Search

Assassin's Creed Wedding Ideas Share 31 Dec 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database Engagement is undoubtebly an exciting time for couples, filled with planning and saving, but it can also be stressful as they aim to make the day perfect. One thing that can be particularly tricky is getting interests and hobbies across in a way that doesn't clash with other wedding day choices. For some, like myself, Assassin's Creed is an obvious choice, and others may also wish to incorporate AC inspired elements into their wedding day. Here you will find some of the best Assassin's Creed Wedding ideas to act as inspiration for a future big day. Venue One of the first things to book when planning a wedding is the venue: The place where it all happens. Although we have never actually seen a wedding occur in an Assassin's Creed game between main characters, you can still find inspiration in the franchise for the perfect setting. Ideas: Monteriggioni / Tuscany Rome Paris London Egypt Venice Istanbul Havana Cuba Norway An old castle An old church The Rings 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)

Reevaluating Assassin's Creed Valhalla Analysis Share 19 Jul 2024 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Colum Blackett Back To Database Despite being the best-selling Assassin's Creed game Valhalla definitely doesn't have the best reputation. This makes sense in a lot of ways, the game's bloated and unstructured, with weaker characters than its predecessors. Even the stellar gameplay foundations from Origins feel like they've been diluted between games. Yet, I've got a bit of a soft spot for this messy Norse adventure. At launch, I considered Valhalla one of my favourite games in the series, and was enthralled by England, Eivor and the Raven Clan. The disappointing ending, lacklustre DLCs (I've still not even bothered picking up Dawn of Ragnarok) and updates that I think genuinely made the game feel worse to play, went to destroy that excitement, and soured the far too many hours I'd put into exploring this world. I'm not sure exactly why, maybe watching Duke of Whales’ excellent new ACII narrative breakdown gave me the hood bug again, but I felt the need to return to England, picking up on a save I abandoned a while back just after completing my first alliance arc. And, to be honest, I can see why I liked it so much. Now, straight off the bat, it's worth saying that I don't hold it in as high a regard as I did back at launch. The game is clunky, it has so many moving pieces that rarely flow well together. While likeable, Eivor is neither as fun as Kassandra or as well-written as Bayek, making her strangely forgettable. So you get this oddity, a mish mash of things constantly fighting for the spotlight. But paved over those issues, is a brilliant atmosphere, enjoyable exploration and a compelling gameplay loop sending you on adventures across the country before returning to spend your spoils at your settlement. It doesn't overcome these core issues, and at times the cover will crack and you're reminded of its flaws. Yet, in those moments between, when the mask is on firmly and you can fall into this Viking assassin fantasy, the game works. Boarding the longboat, setting a target and listening to your crew tell tales is just so immersive. It makes you want to take things slow, soak in the funny and obtuse tales from Eivor’s band of Vikings or just listen to Jesper Kyd’s stellar score. Rather than a constant swarm of loot filling your HUD, you can forget about gear hunts for miniscule upgrades and just enjoy your time in this beautifully produced - if a bit over the top - recreation of England. Even things like the regional arcs and small narrative tales add to this sense. Eivor isn't Kassandra or Bayek, jumping between thousands of quests at once with an endless list of goals and targets. She's single minded. Everything is about the settlement, and while the arcs will see you spending a lot of time getting attached to the people of each of England's many regions, your targets remain contained and allow that immersive atmosphere to take priority. I really wish this is what the game put all its time into, sharpening the narrative arcs, preparing a satisfying conclusion where we see Aelfred form the Templars and cutting out the needless high fantasy elements. There's a game here that could take the strengths of the RPG trilogy, and make it work within the fantasy set out by Assassin's Creed I. Eivor's a constantly hunted outsider, taking down a corrupt political and religious order, being forced to face both the merits and failures of her beliefs - she's a precursor to Altair in many ways. Unfortunately, that story and game was drowned out by indecisiveness, misdirection and bloat. I only hope that Shadows doesn't make the same mistakes, but knowing Ubisoft Quebec… comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! In February 2026, he left the team to focus on real-world opportunities as a journalist, writing for a newspaper! We're thrilled to see Finn using his skills to build a career! Finn Fletcher

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 18th - 24th June 2022: Origins Edition Community Share 25 Jun 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Silhouette Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s first capture comes from @ Brentassins over on Twitter. A moody shot to get us started this week. This is an impeccable silhouette of Bayek scouring the lands in search of The Order. The strong golden background really brings the capture together with the sun but a speck in the background. I feel Assassin’s Creed Origins really lends itself to this type of shot, truly magnificent. 2) Writings on the Wall Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Photo number two comes from @ G_Assassin90 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. A slightly different capture next as we see some incredible writings. To quote Bayek ‘Ancient writings from the Old Kingdom’ perfectly sum up this shot. In fact this photo really does remind me of promotional material for Assassin’s Creed Origins. It also look very similar to the loading screen in the game. I would love to see it translated. 3) Cleopatra’s Reign Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s third shot comes from @ thebritenite over on Twitter. Photo number three is a beautiful story board of Cleopatra. A pivotal character in the game, I find this capture a stunning representation of her. I admire the shots of the pyramids so elegant, especially the one with the two tips. Then of course the Queen herself, such a strong character, I assume these shots were captured in the Discovery tour. 4) Senu Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ G_G_snaps over on Twitter. I love this shot, Senu is my favourite companion and she is just such a graceful bird. The position of Senu here is incredible. The details are so intricate, I think the colour tones really make her stand out. Having Senu in the game really adds so much in terms of gameplay and photo opportunities, it is great to see her get the lime light by herself for once. 5) Bayek of Siwa Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins The final capture of the week comes from @ horace0816 over on Twitter. This is one of my favourite Assassin’s Creed captures ever. The mix of black background and a sprinkling of light across Bayek’s hood make for a menacing feel. The capture really showcase the immense detail of Bayek in his classic outfit. There is great mystery in this shot, no more so than the lack of light on Bayek’s face. He is most definitely waiting in the shadows to…………. 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

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

Best quotes in Assassin's Creed I (2007) Share Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Back To Database Welcome to the first article in a new series written by TOWCB Team, outlining our favourite quotes from the franchise. We begin by revisiting the original Assassin’s Creed game, which was released back in 2007. Undoubtedly a slow burner, the game grows into its own and provides the building blocks that future games expand upon. Although it is often criticised for tedious gameplay mechanics such as tailing missions and pickpocketing, the game provides clarity over what it means to rise within the Assassin Brotherhood, and to follow the tenets of the Creed or face the consequences. 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

Decoding the Creed: Assassin's Creed Mirage Arabic Poems Analysis Share 15 Jul 2023 Written By: Edited By: Noon (TheHiddenVirtuals) Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the second article in a new series dedicated to decoding the secrets hidden within the Assassin's Creed series. In this article, new recruit The Hidden Virtuals examines the mysterious text from recent Assassin's Creed Mirage gameplay footage, which can be seen in the background of the contracts board which Basim can interact with in the Hidden Ones Bureau. Here is our analysis of the three poetry pieces! Poem 1: Written by Ali bin Mohammed bin Abdul Rahim Al-Warznini Al-Alawi “Sahib Al-Zandj” ( Leader of the Zanj Rebellion) Died: 884 AD | Abbasid Caliphate لهف نفسى على قصور ببغداد … وما قد حوته من كل عاص The self weeps upon the palaces of Baghdad … and what they hold of sinners وخمور هناك تشرب جهرا … ورجال على المعاصي حراص Where Spirits are shamelessly chugged …and where men are thirsty to sin لست بابن الفواطم الغرّ إن لم … أجُلّ الخيل حول تلك العراص I am no Fatimi descendant …if my stallions did not surround those walls “al-Ghor” was referring to Ali ibn Abi Talib prophet Mohammed ’s cousin as an Epithet of Ali ibn Abi Talib which means “Leader of Believers” hence “ the leader of the Zanj Rebellion ” is claiming to be a descendant of his, something which scholars now argue to be false. Poem 2: Written by Abu Tammam Habib bin Aws bin Al-Harith Al-Ta'i Died: 846 AD | Abbasid Caliphate يُتَرجِمُ طَرفي عَن لِساني بِسِرِّهِ…فَيُظهِرُ مِن وَجدي الَّذي كُنتُ أَكتُمُ My eyes speak for secrets with that my tongue withholds…for they reveal from my sorrow what i kept untold أَلَيسَ عَجيباً أَنَّ بَيتاً يَضُمُّني…وَإِيّاكَ لا نَخلو وَلا نَتَكَلَّمُ How strange ! One place embracing us together you and i … yet apart (Known for his literature in the 9th-century, including a collection of early poems known as the Hamasah , considered one of the greatest anthologies of Arabic literature ever assembled, featuring over 880 entries) Poem 3: Source: Found in Abu Tammam Habib bin Aws bin Al-Harith Al-Ta'i's Poetry Collection Died: 963AD وإني لإشفاقي عليكَ وصَبْوتي ... إليكَ كأني في المنام أراكا And as i worry and yearn for you …i vision you in my sleep تُحدّثني نفسي إذا غِبتَ ساعةً، ... بأنّ لقاء الموتِ دون لِقاكا For in your absence my soul wonders…if death would meet me before i meet you This short poem was written by a servant of Ibn Asem, a Scholar who wrote literature covering history, poetry and religion. The poem was originally written on footwear belonging to the servant. The scribbles were then featured in Abu Tammam Habib bin Aws bin Al-Harith Al-Ta'i's Poetry Collection. It may well have been written in times previous to or during the events of Assassin Creed Mirage, also potentially pre-dating the Abbasid Caliphate, but the exact date of it's creation remains unknown. We hope that you found this article interesting. Look out for future articles in the Decoding the Creed series, as we begin to unravel mysteries hidden in plain sight. Related Articles Decoding the Creed: Assassin's Creed Mirage Calligraphy Drawings comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Noon (@HiddenOnesN) is a Virtual Photography enthusiast and writer who joined TOWCB social media team in Summer of 2023 as an Arabic Translator. In a series of Twitter threads decoding hidden messages within the Assassin's Creed Mirage Marketing campaign, Noon made a strong impression online as a codebreaker. By joining TOWCB, we boosted her findings with a larger audience, and are working together to improve our social media strategies and grow our community. In late 2023, Noon notably be led our 'Decoding the Creed' series, diving deep into the mysteries hidden within the franchise. She also worked alongside the Virtual Photography Team to grow our Twitter community, and encourage interactions. Noon (TheHiddenVirtuals)

Q&A with Chantel Riley (Layla Hassan) Interview Share 14 Feb 2018 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Our Admin Col_96 conducted an interview with Chantel Riley, who provided the voice and motion capture performance for Layla Hassan in Assassin's Creed Origins! Col: Hey Chantel, thanks for joining us today! It's great to have you here for your first Assassin's Creed Community Interview! Before working on AC Origins, had you played any of the games before? If so, do you have a favourite? Chantel: Actually I have not played any of the games but I always knew about them. I remember always being very drawn to its beautiful graphics and animation. I never would have thought that after all those years I would get the opportunity to be a part of a great game. Col: Had you done much voice acting before working on AC? Chantel: AC Origins is my first Voice Acting job. Col: How did you find the voice acting/ mo-cap experience? Chantel: AC is my very first for both! Pretty dope one to start with if you ask me. I got to give my respects to voice actors around the world, especially the video game world. I learned a new division of acting through this opportunity. Its more than just going into a studio and recording some dialogue and grunts. It becomes you and next thing you know, your entire body starts getting active and helps with each line or audible sound. Mo - Cap was so cool. I've always wanted to try it out. So watching the game play and seeing Layla walk and talk and knowing they were my movements, was so crazy to me. #ILoveTechnology Col: When you auditioned for the role, did you know it was for a video game? Chantel: I did know it was for a video game but I didn't know which one. I didn't learn what game it was for until I actually booked the role. I was very excited and so was my brother since he is a big gamer. Col: Layla is the first third person playable Modern Day character since Desmond Miles. Did you feel any pressure at all when working on the project, knowing that fans were eagerly awaiting the return of playable Modern Day? Chantel: I think overall, I just wanted to deliver the best performance I could. I try not to allow the pressure to get to me because I know it will affect my performance in a negative way. So I focus on how fun the project was instead. Col: Concept art for Layla was actually leaked before launch due to an art book. Did you see how much hype and excitement this caused within the AC Community? Chantel: I did do some digging around about the leak and did see the excitement about Layla and the game. So of course, I got excited with them. Col: How would you describe Layla to a friend? Chantel: Layla is a highly intelligent and strong willed woman. She is courageous and won't stop until she is on top and gets the recognition she deserves. Col: Do you have a favourite Layla line? Chantel: I love when she says "F-- you Abstergo, I'm seeing this through". Its kind of like her war cry. So powerful. (Sorry mom...lol). Col: One thing that sticks with me when thinking about Layla is the respect that she shows when discovering the Mummies of Bayek and Aya within the cave. After intense Animus sessions, do you think she feels connected to them, possibly due to the bleeding effect? (even though they're not related in any way) Chantel: Definitely! I feel as though there is a much deeper connection than we think while entering into anyones past or psyche. Seeing what they see, experiencing what they experienced, I feel would have some affect on Layla. Col: Have you ever been to Egypt before, and do you know if Layla's cave actually exists? If so, would you ever consider visiting? Chantel: I have never been to Egypt but would love to visit one day. There is a tremendous amount of history that I would be interested in learning about. Col: In the Laptop files we discover that Layla actually contributed towards the Madrid Animus, seen in the AC Movie. Have you seen the Movie? Chantel: I have! Col: Have you seen much of the creativity within the Community, such as Assassin’s Creed Origins Fan Art/Cosplay Projects/Videos etc? Chantel: I had a chance to watch some youtube videos of fans playing the game. Col: Did you enjoy working on Assassin's Creed Origins, and would you ever return to the brand if asked? Chantel: I had an amazing time! I would love to come back if they ask. (Fingers crossed). We would like to say a massive thank you to Chantel for joining us for this interview, and to everyone at Ubisoft who made it possible! Chantel's Social Media Links: Twitter Instagram 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)

Celebrating 10 Years of The Ones Who Came Before Community Share 14 Sept 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database August 10th marked ten years since the creation of The Ones Who Came Before (@ ACFirstciv ). What started out as a passion project set up at home in 2014, TOWCB today is a recognisable brand within the AC Community which has gained momentum around the globe, today acting as reliable source of information for over 60,000 fans. Today we are officially recognised by Ubisoft as leaders within the community, and we want to thank each and every person who has contributed towards our journey. Here is our round-up as we celebrate the creation of The Ones Who Came Before, and a decade of Assassin's Creed content and community moments! Graphics by MoonChildGecko We kicked off our celebrations with a new wave of graphics thanks to our very own Thea Marie Rivedal (@ MoonChildGecko ) We wanted to replicate the style and colour scheme of the official Assassin's Creed 15th Anniversary but with our twist, and Thea delivered on the brief. We had numerous options so selecting a favourite was incredibly difficult. Which variant is your favourite? Let us know in the comments! Interview with Jesper Kyd We are proud to present our interview with veteran composer Jesper Kyd, hosted by Gustav Poulsen ( Gargudon ). This truly unique discussion covers all things music creation, influences behind the Assassin's Creed soundtracks and more! Additionally to go with the interview, we also put out covers of "Wetlands Combat" & "Flight Over Venice" - arranged and produced by Gargudon also - from Jesper's legendary Assassin's Creed II soundtrack, and two more covers are still to be released coming very soon! Celebrating 10 years of TOWCB as well as 15 years of Assassin’s Creed II, a few weeks ago our team’s fellow musician Gargudon, had the opportunity to sit down with renowned composer Jesper Kyd - the man behind the soundtracks of Assassin’s Creed I, The Ezio Trilogy & Valhalla, and some of the most iconic tracks of the franchise - for a chat about everything from Jesper’s journey in music, writing process and influences, capturing the sound of AC, sound design and production, advice for aspiring composers and more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdLezhsRrBo Rally the Creed #10 : 10 Years Of The Ones Who Came Before In this special tenth episode of our community podcast Rally The Creed, site founder Colum and Gargudon reflect on 10 years of The Ones Who Came Before. From the site’s origin and growth, the evolution of our team, our hosts’ 9 years of friendship, looking to the future and much more. Enjoy listening! Thanks for 10 years to every single one of our followers, whether you have been with us from the beginning, have just hopped aboard, or anywhere in between. Cheers Assassins and here’s to 10 more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFFNG_nbmsI Assassin's Creed Mirage Giveaway Finally, to conclude our 10 Year Anniversary Celebrations, we gave away an Assassin's Creed Mirage Collectors Case (without game code), courtesy of Ubisoft UK! Congratulations to our winner! The Isu Network Expands ''It's an absolute privilege to work alongside such a creative group of content creators each day as we seek to produce an array of unique and interesting content for our audience members around the world. The Isu_Network is the heart and soul of The Ones Who Came Before, and I'm thrilled to be working alongside such an incredibly talented team. In the final months of 2024, I'll be working alongside the team to identity our strengths and weaknesses, and recruiting even more members to our ranks to ensure that TOWCB remains the home of AC Community content.'' Colum Blackett (The Ones Who Came Before Team Leader) 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

PureArts reveal incredibly detailed Assassin's Creed Revelations Diorama Merchandise Share 9 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database PureArts have revealed a new product on their social media channels. The officially licenced Assassin's Creed R.I.P. Altaïr 1/6 Scale Diorama is a 1/6 scale masterpiece, recreating arguably the most iconic scene from Assassin's Creed Revelations. There's no mistaking the high quality of this product, as PureArts once again deliver on their pledge to deliver premium quality collectible figures. Numbers: The Exclusive Edition is limited to 250 units, (which have all sold out already at the time of writing this). The PureArts Exclusive Edition includes a wearable Memory Seal pendant. 1250 Non Exclusive units are also available via the PureArts website. The diorama is slated for a Q1 2024 release, with the non-exclusive edition costing $499.00 USD. For some, the high price point may be a turn-off, but to own this diorama is to own a slice of Assassin's Creed history. It really is the pinnacle of collectors' items, and we can't wait to see more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNHfP2UnpgY “I have lived my life as best I could, not knowing its purpose, but drawn forward like a moth to a distant moon. And here, at last, I discover a strange truth.” – Ezio Auditore Ezio Auditore entered the Library of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad expecting to find books. Instead came face to face with the remains of Altaïr himself, seated in a chair and holding a Memory Seal in his hand. Kneeling before Altair to pay his respects, we’ve captured the pivotal moment when Ezio discovers his life’s purpose! Re-live this unforgettable moment in Assassin’s Creed Revelations with our Assassin's Creed R.I.P. Altaïr 1/6 Scale Diorama rendered in exquisite detail and care. 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)

Ubisoft Launches Educational Discovery Tour for Assassin's Creed Valhalla News Share 19 Oct 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Ubisoft has now launched the third entry in the Discovery Tour series, Viking Age. The non-combat educational experience allows players to explore and learn more about the places, people, and cultures of ninth-century England and Norway. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla's new educational expansion builds upon the prior releases covering Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, allowing players to freely roam the Viking era to discover more about the history and traditions of the time. This entry however takes a new approach to how players explore history. Instead of embarking on guided tours, players will assume the roles of different characters and take on quests, which aim to bring them closer to the material by putting them at the center of it. (Ubisoft Blog) Another new introduction is the inclusion of Discovery Sites, that each focus on a different element of the Vikings / Anglo-Saxons culture, including Viking Age: War & Politics, Daily Life, Religion & Magic, Myths & Legends, Science, Law & Justice, Art & Culture and Trade & Economy. Players embark on 8 quests that feature such sites that host images of items housed within the collections of Discovery Tour’s museum partners: UK’s Hampshire Cultural Trust, Preston Park Museum & Grounds, York Archaeological Trust, The British Library; Réunion des Musées Nationaux; National Museum of Denmark. The entry actively encourages players to explore the time period in an authentic, narrative driven way, in comparison to the digital museum exhibitions of Greece and Egypt, making it feel more lifelike. By engaging with stories and playing as historical characters, new opportunities for learning are created. Although the quests are relatively short, each arc contains a wealth of history in a playable format that makes the educational platform feel more personal and memorable than ever before. The two new creative pillars, “History through stories” and “Learning by doing'', really are the driving force, combining narrative threads with historical information and virtual artefacts, bringing it to life. Viking Age is the strongest entry in the Discovery Tour series, and pushes the boundaries of virtual learning even further. Storytelling is at the heart of the experience, and was designed in close collaboration with historians and archaeologists. The non-combat approach also means that the tool can be used around the world to educate pupils on historical culture, with Ubisoft recently renewing its partnership with UKIE on the Digital Schoolhouse project. This saw the company release 5000 PC codes to 52 primary schools, who are now able to access the platform in unique lessons split between virtual education and traditional. Ubisoft has also developed curriculum guides that offer customised activities and lesson plans based on the field of study and the level of the students, in partnership with the Montréal McGill University, with a grant from Mitacs. (Via Ubi Press Release) Discovery Tour: Viking Age also treats all Assassin’s Creed Valhalla fans with 11 exclusive rewards to unlock in the main game, 25 Behind-The-Scenes stations about the main game development, and 24 exploration characters. Discovery Tour: Viking Age will be free for all owners of Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla and will be available on the same platforms as the main game. The PC standalone version of Discovery Tour: Viking Age will be available via Ubisoft Connect and on the Epic Games Store for £16.99. For the very first time in the Discovery Tour franchise, Discovery Tour: Viking Age will also release as a standalone on Stadia, Luna, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S | X in early 2022. History is our playground comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Ending Discussion with Darby McDevitt: Information Roundup Breakdown Share 13 Mar 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Here is our roundup containing all of the new Assassin's Creed Valhalla information coming from the official Ubisoft Ending Discussion with Narrative Director Darby McDevitt, that aired on the 12th March 2021. MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW - The end of the world scenario that is looming in Valhalla was hinted at in messages that can be found in Assassin's Creed Origins. - It was important to the former Creative Director of the game to have an Assassin character from the Middle East (Basim), as the game is set close to the AC1 time period, and this would start to bridge the gap. - The entrance to the Norwegian First Civilization vault containing the Yggdrasil device from Assassin's Creed Valhalla is marked as a symbol on a map in Assassin's Creed II. - The Yggdrasil device took inspiration from the Assassin's Creed Movie, where users are plugged in, resembling fruit hanging on a tree. - The decision to have Basim replace Layla as the Modern Day playable protagonist by trapping her in the Yggdrasil simulation was proposed at an early stage of development. The original idea was to have players take over as Shaun or Rebecca, which would have been a choice, meaning you could switch back and forth at any point. This idea was scrapped so that fans could play as the mysterious Basim, a member of The Hidden Ones and reincarnation of Loki. - The team wanted to tie up loose ends, such as Layla's purpose and giving the Staff of Eden an important use, which was to revive Basim. Many narrative threads that connect to previous games were added to the game, making them more meaningful than Easter eggs. (Examples below) - It was very important to the Narrative Team and Creative Director to bring back Shaun and Rebecca, as it was hinted at by the introduction of William Miles in Origins that Layla's Assassin cell, and Desmond's old team would cross at some point. Also they are popular characters internally. Darby has also been writing for Shaun and Rebecca since Assassin's Creed Revelations. This decision to bring them back was made early on in the development of Valhalla. - At the beginning of the game, players can sense a tension between Shaun and Rebecca, and Layla, as they have seen the consequences of a Piece of Eden controlling an Assassin before (referencing Desmond killing Lucy & Layla killing Victoria with the Staff in Odyssey) - The Vinland (North America) addition wasn't suggested until 2019, but the idea came from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot. Although historically Vikings didn't travel to NA in the Vinland Sages for another 200 hundred years after the game, the team liked the suggestion and made it happen by reasoning that the Templars are always one step ahead of actual history. They would have hidden their trip to North America. - The reason for The Order of Ancients trip to North America was made to be very simple, as well as Eivor's purpose there. The connections to Assassin's Creed III via the Grand Temple and the Crystal Ball tie together threads, explaining how the Mohawk tribe came into possession of it. - There is an Ezio Auditore reference in Jotunheim, where Gunlodr asks "Are you there, prophet? Can you hear me" in an attempt to send messages to the future. As Havi and Gunlodr walk away, a voice can be heard asking "Who are you?". Although this is not voiced by Roger Craig Smith, it is Ezio, and references his first conversation with Minerva in AC II, and also Jupiter to Desmond in Assassin's Creed Revelation's Time Nexus. - All of the cities in AC Valhalla are direct homages to the cities in AC1, down to the assassinations and mission set-ups. This idea to pay tribute to the cities in AC1 was first proposed by Darby during AC Origins as the team were looking to refresh the brand, but it found it's place in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. - Quest Design Director Philippe Bergeron also worked on Assassin's Creed I as a designer. He made sure that the cities were a direct homage to AC1 such as Acre and Damascus, and kept the team on track. - Origins introduced the idea that different Isu tribes lived in different locations around the world. By establishing different sets as Isu, the team felt less restricted and could explore new ideas. Norse Mythology represents a Northern Isu clan, whilst Egyptian are an African Isu clan, who are different from the Mediterranean Isu (Capitoline Triad/ Greco-Roman). - The team thoroughly researched Norse Mythology, and looked for parallels between it and established Assassin's Creed lore. For example, the doomsday event known as Ragnarok in Norse Mythology was tied to a mass extinction event known as the Toba catastrophe, that in Assassin's Creed lore wiped out the Isu (Revelations). - It was important for the team to make the dual protagonist system work in a way that fits with Assassin's Creed lore. Two different early pitches were proposed by Darby when he joined the project. Pitch 1: Protagonist would be a male Viking, with the female version actually being Layla projecting herself onto the avatar (referencing similarity between Desmond and Altair in AC1). This could also now be done with Basim projecting his face onto a male or female, which could lead to some interesting dialogue. Pitch 2: A Sage, where you are the reincarnation of Aita. You play as a female Viking, but you can switch to looking like Aita. - Eivor being Odin reincarnated is the direction that was agreed upon in mid 2018. The former creative director was really interested in the Odin and Loki stories from Norse mythology, and proposed a counter idea that Eivor could be a sage, but the reincarnation of Odin instead. Odin is the perfect mix between a leader and a lone wolf, and it would be really interesting for players to realise that they are playing as the reincarnation of Odin. The ultimately led to the internal personality clash between Havi and Eivor, acting as an angel/devil on the shoulder in regards to choices. Fight Club is a film that was used as reference for this conflict. Other Isu Reincarnations and parallels include: Sigurd - Tyr Svala - Freya Basim - Loki Halfdan - Thor Faravid - (Not confirmed, but probably Freyr) Jotunheim Minerva- Gundolr Juno - Hyrrokin Aletheia - Angrboða Jupiter - Suttungr - Darby hints that there are more reincarnations that have not yet been discovered! - In Norse myth, Odin was always trying to survive Ragnarok, so the other characters grew naturally out of this idea. Nine were chosen as that is an important number for the Norse and recurs frequently in myths: Nine worlds, Nine times etc. - The idea of someone seeing a prophecy doesn't make sense in AC lore, but Eivor is actually seeing things that have already happened (Odins Memories). The Asgard / Jotunheim sections are Eivor's interpretations of prophecy, but she doesn't realise that the events already have happened in the past. Eivor as Odin has already betrayed Sigurd as Tyr. - When Fulke captures Sigurd, you can read her torture notes that describe how he shouts "I am the lord of Justice". She then wonders if he means Tyr, and decides to cut off his arm like was done in Norse mythology to trigger his old trauma, unlocking the ancient memories. - There are hints and clues dropped very early in the game, such as Eivor having a vision of Sigurd with one arm early in the game, where he calls her 'Havi'. Moments like this make complete sense once you have completed the game. - The prophecy that Eivor will betray Sigurd steers the course of the game, leading fans to question their choices and wonder if they are fulfilling it. Oxenfordscire arc: Sigurd changes and some fans online do not like him anymore. This was the intended effect, as the team wanted fans to hate him enough to punch him, because it leads you to question if the prophecy could be becoming true. - There are moments where fans may believe they are betraying Sigurd, such as punching him, or the Randvi romance subplot. - There are five choices in the game that determine whether Sigurd stays or go. They are a test of your loyalty to Sigurd as a leader. Did you respect the chain of command? - Early on in the game, Basim describes meeting Sigurd, and it felt like a forgotten memory of an old friendship resurfaced, and Eivor brushes it off completely. This scene was written by Darby to add an element of foreshadowing. - The scene where Eivor and Basim are sat around the campfire in Kent references Loki's loss. Basim misses his son terribly, and argues that the people closest to you can hurt you the most. (referencing Fenrir and Odin). The scene was written halfway through production, but it was easy to write as all the pieces were already in place. This is also the first moment that Basim and Eivor get to sit down and talk after Sigurd's capture. Eivor was initially suspicious of Basim, but this scene humanising him, leading players to let their guard down and potentially no longer suspect him of ill intentions. - Players who have not completed the Jotunheim / Asgard arcs may be confused by the ending in the vault with Basim fighting Eivor. - Original Prophecy Pitch: Eivor would never reach Valhalla, but it led to unsatisfying results, as a prophecy telling you that something is definitely not going to happen can lead to an accepting mindset that all actions are futile to change things. The betrayal prophecy is more actionable and human, something which players can relate to and worry about as you play. - The end scene with Basim in the vault was slightly changed to suit the pace when recording, something which the actor performances helped with. - If you look closely, there are similarities between the reincarnated / parallel faces: Sigurd and Tyr look similar for example. - The end of the Myth Worlds arc depicting Ragnarok, with the Gods drinking the mead and joining the life tree to be reborn before facing their doom is once again Eivor's interpretation of Odin's memory. Side by side with the Animus Glitches (Lokis memories) it is very similar, but with a Norse Mythology Filter distorting it. "The curtain of mythology" covering Isu history. - The animus anomalies were something that were discussed during the development of Assassin's Creed Origins. Darby is always looking for ways to get the present day fully integrated into the game without creating a stop-start situation (that we say in the Desmond games, Black Flag etc). This is people who are gameplay oriented to bridge the gap. - The animus anomalies peel back the curtain and show real Isu history, and how they were really reborn. It also shows how Loki was reborn. This is the parallel to the myth worlds, but the animus anomolies add to this as they are from Lokis memories. We see beyond the point where they face Ragnarok. - Loki kills Heimdall, Odin's son before adding his DNA to the machine, becoming the ninth to be reborn. - The Toba catastrophe footage from Assassin's Creed Revelations can be seen on the screen. This is not necessarily Asgard, and could be any Isu city. It has never been specified which city this was. ( I always assumed it was a Mediterranean city as a statue of an Isu that looks like Minerva falls) - Basim placed the Animus Anomalies to tell Loki's story and perspective to the Animus user (Layla). - When Desmond turned on the machine in AC III, he activated all of the existing temples around the world, overclocking them and causing them to create a magnetic field that would shield the earth from the solar flare. Since his death however, they remained on, allowing Basim to move around and lead Layla to him by messing around with it. He overclocked the device, causing the earth's new destruction scenario. The Nornir say that they weave in fealty to our master, referring to Basim's influence within the machine. - Basim helps Layla save the world, but he's the reason that it's in danger. He also traps her in the machine. - The Yggdrasil device is capable of projecting endless simulations, and the Valhalla program is just one of many. Any calculation can be projected. - The Valhalla program scene is meant to demonstrate that real life is better because it's imperfect, and the artificial quality of the simulation is realised by Eivor. It's possible that Svala started the Valhalla program, as she was already there. The true purpose of the device was to plug yourself in before death, and live endlessly in the machine as Svala did. The Yggdrasil machine can also preserve people in a suspended state, providing nutrients and prolonging life. - At the end of the game, Aelfred leaving the order as Grand Master mirrors the historical rise of Christianity during this time, and foreshadows the shift from The Order of Ancients to the Templar Order. This also bridges the gap, and hints at the birth of the Templar Order. - Darby believes that the Hidden Ones don't need to change much to become the Assassins, as the tenets, goals philosophies are the same, but the Templars and The Order of Ancients have clear distinctions, which are made clear by Valhalla's ending. - Shaun hints in a note that Edward Kenway may have named his son after the Hidden One 'Hytham', after searching the Assassin archives. This was Darby's contribution, who wanted to connect the game to AC4. The name was spelled differently to act more as inspiration for Edward rather than a direct copy, and because of the time difference. - Fans of the AC franchise will always analyse, theorise and discuss the games in depth. Darby is particularly proud of how much discussion Valhalla has sparked within the AC Community on community forums/ discord servers, reminding him of the Ezio era. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnWKiObMtCQ 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)

Breaking News: Assassin's Creed Mirage Gameplay Trailer revealed at PlayStation Showcase 2023 News Share 30 May 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database Ubisoft has unexpectedly debuted a gameplay trailer for Assassin's Creed Mirage at Playstation Showcase 2023! After an eight month-long marketing silence, Assassin's Creed Mirage has finally stepped out of the shadows, revealing a colourful stealth game which is returning to the roots of the franchise. Parkour looks much faster, as the trailer demonstrates dynamic fluidity and range of movement as Basim jumps, vaults and swings his way across Baghdad's rooftops, providing the perfect platform for aerial maneuvers. Stealth is a key focus, bringing back beloved features such as throwing knives, smoke bombs and air assassinations, but the game is also set to introduce new mechanics and tools such as detection mines, Eagle marking and multiple takedowns which will make Basim the ' most versatile Assassin in franchise history '. Although the trailer caught the internet off guard, we are now more excited than ever for Ubisoft Forward 2023, which airs June 12th 2023. Assassin's Creed Mirage launches October 12th 2023. Check out the gameplay trailer below! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G97lx7orMN8 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 20th to 31st January Community Share 22 Feb 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Assassin’s Creed Framed Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ cyriellevp.bsky.social The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ FrameHoldPhotos I love the frame within a frame technique used in this shot. The wooden window frames, the building in the distance, and the gentle sunlight casts gorgeous shadows on the landscape. The deliberate and artistic framing of this shot really makes it stand out as a stellar capture. Aaron If you like ornate carved wood with exquisite details or robust wooden architecture, then you should take in the wonders of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. I am very jealous that the development team got to study and visit all these amazing places to further enhance the experience of Viking life. This capture is so wonderfully framed, hats off to Cyrielle for pulling this off. The blur in the foreground is executed brilliantly, with just enough focus to see those amazing details. The elegant structure in the distance looks amazing with the sunlight bathing it from the left. I really like how the terrain rises, drawing your eye up to the spectacle in the centre. Through the Storm Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ AkiraAoyama_VP The Naval sections of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey were bittersweet for me. I enjoyed how gorgeous the Greek world looked from aboard the Adrestia, and at times how satisfying the combat would feel. But ultimately, I am not a huge fan of spending too much time at sea. In this shot we can see how moody and unforgiving the sea can be. The storm has been captured superbly here with the eye lit up amazingly. That lightning bolt striking the sea is a reminder of Zeus’ true power in these lands. I've got to say that I really like the composition as it feels like we are filming this high-speed ship as it chases the storm. Capturing Ikaros following behind is a nice touch too. Jackpot Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ UnfazedVP Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is full of small details that are easily missed when focusing on the story. As virtual photographers we often see everything as we pan that camera around looking for something to shoot. It almost feels fitting to feature a shot of some pots in honour of Jack as this is our first article since he departed the team. I have had the pleasure of viewing Unfazed’s Assassin’s Creed VP over the last few years, and it’s been awesome to see how each shot has evolved and improved. This is one of those shots that showcases the development teams' efforts to bring these worlds to life. For me it’s all about the sunlight streaming through on to the pots. Definitely worth checking the set for this one as it works beautifully. Making a Stand Game: Assassin’s Creed 3 VP Artist: @ JLunarTraveler I always get excited when we pick a classic Assassin’s Creed game, as it's rare to see shots from these games. I really hope in the future we will get remakes/remasters of the old games so a photo mode can be implemented. This particular shot is so badass, it’s got those superhero vibes thanks to the composition. I love how the soldiers are stood across the road in formation ready to halt our hero in his path. The shadow from the trees really adds to the ominous presence of the Templar order. Connor’s robes look so good with the details really popping. Impressive for a game that is almost 13 years old. Eyes in the Skies Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: Carmo Fernandes (@ Raider_Warrior ) I could not really be any more excited for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, however I am disappointed there will not be a bird companion this time around. Not only is it great having eyes in the sky but you get such a unique view of the world. Plus, as a virtual photographer, the bird allows for a camera range I cannot get from the normal Photo Mode. Distinctive shots like this one are also a treat thanks to our bird companion. I have to applaud Carmo for her patience to achieve this photo. Lining up Sýnin with the longship is not an easy task. I love how the wings almost mirror the oars on the boat, and how both are traveling in the same direction. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

AC Community Questions: ActualSpider-Man // IMHOZen1 (Writer for TOWCB) Community Interviews Share 23 Mar 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database For this round of Assassin's Creed Community Questions, we invited ActualSpider-Man from TOWCB Writing Team. Col: Thanks for joining us today! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role within the Assassin's Creed Community. ActualSpider-Man: It’s an honor, thank you so much for having me! I go by a few anonymous names online: Some know me as IMHOZen1 (“I am a chosen one”), a few have heard the name “Peter Parkour”, but most know me as Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor, ActualSpider-Man. For the better part of 5 years now, I’ve been attempting to untangle the entire twisted, time-hopping web of secrets and history scattered across Assassin’s Creed into a single thread of a chronological, what I like to call “Temporized” timeline. To make a long story short, I try to make Assassin’s Creed make sense in a linear fashion. Now I get to flex those same muscles, writing for TOWCB! Col: When did you first get involved within the AC Community, and how did it all start? ActualSpider-Man: Well, to answer that requires a bit of history: The AC obsession originally bit me when getting the first game on PS3 in 2007, and it’s been my favorite franchise to collect ever since. I’ve always loved the incredible depths each entry went to allow us to experience historical events we’ve all heard about, but my self-imposed “responsibility” of unraveling it all was an idea spurred on by the artist of my AC tribute tattoo, who wanted to hear anecdotes while he inked me, and made me realize I had waaay too much “useless” knowledge about this series to not do something with it. However, what truly kicked off my desire to Temporize everything came from seeing many similar questions and confusions from fans on r/AssassinsCreed where I had been a silent lurker for years - specifically about when certain games or media would fit in the timeline. So I took it upon myself to try and answer any and all chronological questions of “who did what when, with which Piece of Eden, for whose cause?” by creating my first Codex Temporis, Latin for “Book of Time,” in 2018, and people seemed to really enjoy it, along with those that knew more cluing me in on plenty I had missed in that first draft. Non-stop since then, I’ve been expanding and correcting those findings to encompass as much fictional and real-world history as I can, working with other super-sleuths under the mantra, “With great Assassin knowledge comes great responsibility to the Creed!”® Col: What do you consider to be your top Assassin's Creed Community moment? ActualSpider-Man: Oh, man! You mean apart from scoring the chance to join TOWCB? I’ve had a few very lucky happenstances, but by far the most jaw-dropping Community-fueled moment to happen to me has to be teaming up with a couple other Isu language aficionados (shoutouts to u/bool0011 and u/bpotatoes for their invaluable insights!), who helped me build my Isu-to-English dictionary Codex Transferendum, Latin for “Book of Translation,” which we then utilized the words and rules discovered to attempt to say the Assassin motto, “Nothing is true, everything is permitted” in Isu! Our powers combined were shared to Twitter and Reddit, where the developer that built the Isu language for Valhalla, Antoine Henry, not only came to our aid on both platforms with the correct way to phrase it, but even gave us an exclusive word for “permit” (‘zàrh’) that isn’t seen anywhere else in Assassin’s Creed!!! The implications of the Assassin motto being spoken in Isu are worthy of spinning theories all their own, but for those that may not even know it exists, the full Isu phrase looks, sounds and gets broken down like this: Col: Have you always enjoyed writing, and how much research goes into one of your Codex projects? ActualSpider-Man: I’ve whiled away countless hours as an avid artist and word smith since childhood, be it drawings, stories, essays, poetry, music; no matter the form, I’ve found creative endeavors to be the most cathartic ways to express myself - if my rambling doesn’t get in the way, that is. What’s funnier is I used to dread history classes in school, and only through researching the franchise did I learn to love learning about it! If more world history and social studies teachers were as engaging as AC, I think more people would stay awake during lessons! As for time spent on my projects, it might be easier to express in months or years, as daunting as it sounds… Codex Temporis 1.0 was released in 2018 after about 5 straight months of hardcore research, while Codex Temporis 2.0 took another 2 years of compiling to come out in 2020. My Codex Transferendum was built through 6 months of Isu language practice, and now Codex Temporis 2.01 is about ready to release with another 3 years worth of findings including all that added in. But this series is like a near-infinite jigsaw puzzle: There’s ALWAYS more tidbits to piece together and put in place, to the extent that I can see myself unwinding the tapestry for as long as Ubisoft keeps the franchise going, and probably even then some! If you’re wondering just how much of my week is spent researching & writing though, I’d say for the last 5 years it’s been at least 10hrs/week if not more when something’s really caught my attention! In my defense, I justify spending all that time so other fans won’t have to - and so I won’t need to do it again - so it’s all worthwhile to me! Col: Do you have any project plans for 2023? ActualSpider-Man: Even if you’ve only heard of me up to here, you might guess by now I’m always spinning several plates, trying to balance my many avenues of relaying AC fun-facts and such, though “Parkour luck” often skews to my best laid plans’ detriment… So without dedicating any hard dates to anything just yet to avoid Murphy’s Law, I do have enormous updates to both Codex Temporis (2.01) and Codex Transferendum (2.0.2) in the works, alongside more focused articles for TOWCB, as well as those findings turned into scripts to revamp visually for my YouTube channel, so stay tuned for more on all that! Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? ActualSpider-Man: I’ve always wanted to have my PSN profile show platinum for every AC that has trophy support on PlayStation. I have a 100% sync save for AC1 before trophies were implemented - I never owned it for Xbox 360 for the achievements - and my first ever platinum trophy was for AC II back on PS3, having since gotten the platinum again for AC II and Brotherhood in the Ezio Collection and Origins & Odyssey’s platinums on PS4. While I’ve spent dozens if not hundreds of hours beating all the rest, I’ve still got a long way to go to re-complete and earn every trophy out there, with some of my saves in the past going to other friends’ or console’s profiles, so that’s something I’ll have to one day grind back out to get full synchronization! Col: Which game would you consider to be your favourite? ActualSpider-Man: While I’ve grown to adore every entry for differing reasons, from AC1’s foundations, II’s literal birth of an icon that punches the Pope, Revelations’ seamless blend of stories across centuries, III’s history hitting close to home, Black Flag’s blue-watered beauty, Rogue’s enigmatic secrets, Unity’s parkour, Syndicate’s campiness, Origins’ emotional moments, Odyssey’s meme-able moments, through to Valhalla’s Isu Era history and language, I always circle back to how - in my humble opinion - even compared to games today, Brotherhood is a master class in quest design. The scope of the locale was big, and goes beyond Rome’s borders, but wasn’t as gigantic or filled with fluff as the newer titles. Every memory, whether main story or a contract or side content, even the ones set before the main events like the Cristina memories, all have direct impact on the narrative whole, and fill in holes and questions left by AC II in a way that isn’t just “filler” or “more AC II”, but a BETTER AC II. One where Ezio’s at the top of his game as an unstoppable killing machine, who’s also a less brash and bold, more level-headed, philosophical, pensive and wisened Mentor of the Brotherhood. We got to see Ezio grow to surpass his father’s greatness before him, and got to feel like WE built and trained the Assassin recruits to be as deadly as him, culminating in some of the most important beats in the Modern Day storyline like witnessing the last time we’d hear Kristen Bell voice Lucy Stillman - and that’s without mentioning the best multiplayer in the series - certainly cements Brotherhood as my #1 favorite of the franchise. So much so that I have 3 different PS3 variants (a regular cased copy, a sealed Dr. Malfatto Jack-in-the-Box edition, and the Codex Edition), and didn’t mind buying it a 4th time for the PS4’s Ezio Collection! Col: Do you have a favourite piece of Assassin's Creed merchandise? ActualSpider-Man: Actually, I have “2” - or “21” if you wanna get technical - that are too special to me to split up here: I made a friend across the pond in the UK through my research that was kind enough to buy 16 of the Official Collection figurines and ‘zines and send them to me in the States. I then of course immediately paid them back in full, but this was the only way I could get some of those elusive reads and hand-painted figures in my own collection, having only been released in that side of the world. The other are the 5 Brotherhood of Venice figures another good friendo I know state-side painted for me, the posse of Ezio in Altaïr’s Armor and the core Venetian crew of Alessandra, Benedicto, Claudio, and Dariâ done up to look game-accurate in their black robes, and I’m utterly amazed by the details on my painted mini Assassins Brotherhood! Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? ActualSpider-Man: I have been to a handful of spots in my home country! I’ve passed through Louisiana on a family trip as a kid, had a layover in Denver International Airport and walked some of the Revolutionary War battlefields in a couple of our 13 colonies on the eastern seaboard. But sadly I did not find the Fountain of Youth when I went down to Florida, nor have I had the chance to visit the Grand Temple in Turin, and haven’t travelled across the Atlantic to any AC locales below or further to the east… yet, fingers crossed! I would absolutely leap at the chance to sight-see Egypt’s many wonders, or backpack across Italy, especially to visit Monteriggioni, Il Colosseo and Il Vaticano! Col: Which Assassin's Creed character would you say you have the most in common with? ActualSpider-Man: I’d like to think Desmond and I are somewhat kindred spirits, having a take on his tattoo on my own skin; we both were so naive to all the history until it was flooded into our brains so quickly that there was no way not to come out on the other side a lot more analytical and understanding. And if you know about the aftermath of his fate, I kinda feel like The Reader too, now being able to use all my findings to pluck at the branches of the Calculator of Futures and peer into time whenever and wherever I please, thwipping through my Codex projects. Col: If you could retcon / change a piece of Assassin's Creed lore, what would it be and why? ActualSpider-Man: I could go the extra-cheesy route and say that Ubisoft should’ve let us defeat Juno in-game in the Modern Day rather than reading about it in Uprising - though if my handle isn’t enough giveaway, I’m a huge comic nerd too, so I really didn’t mind that all too much, having been in the major minority of those who followed the comics during releases. Or that there’s a handful of things I consider “wrong” written on the fandom wiki. But there is a small, offhanded bit of lore from the words of narrative director Darby McDevitt himself that I wholeheartedly disagree with, and refuse to acknowledge in my headcanon of Isu geography: Darby once said, “Jotunheim is not in North America.” I disagree. There are simply far, far, FAR too many numerous allusions and outright canon connections to the Grand Temple being referenced and visited in Jotunheim’s citadel of Utgard, along with landmarks that line up when overlayed with Vinland, that I can never concede to his “opinion” on that front. In my Codex, Jotunheim, Vinland, and Turin, NY are all the same place, and I go into more depth on that “debate” as well. Col: Are you excited for the launch of Assassin's Creed Mirage? ActualSpider-Man: I am very excited for what they say will be a return to form with a more focused narrative on a reasonably sized map, and of course I’m intrigued to see where they go with the Modern Day and Isu plot lines with so much cliff hanging off Valhalla’s endings, but I am still trying to keep my excitement tempered with all the too-good-to-be-true news floating around this early in development without gameplay to go on. Though I can’t deny, an Aladdin-style AC revolving around a young street-urchin Basim sounds like more fun than 40 thieves! Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV series? ActualSpider-Man: This is tough… There’s so many good choices they have yet to cover! My overly-analytical self wants to factor in that Michael Fassbender has been claimed to be on the live action Netflix project, but there was also tellings that he wasn’t going to reprise his role as Callum Lynch in this series, which makes me kinda wanna see him try the Spaniard accent some more for something fresh. Like maybe instead of Aguilar, we could see a different descendant between Aguilar and Cal? Maybe a Spaniard Assassin that gets mixed up in the conquests of Aztec/Incan/ Mayan areas in 16th century Mesoamerica? Or in a perfect world, he’d use his natural Irish accent to fill the open shoes of the 1919-1921 Irish War of Independence Assassin that headlines the once-mentioned Helix project, ‘Hell in Hibernia’! If either of these grain of salt context clues line up in the finished product, I’ll eat my mask, but I’d enjoy each bite! Col: Where can our community members find you online? ActualSpider-Man: You can thwip on over to my Twitter @ Spider_Mentor , wall crawl into the shadows of my subreddit at r/CodexTemporis for more frequent updates on all my projects or to posit your own queries and theories, tune in to a few early lessons and listen to a few Ezio’s Family mashups on my YouTube channel @ actualspider-man9004 , or subscribe and all that jazz for much more to come on Isu Geography and Language 101, as well as deep lore dives there in the near future - I swear, they’re coming! I might randomly swing in to stream on Twitch @ ActualSpider_Man , or if you ever wanna play a friendly round of Rocket League, my PSN handle is ActualSpider-Man , ditch the space, respect the hyphen! Thanks again, Col and TOWCB for the opportunity to share my insanity with you all, and always remember: ṇoænos wahæáid oænosr zàrhṇdichṛ • Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor ;) We would like to say a huge thank to ActualSpider-Man for joining us for this interview! 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)

Decoding the Creed: Assassin's Creed Mirage Calligraphy Drawings Analysis Share 22 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Noon (TheHiddenVirtuals) Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the first article in a new series dedicated to decoding the secrets hidden within the Assassin's Creed series. In this article, new recruit The Hidden Virtuals examines the drawings featured on the Assassin's Creed Mirage official website, made up of Arabic calligraphy by artist Hatem Arafa . In a social media post, Hatem shared this message covering his time working with Ubisoft on Mirage. Here is our analysis of the drawings! لَدغُ العقَاربِ لَم يَكُن لِعَداوَة A scorpion's sting was never out of spite بُنِيَ بَيْت العَنكَبُوتِ عَلى وَهْن Spiderwebs were built upon frailty وَ قَد دَبَّ مِن أقْصَى المَشَارِق حَيَّة And a serpent slithered/creeped from the far east ثُمَّ مِن الظَّلاَمِ تَخرُج نَحوَ النُّور Then you emerge out of the darkness towards the light The full message reads: A scorpion's sting was never out of spite. Spiderwebs were built upon frailty. And a serpent slithered/creeped from the far east. Then you emerge out of the darkness towards the light. What could this be referencing? Does Basim encounter an enemy that puts an end to his naivety, kickstarting a path to the Brotherhood? We can't wait to dive even deeper into the hidden mysteries of Assassin's Creed Mirage when more material releases through the marketing campaign and game's launch in October 2023. You can find links to our social media platforms below to stay up to date on everything Assassin's Creed. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Noon (@HiddenOnesN) is a Virtual Photography enthusiast and writer who joined TOWCB social media team in Summer of 2023 as an Arabic Translator. In a series of Twitter threads decoding hidden messages within the Assassin's Creed Mirage Marketing campaign, Noon made a strong impression online as a codebreaker. By joining TOWCB, we boosted her findings with a larger audience, and are working together to improve our social media strategies and grow our community. In late 2023, Noon notably be led our 'Decoding the Creed' series, diving deep into the mysteries hidden within the franchise. She also worked alongside the Virtual Photography Team to grow our Twitter community, and encourage interactions. Noon (TheHiddenVirtuals)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd to 13th December Community Share 9 Jan 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Renzo Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Holiday Sub-Zero Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ FrameHoldPhotos The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ Falconswift87 There has never been a better time to fire up Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and take a trip to the North. The winter season is upon us and Eivor is well equipped to deal with the icy winds. This capture from Frame Hold is quite exquisite. The composition elevates the photo, drawing your eye to the snowy tundra. Furthermore, I love how Eivor is framed by the branches as she strolls through the forest. There is definitely a wow factor to the snow and how it looks and feels in the game, you can see this in the trail Eivor leaves in the snow. I adore the choice of outfit too and it fits with the chilly feel of this perfect winter capture. Winter Wonderland Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ UVioletra The world of Assassin’s Creed is rife with opportunity for breath-taking landscape virtual photography. When it comes to winter shots Valhalla is your game. Bianca excels in this department too, with her wonderful talent for capturing stunning vistas. There is so much beauty in this photo, thanks to the excellent composition. The rays from the sun add a touch of warmth to an otherwise wintery feel. The river snaking through the land is captivating, as is the beautiful snow-covered hills. Overall, it’s the colours that draw me in, with that purply/blue hue adding a magical feel to the photo. Snow Capped Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ vgshutter For me Norway is a visual masterpiece in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The sheer scale of the mountains and the crisp white of the snow really transports you back to the Viking days. This photo pays homage to the wonderful game design and reinforces why we love to explore regions in Assassin’s Creed. When I look at this shot it reminds me of the art cards you often get with collector’s editions. I think the white boarder helps to elevate that feel. The sun creeping out behind the tip of the mountain is clever and the Raven gliding towards it is a nice touch. What I love is the fortress/settlement below, those log buildings are giving off real wintery vibes. Daybreak Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ TheAncientGame4 I am not surprised to see Norway featured predominantly for this theme. Once again, I find myself reminiscing back to the launch in 2020 and the absolute joy of entering the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. What we have here is a panorama of great scale, showcased through the excellent composition and the smart use of light. The line of golden sun piercing the cold water is magnificent and the way its glow reflects off the snow adds a sense of warmth to a very chilly shot. I really like how the body of water sits encased by the mountain ranges. So much effort was put into creating these vast areas that are essentially empty in terms of gameplay but full of opportunity for photography. Frozen Lands Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @JadedVortex Assassin’s Creed Valhalla leans into the mythology both in the main story and the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC. With Gods like Odin and Thor who are so well known in pop culture it would have been a shame not to feature them. In Norse mythology the cold of Niflheim is often depicted in the manner of this shot. The cold barren lands are well represented here with some nice blue tones really adding to that freezing atmosphere. The dragon skin is the nice touch too as it has importance to Norse culture thanks to Níðhögg who was said to reside at the roots of Yggdrasil. This capture is exactly what I think of when recalling my time in the snowy mountains of Norway. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Mirage Fanart by Yasmin Page Art Share 12 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Ashlea Blackett Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Check out this brand new piece of fanart by our very own digital artist Yasmin Page from our AC Partnership Program! One of the things that makes this piece of art particularly impressive is the speed of which Yas released it, sending it over to the admin team only a day after Ubisoft launched the Assassin's Creed Mirage trailer at the 2022 Assassin's Creed showcase event at Ubisoft Forward! I love how you can see the Assassins lurking in the background, and the glow on Basim's face, as if lit up by candlelight. This scene is directly from the trailer, as Basim is initiated into The Hidden Ones by removing his ring finger, a required sacrifice to operate a hidden blade, and also showing his commitment to the Brotherhood. Ever since the launch of Valhalla, members of our Art Team have been fascinated by Basim, and everything he represents. He is a bridge between the Hidden Ones and the Assassin Brotherhood, along with also being the reincarnation of the cunning Isu trickster Loki. We can't wait to share more Basim art with the community throughout the marketing campaign! Until then, check our what our other team members have been up to in the Community Hub! 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

What to Expect in Assassin's Creed Shadows News Share 21 Jun 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database When Ubisoft initially announced the existence of a new Assassin’s Creed , it was given a codename, which was referred to as just ‘ Codename Red ’ for quite some time, leading fans into excitement for what the future had in store. It had gamers across the world excited for the next chapter in the beloved and long-running ‘ Assassin’s Creed’ series, which has gained a huge following since its creation in 2007. The series is loved for many reasons, including its classic parkour, storytelling, and charisma of the protagonists, and much more. It was a monumental and groundbreaking game back in its beginning, and the series is still running strong to this day, with no signs of slowing down. For a long time, fans had been asking and hoping for an Assassin’s Creed game set in Feudal Japan, as it had been a highly requested era in history fans have been wanting to visit for as long as the series has been around. Now, all our wishes have come true, as Ubisoft has announced ‘ Assassin’s Creed Shadows ’ officially to the public. Fans of the series, and even those unfamiliar with the series, are counting down the days until November 15th, 2024. ‘ Shadows ’ recently had a big gameplay reveal shown off at Ubisoft Forward in June of this year. Both protagonists Yasuke and Naoe were shown off. Yasuke, a Samurai, and Naoe, a Shin obi, are teaming up together to fight the injustice in Feudal Japan. The ga me will be adding a fan-favorite, and heavily requested addition to both our protagonists this time around: The ability to freely switch between characters. This option was first introduced in 2015’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Syndicate ’, where you were able to switch between the twin Assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye. This was a fun, but short-lived feature in the Assassin’s Creed series, and now fans can rejoice as Ubisoft is bringing it back in ‘ Shadows ’. You will now be able to pick freely anytime between both Yasuke or Naoe. This is a change from the recent dual-protagonist feature Ubisoft introduced with 2018’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ’, allowing the player the choice to play the game as either a male or female protagonist, but by selecting a character, you were unable to switch again for the rest of the game. This theme continued with ‘ Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ’, once more allowing players the choice between male or female Eivor, and still selecting that character will lock you in for the full game. It was a formula fans enjoyed, as it brought new life into the series that was once only one male protagonist each game, with the lack of a choice between Assassins. Now, sk ipping ahead to ‘ Shadows ’, you can pick and choose which character you’d like to play as for any mission, and also be able to switch freely at any time, just like ‘ Syndicate ’. This offers players a choice of strategy. Yasuke, being the combat expert Samurai, will be useful for missions requiring more muscle, and brute force , or you can choose to pick Naoe, a much quieter approach to be able to sneak in and out of trouble. Each mission should give players a real decision about which direction to take, and which playstyle best suits the mission ahead. Ubisoft has also shared that the size of the map in ‘ Shadows ’, will be similar to that of 2017’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Origins ’, rather than that of ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’. For example, the map will be large again, but will feel just right for the setting of Feudal Japan. Also allowing players to experience more of what Feudal Japan has to offer rather than potentially spending a lot of time traveling across the entire map, it should provide players a more direct experience. From what we all have seen through the gameplay revealed earlier this month, expectations are high amongst both fans and critics, who are all looking forward to getting their hands on ‘ Shadows ’. The more recent ‘ Assassin’s Creed ’ titles, also known as the “RPG” games in the series, have followed a similar format. A leveling system, skill trees, upgradable gear and weapons, and a healthy dose of side quests to choose from. Fans should expect some of the same with ‘ Shadows ’. It gives players the opportunity to explore the map more, rather than potentially rushing through the main missions. Each player has their own choice of how they want to play, and Ubisoft is catering to all fans with all interest levels. They know fans are wanting to be invested in this game, and giving the players plenty to do along with the main storyline. A lot of fans of the series were ones who started with the “RPG” titles, bringing a new audience to both new and old fans, as Ubisoft’s current formula has satisfied both classic and newer fans. We can expect some of those same elements in ‘ Shadows ’, such as the combat with dodging and parrying attacks, and the use of special abilities to give the player an edge over tricky enemies. Last year’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed ' game was ‘ Mirage ’, which was a smaller scale game suited to please fans of the classic format, and it was well received. It has now been four years since we had a game this size in 2020’s ‘ Assassin’s Creed Valhalla ’, and it should satisfy fans knowing they are in for a full on journey into Feudal Japan. With the game set for a November release date, there is plenty of marketing to be done on Ubisoft’s end, such as more gameplay videos or new information about the game to get fans excited even more as it comes closer to release. Many expect Ubisoft to create another masterpiece in the long running series. Fans have grown accustomed to a great experience with each game released. The hype of ‘ Shadows ’ is currently at an all time high, for both fans and even those who are skeptical, and will possibly need to see more of the game to persuade them into purchasing. For some, the whole idea of an ‘ Assassin’s Creed ’ game set in Feudal Japan is almost too good to be true, which could easily attract the fans who aren’t familiar with the series, and even some who may have never played an ‘ Assassin’s Creed ’ game in their life. ‘ Shadows ’ should do a great job being appealing to anyone, whether they be new or returning. One way or another, we can all expect fans of this series to come together again once the fall season rolls around, and celebrate another great adventure into history by Ubisoft. The countdown to November 15th is well and truly underway! comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest Guest Jun 21, 2024 Awesome review! Like Reply About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Assassin's Creed Modern Day Discussion at BAFTA 2024 Breakdown Analysis Share 5 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Zephryss Colum Blackett Back To Database During a recent conference held at the BAFTA 2024 event in London reported by Gamesradar , VP executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté discussed recent controversies and the balance between Modern Day and Historical story with regards to #AssassinsCreedShadows . Here are the key points that were made. Image source: BAFTA Games "While both Naoe and Yasuke's stories are works of fiction, they will reflect (...) the complexity and interconnectedness of our shared history" "Our team's commitment to inclusivity is grounded in historical authenticity and respect for diverse perspectives, not driven by modern agendas" "The current climate is tough on our creative teams - They face lies, half-truths, and personal attacks online." "Legitimate criticism" remains valuable but must be distinguished from "attacks driven by intolerance." "The modern day storyline will explore deeper themes of memory, identity and autonomy, how the past shapes who we are, and how controlling this past can impact our future" These themes will allow to reflect on contemporary issues such as freedom versus control, the power of knowledge and the tension between individuality and conformity "Ending Desmond's arc was a difficult decision, and afterward, the modern storyline struggled to find its footing" Image source: Ubisoft "The continued focus on characters hunting for Isu artifacts made the narrative more predictable" Series is entering “third period” in which the team's goal is to “put history back at the center of the player's experience” Thus, "the modern day narrative will serve to enhance, rather than overshadow, the historical journey by drawing meaningful contrast between past and present." "The groundwork for this new direction will take shape with Assassin's Creed Shadows, which will lay the foundation for this narrative evolution that will grow in the years to come.” In Côté's conclusion, "the answer to hate is to continue creating experiences that celebrate the richness of our world and capture the magic of our collective imagination because in the end, creativity is stronger than fear.” It's great to hear that Ubisoft are acknowledging that Modern Day has been inferior since the death of Desmond Miles, with multiple games stripping it back and others replacing it with cutscenes. We can't wait to see what's next! Image source: Ubisoft comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Zephryss is a passionate social media manager based in India who joined TOWCB's Social Media Team in Summer 2024 to help the team prepare for coverage of Assassin's Creed Shadows news and updates. Recently, he completed his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and is now preparing to take on a PhD. He loves video games very much, and since childhood has enjoyed playing various types of games in different genres He also has 3 gaming channels (Zephryss, Assassin Zephryss & Spider Zephryss) where he uploads gameplay videos regularly. Zephryss

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 13th - 19th August 2022 Community Share 20 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week 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 showcase is in collaboration with VPGamersUK . Each capture is my pick from the daily themes. Thank you to everyone who participated. 1) Columns Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Theme: Architecture This week’s first capture comes from @ 6VAC1 over on Twitter. First up we have a beautiful shot of some columns in Odyssey. When it comes to architecture the Assassin’s Creed games are some of the best places to take photos. The sheer volume of buildings within a single game is off the scale. I picked this shot due to the angle and colours. This capture really does give off a sense of height and grandeur. The saturation adding to the details, it’s no wonder Ubisoft have been commended for their building design. Link to set 2) Frigg Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Theme: Citizens Photo number two comes from @ dpruttz_vp a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Next up we have a Citizen of Asgard, who is also a former lover of Odin. I did enjoy Frigg and Havi’s team up at the start of the Dawn of Ragnarok DLC. It is a shame it is such a small section. This awesome shot really catches the eye, with the fiery background and the excellent pose from Frigg. I am very impressed with how the details of her outfit have been highlighted, mostly thanks to the blurring of the background. What an amazing piece of virtual photography. 3) Fox Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Theme: Wildlife This week’s third shot comes from @ PodToGo a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Photo number three was an easy choice, I love foxes and this photo is one of the best I have seen of that animal. As I have said before, Ubisoft have been perfecting the art of nature in their games of late. The pose of the fox in this shot is adorable and credit to PodToGo for finding this moment. I would love to know how long the Virtual Photographer waited to get this picture. I am really liking the portrait aspect for this capture as it encompasses the stance of the fox so well. A truly wonderful piece of wildlife VP. Link to set 4) Out of the Desert Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Theme: Assassins VP number four comes from @ Jakeste66386991 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community . What can I say about this capture other than, it is jaw-dropping. This gorgeous silhouette of Bayek has to be one of my favourite’s pieces of virtual photography since I have been running these articles. I never really add borders to my shots but I must say the white around the edges of this one just makes the photo pop. I love the way Bayek is walking across the dunes towards the sun with the rays casting shadows behind him. What an incredible shot. 5) Sickles Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Theme: Weapons The final capture of the week comes from @ petta_velan a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. This week's final shot depicts an Egyptian Viking readying his sickle swords. I remember when these weapons were added during the Wrath of the Druids DLC, they were a great addition to the game. I actually think they go very well with the Egyptian armour too which, of course, also released with that DLC. I really like how the sickles are showcased here, allowing us to see the engravings. It’s cool how they match the bracers and tattoos, giving Eivor a proper warrior feel. Link to set And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young