this period. So they started working with me about, "Well how could we develop something in this period, and what are some of the things that would interest us in terms of the Assassins and Templars are up to at this time?" So we did start with sort of a basic idea of the time and place. That it would be probably Europe and in this time. I think one of the things that really stood out, I know to my editor at Aconyte, was that the 19th Century had a lot of political assassinations. That every monarch had at least one attempt on their life, several of them were actually killed. You had the rise of anarchism and the rise of Marxism and the revolutions in 1848. So there is just a lot of political ferments happening. With those assassinations, it seems like an obvious thing to ask the question of "Are the Assassins behind them? Are they not behind them? What would be their relationship to the brotherhood and to the Templars?" So it really did begin with that question of "Okay, lets look at what's happening at the time". Then from there it was sort of finding different elements in the history that I thought kind of fed in thematically to what I wanted to talk about. Also, there was a little bit of that sense of, that's another thing that people love in the games, is the opportunity to have those cameos with historical figures and interact with those people. So, that's another thing I wanted to replicate in the novel. Michael: Did Aconyte approach you directly about this, or was this something you had to apply for? Kate: It came about through my agent, so it was one of those things where my agent knew the opportunity was there, and thought I might be a fit for it because I've written a lot of historical settings and I'm really interested in historical alt history and that kind of writing is typically what I do. And, I have a little bit of background in interactive fiction and game writing as well. So she thought, yeah this seems like it would be a good fit for you. If you're interested. So at that point, I developed some pitches for Aconyte and they liked them, and they started working on an outline, and back and forth on that a bit. So it really was sort of a collaborate process right from the beginning. Michael : Did you collaborate with the Ubisoft team, The game historians and such to work along with fitting this into the Assassin's Creed Universe? Kate: It was really... I haven't written tie-in writing like this before for any property, and so I wasn't sure what to expect in that regard. I found it really wonderful and freeing and supportive, the way that that works. They would sort of provide information and say here's where you can find the things that you need to know. Here are a few things that we want to makes sure that you're aware of, in terms of writing. But I was already quite familiar with the universe anyways, so that part of it I felt pretty confident in. Then it was just a matter of, when we would work on an outline or the manuscript itself, just running things past Ubisoft at various stages of the process to make sure there was nothing that I was unaware of that would step on somebody else's toes, or something like that. I would kind of flag little things, "Please not this part of it is related to canon from another game" or something like that people would be aware I was throwing in those Easter eggs, or whatever. Michael : I know that you're very big on representation in your writing. Were there any original characters that you had added for some form of representation in a game that's very heavily marketed towards a more male audience? Kate : It is something that I think about in every stage. So I try to keep it in mind all the time. There is always a little bit of tension between the don't want to write outside your lane, or write things without thinking that you haven't properly researched, or haven't done the homework for and that kind of thing. So, I'm conscious of that as well. I am trying to represent all kinds of people in my writing and consider the kinds of people who have been present throughout history, but maybe haven't had as many stories told about them. I again felt nothing but support from Ubisoft and Aconyte in that regard as well. Definitely I was aware that with gaming in general there's, I wouldn't say maybe the majority but certainly a significant male audience. I have a strong female character in this book. There's one sort of minor side character who is non-binary, although they wouldn't have that word to describe themselves probably in the 19th Century. But they are actually based on a small note about a circus performer I actually found that "Ah, I'll steal that from history". There is a circus performer who is billed with being "neither man, nor woman". I thought, "Okay, they're going in the book." So when I do find those things in history, where people have maybe not, have been forgotten a little bit, I'll be "Okay, I'll put them in the book" and that way we can have a little bit more of a complete representation. Michael: Have you had a chance to look at any of the other transmedia that Assassin's Creed has put out yet? Kate: I have, not all of it by any means. I got myself a few books, a few of the novels, because I wanted to get a sense of what an Assassin's Creed novel is like. I think I have two of the Oliver Bowden novels and I have Elsa Sjunneson's novel that just came out; Sword of the White Horse. So I've read a few of the books. I've taken a quick look at, I'm trying to remember which of the graphic novels it was. But, yeah, I've been aware of a few things, but I feel like there is a lot out there that I haven't seen yet. Michael : Are we expecting to see some modern day later on in the trilogy or are we staying specifically in the historical setting? Kate: Not everything's written in stone yet. So, I don't want to say for sure "this is how it'll be". The conversations I've had with Aconyte so far about the rest of the trilogy are that it'll be historical setting and sort of carrying on the story from the first book. Yeah, I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to scoop announcements that are coming fairly soon. That's how its envisioned is definitely to maintain that historical period. But I think its interesting because its a fairly recent historical period, so it has the potential to bring us up into the 20th Century, and start thinking about things like the Animus, and how we get to that. The door's kind of open there in some regard, but so far, no plans to write about the modern period. Michael: The trilogy for the Engine of History is set to go up through the beginning of World War I, is that correct? Kate: I think that's out there in the internet somewhere. So I think its within the bounds of what I can say yes to. And that's first how it was kind of envisioned when I talked about how they came to me with this period. That was kind of the vision, mid-19th Century to World War I, in that period some how. Michael : Are you avoiding well known periods in that time frame like Russia during World War I with Rasputin? Is that something you look at trying to avoid in depicting other historical settings that people may not know a lot about? Maybe telling more about the Crimean War or things like that? Kate: It's always a little bit of a dance, because sometimes there are interesting stories in the parts that haven't been told as often. So there are things that draw me to them, but then at the same time, there's a lot of value in having some familiar touchstones that people can say "Ah yes, I was waiting for this person to show up!" or something like that. So there's a sense of, you kind of have an expectation to a degree. I wrestled with that a little bit, with my novel The Embroidered Book, because that's a historical fantasy about Marie Antoinette. My first thought when I had the idea was, "Oh my God, Marie Antoinette's been written about so many times", but not in the way that I did it. There's only so much room for one of those big well known historical figures. I kept thinking, Catherine the Great is off to the side in this book and I can't really let her on, because then she would take over. So, there's only room for so many of those well know events and figures. I think the same is really true in The Magus Conspiracy. We have Ada Lovelace at the beginning, and she is not as well known as she should be, but she's fairly well known. Being Lord Byron's daughter, she's kind of a celebrity. So she takes up a lot of room in that way, and she looms over the entire novel, in her legacy. So, there aren't that many other historical figures that are known to that extent for the rest in the book, and the few people that do crop up tend to be a little bit less well known. Unless they are walking on for a small part like the Emperor in Vienna. Michael: Do you have an audiobook version coming out? If so, who is actually doing the recording for it, if you are able to say? Kate: It is Recorded Books. I'm trying to remember the narrator's name. It's just gone out of my head. Anyway, if you look it up, there is a Recorded Books version. I believe it is slated to come out August 16th. Which is the same day as the US paperback. Its available through Audible, Libro, and all sorts of places. Michael: I know from some of your previous interviews, you noted how nervous you were working with this tie-in for the first time. How are you feeling now after all the feedback you've received? Kate: Really great. Really relieved. Its nice that the initial feedback from people who know and love the games has been really positive. That's really nice to see. Of course, reviews are for the readers and not the authors, so I try to separate myself from them to some extent. It has been really nice, the things that people have tagged me in, and said directly to me about the book. Its really gratifying that people have welcomed it into the canon, and see how it fits in. Because its a little bit nerve racking, coming into something that's so beloved and so wide spread. That so many people have played these games. Timidly knocking on the door and saying "Here's my offering". You hope that it's okay and that you don't break anything. I feel it's been a great experience to write this story and I feel a lot of ownership over it. Even though it's an Assassin's Creed story, I feel very proud of it and how it worked out and sort of blended together what I like to do in fiction and what I think the game universe does so well. Michael : Who would be your ideal casting for your main characters? Kate: Oh my goodness, I haven't even thought of this. Who would be good? I'm trying to think. I don't know. I have such... I'm terrible when it comes to casting actors. I'm trying to think if there is anyone who is really... I can't think of a Simeon. Although I feel that there could be the perfect person and I'll think of them as soon as I hang up this call. With Pierrette, I don't know. She starts out quite young. I mean maybe, Millie Bobby Brown. I started watching Taboo which has Tom Hardy in it. He's so good. He plays a returning sailor of roughly the same time period. But I think he's got kind of an edge to him. I see Simeon as, even though he is kind of closed down, and somewhat cynical. He's got sort of a spark of innocence in him as well and a spark of really good will. So I don't know, maybe someone like Andrew Garfield, maybe? I'll wait for the fancast, because someone will have a better idea. Kane would be fun to cast. I want to thank Kate for sitting down with me over this interview. For the full interview, check out the video that we recently posted to The Ones Who Came Before YouTube channel. Assassin’s Creed: The Magus Conspiracy is available digitally and in the US as a paperback in August. The UK will see the physical release in October. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOTzu4g5P2E 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

Sounds of History - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental project by Gargudon Released Other Share 17 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database We are pleased to announce that Sounds Of History, an original AC inspired instrumental project by Gargudon from TOWCB, is out now on music streaming platforms, alongside our YouTube channel with special ambient visualisers! Project Synopsis: A unique fan project, never really seen before in the Assassin’s Creed community, featuring five original tracks written, arranged and produced by Gargudon, each inspired by different AC games. A tribute to the soundtrack, to sneaking, fighting and free running throughout the years, and the composers behind them who have shaped the sound of the franchise. Team member Gargudon from TOWCB has worked extremely hard to produce songs inspired by the Assassin's Creed series and we are thrilled to finally be able to release them in full! Check them out below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLI3iAj5fPeArahq41K7sG5AK8WNYtYfJe&v=sE_BvKXXxEI https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLI3iAj5fPeArahq41K7sG5AK8WNYtYfJe&v=9BvoQA999lA https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLI3iAj5fPeArahq41K7sG5AK8WNYtYfJe&v=4O_TaFND4No https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLI3iAj5fPeArahq41K7sG5AK8WNYtYfJe&v=IkLRlX1M27o https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLI3iAj5fPeArahq41K7sG5AK8WNYtYfJe&v=qXK7GW_xllo Spotify Playlist 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)

Remembering Mohamed Hamdy In Memoriam Share 22 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database We are saddened to hear of the tragic death of Assassin's Creed Egypt co-founder Mohamed Hamdy. The news was announced today in a Twitter post released by the team. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. ''It is with a heavy heart that we share the devastating news of passing of our dear co-founder after a long fight with illness, Mohamed Hamdy. His loss has left us all in profound sorrow, and we struggle to find the words to express the depth of our grief. R.I.P Mentor.'' Assassin's Creed Egypt Mohamed Hamdy Community We would like to take a moment to reflect on Mohamed's life and remember his contributions to the Assassin's Creed community. Back in 2017, we were thrilled to work alongside Assassin's Creed Egypt on the opening episode of our documentary series titled 'Global Networks'. Founders Shady Nasr and Mohamed Hamdy travelled to the Egyptian pyramids to record the episode, and we loved their energy and passion for the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSrgSjqCLSM Tributes ''It was an absolute please to work alongside Mohamed and Shady on the first episode of Global Networks back in 2017. I loved how the pair were so passionate about creating an Egyptian branch of the community, and the video inspired many Arabic-speaking Assassins to unite. Mohamed was an instantly likeable person with a warm demeaner that we in the Assassin's Creed community will miss terribly.'' Colum Blackett (The Ones Who Came Before Team Leader) If you have a tribute or memory of Mohamed you would like to add, please get in touch with the admin team. Requiescat in Pace Brother comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Starter Guide focussing on Norway for new players looking to begin their Assassin's Creed Valhalla adventure. Community Guides Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Huntsman Gear Guide By Aaron Young 26/3/21 Share Top Stories The Assassin's Creed Community are raising money for Ocean Conservancy. Donate today After the relatively long intro in Norway, you will no doubt be eager to find a new armour set when you arrive in England. One of the easier sets to claim is the Huntsman, which can be found in the opening areas of England. All items can be found in-game without the need for DLC or micro-transactions. All gear sets in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will not only provide the player with an aesthetic look, but also stats and bonuses that increase Eivor’s strength. Further to this, your gear will also be aligned to one of the three branches of the skill tree. The Huntsman set follows the wolf skill line and therefore will benefit from any skill points you have placed here. It is also good to consider the set bonus perks that are different for each armour set. The Huntsman gear provides you with a nice Viking look and leans heavily into an archer playstyle. The two bonuses for equipping the Huntsman set are in the image below. It is good to remember that the more pieces of the set you wear, the bigger the bonus. It is not essential though, and you can mix gear for interesting perks. Edited by Ashlea Buckley The Huntsman Set Interview with Magnus Bruun - Eivor Assassins' Creed Valhalla Merchandise Guide Q&A with Abubakar Salim - Bayek of Siwa TOWCB Plans for 2021 Netflix announce upcoming live-action Assassin's Creed series Female Vikings: The Real History Building an Assassin's Creed Community: Getting Started Mentors Guild Announcement Interview with Benoit Richer: Valhalla Co-Dev Game Director Interview with Eric Baptizat: AC Valhalla Game Director Interview with Jordan Van Andel (JorRaptor) Colours in Assassin's Creed: A Short Review 6 ways to stay entertained in the Assassin's Creed Community during isolation Interview with Carlos Ferro - Da Vinci 5 ways you can support TOWCB Interview with Jesper Kyd Top Stories How to Get the Huntsman Gear Set The Huntsman Cape This seems like it could be more difficult than it actually is. Your best route is to take your Longship up river to Templebrough Fort in Ledecestrescire. The Huntsman Helm This one can be a little trickier. The helm can be found at Tonnastadir fort in Ledecestrescire. It is a heavily guarded area, which can be difficult early in the game. You will come here as part of the Ledecestrescire story arc, and I would suggest waiting until then to collect the helm. Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your Viking adventure. Valhalla is a wonderful game full of intrigue and mystery with a story that sucks you in slowly. Be patient and take your time, you will not regret it. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who recently joined TOWCB AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer. Throughout 2021, Aaron and other writers will be joining the admin team in a collaborative effort to create an Assassin's Creed Valhalla Guide Database, which you can find here . Twitter Aaron Young Save 10% on officially licensed Assassin's Creed Origins merchandise with the code "TOWCB" Unfortunately you cannot obtain all of the set pieces in the same region. There are five gear items to collect, with three in Grantebridgescire and the other two in Ledecestrescire. The Power Levels of these regions should not pose too much of a problem, as when you arrive in England both Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are early story destinations. That being said, all of the Huntsman armour is well guarded so you will need to either fight your way to it or use stealth. Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are both Power Level 20, so following the story would be the best way of attaining this set. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has four tiers for gear pieces: Grey (Fine) Red (Superior) Blue (Flawless) Gold (Mythical) When you fine each piece of the Huntsman set it will already be Superior. It is wise to use what resources you have to bring the gear to its highest level, and save your nickel ingots to upgrade the armour to flawless when you return to Gunnar at the Settlement. It is important to note that Ubisoft recently patched Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, implementing the transmogrification feature. This means you can upgrade your gear to the highest level but not have to worry about not liking the look. You can pay fifty coins to Gunnar and he will amend the aesthetic to one of the previous iterations but with the highest stats. The helm is locked behind a gate, so you will first need to head to the longhouse. The key can be found on a table, but be careful as sometimes there will be guards in the room. Once you have the key, head to the metal gate where three guards will be waiting. There is some debris you can drop on them. Either way you will need to dispatch the guards before entering. The helm can be found at the end of the hallway in a chest. The Huntsman Armour The chest piece is probably the most difficult to obtain. It can be found in Ravensburg outpost, Grantebridgescire. This outpost is part of the story arc so waiting until then is a good option. The cloak can be found in a tower situated in the middle of the river. Just climb the tower and shoot the wood hanging to break the floor below. From here jump down and open the chest. There are a few guards so be careful not to been seen, but it is possible to avoid them altogether. You will find the chest containing the armour in the main hut at the centre of the enemy camp. Despite the camp being well guarded it is possible to get all the way to the hut unnoticed. You may wish to tactically remove some of the guards just so if you are caught you will not be overwhelmed. The Huntsman Vambraces The vambraces are hidden behind a waterfall in Grantebridgescire. The location is not too far from your settlement. Just head south of Ravensthorpe and you will see an area with two sections of water. The vambraces can be found in the first section of water, behind a waterfall. Once you enter the cave you will find another section of water. You will need to dive in and swim underwater until you reach the end. Straight after exiting the water you will see the chest in front of you. The Huntsman Breeches Your final piece to collect will be the breeches. They are situated in Soham hideout, which is on a patch of land not too far from Isle of Ely Monastery, Grantebridgescire. You will want to sneak into the camp and head towards the large stone building in the centre. Inside you will find a chest containing the breeches. You may also need to dispatch some of the guards. There are two sat at a table in the main building, making it difficult to sneak up on them, so be careful. Once you have all the gear items, you can return to Gunnar to upgrade them. Don’t forget to take a look at the transmogrification feature. It is also worth mentioning that you can pay travellers for information regarding the location of gear items (represented on the map by a question mark)

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Review - A Return to Form for the Series Reviews Share 1 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Review contains MAJOR Spoilers Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes players on an adventure like no other, offering stunning landscapes and captivating story arcs that make it both refreshing and memorable. At times, it feels like the missing link for the franchise, striking a good balance between the classic Assassin's Creed games and the new RPG formula, masterfully bridging the gap. The game carefully finds a way of improving upon many of the core Assassin's Creed pillars, by adding more options than ever before. Although marketed as a Viking adventure game, Valhalla takes a successful leap of faith towards taking the series back to its roots, easily making it one of the most exciting and ambitious Assassin’s Creed projects in recent years. It’s a return to form for the series, offering countless opportunities for the player to master their own playstyle, and immerse themselves in another historical adventure. Valhalla is a game that looks to the past to drive the series forward, and operates in the space between old and new, making it feel both familiar and original. The narrative arc story structure overseen by the guiding hand of Assassin's Creed legend Darby McDevitt and his team of scribes are proof that the series should never be afraid to move away from annual releases, and take the time it needs to improve. It’s immediately clear that a great deal of thought and care went into building the game, that goes way beyond simple fan service. It's an injection of pure creativity, and a game that should not be missed. The World 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. As you navigate the Kingdom's of England, you'll discover endless activities such as flyting challenges, cursed areas, world events and more. Exploration is encouraged, and the game rewards you for your efforts, generously offering XP points (skill levels) and loot upon completion. The open world experience is unlocked early on in the game, and as you tie up loose ends in Norway, you can sale across the sea to England to begin the adventure. On your travels you'll begin to uncover the mysteries of England, as you encounter numerous puzzles that keep the player guessing. Puzzles are a nice feature that really add to the experience, taking different forms throughout the game. Valhalla always finds a new way to challenge the player, and encourages the use of all the tools at your disposal to overcome them. Sometimes you need to destroy a weak wooden wall to loot a chest, or shoot at a door's barricade through a slightly open window to enter. There are a ton of scenarios like this that test your skills as a player, and require a bit of thought before gaining a reward. There's also a great range of environments to explore, from the snow-covered mountains of Norway, to the swamps of East Anglia, so don't be surprised if you start to clock up hours using the photo mode tool as you capture each perfect moment. It's easily one of the most visually impressive games ever created, and it's immediately noticeable. England is vast in Assassins' Creed Valhalla, and each kingdom feels different to the last. There's always something new to discover, so look out for the coloured dots on your mini map to uncover loot that will improve your progress. You can hit bandit camps to gain supplies such as leather and iron ore, which can be used to upgrade weaponry and armour, or complete a raid on a monastery to steal riches that can be used to expand the Ravensthorpe settlement. Crafting is an essential part of the game, and you use the spoils of your adventures to do this. One thing that sets Valhalla apart from recent entries is the unpredictability of the world. In some ways, it feels like a Far Cry game, where many animals will attack on sight. It's not just animals though, as Eivor will be pursued from all angles whilst navigating the world. Bandits hide in bushes, waiting for your arrival. Zealots track you across the map. Snakes crawl out from under barrels. Wolves strike as you stalk the perimeter of an enemy camp. You never know when you may need to defend yourself, the world you explore is as deadly as it is beautiful. This level of unpredictability adds to the experience and brings it to life. It's extremely easy to gain XP just by playing the game, and you are constantly rewarded just for taking part. The cities of England bare a resemblance to that of Assassin's Creed I, taking the series all the way back to its origins. London has featured in the franchise several times, but the version you see in Valhalla is very different, a city built in the shadow of Roman ruins. All across England you'll see the ruins, and get a sense of the widespread influence the Romans had over the land. Even the Ravensthorpe settlement holds a memory of the past, as the pillars of an ancient structure can be seen near the longhouse. Later in the game you can even help local resident Octavian establish a museum, to house all of the Roman artefacts you discover. As the game progresses, you will also travel to surprise locations, such as Vinland and Jotunheim, expanding your reach even further. There's so much to see and do in Valhalla, and all your adventures start from Ravensthorpe. The settlement itself is right in the heart of England, and acts as a base for Eivor and the Raven clan. It's in a good central location, close to the city of Leicester. All narrative arcs begin and end here, as the wind calls you back to Randvi to report your progress. By upgrading and improving the settlement, you open up new opportunities such as ship customisation, romance options and legendary animal hunting rewards. You also give the members of Ravensthorpe a purpose within the clan, and make it feel more like a bustling hub. It's worth taking the time to familarise yourself with the settlement, as the traders and locals are essential to Eivor's progression. For example, Gunnar the blacksmith will upgrade weaponary and armour, whilst Reda will supply new contracts and rare items. The cultural differences are represented well in Valhalla, as Saxon cities feel completely different to those inhabited by Vikings. Architecturally, the structures are also different, and even the layout of the cities differ. Religious beliefs are also depicted well in Valhalla, as Viking sites such as Jorvik have statues for the Gods, and locals will even reference them in conversation. You will hear talk of Thor, Freja and Tyr as you walk the streets of Jorvik, whilst you will hear about Jesus Christ and God when wandering a Saxon city. Even the camps held by bandits or cultists all contrast each other. Accents also appear in the game depending on location, making a southern territory easily distinguishable from a Northern one. The team did a great job at adding variety in all areas, and that's just one of the reasons players will get lost in the expansive world, and fall in love with the game. Story The main story of Assassin's Creed Valhalla is both interesting and memorable by using creative storytelling methods to slot nicely into Assassin's Creed lore. Players will embark on a twisting adventure with many story arcs, all different from one another and each with their own characters, plot twists and outcomes. There's no doubt that it's a great story set in the Assassin's Creed universe, and one of the longest games in the series. Completing Valhalla's main storyline will easily take you over 100 hours, but that's not a bad thing. It's a gripping tale with many twists and turns, and you'll notice that each quest has a purpose, as Eivor looks to build alliances across the map. Both Cecilie Stenspil and Magnus Bruun deliver a solid performance, full of charisma and making Eivor an instantly likeable character. Valhalla immediately gives you the key to your own destiny, as for the first time ever, you play as one character with a male and female counterpart. You can let the Animus decide, or change Eivor's appearance at any time. The reasoning behind this is explained later in the game, and it's a clever take on previously established Assassin's Creed lore. The game is, in some ways, the spiritual successor to Black Flag, as Eivor works alongside the Assassins (Hidden Ones), without joining them, as their motives align. Both sides benefit from this union, and even manage to cooperate without any disagreements. Basim sees potential in Eivor straight away, even when Hytham questions it. You have the opportunity to play like a true Assassin, without even joining the Brotherhood. The Order of Ancients returns, once again acting as a shadow group influencing the land. Information on the group is scarce, so Eivor has to investigate to find out names and motives. Once you commence your hunt, taking down one member will lead to information on another, making it possible to track them all down. All information gained on the order will be stored in the inventory, giving you hints on where to begin your search. In this sense, it's more like the original Assassin's Creed game, where Altair had to learn information before beginning an assassination mission. It really adds to the game, as you focus your efforts on wiping out the Order. There's also an incredible new animation when you assassinate a target, rewarding players with some of the best white room conversations in the entire franchise. By eliminating members of the Order, you also gain new abilities and skills from Hytham, such as the Leap of Faith, making it worthwhile, and maintaining the 'Assassin's Creed' elements of the game. As we have already mentioned, all narrative arcs begin and end at the Ravensthorpe homestead. This is thanks to a new feature called the Alliance Map. Eivor pledges allegiance to a cause taking part in one of England's territorys, and travels there to form an alliance for the Raven Clan. The new quest system introduces self contained story arcs that act more like chapters of a book than scattered missions. Each quest has a purpose, and brings Eivor closer to a resolution in the area. Some are definitely stronger and more memorable than others, with some feeling like filler content at times, but they all come together eventually to form a solid conclusion. Although the game moves away from side quests, and replaces them with narrative moments and activities such as World Events and Cursed Areas, it does a really good job at filling the open world, and even provides some great moments for Eivor. World Events are some of the best side activities since AC III's homestead missions, and really help to develop Eivor's character further. You don't have to take part in them, as they are not tracked on the quest radar, but should you choose to ignore them, you are missing out on some great content. They all vary in tone, but it's worth taking some time away from the main storyline to focus on the other activities available in the world, even just to increase your XP or improve your charisma through flyting battles. You won't regret it. In regards to Isu lore and First Civilisation history, Ubisoft really cranks it up a notch. By completing the Animus Anomalies, the secrets of the past begin to unravel, and with the help of the settlement seer, Eivor begins to understand. For new players, the twist regarding Havi and Eivor is no doubt confusing, but for old fans, it makes a lot of sense. Assassin's Creed Black Flag introduced the concept of Sages, reincarnations of Juno's husband Aita. Valhalla takes this notion even further, as the Scandinavian Isu look to return after the impending disaster known as the Great Catastrophe using a supercomputer that can insert DNA and memories into the human gene pool. Essentially, the Isu technology leads to reincarnation, explaining the gender choice option in Valhalla. Later on in the story, players will begin to understand the true motives of Loki, another member of the Scandanavian Isu known for his trickery and mischief. The story also replicates the end game of the series protagonist Juno, who returned using cloning before being destroyed by Charlotte de la Cruz in the comics. It's a really interesting twist for the series that takes Isu lore to another level, and adds a fresh layer. The end sequence in the vault also ties up a number of loose ends, regarding Layla and the fate of Desmond Miles. The ending of AC III finally has consequences, and the modern day storyline in Valhalla finds a way to resolve another potential disaster. The Heir of Memories arc also concludes, and a new chapter begins with Isu antagonists, which could ultimately lead to Loki becoming a bigger threat than Juno ever was. It's an interesting conclusion and drives the series forward by adapting established plot points. Hopefully we see this storyline progress further in the DLC content One big difference to its predecessor Assassin's Creed Odyssey is that a romance option doesn't lurk around every corner, but when they do, they generally occur through the main storyline. Romances in Valhalla feel more developed than the previous entry, as it requires Eivor to spend time with them on quests before anything blossoms, rather than rushing into a forced connection. It's also possible to be rejected for the first time, something which occurs if an NPC already has a partner or simply isn't interested, adding increased depth to the romance options. Another change is the replacement of the usual eagle companion in favour of a raven, something which roots itself in Norse mythology, as Odin had two ravens called Huginn and Muninn. Although Valhalla has brutality in combat, the tone of the game never really drops to a dark place like in previous games, and even when faced with loss, Eivor remains determined and composed. The character is clearly very different to what the marketing campaign tried to portray. One thing I did notice however is that the game sometimes shies away from the dark history of Viking culture, with themes such as slavery and pillaging barely even getting a mention. Assassin's Creed should never be afraid to tackle difficult topics, especially those which are a part of history, and it's interesting that these themes didn't really surface. Characters in the main storyline are all very different from each other, and each narrative arc introduces a conflict which Eivor can resolve. The game does a really good job at hiding character motives, making betrayal even more surprising. Basim for example arouses suspicion early on, but it takes a full playthrough to discover his true intentions. Each arc has you question those around you, as you secure the future of the kingdom. The wrong decision can have catastrophic consequences, as seen in Linconshire when selecting a new ealdorman. Choices never stray too far from a fixed narrative, and although the game has multiple endings, they all follow a similar pattern. The dialogue options have also been improved, and do a good job at reflecting Eivor's personality, rather than giving options that don't line up with their personality. Eivor isn't a blank slate, and no matter which version you play, you're going to see the same character traits. Voice acting in particular is solid across the board, with a number of stand-out performances making the game even more immersive. Players feel compelled to resolve each narrative arc, and return back to the settlement to progress. The balance of tone is well executed, and although the game is long, it's worth the time spent. The big issue with the main storyline is that the Hidden Ones are completely sidelined, barely featuring in comparison to the alliance objectives. New fans to the series can't learn much about the Brotherhood, as Eivor doesn't join them in the main storyline. At times it feels like the Hidden Ones don't matter to the story, as you can go several narrative arcs without speaking to Hytham or Basim. You always have the chance to wipe out members of the Order, but the majority of members are just ordinary civilians, and unless you read all the documents, you don't even know why you're eliminating them. You do get a satisfactory white room conversation, but there are only a few members of the Order you will actually remember upon completion. It's such a shame to see the Assassin / Templar conflict becoming an afterthought. Even though the game has a great story set in the Assassin's Creed world in terms of lore, the pre-cursor Assassins are barely involved in that. It's clear that this has to be the last 'warrior' game, and future instalments need to circle back to playing as an established Assassin before the franchise loses it's identity entirely. That being said, Valhalla finds a different narrative to explore, and finds a way to bring history to life. Perhaps Viking Assassins are not to be, but there is still time for DLC content to explore a different path for Eivor. Parkour Parkour is a fundamental pillar of the Assassin's Creed series, and is probably the only franchise pillar that Valhalla hasn't progressed forward with in some way. At times it can be frustrating, as Eivor takes a long time to navigate rooftops, making a direct approach more and more tempting. Although parkour feels slow and uninspired, the game offers a huge variety of environments that increase opportunities. There are more chances than ever before to use parkour to your advantage, with many climbable buildings. Scaffolding is also something that features in the game, making it easy to navigate from above. Some buildings such as churches and longhouses also have open windows which can act as an entry point, or you can destroy a stained glass window to gain entry, all of which are accessible thanks to parkour. Beams and ropes also string houses together to increase parkour opportunities, and cities such as York also have Roman ruins scattered around which can also be navigated. Tree parkour makes a return, and is a useful feature that should never have been removed. Some of the trees you scale are incredibly impressive, especially in Jötunheimr, and it's great to see this feature restored. Don't expect style though, as Eivor's parkour technique is basic at best. With Basim away and Hytham injured it's clear that not much (if any) training was given. It can be argued that Vikings didn't know parkour, but it's something players expect in an Assassin's Creed game. Parkour in Valhalla isn't great, but the opportunities to do so are. It's clear that the team spent a great deal of time creating parkour environments, and even when it feels sluggish, it can be to the players benefit to use it. Animus Anomalies are probably biggest parkour failure in the game, as players control Layla Hassan through tedious platform challenges to gain information. Although the feature itself is a cool idea, parkour makes it difficult to enjoy, as it lacks any sense of urgency. Looking back to Arno Dorian, or even Desmond Miles, it's clear that parkour has drastically lost any sense of speed or style, which is a shame. Valhalla brings back floating pages to collect, which takes Eivor on numerous parkour routes. It's nice to see them return, but they can take a few attempts to collect. Parkour clearly needs to be revamped, but the many opportunities that Valhalla introduces to do so are a welcome addition to the franchise, opening many new doors and avenues of exploration. Some of the best parkour opportunities in the game are at the Hidden Ones bureaus, which are scattered across the map. Not only do they provide a glimpse at the history of an Assassin precursor group that once worked in the shadows, but they also store unique gear and codex pages. Each bureau is different, but they all require puzzle solving and parkour to unlock their secrets. To find them, you have to think like an Assassin in the cities of England. That may mean performing a leap of faith, or climbing down into the sewers to remain undetected. Parkour is the theme that links them all, as players will navigate platforms and beams resembling the Assassin tombs from the earlier games. Some of the bureaus even require swimming from room to room to gain the rewards. Once inside, you'll notice that the main areas resemble the bureaus visited by Altair in Assassin's Creed 1, and show that the order worked in similar ways hundreds of years before the days of Masyaf. Valhalla provides countless parkour opportunities, but the bureaus are a great example of how the game at times encourages players to use it to gain rewards, something that should definitely make a comeback in the next game. Stealth There's a lot to be said about the stealth in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Essentially, some of the features are the peak of the series, and others are below the standard we expect. Stealth in general is excellent, but social stealth needs to be improved. At times. Valhalla feels like the stealthiest Assassin's Creed game, thanks to fresh kill animations, new environments such as corn fields, and the return of bushes, haybales and tree parkour. As was the case with parkour, the game also provides many opportunities to be stealthy, with the majority of quests accommodating to both a direct or sneaky approach. Enemy camps can be cleared out without arousing suspicions. Air assassinations, sleep/poison arrows, haybale kills and distraction techniques can all be used to replicate an Assassin approach. The whistle also returns, drawing enemies towards their swift end, and bodies can be hidden to prevent the alarm being raised. Alarms, which first appeared in AC4, can also be destroyed to prevent the arrival of reinforcements. In cult camps, bone charms will rattle if you proceed too quickly, alerting enemies. The best stealth feature that makes a return is the instant kill hidden blade assassination, which now has a timing mechanism to dispatch your enemies. Odyssey had enemies that would survive a hidden blade assassination, no matter how much you upgraded your weapons, and in turn encouraged players to ignore stealth and use combat instead. Valhalla takes the best elements of stealth from previous entries and adds even more to make it better than ever. At the start of the game, players choose a level of social stealth. Selecting the hardest difficulty makes it nearly impossible, no matter how hard you try. Blending with crowds returns, as guards protect entry points. Distrust areas are introduced, meaning Eivor wears a hooded cloak to avoid detection. Numerous social stealth mechanics return, and new ones are added so that hiding in plain sight is no longer a thing of the past. Monks walk the streets in groups, imitating the original game, and the very first trailer ever released for the franchise. It's great to see so many old features such as bench stealth find their way back to the series. Eivor can also pretend to cook food, or weave fabric in social spaces, but with guards on high alert in distrust areas, it can be very difficult. The point of social stealth is to be inconspicuous in public spaces, and mask within surroundings. Valhalla has many great stealth features, but social stealth is something that definitely needs more work to be useful. The main problem is that guards see everything, and immediately attack. After 150 hours of game time, I'm still not sure if I have managed to perfect social stealth. You can also lure drunks to distract guards, or throw your torch to make them move. This is extremely useful if you're looking to enter a restricted area. Shooting from a haybale, or destroying hanging objects to make a kill look like an accident can also be used. It's clear that stealth has been expanded upon, and is much better than the options available in Odyssey. Odin's sight is a watered down version of eagle vision, acting as a short burst, but seems to be much more useful than 'Animus pulse'. Improvements have definitely been made in this field, as it highlights everything from loot chests to story hints. Order of Ancient members are taken out using the Hidden Blade, which has a new kill animation. Sýnin can distract guards, and locate points of entry. There are so many ways to be stealthy in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and although it can be challenging, mastering it and all the tools you posses is no doubt one of the best stealth experiences created by Ubisoft. Take the time you need to become the stealthy Viking the marketing campaign tried to hide. There's much more to Valhalla than raids and brutality. The only tools that are missing really are throwing knives and varied smoke bombs (Revelations). Combat In combat, timing is everything. Every enemy has a weakness, and Eivor can exploit that. The game highlights them so it's obvious where to aim. Valhalla has a huge variety of attacks that can be used, including abilities that you unlock throughout the game. Successful blocks or attacks build up adrenaline which make abilities available to use, and severely damage or finish off opponents in a brutal fashion. New animations have been created especially for the game, which is immediately clear, as Eivor will decapitate or even impale enemies with their own weapons. Even after 60+ hours, you will encounter new enemies in the world, waiting to finish you off with their unique attacks. Some kick dirt to distract, and others spill oil and light it to set you ablaze. The great variety of enemies makes the game more interesting, as combat requires a balance between timing and thought to determine how to proceed. Dodging is another good way to beat enemies, but stamina does deplete, leaving you open to attacks. It's also worth noting that not all attacks can be blocked, making dodging or even a well timed shot a better solution. The Rope Dart from Assassin's Creed III makes a return in the form of a harpoon, which is an ability you earn through skill points, and it's more lethal than ever. Rather than hanging enemies from trees as Connor did, Eivor lasso's them closer before striking. At any moment in the main storyline, a boss battle can occur. You can literally be thrown into a fight at any moment, sometimes after a tough battle mission, leaving you unprepared. Another problem the boss battles present are the locations in which they take place. The worst offenders in the game for this are the Faravid, where you unexpectedly fight in a tiny room, and Ivar the Boneless, where you fight on the edge of a cliff. The environments in which you fight make all the difference, and small spaces make it even more difficult. In general, most fights will take place in the open world, which can be used to your advantage. The new health system means that you restore depleting health through the rations bag, which you fill with berries and other food sources on your travels. You can also leave a fight at any point to find food, as raspberry bushes are scattered across the land. Mushrooms are another food source, but some will make Eivor sick, so choose carefully. Crafting returns in a basic form, giving you the option to upgrade quivers and ration bags, increasing their effectiveness. Gear and Weapons also also upgradable through collected resources, improving your stats. You can visit the settlement blacksmith to improve the quality of gear and weaponry, but this does change it's appearance, and not always for the better. Arrows can't be crafted like they could be in Origins and Odyssey, but there's a good chance you'll find them in the world, especially close to a boss fight or random tree stumps in forests. The three hardest enemies to defeat in the game are: The Daughters of Lerion, Zealots and Legendary Beasts. Defeating all of them will take time, as each of them need to be slowly weakened in different ways. There are so many different abilities in the game that can be used in combat, so you have to find the ones that work for your own personal playstyle. Valhalla brings back the three bow options, resembling Bayek's weaponry choices. Each of them are useful in different situations, and mixed with abilities are a deadly combination. If an enemy camp is near water, Eivor can blow a horn to signal a raid. This can be especially useful in a higher level area. Combat is diverse and interesting in Valhalla, and is the most improved upon feature from Odyssey other than having a more dynamic open world. It's a standout feature, and really improves upon everything that has come before. Customisation Customisation certainly is mixed in Valhalla, as you can edit Eivor's gender, hair or tattoos at any point. There are so many combinations that can make the character look like a different person entirely, if you choose to. Ubisoft even added the AC Sisterhood logo as a tattoo, a nice touch and something which means a lot to fans. Unfortunately there are a lack of in-game clothing options, with limited rewards for players. You can randomly stumble across cloaks, pants and other gear items in the world, or pay a random wanderer for their location. They come in the form of sets, but there are only nine to be discovered. Rather than unique loot everywhere. the game focusses on the player unearthing set pieces through completing puzzles and raiding tombs. You can also unlock a few gear pieces through the Ubisoft Store rewards, such as Bayek's Robes, or as always, visit the Helix Store to pay for a better set. It's a shame that there are such limited options in the game, as most RPG's usually reward the player in this way. For example, it would have been nice if every Zealot defeated unlocked new and unique armour pieces or weaponry, rather than gaining a medallion for Hytham and another name ticked off a list. In comparison to Origins and Odyssey, Valhalla really does limit the player's look, with only a few customisation options. Items do change upon upgrading with the Blacksmith at the settlement, but until the Transmogrification feature is introduced, players are left with the gear quality they have upgraded to, which isn't always the best visually. You can of course, visit Reda, the local trader, but it's highly unlikely he will have anything of value in terms of gear. Although gear and weapons are limited in Valhalla, what the game does have can sometimes be enough. You can unlock First Civilisation weapons such as Excalibur and Mjolnir, a must-have for fans of the Isu. These weapons take a great deal of time and effort to unlock, but they are amongst the best in the game. You are also, on occasion, be randomly rewarded for your choices in the game. For example, Petra will gift Eivor a bow, and Ubba will send a weapon if your relationship with him is intact. If Assassin's Creed continues to go down the RPG road, it should consider rewarding players more frequently. Another feature that should return in future games is the robe dye from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood era. There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to determine clothing colours. Simple features like this, and the increased gear options would have dramatically improved the overall player customisation experience. It would have been nice if Basim had gifted Eivor a version of his own gear, which features a unique blade and similar robes to Altair. When travelling to Vinland, Eivor unlocks a special Native American inspired outfit, but unfortunately it can't be brought back to England. The same goes for the Gloucestshire narrative arc, where Eivor wears a skull mask. There's no real reason to take these items out of players inventory, but the game does, and you can only wear them during the short time you spend in each area. The Drakkar owned by Eivor can also be customized upon upgrading the settlement, but again, the options are limited, with most unique and interesting appearance choices purchasable on the Helix Store. Figureheads are the best in-game Drakkar options, really changing the look and making it more interesting. The settlement itself has a few cosmetic features that you can edit as you play, to make make it feel more like home. Add a little figure of Odin to Immerse yourself in Norse culture before you raid, or head to the stables to change the appearance of your horse. There are a few options in-game, my favourite of which turns the horse into a giant wolf. You can also change the appearance of the bird companion, something which is new to Valhalla. Sýnin can change colour, or even into a different bird entirely such as a pigeon. The most useful customisation features added in the game are the horse upgrades, where you can train your mount to swim or improve its speed and stamina. This makes a real difference when exploring the open world. The options that are available in-game are pretty good, but it's clear that players are limited when you look at the crazy items available for purchase in the Helix store. Hopefully future updates will make more items available. Conclusion There's no doubt that Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a great game, and feels like a real adventure for the player. Although it's probably the longest game in the series, it's well worth diving into and exploring in detail. The gender options and exceptional voice acting performances make the game worth playing twice, so you might get 400+ hours out of Valhalla and really get your money's worth. It's a dynamic experience with a real variety of opportunities that'll still bring surprises even after 150+ hours of gaming. The open world is expansive and interesting, full of activities scattered around beautiful landscapes. Dig beneath the surface and discover new Desmond Miles audio clips and the return of the Database, once again written by Shaun Hastings. The story has meaning, in terms of the overarching narrative. Assassin's Creed often has a problem of carrying forward plot points and acting as stand-alone entries. Valhalla is a conclusion in some ways, wrapping up multiple plot points dating back years, and in other ways, it's the start of something new. The rebirth of the Hidden Ones in England and even the evolution of the Order of Ancients into the Templar Orders slowly begins to take place. There's no doubt that future Assassin's Creed games will be exciting, and the series is certainly heading in the right direction. Valhalla has a great story set in the Assassin's Creed universe, and is the first game in years to provide an actual cliffhanger ending with consequences for the modern day. Eivor is a great character, who only gets better as the game goes on. One thing that stands out for me is the amount of care that went into producing the game. There are so many features from the older games such as social stealth, and even sounds from previous entries that find their way back to the series. The game provides a unique perspective on the series, and develops lore plot points further that were established years ago. It's clear that the series should never rush to meet annual releases, and should take whatever time required to produce games of this quality. In my opinion, Valhalla is the last pre-cursor Assassin game needed, and stories of this kind have now wrapped up, establishing how and why the two orders were created. Future games should once again explore an established brotherhood, with players being a member of the Assassin order. That being said, this is an extremely strong entry that has a great story and characters, and is a game that will be remembered. Valhalla is the final piece of the puzzle, and a return to form for the series. 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)

Event Log: Assassin's Creed Shadows UK Community Launch Event Event Share 8 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database Ad- Invite We are thrilled to announce that TOWCB Team Leader Colum Blackett attended the UK Assassin's Creed Shadows Community Launch Event, hosted by Ubisoft UK ⛩️ Community members had the opportunity to play the game early, learn how to perfect Japanese calligraphy and attend an insightful developer Q&A with special guest Akim Milne 🎥 Here is our coverage of the event, featuring footage captured by Col. Music: The Wind between the Cherry Trees by Gargudon 🎶 Huge thank you to Ubisoft for a great day celebrating Assassin's Creed Shadows, in particular the efforts of Silvia Gomis Lopez , Ben Levene , Liam Redman , Neale Maker , Calum Ridgewell , Olivia G and Stefan McGarry. Assassin's Creed Shadows: Coming March 20th. Available on PlayStation®5 & Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, Steam and the Epic Games Store.  Also coming to iPad in the future. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

2025 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser for Blood Cancer Concludes Other Share 2 Aug 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database For the last two months, we here at The Ones Who Came Before have led the 2025 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser supporting Blood Cancer Charities, with the aim of surpassing £1000. Promo image for Assassins in Need 2025 Every Assassin's Creed fan knows that the series is deeply connected to DNA, as players explore the memories of their ancestors using the Animus Device, and blood holds the key to every adventure 🩸 The team at The Ones Who Came Before immediately drafted up a list of potential partners, and worked alongside numerous gaming YouTubers such as AndyReloads , Cadaea , HangryHiggs , Ironside George , Ropotopolous and more to promote the campaign. We also worked alongside Ubisoft , who provided keys for Assassin's Creed Shadows and social media support, which massively boosted donations 👏 24 hour Live streams by Laury_Runs and SisterlyThrower on Twitch helped to break down the target into achievable fundraising goals, and artwork by Serajeddine and Jebs helped the fundraiser to stand out on social media 🥇 The Assassin's Creed Community once again came together to make a real-world impact for a cause connected to the franchise, and we're thrilled to pass our £1000 target 🎯 Massive thank you to everyone who contributed and donated to the campaign 👏 Assassins in Need will return in 2026 🦅 Art by Serajeddine comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Assassin's Creed Movie: London Fan Screening Event Events Share 22 Dec 2016 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database On the 18th December 2016, I attended an Assassin's Creed Movie Fan Screening in London. Special thanks to UbiJollyCharly and Ubi-QuB3. This Article contains Minor Spoilers for the Assassin's Creed Movie. When Laureline (UbiJollyCharly) invited me to the Assassin's Creed Fan Screening, I was quite surprised to be asked, as I had already attended a Press Event (London) and Gamescom (Germany) this year alone. I immediately accepted the invitation, and started packing my bags for London. I couldn't believe that I would be one of the first in the UK to see the Assassin's Creed Movie. On the 18th, I caught the train from Chester (Where my Uni is) to London Euston. There I met Dom (Ubi-QuB3) from the Assassin's Creed Team. We then walked to the hotel and prepared for the Fan Screening. Movie Advertisement at London Euston. After about an hour, we travelled to the event which was being held in the West End. Immediately we knew we were in the right place, as everyone in sight wore Assassin's Creed T-shirts and Hoodies. The fans were mainly Assassin's Creed Cosplayers, and many others who had won Fox Competitions. Before the screening I spoke to several AC Fans, and they were all excited for the Movie. I met Beth from Amazonian Cosplay Beth from Amazonian Cosplay was wearing her Maria Robes, which looked absolutely amazing! The event was packed, and all the AC Fans were taking pictures with the Aguilar and Maria Robes which were on display. After 45 minutes, everyone began to surrender their phones to security and enter the screening. Reunited with my fellow Assassin, Fae We all took our seats, and waited for the Movie to begin. I could tell that everyone in the room was really excited to see the movie early. I certainly was! The lights went out, and we were greeted with a message from Michael Fassbender and Justin Kurzel. They told us that we were amongst the first in the UK to see the Assassin's Creed Movie, and that they had worked very hard on it. The film began, and I couldn't help but pick apart the first 20 minutes (As I had seen a different version at a Press Event in May). I could spot major differences to the footage I had seen previously in May. Bits of which I had enjoyed had been removed, such as music by The Black Angels and the Apple Pickings Poem by Robert Frost. The little girl saying "Your Blood is not your Own" to Cal as he ran around the Abstergo facility was also unfortunately removed. The first 20 were not as creepy as what I had seen previously, but still made me feel sorry for Cal. Although I was noticing major changes, I still enjoyed the first 20 minutes. New bits had been added, such as young Cal trying to make a jump on his bike. Young Cal on his bike After 20 minutes had passed and Cal was placed in the Animus, I could stop comparing the Movie to the footage I had previously seen. I watched it as a fan of Assassin's Creed and Movies in general. I was overall really impressed with the film. The Animus 3.5 was absolutely great, and the cuts between Cal and Aguilar made total sense. The Bleeding effect was creepy once again, and felt like a real problem that could drive subjects insane. From the start I felt really sorry for Cal. His life is pain. The colours used in the film are extremely artistic, and Kurzel's style shines through. I found myself in awe at many of the scenes. I was very impressed with the film, and even though the plot was not as complicated as in the games (as not to confuse new audience members), it felt like Assassin's Creed. By this, I mean it actually feels like an Assassin's Creed Story that fits into the Universe, and not a film based on Assassin's Creed. The film was great, and I hope that everyone else enjoys it as much as I did. Please don't be put off by critics. Go and see the movie yourselves, and let me know what you think! The Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins Minor Plot Spoilers below Something I really liked that had not been in the footage (Press Event) were flashbacks and Memories as Cal is given the Lethal Injection. One of them shows him as a boy with his mother. This only adds to the weight of empathy we feel towards Cal. This was a great addition! Cal with his Mother The device used to cut Aguilar's finger is much more ceremonial than anything we have seen in the past. I had previously seen the device, as it is on display in ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, but did not know it's purpose. It was also the first time in the franchise that we had actually seen an Assassin lose a finger! Initiation block Cal becoming a Modern Day Assassin! Ever since the death of Desmond, i've been hoping to see a strong lead Assassin in the franchise. Cal could well be the next big Modern Day Assassin. The Bleeding Effect hits him quickly, and his abilities are clearly impressive! I would love to see him again. Callum Lynch People who do not comply with the Animus become docile! This was scary to see. People who do not use the Animus properly lose their minds! Dislikes and Queries: The inclusion of Christopher Columbus. Does this contradict established Lore? Cal singing whilst using the Animus............ "We work in the Darkness to serve the Light". Mary Lynch. The Apple of Eden is now green when used. Did the film say a Templar had never held an Apple of Eden? (I'll need to rewatch to check this. Obviously wrong if this was indeed said) The ways in which the Apple could remove Violence are never explained. After the film, we watched the Leap of Faith trailer live. So glad he performed it without hurting himself! Thank you so much to everyone at Ubisoft and Fox who made this event possible!Overall, I really enjoyed the film. and plan on seeing it again soon. Thanks again to Dom and Laureline from the Assassin's Creed Team! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 6th to 12th November Community Share 15 Nov 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: Birdseye View Coming in to Land Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Murphys_Law_Vp “We will need a safe way in. And I know where we might scout one” Beautiful scenery and awe-inspiring landmarks are a staple of this beloved series. When Assassin’s Creed Mirage was announced we knew that we were in for a treat. This spectacular shot is the perfect example of the above. The structure looks so elegant and the photo does an excellent job of highlighting those gorgeous green domes. The camera tilt is a genius move as together with Enkidu give a sense of swooping in. Very much in the style of Senu from the Assassin’s Creed Origins trailer. The depth of field rounds off the capture with that Mirage vibe, excellent virtual photography. Link to set: The Palace Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Rambo_590 “Does where you stand not awaken fond memories.” It has been discussed a lot recently about whether Assassin’s Creed should ditch the companion bird as its purpose has become repetitive. For us virtual photographers though the companion is the perfect way of producing shots with better depth and range. Exhibit A above shows this elegantly. This capture gives us such a stunning view of the city, and the various style buildings that reside there. I adore the fog in the distance as it serves to inject that desert feel to the image. Enkidu’s wingspan is my favourite part of this capture, the way his wings spread across the photo is majestic. Without doubt the theme has been met in this fine-looking capture. Vinland Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ cop_filip “This is where ghosts fade to mist, to be forgotten.” After the Assassin’s Creed Mirage rollercoaster, it is nice to feature a Valhalla shot again. Vinland doesn’t get many chances to shine in terms of virtual photography. The North American coastal area that was explored by the Vikings, lends itself perfectly for this week’s theme. This capture gives us an amazing view of the landscape below. The gorgeous colours and scenery help the viewer know exactly where this shot was taken. A little insight as to what would be possible with a reimagined Assassin’s Creed III. A truly stunning capture that has been impeccably composed and superbly executed. Symbol Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Everything is permitted, nothing is true.” One of the standout elements of the original Assassin’s Creed was the wonderfully designed bureau’s. They were the command centre for the Assassin’s and the symbol upon the rooftop helped the player spot their location. Their reappearance in Assassin’s Creed Mirage was so welcome and now we have a photo mode too. I love this capture, as it showcases the bureau hidden within the city. Using Enkidu allows us to see the famous symbol that is embedded into the rooftop. The saturation is delightful as the greenery pops in front of Basim. It’s a nice touch to include him in the shot, dressed in a classic white robe he is hard to miss. Landscapes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ xephon70 “Your meddling has doomed us all, crow of battle” Landscapes in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are a sight to behold. The variation on show is quite something and lends itself to some very different shots depending on your location. Here we have a dream scenario where landscapes combine to give a breathtakingly beautiful capture. Once again using the bird has a dramatic difference in the style of shot. The composition is exquisite, especially with the Raven in fully swoop. There are so many elements to this shot that are divine, but my favourite has to be the shadows across the land. Link to set: The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ dpruttz_vp ''I love the composition as it is using the rule of thirds. The sweeping arch of the wing span and the mix of snow and grassy landscapes in the distance makes for a beautiful shot. The shadows of the rolling clouds and the colours truly capture the beauty if the English landscapes.'' 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

Pitching an Assassins' Creed Game: Building the Perfect Game Wishlist Share 9 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database For any fan of the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game series, there will always be a personal wishlist, whether it be hopes for new parkour elements, combat techniques, or a new story direction. I always found it fun to brainstorm ideas for a potential new game in the series with a list of additions I would love to see. I think fans can all agree that each and every ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could have different features that could slightly impact the quality of the game. Ubisoft does an excellent job already in creating these games, and they do a fine job of taking fan feedback into consideration, so the realistic gap between anyone’s wishlist can be small due to the great response that Ubisoft offers its fans. As good as any game can be, no matter what it is, there is always room for improvement as it's how the gaming industry works. I am going to build an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game that would satisfy my expectations as a long-time fan of the series. I hope other fans will do the same as Ubisoft may very well be listening to our feedback, and there's always a chance the suggestions you make may one day be implemented into one of their games. Image via Ubisoft. I will start off with the basics, which is the overall formula. ‘Assassin’s Creed’ , in recent years. Has undergone some very significant changes. This has divided some fans, as some prefer the way the old games used to be played. But now, there are plenty of fans who love and appreciate the new style the more recent games have taken. The newer ones have also done a great job at creating new fans to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series. There are many fans who never played any of the older games, that are now fans of the series thanks to the major reboot that took place back in 2017. I am a fan of both formulas, but I won't deny I see the appeal for each argument. I think there should be a balance of some sorts. Basically a bridge between old and new. I think combining both could easily satisfy both the older fans and the new ones. Doing this, however, would prove challenging to the developers at Ubisoft because they would have to sacrifice content from each different formula to mix them together. Meaning one aspect of the game would lack something important, which would impact both formulas in its own way. I think to find this ideal balance, there should be a mixture of these elements, but also something new and fresh, so that this hypothetical game would not only honor both the past and the present, but would also make an impact as a new and innovative game rather than feeling repetitive or recycled. This would prove quite the challenge creatively, and would take extensive research and brainstorming from the team at Ubisoft, but in the end, this company employs some of the best creative minds in the entire industry. Offering a new challenge for the team might prove beneficial in the long run. Promotional banner used to tease the reveal of Assassin's Creed Origins. Source: Ubisoft Next on the list, would be the parkour. Free-running and parkour have been a staple of this series since the beginning of its inception. Each game has always brought a unique aspect of the parkour that is so well known in these games, and fans often look back at different eras of the mainline games and how far the parkour has developed. For the original games, parkour was monumental at the time, now it's seen as an iconic part of gaming history. Looking back at how far the free-running and climbing has come, it's easy to forget all the fun parkour we have now, would not exist without the main inspiration of the original games. During the early days of the series, parkour was seen as basic, but effective. It was a treat for fans to be able to run across rooftops or scale the tallest building in the city in the beautiful settings all the games took place in. Many fans see 2009’s ‘Assassin’s Creed II’ as one of the best, if not the best game in the series for many reasons, and one of those would be the gorgeous setting of Florence and Venice in Italy in the 14th century. It was incredible to climb real life buildings and monuments that still stand in Italy to this day, and be able to look out to the city in either Florence or Venice. Parkour, of course, has changed a lot over the following years. Which also depended on the setting of the game. ‘Assassin’s Creed III’ , for example, took place during the American Revolution, and had to change some features in the parkour to match that of the setting. For example, the playable characters in the game were able to scale and climb trees, which was new and exciting for fans to experience, but also a great creative change from Ubisoft to adapt to that timeline, and not stick to only what they were familiar with, but to branch out and stay authentic to the time period in history. As a fan of the series since its creation, I think the ideal parkour would be to once more adapt to the setting of the game. Not every aspect of the new games that will follow a different time period will be the same as the last, some will have different terrains or cultures to adapt to. I think to match this authenticity, the team at Ubisoft will have to do what they do best. Study the era inside and out to come up with a solution that not only satisfies fans, but also matches the setting of that particular game. Capture from Assassin's Creed III by Col_96 The next bullet point to follow would be combat. I think Ubisoft has adapted the combat in the series very effectively. The original games had specific combat loopholes that made the need for the traditional fighting less important, where instead some fans could easily manipulate that feature by using the loopholes left in the games. Ubisoft has done an excellent job in cleaning that up and making the combat realistic to the era, and also mechanically fluent in terms of game development. I think Ubisoft would be wise to stick to the current style of combat, if I had a say in this, I would mostly leave it as it is. Ubisoft has perfected the art of combat in modern video games. Changing this would not make sense as it wouldn’t match that of today's standards. However, one thing Ubisoft could continue in its combat mechanics are the extended use of special abilities while fighting enemies. These abilities allow the developers to get creative. There's a lot of potential in creating these special abilities to give the player an aid in combat by having these unique skills be authentic to the game's time period. Ubisoft has already accomplished this in the past, for example in ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’ , one of the special abilities you could use and equip was the infamous Spartan kick. The game was set in Ancient Greece, and this technique is well known today by being shown in different types of movies and TV shows, as well as the actual inspirations of Greece during that time period. The game adopted this type of ability specifically for ‘Odyssey’ as it fit perfectly in the Ancient Greek lore. Lastly, one thing I would add to create my picture perfect ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game would be the continued use of the skill tree. The universal use of skills in ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games only became a part of the series in more recent years. Almost all games created in today's era have adopted the same use of a skill tree. It has become a staple of the gaming industry. Any new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could further take advantage of this option by being “different” in their use of a skill tree. It will be creatively challenging, but if Ubisoft were to create a skill tree that looks and acts differently that the usual of what we see today, it would bring publicity to the game by having a unique aspect of it that so many other game developers have typically recycled this part of their game, which is understandable as most skill trees are supposed to be basic, as developers would not want to confuse fans with an overly complicated skill tree feature that could end up worsening the experience and creative gamble they would take. I think a good example of this would be what we saw in ‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’ where the skill tree was turned into a system that changed skills into “power”. This was a healthy change in what we are so used to in games today. ‘Valhalla’ did a great job at their attempt to be unique in the skill tree aspect of their game. Assassin's Creed Valhalla Skill Tree from TOWCB 'How to' Guides I think overall that these specific aspects, along with the great foundation Ubisoft has already built for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series, would create a game for everyone. I think blending the elements of both past and present could be a pleasant surprise for any fan of the games. These are, of course, hypothetical suggestions, as this is all a personal wishlist for me, but it is a wise thing to do as a fan of ‘Assassin’s Creed’ because one day, if enough fans were to create something similar, the creators at Ubisoft may very well take interest in our suggestions, and perhaps a new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could fit our personal wishes. Anything is possible in today's era of the gaming industry. Which is why the hobby of gaming so many fans enjoy, is the best form of entertainment in the entire world. Related Articles Aztec Empire: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game Chinese Pirates: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Assassin's Creed Mirage Art Sale Launched Other Share 10 Apr 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Michael Doyle Back To Database We are pleased to announce the launch of our limited edition Assassin's Creed Mirage art print sale in collaboration with Yasmin Page from TOWCB's AC Partnership Program! x12 A5 prints are available for £20 + P&P depending on location, printed in high quality full colour glory. Get in touch with TOWCB Admin team to secure yours today! About the art One of the things that makes this piece of art particularly impressive is the lighting. Taking inspiration from the Assassin's Creed Mirage trailer, this incredible depiction merges Basim's transition from street thief to Hidden One with the new insignia, which pays homage to Arabic calligraphy. In the right lighting, the insignia almost glows, something which is especially noticeable in candle light. Own a piece of the journey, as it immortalises Basim's sacrifice required to join the Brotherhood. The collaboration aims to raise enough funds to cover TOWCB's 2024 outgoings, such as website hosting and shipping fees. Secure yours before it's too late! About the Artist Yasmin Page is a Digital Artist based in Melbourne, Australia who discovered the Assassin's Creed series in 2019. Since then she has fallen in love with the franchise and created beautiful realistic digital artworks of several of the main characters. Works Instagram | ArtStation | Tumblr Ordering Prints To order a print, simply contact the admin team via social media to finalise payment by bank transfer. By ordering a Basim initiation print, you are actively supporting TOWCB admin team as we look to take our community to the next level. We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. 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)

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