This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography 12 Month Special: 30th - 5th February 2023 Community Share 7 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week we have our 12 month special, you will find 1 shot from the last 6 months ranked by myself. There were so many wonderful captures over the months it really was a difficult task picking out 6. 1. Nordic Adventure Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: September 2022 The winning shot comes from @ _ Virtualtourism This shot resonates with me as I feel it is the essence of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. When looking at this capture all I can think of/hear is Out of the North by Jesper Kyd. That stunning sky takes me back to my first time on the game, memories that I will never forget. I have said it many times before Valhalla has such beautiful scenery. The composition is o n point, I am lo ving Eivor stood atop of the mountain with the hood up and torch in hand. 2. A Hero’s Tale Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Month: August 2022 2nd Place goes to @ Jakeste66386991 This is probably one of the best send-off shots you could hope to take. It is my pick for August 2022 because I feel it signifies how I felt at the end of Assassin's Creed Origins. This capture is so gorgeous, the silhouette of Bayek walking off into the sunset is a real delight. I remember at the time being a fan of the b order too, as it makes the shot stand out. That sun though is something else. 3. Valhalla Awaits Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: December 2022 3rd Place goes to @ Petanni If Ubisoft ever wanted a photo to signal the end of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, it's this one. The colours of this shot are tremendous. I really can't get enough of those autumnal trees. There is something poetic about Eivor walking off into the countryside dressed as an Assassin. No one really knows what's in store for Eivor, but sometimes its best left to the imagination. 4. Outsider Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: October 2022 4th place goes to @ punkncreed I love this shot because it resembles both Assassin and Viking. I adore the use of depth of field in this image drawing your focus to Eivor, with the background slightly blurred. The mist and the flickers of light are such small details but add a great deal to the ambiance of this capture. Eivor feels like an outsider here, someone trying to go about their work incognito. 5. Pirate Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: November 2022 5th place goes to @ PodToGo Next up we have one of many awesome Kenway outfit shots from PodToGo. I was surprised how well this legacy outfit fits the time period of Valhalla. You have to admire captures like this, they give us insight to what the older games would look like today. Although the outfit look s cool, it's the surrounding area that really catches my eye. 6. Beautiful Countryside Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Month: January 2023 6th place goes to @NoviKaiba23 It feels weird writing about this shot so soon after selecting it for the weekly showcase. This picturesque capture is a complete delight on the eyes. There is a real magical vibe to this shot, mostly brought on by the deep red flowers and the lighting. I think Michael Doyle summed it up perfectly in our previous article, everything together within this shot, mirrors the principles of the brotherhood. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography 6 month special. A special thank you to everyone who has taken part over the last 6 months, I would not be able to do this without you. Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced TOWCB Review Review Share 8 Jul 2026 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team FrameHoldPhotography Back To Database Sail once more upon the calming waves of nostalgia Set the sails once more for an expensive adventure, as Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced sets its sights upon a July 9th release window, giving players a summer to remember. Although summer is an unusual release window for Ubisoft, who tend to favour a Fall launch, it could also be a smart move considering the all-consuming GTA 6 is set to launch in November, leaving everything else in its wake. Resynced presents Ubisoft with the difficult task of remaining true to the original vision, while providing worthwhile, meaningful content for new and old players alike. Many are asking; ▪️Can Ubisoft make a faithful adaptation of a beloved title? ▪️Does it do enough to appease critics of the original game? But for longtime fans of Black Flag, such as the team here at The Ones Who Came Before, who have spent the last 13 years arguing that Edward was a Master Assassin, and that Black Flag isn't just a pirate game, does Resynced add enough additional content to portray this? Black Flag Resynced is the first remake for the Assassin's Creed series, taking us into uncharted waters. Many feared that the game would be a disaster like Skull and Bones, losing faith in the project entirely. ‘Codename Obsidian’ rumours first began flying around in 2023, with more and more information leaking out over time. Ultimately, the development of Resynced had more leaks than a sinking ship, something which was playfully acknowledged during the marketing campaign. Resynced also signals the first major attempt by Ubisoft to course-correct after the rumoured disappointing sales of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which was ultimately outsold by Assassin's Creed Mirage, a shorter game that originated as a DLC for Valhalla. Some questioned the decision to remake Black Flag first when older games such as AC1 would benefit more, but after a difficult year of internal restructuring, stock crashes, and leaks, it looks like Ubisoft may be able to take a breath, as Black Flag Resynced has the potential to change everything. The Biggest Win in Recent History After playing Black Flag Resynced for 50+ hours, we can confirm that the game captures the essence of the original, which players know and love. The development team took great care in recreating the beloved title, rebuilding core pillars such as combat and parkour from the ground up whilst incorporating signature moves from the original. Black Flag Resynced is a thoughtful reimagining of the original which elevates the game to new heights. Ubisoft managed to steer the ship away from the alluring temptation of RPG elements, something which was crucial for many fans who did not wish to see the original action/ adventure title switch genre. It's great to see that Ubisoft took the time to listen to fans, hosting workshops and early access sessions to gather feedback early in development. The game is also very focused in its intent on staying true to the original, avoiding the possibility of overcomplicating things. No Freedom Cry expansion or multiplayer is a good thing, as it allows the game to excel at delivering a solid single-player experience. Both of these cuts may come to fruition at a later date via Assassin's Creed Invictus or even Freedom Cry Resynced. For now though, Black Flag Resynced is set to capture the next generation of gamers, pulling together original cast members, developers, and ideas to tell the complete version of Edward's story. Breathe a sigh of relief, as Assassin's Creed veterans Darby McDevitt (Lead Writer on AC IV Black Flag) and Jean Guesdon (Creative Director on AC IV Black Flag) return to expand the original vision. Darby returned to helm two new scenes and revised an existing one. Jean is now Head of Creative at Vantage Studios (The Ubisoft Subsidiary now in charge of AC), so he was responsible for the overall creative vision. Be A Scourge Of The Seas Once More One thing Ubisoft had to consider with the remake is that the reputation of Black Flag remains largely positive, even though 13 years have passed since launch. Fans remember a plunderous adventure filled with opportunities, but also really like Edward as a character. One of the reasons why many connected so much to Edward's story is because of how flawed he is as an individual. With all his charm and optimism, his pursuit of wealth leads to him losing himself in a whirlwind of opportunities, and ultimately, becomes a different man entirely. A new generation of players gets to experience a great Assassin's Creed game, with updated visuals, storylines, and mechanics. We hope that we manage to answer your many questions in our review, breaking down the core pillars and diving deep into all things Assassin’s Creed Black Resynced. Graphics by MrTom The World Resynced is an extremely beautiful and visually impressive game. Many will consider it the best looking Assassin’s Creed game. All assets for Resynced were created from scratch for the latest version of the Anvil engine, leading to a breathtaking visual experience. The world feels more alive now, on land and at sea, above water and below. The dynamic weather system adds a new level of realism, something which is especially noticeable when exploring the world. Rain in particular is striking, adding atmosphere and gloom to the game, which provides the perfect cover to strike. Some of us within the team found the saturation levels a tad too high. Characters can appear red-faced. Luckily though, the Vibrant saturation can be turned down in the settings. Ubisoft likely opted for this to make the colours more engaging. Players will notice added foliage in the world, adding to the immersion. Being able to dive anywhere at will is a massive improvement, and the water is generally vibrant, beautiful and alive. We did find however that in deeper seas it’s very dark, but also appears to be barren of any life even though you can see dolphins etc jumping out the water. But underwater there’s nothing. Exploring the world with the Jackdaw feels like reuniting with an old friend. The improvements to the Jackdaw are brilliant and really make the ship feel like the second character of Black Flag. Another place Edward can call home in Resynced is Great Inagua, with The Manor hideout, which now has improved customisation options, making it feel more personal and homely for Edward when he’s not sailing on the Jackdaw or residing in Nassau. It definitely feels like more of a place to call home. Throughout the game, NPCs feel more lifelike than in the original, as Ubisoft has added additional dialogue, new behaviours, and animations. Different areas of the map feel worlds apart, as they feature various languages, colours, and even dress styles, accurately depicting the cultures settling in the Caribbean territories in the 18th Century. The world of Black Flag Resynced is a carefully crafted homage to the original, incorporating the elements which fans loved and making them even more vibrant and dynamic. We think that players will love getting lost in the beauty of the game. We can’t wait to see the photo mode captures! TMAC: The three main cities of Havana, Kingston, and Nassau return. They're now much bigger and expanded, but they still hold that magic feeling of nostalgia and are no longer separated by a loading screen. Port Royale, Part of Kingston in the OG, is now its own separate location Combat The combat system in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced represents a massive shift from the 2013 original. Ubisoft Singapore has rebuilt the system from the ground up using the modern Anvil engine. It is heavily inspired by recent Assassin's Creed titles, borrowing core mechanics from Assassin's Creed Shadows and Assassin's Creed Mirage. Enemies are no longer passive targets that wait to be countered. Instead, Resynced features visible health and defense bars. You must actively break an enemy's defense through a combination of heavy attacks, precise parries, and well-timed dodges before dealing lethal damage. Perfect parries create openings for takedown opportunities. It’s a more reactive combat experience that makes you think about how to attack/defend rather than button-bashing, as enemies learn and adapt depending on how you use the combat system, delivering a more satisfying and challenging experience. Overall, we were impressed with the combat and like how it finds a middle ground between the old and new systems. Timing the parrying can be difficult as it doesn't slow down time like in the original, and enemies are fast and reactive. Edward can use his surroundings to his advantage through the use of breakable objects such as tables and chairs, or even falling items, which can be triggered by pushing enemies back to cause damage or even slow them down. Edward can now sweep enemies to the ground with a long kick, or give a shorter kick for more power. It’s worth rotating through the combat maneuvers rather than favouring one, or enemies will quickly learn and anticipate actions. Enemies adapting is a great move, as it adds another level of thought when taking on opponents. There are also many different types of finishers using swords and pistols. Takedowns are incredibly satisfying. In particular, the hidden blade finishers are brilliant. Once triggered, Edward delivers a fatal strike, many of which are particularly brutal and impressive. Finishers feel highly rewarding, as the animations vary, delivering a variety of strikes. Overall, the movement feels quicker than in the original game, especially as Edward breaks down an enemy's defence, which leads to opponents losing an item of clothing, often a hat, the equivalent of them having their armour damaged. Similarly, Edward picking up injuries on his face after a fight is another great touch; we love little details like this which add to the immersion. Disadvantages: the launch version of the game does not include Hidden Blade combat, which will definitely be missed by many fans. Unarmed combat is also limited to tavern fights. Weapon disarming and pickup from the ground have been removed. Chainkills are also limited to avoid Edward becoming too overpowered like in the original. Some of our team members found the health bars a little annoying, decreasing the fluidity of the fight, but many options for the HUD can be modified in the settings. Combat is much more realistic than in recent AC titles, removing overpowered special attacks and replacing them with more grounded strikes which feel more believable. Even though combat feels more realistic, it may be the pillar which takes the longest for fans to adjust due to its challenging nature. Timing and variation of moves are the key to mastering it, and players will need to break patterns of familiarity to excel. Practice makes perfect! TMAC: While I appreciate this take on combat over the ability based of the last few entries. It does get old after a while, and the timing windows for parries are very small. Additionally, I do have a gripe that the sound for the Hidden Blade sounds a little off. Hopefully these issues can be ironed out post-launch. It is still super funny and strangely satisfying to kick enemies off of high places. Edward Overall, we’re really impressed with the new design of Edward Kenway. To us, it seems to be somewhat of a mix between Matt Ryan and the original CGI trailer for Black Flag. Although many of the characters, including Edward, lose the grunge and moody aesthetic of the original game, they shine bright in the remake as the new facial models are incredibly lifelike and realistic, especially in cutscenes. Matt Ryan returns as the charismatic Pirate Assassin, blending a mix of charisma, sarcasm, and Welsh fury. The invigorating performance of the original is expanded through the inclusion of new dialogue, missions and motion capture, delivering a more complete experience which focuses more on Edward’s personal journey. Although we remain happy with the creative decisions, when the remake rumours first started floating, we wondered if Ubisoft would recruit Charlie Hunnam for Motion Capture, whilst keeping Matt for the voice. This could have been followed through with an appearance in the upcoming Netflix TV show, but we now know that the show will be set in Ancient Rome. That being said, Matt Ryan is Edward Kenway, and this game solidifies that fact further. One of the narrative areas the writers wanted to explore further is Edward’s relationship with his wife, Caroline. These calming scenes back home show another side to Edward, and give his struggles in the Caribbean motivation and purpose. Other positives we noticed: All the outfits from the original game are featured, with added flair and colour Adjustment to Edward’s outfit, making it more vibrant blue, with two gun holsters, more red on the sash, and a darker leather. The updated version looks great. Unlocking the rope dart earlier gives Edward another tool in his arsenal. Auto follow in mission, doesn't require a key tap. Trinkets and perks are another big win, and being able to equip two trinkets is a bonus. We’re thrilled to see that Ubisoft has taken their time to take Edward’s character and make it even more likeable through additional content. We’re sure players will have new favourite lines thanks to Matt and the writers at Ubisoft. TMAC: I'm glad Matt Ryan returned to the role. I bet it was a strange call being asked to reprise a role after 13 years but not as a sequel. The game is full of old and new scenes, and unless you know, you can't tell the difference with the audio consistently. Shout out to the audio for this. The Jackdaw The iconic Jackdaw returns, but it functions completely differently thanks to the removal of loading screens. You can now sail directly up to major ports like Havana or Nassau, drop anchor, and seamlessly jump off the ship into the city without a single cut. Sailing across the massive and beautiful Caribbean is now significantly smoother thanks to two brilliant new mechanics: Pathfinder and Follow Sea. With Pathfinder, you can plot a proper route to your destination by placing a marker, which displays a white navigation path in front of your ship. With the Follow Sea feature, you can enable autopilot for the Jackdaw, allowing it to automatically sail to your selected destination. While sailing, you can listen to all 35 of the original sea shanties, along with 10 brand-new songs added especially for this remake. The new shanty wheel makes it quick and easy to select a song. You can also recruit three new officers, each with unique perks. Lucy Baldwin unlocks the Perfect Brace mechanic, drastically reducing damage when you time your brace perfectly against incoming enemy ship attacks. The Padre unlocks an aggressive ramming mechanic and serves as a powerful ally during ship boardings. Tobias "Deadman" Smith is a master gunner who significantly enhances your offensive firepower with mortars. You can also have a new animal companion aboard the Jackdaw. Choose between a cat or a monkey, both of which are unlocked by completing their respective missions. The inclusion of ship animal companions feels like the opportunity for microtransactions to rear their ugly head from the depths once more. Players have the opportunity to select between a cat or a monkey (for now). We can only hope that this feature doesn't become overly-monetized through the Animus Store, with the addition of additional pets, or worse, costumes, as was the case in the AC Shadows Dojo. Other things the team liked: Lanterns glow on the ship when it's dark, particularly noticeable at full sail, a nice touch. New sea shanties. Cloth sails look more realistic. Rogue waves and wind can blow the Jackdaw off course. New weapons and upgrades Worth mentioning: It’s important to upgrade to compete with other vessels. Attacking forts: enemy ships will enter the fray and protect, making it even harder. Overall ship combat is quite challenging, but it may act as a barrier to new players who may need to adjust the difficulty sliders. Naval combat is likely to attract new players to the franchise, and we can’t wait to see the many variations of The Jackdaw causing chaos on the high seas. TMAC: One of the new additions here is secondary firing from your officers, and they are a game changer. I did find that ship is easier and less of a grind to fully upgrade than the OG. However, she still turns slowly, and with the many uncharted islands and rocks, you can often hit them in the midst of battle. A minor gripe is when docking or boarding a ship, the time to do that task is a little too slow. Narrative Black Flag has a story which sticks with fans. At first, the Pirate Life may seem romantic and fun, but Black Flag holds a darker message. Appreciate what you have before it's gone, and the inability to be satisfied with what you have in life can lead to you losing what you once had entirely. How much gold is enough? Edward's thirst for self-improvement can never be quenched. Black Flag proves that actions have consequences, even if you attempt to look the other way. Although Edward sets out with pure intentions, earning his fortune to improve life for him and his wife back home, along the way he gets lost, and it’s in that journey that we find our adventure. Fans of the original will rediscover a tale of heartache, and open up an old wound in the process, whilst new players will have their eyes opened by a pirate adventure not written by Disney, featuring the brutality of history mixed with the Assassin’s Creed lore. Secret forces manipulating events from the shadows, First Civilisation technology and reincarnation, Black Flag is a story like no other. Side character narratives are woven in, making up the bulk of the six additional hours of added content. The new missions with Ship captains slot well into the game, and Matt resumes his voice well. We did however notice a dip in quality throughout the added cutscenes, which can be found in new motion capture scenes which don’t feel as dynamic as those featured in the original. An example of this is prop use, something which the original game excelled at featuring. We also noticed the at times wooden dialogue, which sometimes leaves unnecessary awkward pauses, or lines which just don’t fit Edward’s brash and driven nature at that moment in time. Finally, something which keeps returning are the same recycled static animations, which are in serious need of an upgrade. Idle stance animations when making conversation in cutscenes feel VERY familiar, as in copy and pasted across. We hope to see brand new animations for Assassin’s Creed Hexe, even if that means having to wait a little bit longer. The focus on side characters like Stede, Blackbeard and Anne means that the game doesn't do enough to showcase Edward's transition from a Pirate to a Master Assassin / Mentor, which was a huge criticism for many of the main game. It simply refuses to tap into the well of untapped potential. In the expanded media, Edward travels to The Middle East, Singapore, and returns to London as a Master Assassin. Maybe Ubisoft are saving all that for DLC? The original narrative of Black Flag once again shines, as the masterful storytelling is a classic old fans look back fondly on. It’s a powerful journey depicting what it means to lose sight of your original goals. Edward and his friends dream of Nassau becoming a place where all may live free, but that dream dismantles when history has other ideas. We can’t wait to see the reactions of those playing Black Flag for the first time! First round of therapy on us. TMAC: I've always stood by that Black Flag has the best narrative of the series and that remains true here. The subtle additions help solidified some of the gaps the original left. But its also a missed opportunity to explore what happened afterward as there is another decade of Edward's life to explore. Modern Day The original Assassin's Creed Black Flag modern day gameplay has been completely removed and replaced by the Animus Hub and Rifts. The modern day story in Black Flag Resynced continues from Assassin's Creed Shadows through various data files that can be collected throughout the map, as well as from the Animus Hub project by completing Anomaly missions. There are a total of 4 Rifts in the game, which unlock one by one as you progress through the story. Whenever a Rift becomes available, you'll receive a notification. To access it, you must find the specific island, which is easy to spot thanks to the glowing light in the sky and the Isu blocks scattered around the area. Simply pass through each gate to begin the mission. These Rift missions are similar to those in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but this time they are much more refined and genuinely fun to play. Each of the four Rifts is based on a different character in the game, and completing each one rewards you with unique unlocks The lack of Modern Day will be a sticking point for many, who have endured years of it being stripped back or sidelined. For several members of our team, the fact that the original Modern Day was cut is the biggest negative of the game. It had so much lore, cameos and universe implications. It's not the same without it. Assassin’s Creed has always come with the baggage weight of modern day for new players, especially in the earlier games as an overarching narrative connected them all up until AC3. For Ubisoft though, seeking to make the games more standalone so casual players can buy based upon historical settings they like, it’s a logical move to reduce modern day or remove it entirely, even though we don’t support that mindset. We will always act as strong advocates for Modern Day preservation here at The Ones Who Came Before. In Juno we trust. TMAC: The modern day concept of an ancestor or subject experiencing someone's genetic memories has always been one of the biggest draws of the IP and the core power fantasy. Removing that very element not only hurts the brand but the games. I hope that if anyone future remakes are produced that they retain the modern day. ‘[our] story is one of thousands and the world will not weep if it ends too soon’ Cut Content (AC IV Black Flag: 2013) Parkour Parkour in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has been significantly improved over the original game. All the important parkour mechanics, such as manual jumps, side ejects, and back ejects, are available from day one, thanks to the Ubisoft Quebec team for their amazing work on parkour in AC Shadows. It truly feels much more fluid when you parkour through the city areas. The more fleshed out and updated parkour system doesn’t feel so clunky and cumbersome as in previous games. Many locations across the map have been redesigned to support the new parkour mechanics and modern gameplay physics. Tree parkour is also back, and you now have different routes to reach specific points. Many chests are located in elevated or hidden areas, requiring you to climb and parkour through trees to unlock them. You receive a short speed boost after mantling, and you can roll upon hitting the ground to maintain a full sprint. The enhanced, highly manual Advanced Parkour can be toggled off if you prefer the more automated traversal of the original game. Edward can also utilize newly added ziplines for quick, long-distance travel between high and low ground. This also introduces the possibility of zipline assassinations, something which we haven't seen since AC Revelations! This is a seriously great addition to the game as it's another dynamic way for Edward to move around the map. Song sheets return to encourage parkour, which take Edward on short routes involving trees, rooftops and lifts, in timed run and grab opportunities which make a return. It's also great to see the pulley system lifts back to make access to rooftops quicker. Other things we noticed: Enemies on rooftops can cause the player to adapt their parkour route. Not everything is climbable. For a more detailed breakdown of parkour, we'll wait for the professionals Ropotopolus and Leo K to give their thoughts 💬 TMAC: I had some trouble with Parkour inconsistencies that seem to be due to the advanced parkour setting, so I suggest turning that off until the issues are ironed out Stealth The stealth system in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced has been completely rebuilt from the ground up using the modern Anvil Engine, including many features first introduced in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Edward can now crouch anywhere at the press of a button, and it’s a game changer. Gone are the days of running towards bushes or tall grass to avoid detection from enemies. Crouching drastically reduces his visibility profile and slows down how quickly the detection meter fills. The Visibility Meter now continuously tracks how exposed you are based on lighting and your surroundings. This detection system from AC Shadows, often referred to as the ‘eye’ can also be dependent on time of day and the weather. Running out in the open or making sudden movements instantly increases enemy awareness. Many consider Assassin’s Creed Shadows to have the best stealth in the series, so it’s refreshing to see many of the ideas and systems move across to Resynced. Enemies reacting to the sounds of footsteps or swords is also great, and we feel that most will find that Resynced has a better detection system than in the original. Classic stalking zones, such as tall grass, return and Edward can now seamlessly press against walls, low crates, and structural corners to break the enemy's line of sight. Social Stealth and Crowd Blending are also back. Tedious tailing missions and eavesdropping opportunities, leading to immediate desynchronization have been adapted for a more forgiving experience. Edward can be detected, and can still complete the mission through notes found on enemy bodies containing information revealing the next location and continuing the mission. This removes the constant stop/starting if things go wrong. Tailing missions have been significantly improved. They are no longer instant failures if you're briefly spotted. Instead, you can eliminate the target, loot a letter. In the original game, tailing missions were widely considered one of the most frustrating features by fans. Resynced streamlines these missions and saves a lot of time. Eagle Vision returns alongside the new Observe mechanic from Shadows, allowing you to see through walls and solid objects to highlight and tag enemy guards. While using Observe, the color indicators are: 🔴 Red: Enemies ⚪ White: Large chests and secrets 🟡 Yellow: Small chests and resource crates 🟢 Green: Objectives The Rope Dart is now unlocked as early as Sequence 3, offering new ways to distract enemies and perform long-range stealth takedowns by hanging them from trees. Sleep Darts and Berserk Darts are very effective for stealth gameplay in Black Flag Resynced. You can also lure enemies by whistling while hidden in cover. Other things we noticed: Social stealth, blend, bench return Manual hood will be a crowd pleaser. Didn't move across from AC Shadows: light manipulation (blowing out candles), prone, underwater breathing using reeds. Hidden Blade kills are particularly brutal due to the speed and sound effects. Smoke bombs remain overpowered for multiple hidden blade assassinations. Double assassinations are back. Overall, we're pleased with the stealth in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced; when done properly, it can be an incredibly satisfying experience. We can't wait to see the stealth run videos! New Content Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced includes over 6 hours of new content, featuring 9 new Officer Missions, 8 new side quests starring Robert Maynard, a new Blackbeard side quest in which you discover a map hidden inside Blackbeard's hat that reveals the location of his treasure, a new side quest for Stede Bonnet, and 4 new Animus Rift missions (which we already discussed in the Modern Day section). In addition to the above additions. The main story mission design has been changed. New scenes have been added, ambient dialog, and some of the memories have new lines of dialogue. Look out for the full list by community member TMAC. Lucy Baldwin and The Padre Officer Missions become available once you reach Great Inagua, while the Tobias "Deadman" Smith mission unlocks later in the story. Out of all the new content, the Robert Maynard quest, "A World Without Gold," is easily the standout. This is a new endgame 8 mission arc involving the famous pirate hunter and one final part of Edward's West Indies adventure. TMAC: I felt that since it was such a late game arc, Edward had an inconsistent characterization at that stage, or it may have been the writing. However, I did appreciate the full performance captured cutscenes, something we need to see in the series again. I also really enjoyed how it highlights Edward's relationships with Anne Bonney, Lucy, Padre, and Tobias, and how they all trust each other and acknowledge their faults. Additionally, the hideout at Great Inagua has a lot more life to it. With portraits, a gear room, and an art room, akin to the villa in AC2, and a butler. Conclusion Although Black Flag Resynced takes great strides to cement itself as the ultimate pirate game, it does little to enhance the Assassin experience, missing huge opportunities to do so by exploring established canon Edward Kenway transmedia material , instead opting to focus on his friendship circle. It does, however remain truthful to the original, and expands on the original more than any other remake we've seen and deserves the price tag. Oblivion Remastered, for example, was £49.99 and that was a simple graphic overall. Resynced is way more than that, weaving it new narratives which expand the game, adding new opportunities and characters which make it both memorable and an overall enjoyable experience. After a long time in the making, Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced could be a hugely successful release for Ubisoft and may even mark the beginning of Ubisoft's redemption arc. Pros A faithful remake and great game for new and old players. Motion Capture returns Some original cast and developers return to the project Additional shanties Graphics & World Photo Mode No Loading Screens Faster movement and parkour Amazing graphics All Parkour mechanics from day 1 Dedicated Crouch button Improved stealth system Photo mode Seamless sailing without loading screen UI sound is the same Level design changes Forced Day Night Cycle Jackdaw heals health chunks outside of combat if not depleted More animation variety Kenway Fleet redesigned Edward's New Design Cons Only 6 hours of extra content added Shies away from exploring transmedia content which elevates Edward's status to Master Assassin Some Outfits in the Animus Hub Reduced chain kills No optional objectives Jarring noticeable transition between areas where you have a modern day break in the OG game and end of Sequences Enemy health bars Gear system with damage output. No regen for health; Valhalla rations systems return. No replayable memories No mini map. Helix Store is expensive. Inability to go below deck on The Jackdaw No Hidden Blade Combat Unarmed combat limited to tavern Lack of motion capture in side quests No playable modern-day storyline Shadows control scheme and UI Retroactive Animus Hub interpretation Our score 9/10 Photo Mode (Frame Hold Photography) It’s very exciting to revisit the world of Black Flag with modern graphics, renewed mechanics, and the ability to capture the beauty of it all in Photo Mode! Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced’s Photo Mode is extremely similar to the Photo Mode Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched with. Resynced’s Photo Mode is a hodgepodge of Shadow’s original, clunky Photo Mode, and the refined Photo Mode from Assassin’s Creed Shadows Title Update 1.0.5. The speed at which you can change your photo’s settings is much faster compared to the extremely slow tool Shadows launched with. The Filters Tab features FX Effects that change the entire look of your game, and it seems like the ‘Red’ filter from Shadows is still present, but not working properly in the build I played during early access. Surprisingly, the one feature that carried over from Shadows 1.0.5 Photo Mode update is the ability to change the color of the stickers you apply to your captures. Sadly, there are only 3 stickers to choose from, whereas Shadows has many more. Luckily, you can fully hide the UI and move the camera around, which is a feature Shadows did not launch with. Perhaps the most disappointing part of Resynced’s Photo Mode is the lack of a ‘Characters’ or ‘World’ tab. Since Edward has the ability to sit and change the time of day, I was really hoping we could change the time of day in Photo Mode. Sadly, that is not the case. The lack of a ‘Characters’ tab also means that we cannot toggle Edward’s headgear from Photo Mode, nor are there set poses to choose from like Naoe and Yasuke had. Overall, I feel like Resynced’s Photo Mode is a stripped-down version of Shadows’ Photo Mode, and is lacking some really nice quality-of-life improvements that Shadows already has in the same game engine. I hope that in a future title update, Resynced gets an updated Photo Mode, since there are really promising elements here. Additional Team Thoughts: To improve in future updates - Would like to be able to hide weapons on Edward, akin to how it is with the bow in Valhalla. - Without a bird companion, increased range for the Photo mode is essential for capturing the Jackdaw at sea. - Being able to dive anywhere is great but we feel that something is missing when you dive too deep. When I did it, the screen just slowly goes black but I feel like it needs something like maybe a shark or kraken attacks in an animation to desync. However if you have played the original Black Flag a lot then we would be remiss if we didn't mention that the remake does take liberties and cuts stuff that was in the original game such as the Modern Day missions; sage storyline, hidden blade and unarmed combat, optional objectives, replayable missions, social stealth, the Freedom Cry and Aveline dlcs, the multiplayer mode, the original combat system, the Animus fragments and some of the assassination contracts. Just something to keep in mind, creative choices were made. Alternative opinion(s) TMAC: I questioned the need to remake Black Flag. So when this was announced I was skeptical. I never saw the need to remake it as I felt that 1 only deserved that treatment. The more I played of Resynced helped me in that regard. Did it need a remake? No. But it sure does like and play nice and the additional changes fill in some gaps, but overall you're still better off playing the original at some point. It adds as much content as it cuts from the original. It sure looks better and plays smoother but to me it doesn't justify its existence. While those who played the original extensively will appreciate the new lease on life that Resyched provides, I feel it may not be so for those who are experiencing Edward's journey for the first time. I'd give it 8. Here is the video version of our review! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFqUhg-5ix0 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

Anthony Del Col Interview - Assassin's Creed Transmedia: Past and Present Interview Share 15 Feb 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Our community admin Colum Blackett had the opportunity to interview Anthony Del Col, a writer and producer who has worked on Assassin's Creed (Titan Comics), Origins (Mini series) and the upcoming Assassin's Creed: Gold audio drama. He has brought to life characters in the worlds of comics, television, film, audio and stage, and is the co-creator and co-writer of the acclaimed IDW Publishing comic series KILL SHAKESPEARE. We would like to thank Audible for making this interview possible. Col: Hi Anthony, thank you for joining us today! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself, and your work on the Assassin's Creed franchise. Anthony I’m a best-selling writer of comics, podcasts, theater and television and have worked on both original stories (like Audible’s Unheard: The Story of Anna Winslow and the graphic novel Son of Hitler) as well as licensed properties (like the upcoming comic series The Death of Nancy Drew and the graphic novel Luke Cage: Everyman). In the AC Universe, I was the co-writer of the Assassin’s Creed series (published by Titan Comics) that ran from 2015 – 2017 and introduced the character of Charlotte de la Cruz. It was a LOT of fun and I’m proud of the stories we created (diving back in the worlds of the Salem Witch Trials, the final days of the Inca Empire and Renaissance Italy). I then followed that up with a solo writing arc of the Assassin’s Creed: Origins comic series, illustrating what happened to Aya after the game. And this month finds the release of my latest AC adventure, Assassin’s Creed: Gold, an original eight-episode audio drama to be released by Audible, starring Emmy-winner Riz Ahmed. Col: How does an Assassin's Creed transmedia project generally take shape? Is there one core team or several working on different aspects of the project? Anthony: The team that I’ve worked with have been the people at Ubisoft Montreal, headed the smart and innovative Aymar Azaiza. They started out working with just the AC brand, overseeing publishing and other ventures, and now they oversee other video game franchises (Far Cry, etc.). They’re a great group of people there doing an incredible job shaping those universes. Col: One project that you worked on which really stood out was the Assassin's Creed comic book series by Titan Comics. How did you first hear about the project, and what was your reaction? Anthony: Myself and co-writer Conor McCreery were approached by Titan Comics. The editor at the time, Lizzie Kaye, was a fan of what we had done with our IDW comic series Kill Shakespeare and invited us to pitch for “video game franchise we’ve just secured the rights to”. We had to sign an NDA before they would tell us what the brand was, and as I was signing with one hand, with the other I was crossing my fingers hoping it would be Assassin’s Creed, one of my favorite video games of all-time. So, naturally, when they told us what the brand was, I was excited. Col: Do you have a favourite character from the comic book series? Well, the natural response would be Charlotte de la Cruz, the first-ever modern-day female lead in the franchise history. We had a blast creating the character. But I’d also like to give a shout-out to Tom Stoddard, the gruff, Wolverine-style Charlotte de la Cruz and Tom Stoddard from the Assassin's Creed comic book series by Titan Comics Col: Charlotte De la Cruz was a hugely popular character from the series. Did you ever see any of the fan art / cosplay projects created by the community? If so, do you have a favourite? Anthony: One of the greatest things I’ve experienced is when people create fan art or dress up in cosplay of characters I’ve created or co-created. I’ve been lucky that it’s happened with various characters, from Kill Shakespeare and now to Assassin’s Creed. I can’t say I have a favorite piece of fan art of Charlotte but I will say I was so incredibly excited when Ubisoft produced her hoodie and I was able to snag one for my wife. It looked so cool on her! Col: Each issue of Assassin's Creed had a variety of covers by different artists, all with their own interpretation of the characters. What was it like to work with talented artists such as Neil Edwards on the project? Anthony: Titan Comics did a great job putting together an incredible stable of artists to work on the series in all respects, from covers to interior art and more. In terms of Neil, he’s a prop and did some great work on the original series. His layouts are always tight and he really brought the Salem and Ancient Peru time periods to life. And on covers, we were able to some of my favorite artists to be involved, people to Sanya Anwar, Stephanie Hans and Stephen Mooney. I’m still pinching myself that we got them to create looks for the characters! Col: Looking back on the series, is there anything you would change, and what are you most proud of? Anthony: In terms of what I’m proudest of, I think it’s that we (myself, Conor, Neil, etc.) created a character in Charlotte that we were then able to pass on to the next team of creators. I’ve been able to tell four very distinct stories (the three with Charlotte and the one with Aya) that have interesting beginning, middle and ends, and yet play a role in the larger picture of things. In terms of things I’d change… I really wanted to tell a story of Charlotte and her grandmother in Argentina in the 1970s Dirty War there. It’s an era of history that not enough people know about, and I had come up with a way to tell a completely new and original Assassin’s Creed story. It’s too bad our run ended after three volumes and the fourth would have explored it! Col: Is it difficult for transmedia products set in an established video game universe to expand upon the story without breaking the canon lore of a series? How do you keep track of all that has come before? Anthony: We were very fortunate in that the team at Ubisoft (at that time Aymar as well as Anouk Bachman and Susan Patrick) would always let me know what fit and what wouldn’t fit into the larger AC universe. Many people think that it’s harder when you need to fit within an established continuity but I actually find it freeing. I like to approach all stories from a weird, mathematical perspective and if I know the constraints I can figure out how to work within them. Like a puzzle. Col: Another transmedia project that you worked on was the Assassin's Creed Origins comic-book mini-series. Had you completed the game before working on the spin-off series, and how do you think Aya/ Amunet differs from the game? Anthony: I was about halfway through the game when Ubisoft and Titan came calling to work on the comic series. They were obviously fans of the earlier series but had also read some of the solo stuff I created and needed someone to come in and write quickly. I jumped at the opportunity to do so and it was a blast working on it! Col: The series acts as a mini sequel for Aya after she leaves Egypt, and uses flashbacks to expand upon the events of Origins. How did you go about weaving Aya into historical events? Anthony: Well, the game already shows her involvement in the assassination of Julius Caesar, but they wanted to me to dive deeper into it and show how she became involved. And like many of these stories, what you think you see is only partially it. As a fan of Shakespeare I was pretty knowledgeable about Caesar’s death but this allowed me to play with a few “What if” questions and look at the story from all angles. Assassin's Creed: Gold (Spoiler-free) Assassin’s Creed: Gold is a stand-alone tale from the Assassin's Creed universe in which we meet Aliyah Kahn, a card shark and hustler who’s been dealt a rough hand in life. Surviving through her smarts and street scams, Aliyah struggles to get by until she loses big time to a mysterious older man, Gavin Banks. Her only option to repay Banks is to become an Assassin. During her training, Banks tells Aliyah of the centuries-old battle between the Assassins and Templars, imploring her to help him decode a secret message inscribed on an illegal form of currency during the Great Recoinage of 1696. Col: This month sees the release of Assassin's Creed: Gold, a stand-alone audio drama set in the Assassin's Creed Universe. How excited are you for the release? Anthony: On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say I’m about a 9 (which means very excited). The only reason I’m not putting it at 10 is that I’m always my own worst critic and every time I listen to something I’ve written I cringe and think of all the ways I could have improved the dialogue, story points, etc. Having said that, Audible was able to wrangle together an amazing cast, and they did a great job bringing this story to life. I mean, Riz Ahmed is one of my favorite actors today, and to have him play one of the lead roles (the blind Assassin Omar Khaled)? I couldn’t have asked for a better team! Col: Riz Ahmed (Star Wars Rogue One/ Four Lions) and Anthony Head (Buffy, Doctor Who), who are new to the Assassin's Creed series. Were they at a familiar with Assassin's Creed prior to this project? Anthony: I know that Riz was a fan of the series, especially it’s historical fiction elements. And Anthony, who plays Isaac Newton, is a huge fan of historical tales and relished the opportunity to bring this historical figure to life. Col: Also listed on the cast list is Danny Wallace, a veteran of the series who has played Shaun Hastings in numerous games. What was it like to bring back such a popular character, and has he changed at all since Syndicate? Anthony: This was the other character suggested not only by Ubisoft but also Audible (the heads of the UK team there, Rebecca Fenton and Steve Carsey had worked with him on another project). Rebecca and I were in Montreal working with Ubisoft and when Shaun’s name came up, I immediately realized how I could fit him into this story. I got excited about the opportunity to bring back one of the fan favorites. Col: Gavin Banks (former leader of the Assassin Brotherhood) was first introduced on the Assassin's Creed Initiates platform, and has been mentioned in several of the games and books since. This is his first spoken role, so how did the team go about bringing such an important character to life? Anthony: It was actually the team at Ubisoft that had recommended inserting him into the story. I think in my original concept I had created a new “mentor” character for this tale and the team there suggested Gavin. I was obviously familiar with him and his place in the AC universe and I immediately said “yes!” to the idea. Because we’ve never heard him before, it was a lot of fun creating his character. He obviously is very charming but also very strategic. It’s always a fine balance to write for a character that’s leading the team but also intentionally not telling them everything (to protect them). Col: Did the team do a lot of historical research to create an authentic experience? Anthony: I’m not sure about the team but I know I did! I read a LOT of books on Isaac Newton, what London was like at the time, the Great Recoinage of 1696 and more. I also read up on the modern-day rise of cryptocurrency, as it plays a small role in the modern-day storyline. What I found most interesting was this period of time in which Isaac Newton, who is traditionally thought of as a scientist and thinker became a bad-ass Dirty Harry-type character, trying to rid England of counterfeiters. It’s a period of history that most people don’t know of and I’m sure listeners will find it all fascinating Col: The cover for the audio drama was released in November of 2019, and contains binary code behind the image. Are there any secrets to be discovered? Anthony: Secrets? I don’t know what you’re talking about… Col: Where did the name Assassin's Creed Gold come from, and what is the significance? Anthony: This series is about the importance of currency and the banking system. That sounds dry, I know, but both 1696 and today there are people trying to re-define what currency is (counterfeiting of silver coins back in 1696, and crypto-currencies today). Both eras have found their financial systems in strife and whenever that happens, criminals come out to play. In 1696, that’s a major counterfeiter by the name of William Chaloner (the Moriarty to Newton’s Sherlock) and today with criminals on the dark net. So when it came to titling this series, I figured that I’d lean in to what most people view as an ideal and valuable resource: gold. Col: Where and when can we listen to Assassin's Creed: Gold? Anthony: Assassin’s Creed: Gold will be available February 27th on Audible worldwide. If you’re a fan of AC, you’ll love this new take on the universe. And if you’ve never played a game or don’t know much about the AC world, you’ll enjoy this time-jumping story about Isaac Newton and his blind assistant tracking down a maniacal counterfeiter and a modern-day story about a woman trying to stop a large criminal organization from doing some shady stuff on the dark net. 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)

Jaime is a Twitch Streamer / Artist who was selected to be a member of The Mentor's Guild in 2021, an Assassin's Creed community program hosted by Ubisoft. Jaime left our partnership program to focus on her studies, so we wish her the best of luck with all her future projects, Previous Next Video Content Jaime (aSassysCreed) Previous Partner Jaime is a Twitch Streamer / Artist who was selected to be a member of The Mentor's Guild in 2021, an Assassin's Creed community program hosted by Ubisoft. Jaime left our partnership program to focus on her studies, so we wish her the best of luck with all her future projects, Twitter | Twitch Work

Q&A with with Thibaud de la Touanne (Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice) Interview Share 10 Aug 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood of Venice is a tabletop board game with miniatures aiming to capture the essence of Assassin's Creed® and turn it into a fun, fully cooperative game for 1 to 4 players. It is played in a campaign spanning several months in 1509 in which you play a small team of Assassins in charge of developing the Headquarters of the Brotherhood of Assassins in Venice, after Ezio Auditore has defeated Cesare Borgia and his allies, between the events of Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed®: Revelations. Players will use their Assassin's skills, equipment and their own sense of tactics to complete various objectives while evading detection from the Guards. The campaign will pit you against Templars, let you explore unknown events of the Brotherhood in Venice, and determine the fate of the Brotherhood in the famous City of Masks. Our Community Admin Col_96 sat down with Thibaud de la Touanne, Founder of Triton Noir, the Montreal based studio behind Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice. Col: Welcome Thibaud, thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. How are you? Thibaud: Working on the game’s development, so very good, thank you! Col: Fantastic. I understand you’ve been very busy recently. How would you describe the project, and how did it all start? Thibaud: Our first tabletop game V-Commandos was inspired by the fun gameplay of some famous stealth-based video games such as Metal Gear Solid, the Commandos series, and obviously Assassin’s Creed. As we thought about our next game, it struck us that the gameplay of V-Commandos could be a good inspiration for an Assassin’s Creed game. What’s more, our Story Designer Fabrice Lamidey was Creative Director of Assassin’s Creed Initiates. His knowledge was crucial to start developing the board game because he gave us a great insight on both the passion and diversity of the fans as well as on the way the universe and franchise work. Actually, a big part of the whole team has been into those video games for quite a long time, which makes it very easy and natural for us to develop an Assassin’s Creed board game. Having kept great relations with Ubisoft, it felt natural to talk to them about the idea of making Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood of Venice. Col: This is one of the first ever crowd funded Assassin’s Creed projects. How does it feel to know that it has been a huge success, and to see that over 7100 people have backed the project? Thibaud: We are very proud of such a success. With a license deal signed with Ubisoft Montreal, Triton Noir has been developing Assassin’s Creed®: Brotherhood of Venice for months. The first public demos and the campaign indeed received a warm welcome from both the press and the players. Like we said already, behind the new game, there is a whole team of veterans from the board and video game industries. To ensure a top-quality Assassin’s Creed tabletop game, we made the call to go on Kickstarter. Having financed the first development steps, we needed the support from the backers to make sure the project was to be fulfilled with all the cool stuff we wanted to implement – fans of the famous Assassin’s Creed® franchise, but also players who were convinced by our first game V-Commandos, and those who are into cooperative and/or infiltration games in general. Anyway, with thousands of people backing the projects on Kickstarter, we are the happiest board game developers! Thank you all for making it possible! Col: How has the development process changed since the financial backing? Has the project become more ambitious at all? Thibaud: We had very high expectations in terms of quality and quantity. We wanted to create a collector game. The campaign just allowed to do it as we planned. Well, that said, we could not resist adding some new features or improve some assets for the game… We also decided to rework some of the assets shown during the campaign, such as the tiles which were entirely redesigned, or Dariâ’s miniature. Col: How much freedom do the team in Montreal have over the creative direction of the project, and are Ubisoft overseeing its development? Thibaud: Ubisoft is working closely with us on every aspect of the game. We are checking every single asset, character, miniature use in the game, getting sure that everything is up to the Assassin’s Creed® standards. That said, the trust between our team and Ubisoft allows us to be creative too, which is, to us, very rare in a license deal. It’s a blast to work with those guys that have been friends for years, and former colleague as well! Col: Are there anyone individuals at Ubisoft who have really helped to make this project a reality? Thibaud: Yes, let’s give a warm thank you to Transmedia & Business Development Director at Ubisoft, Aymar Azaïzia! Col: The game has been available to play at several events. Have you had any feedback from fans, and has anything been changed/adapted at all? Thibaud: We definitely run tons of playtests during conventions since the game was ready to test, about 2 years ago. Quality Assurance playtests have been part of the video games development, and we work the same way. We get lots of positive feedback and the fans of the licence tell us that they find the spirit of the Assassin’s Creed® video games. This is great for us, but what we are looking for most of all are all the feedback allowing us to improve the game by any way (cards, icons, rules, etc.). Col: Does the game add new characters to the franchise, and if so, can we consider them canon in the AC Universe? Thibaud: Yes! The narrative set in the past, is canon with what happened during the Italian Renaissance and deals with the Brotherhood established by Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The narrative set in the present will also be canon and we are working on it now! Col As the miniatures all come unpainted, are the team encouraging players to paint them? If so, will guides become available on how to do this successfully? Thibaud: Definitely! Check out the awesome work of Angel Giraldez on Facebook and YouTube. He had our minis painted and the results are amazing! Col: You can see the intricate detailing of each miniature, and it’s clear that lots of time and effort has gone into making this project a reality. What’s the next stage of the project, and how are the team preparing for launch? Thibaud: All the minis sculpt are done now; it was a huge amount of work that required up to 7 artists. What they did exceeded our expectations! We are currently working the illustrations and tiles, designing the remaining Memories (missions) and cards, the Assassins hideouts, the rules and balancing these Memories difficulty. Launch is planned for June 2020, so we still have time to think about it :). You can now pre-order Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice! Links: Brotherhood of Venice: Facebook Page Twitter Triton Noir website Pre-order Kick Starter Giveaway Finally, to conclude our 5 year anniversary celebrations, we are giving you the chance to win an exclusive Follower of Romulus miniature figure from the Brotherhood of Venice tabletop board game! Ends 30/8/19 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: 16th to 27th September Community Share 17 Oct 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 alongside @ Cll3ar a long-time friend of TOWCB. Raven has been delighting us with her beautiful and unique virtual photography from the RPG games. Her dark and gritty Valhalla shots are some of the best I have seen, while she also charms us with the softer tones of Odyssey. Raven was the very first guest judge for these articles, so it is a pleasure to have her return. 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: Peaceful Blossom Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ playpausephoto The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ Cll3ar Raven When it comes to capturing what I consider peaceful, it’s mostly places in nature, ambient spots or details with soft colours. Each of the participants did an amazing job of showcasing these. However, as only one can be the winner, I definitely see it in Malin’s capture. It is lovely, soft and shows peaceful details from nature. Aaron In some ways it is the perfect theme for the minimal queen. When Malin won the code for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, I knew we would be in for some different and distinctive captures. This theme really breaks away from the standard Assassin’s Creed shot and delves deeper into the finer details. Malin’s beautiful photo mixes vibrant flowers against some soft calming negative space. I just can’t get enough of the colours in this shot. What I love about it though is the fact you could not tell which game this is from. A worthy winner for the peaceful theme. Warm Glow Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ WonDerNooB_VP RS is a fantastic virtual photographer who consistently supports our themes. This time we had a really hard time picking which shot to feature. For all the action and bravado of the Assassin’s Creed games there are always softer, more peaceful moments to find. I think RS has found one of these here with this capture. There is a real relaxing vibe with the stunning view and the warm glow of the fire. I really like how this photo makes it feel like we are playing in the first-person perspective. Looking at this reminds me of some of the promotional shots for the VR game. Excellent work as always RS. Autumnal Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ UVioletra Much the same as Malin, Bianca excels with peaceful photography. Although known for her vibrant Odyssey shots, Bianca actually produces quite a lot of remarkable Valhalla environments. The diverse seasons within Valhalla really do lend themselves to some truly beautiful VP. I am sure this is something we will see a lot more of once Shadows releases. The distinctive colour tones displayed here make this look like a painting. I love the autumnal colours, with the trees looking so good. The house and the people in the fields working really gives that lived in experience. Wonderful photography as usual. Sunset Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ cyrielle_vp Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has such contrasting landscapes that offer sublime photo opportunities. The Sunsets in all the RPG series have been quite something and activating the PM during these moments often ends with a mesmerising capture. This beautiful shot from Cyrielle is the epitome of peaceful. What I love the most is the framing, with the tree branches encompassing the sun as it sets behind the mountains. That reflection on the water is very picturesque adding to the sense of calm. This is the perfect photo to accompany the end to Kassandra’s story. The Forest Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ NovA1990 This capture confused me as I was sure this was the English countryside. Once again showing that Odyssey has some of the most diverse landscapes in a video game. What I like about his photo is the way it reminds me of summer walks in my local area. The varying vegetation on both sides of the path adds variety and that leading line from the walkway is a great addition. You can feel the peace exuding from this capture. I am sure Kassandra enjoyed walking this path after a hard day on the battlefield. 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

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 28th May - 3rd June 2022 Community Share 12 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) Caveman Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s first capture comes from @CosmosThief over on Twitter. I am not sure if Alexios has been featured yet in our weekly showcases, however this shot makes a great debut for him. I am a fan of how this capture has been put together, such a small snapshot yet so striking. A fantastic silhouette of the Eagle Bearer brought to life by the light pouring in from above. 2) Eagle Vision Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @ kingforever008 , member of our Assassin's Creed VP Twitter community. For me this is photo of the week in our community. What an incredible capture of Ikaros and Kassandra. The striking thing about this is the positioning. It’s not always easy to line these sort of shots up. The subtle colour added to the eyes really make this capture something special. I think Bayek and Eivor should be next to complete the set. 3) Birdman Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s third shot comes from @ IshaanMishra05 over on Twitter. There had to be an Assassin’s Creed Origins capture in this week after the release of the 60fps patch. Continuing with the theme of hero and their pets, we see Bayek and Senu watching over the land. I love the colours in this picture, they really make the silhouette of Bayek stand out. The white pouring in also makes it feel like there is a sandstorm blowing in. 4) Landscape Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @ jules_vp_ over on Twitter. The fourth capture of the week actually comes from an amazing set of environmental shots. This picture really shows off how stunning the landscape is in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The positioning of this capture is beautiful. Your eyes are just drawn down to the rocks and the amazing reflections in the water. I have been blown away by the details and the design of England in Valhalla. I think it was a nice change of pace after two very sun-drenched entries. 5) Night in Venice Game: Assassin’s Creed II The final capture of the week comes from @ Sirnotbanndwulf , member of our AC VP Twitter Community. For our final shot of the week we return to Italy and roll back the years to Assassin’s Creed two. I love this capture it is full of nostalgia for me. I would adore to play this game again with improved graphics and Unity movements. This is a fantastic capture showcasing the rooftops of Venice, I am mostly liking the light coming from the moon. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

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

Assassin's Creed Mirage Concepts by FrameHoldPhotography Art Share 9 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Our very own FrameHoldPhotography from the AC Partnership Program's Video Content Creation Team has created x3 concept images for the next title in the series, Assassin's Creed Mirage! The game, which will seemingly transport players back to the Middle East before the events of Valhalla, is hoped to be a turning point for the series, reinventing pillars of the franchise in need of a reboot such as stealth and parkour. The concepts below created by FrameHoldPhotography imagine a game featuring beloved member of the Hidden Ones, Basim Ibn Ishaq in his younger years. The images merge together photomode captures from Valhalla and Origins, and are edited using Photoshop to create some ideas of what AC Mirage might look like! We can't wait to learn more about Assassin's Creed Mirage at Ubisoft Forward! 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)

Rally the Creed Episode 1 TOWCB Highlights Podcasts Share 24 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Michael Doyle Back To Database We here at TOWCB admin team have been overwhelmed by the positive community reaction to the launch of our latest project: Rally the Creed video podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fm3zWTQznA Each episode of Rally the Creed (2023+) will be released in three versions: Video, Audio and Transcript, as to create a more personal experience, and allow for viewers to enjoy the podcast in multiple ways. The second and most important change is host rotation, as we plan on getting different members of TOWCB Team to host each episode. We hope that this new and exciting structure keeps the podcast fresh, and helps it to stand out from other fan projects. The new series will cover a huge range of topics relating to the Assassin's Creed series, and give a voice to community members. For some, the podcast will provide the opportunity to step out of the shadows for the first time, and introduce themselves to the community, whilst for others, it becomes a meeting place for long-time fans of the series to discuss all things Assassin's Creed. In episode #1 , Col and Michael from TOWCB Core Team discuss Assassin's Creed Mirage, the new podcast format and choices in Assassin's Creed. Highlights 1 - Explaining the new formula. We kicked off our new podcast by outlining the changes we have made since it's original launch to make it stand out in the community. We are committed to giving Assassin's Creed community members a platform from which they can share their thoughts and feelings, in order to spark meaningful discussions. Here we see Col from the admin team explaining host rotation and our hopes of creating a social hangout for fans of the franchise. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_5caa468f7fa344b9927222b3a4a9ffe0/720p/mp4/file.mp4 2 - Why Assassin's Creed Mirage needs to be a success Michael and Col discuss the damaging effects of neglecting a marketing campaign, and the importance for Ubisoft to end the silence regarding Assassin's Creed Mirage and provide clarity on the current status of the game. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_a1325881fbb348f9ba0558a39fadf6c8/720p/mp4/file.mp4 3 - Assassin's Creed Infinity should look at adding content to older games. In this snippet, Col discusses the potential of the Assassins' Creed Infinity platform to one day become the home of all things Assassin's Creed, and add content to previously released titles to encourage fans to return and play. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_68fde5bd65e64dc480ffa73ad0b3a78c/720p/mp4/file.mp4 4 - Assassin's Creed Mirage needs to return to the roots of Assassin's Creed Michael outlines the need for Assassin's Creed Mirage to return the series to its roots, in a way that feels authentic and deliberate. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_433579f97eac407e9f042b4863a30553/720p/mp4/file.mp4 5 - Michael pitches the idea of an Assassin's Creed with consequences. Talking about the future of the series, Michael pitches the idea of choices and their impact upon the world. Should Ubisoft focus on pushing the series forward, adding meaningful decisions that have real repercussions on the game could change the series for the better, making players weigh-up options and think before acting in-game. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_e06a5f795cc84cbdb7f3a5341c8db015/720p/mp4/file.mp4 6 - Swear Word Censoring We conclude by showcasing our new swear word censoring, which aims to assassinate all cursing in a very on-brand way, courtesy of our video-editor FrameHoldPhotography! See it in action during this hilarious rampage by Michael listing the many problems he found whilst watching the Halo TV series. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_d4eba87b01b1493c8558e02517ea7000/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Thanks for watching! We had a ton of fun creating the podcast and we are striving to make it as interesting as possible for fans of the franchise. If you have any feedback on how we can improve, or simply want to join us for an episode, get in touch via the comments section below! 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 Black Flag Resynced: First Impressions Review Share 21 May 2026 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database We are thrilled to announce that three members of TOWCB Team have had early access to Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced across two events hosted by Ubisoft, which took place in April 2026. The first was the Paris Preview event, which TOWCB Team Leader Colum Blackett attended, with the second taking place in the UK in Woking, which our very own Aaron Young (VP Team) and James Davis (Video Content Creation Team) attended. The impressions embargo has now lifted, so here are our initial thoughts and feelings about the upcoming title! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRUm8Cr4dGY ''It’s visually stunning and I would say it’s the best looking game Ubisoft have ever made. Being able to dive anywhere at will, is a massive improvement & it’s vibrant, beautiful and alive'' Huge thank you to Ubisoft for the early access opportunities. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced releases July 9th 2026. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Assassin's Creed Cast Reunion set to assemble voice talent from Valhalla and Odyssey News Share 19 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database The team at Podcast141 have announced that an upcoming livestream has assembled a huge collection of Assassin's Creed voice actors who provided performances Assassin's Creed Odyssey & Valhalla. Magnus Bruun (Eivor) @ magnusbruun Michael Antonakos (Alexios) @ michaelantonakos Melissanthi Mahut (Kassandra) @ melissanthimahut Gudmundur Thorvaldsson (Sigurd) @ gthorvaldsson David Menkin (Dag) @ davidmenkin Aron Már Ólafsson (King Harald) @ aronmola Boris Hiestand (Rued/Fenrir) @ borishiestand Craig Burnatowski (Glod) @ craigburnat Mike Kovac (Krauser from RE4 Remake / Expert Host) @ fightmikekovac Marwen Heni (Host) @ marwenheni The show, hosted by Marwen Heni ( VenomSnake141 ), is set to bring together a total of eight actors who contributed performances to Odyssey and Valhalla, including three main characters, Eivor (Havi), Kassandra and Alexios, voiced by Magbus Bruun, Michael Antonakos, Melissanthi Mahut. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_22b76abf5b7348ad8773ea52566996b6/720p/mp4/file.mp4 We can't wait to see the cast re-enact fan favourite scenes, tell behind-the-scenes stories and answer community questions! Check out the stream which airs October 22nd at 12 PM PT / 8 PM BST: VenomSnake141 on Twitch comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

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

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

Ask the VP Episode 15: Interview with TOWCB Virtual Photography Team Leader Aaron Young Interviews Share 5 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database On the 4th November 2023, The PhotoMode invited our very own Aaron Young // FalconVP (Team Leader for TOWCB Virtual Photography Team) for an interview on Twitter Spaces, as part of the 'Ask the VP' series, covering hi s VP Style and process, being a part of The Ones Who Came Before // Isu_Network team, his love for Assassin's Creed and more! Check it out here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcFO6GfXl88 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Assassin's Beans: An AC Fall Guys Crossover Event Breakdown Share 8 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Article contains ads that support TOWCB Fall Guys is a platforming-based, battle-royale game show where players control a customizable “Bean '' character in a variety of obstacle course races, or survival matches against up to 60 other contestants in a Solo, Duo, or Squad mode. This is a fun fast-paced game that can be played in small sittings, or for long marathons as each “show” lasts 5 rounds at a few minutes a piece. For those that can make it to the end, a show can last up to 25 minutes, but the chaos of everyone grouped together, jumping and diving around obstacles, can eliminate a player within seconds of starting. For those that do reach the final match, the end goal is presented in a floating crown that goes to the first player to grab it. Initially a paid title on Playstation 4 and PC, the game was then rereleased for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5 and Xbox Series S/X on June 21, 2022. Now the game has been released as a free-to-play title for the Epic Game Store on PC with a Season Pass allowing players to unlock new customization items for their 'Bean'. With the release of Season 1, Fall Guys began a cross promotional campaign with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise. The first character they released was a Special Costume for Ezio Auditore from the Assassin’s Creed: Ezio Collection, the most recognizable character from the franchise. Within the Season Pass purchasable with 950 Showbucks, the game’s premium currency (1000 Showbucks can be purchased for $7.99 USD), a handful of Assassin’s Creed customization items can be unlocked. When purchased, the Season Pass rewards the player with: Ezio Special Costume (instant unlock) “Enter the Animus” Special Nameplate (Level 3) “House of Auditore” Special Nickname (Level 8) Leap of Faith Celebration (Level 9) (which plays when the player wins a full show). On July 7, 2022 the second collaboration with Assassin’s Creed was released with a Special Costume Pack and Limited Time Event. Eivor’s Big Bundle was made available until July 12, 2022 for 2000 Showbucks ($16 USD) and includes: “Odin the All-Father” Special Costume “Eivor the Wolf-Kissed” Special Costume “Eivor’s Battle Cry” Rare Emote “Vitruvian Guy” Special Nameplate “Animus Training” Special Nickname. The Odin costume is based on the “Twilight Armor” from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök expansion. With his golden eye-patch and Hugr-Rip equipped on his arm, this little Bean will fight his way to Valhalla! This costume can be purchased separately for 1200 Showbucks. Eivor’s Bean costume (shown here with the Battle Cry Emote) draws inspiration from the Raven Clan Armor and shows Eivor with Varin’s Axe and the Raider’s Axe from the game. As leader of Ravensthorpe, Eivor can lead her Squad to victory! This costume can also be purchased separately for 1200 Showbucks. To draw players back into the game, Fall Guys has limited time events that are themed by a special reward or promotional property. Previously in Season 1 was a Limited Event for the Halo video game with the final prize of a cat-eared Spartan Helmet achievable through the multiplayer mode. For the period of July 7 - July 11, The Abstergo Challenge, which is free for everyone, has players completing 10 tasks around the limited ''SWEET THIEVES'' game mode. These tasks range from winning shows in teams based “capture the flag”, to performing actions across matches. As a reward, players will unlock the following items: “Abstergo Trainee” Special Nickname (100 Candies) 200 Kudos Game Currency (300 Candies) “Apple of Eden” Special Nameplate (500 Candies) “Animus Synchronizing Special Pattern (700 Candies) “Apple of Eden” Special Costume Top (1000 Candies) Guardians must defend the candy by capturing the Thieves with the grab action to send them immediately to Prison. They are unable to pick up the candies, but can move certain platforms around the map to limit access to the spawn areas for the candies. If the Guardians capture the opposition or if time runs out, they win the match. I spent a few hours playing the limited mode to gather all of the Assassin’s Creed customization items and had a lot of fun doing so. This is a great game to play in short bursts in breaks between longer sessions of Assassin’s Creed playthroughs or while waiting for the next announcement to come along. Fall Guys is available now on all major platforms and the limited event ends on July 11th. The Season Pass for the first season ends on August 29, 2022, so make sure to download the game and grab your Season Pass while you can to access all of the Assassin’s Creed items. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 1st to 30th June Community Share 30 Jul 2026 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Back To Database Welcome to the monthly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every four weeks we will be picking our top five 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 special Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launch theme has been run alongside @Assassins_UK the official account for the United Kingdom. Ubisoft are one of the leading publishers and developers in the gaming industry, most famous for their compelling Assassin’s Creed series. We would like to thank the team for agreeing to collaborate with TOWCB on this unique opportunity. We are very grateful that you took the time to pick this wonderful selection of photos for us. 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: Seafaring Sunset Game: Assassin’s Creed Shadows VP Artist: @_damen312 The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Theme Judge: @Assassins_UK Assassin’s Creed UK Team We loved how this shot embraced the seafaring theme. The towering ship, the sunset and the silhouetted character create a real sense of impending adventure, making it a standout entry. Plus, who doesn’t love a good sunset? Aaron I knew that a seafaring theme would stir up the creative minds of this wonderful virtual photography community. The recent Assassin’s Creed entries have given us ample opportunities to both explore and capture the seas/oceans of the world. For me this photo caught the eye thanks to the striking silhouettes of both Naoe and the ship. The composition is very nice with the sun low and framed, creating a reflective mood, one you would often see used to end a scene. The warm tones make this capture calming to look at, and I like how the sun is breaking the darkness around it. The ship is so reminiscent of Black Flag, it’s clear this shot is a worthy winner. Take Off Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @dpruttz_vp The open waters of Assassin’s Creed Origins were our first taste of the RPG style of exploration. This would later become the foundations of what Odyssey, and many others have since built upon. I remember being in awe of the scenery as you sailed around Ancient Egypt in search of the Order. This capture from Dave is a real beauty, showcasing the magnificent coastal environments from Origins. I really like the pastel colours and the strong hint of red in the sail, both marrying together to create a striking photo. This feels like perfect minimal capture, albeit the flock of birds occupying the skies. I adore the backdrop especially the clouds and the mountain ranges, a truly breath-taking capture. Under the Sea Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @JLunarTraveler I said it many times before, but Ubisoft’s world building is up there with the very best. One element in which I have been particularly impress is the water graphics. These have been getting more realistic each new release. The way the water moves and the SeaLife that often accompanies it is visually stunning. I felt that this capture perfectly sums up my view with its captivating composition. Looking at this photo I feel as if I have fallen overboard and am struggling to stay afloat. The DoF works brilliantly to showcase the waters realism whist also blurring the colourful ship masts in the distance. Once again there is a cleaver use of minimalism, especially through colour, which makes this photo pleasing on the eye. Riding the Waves Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @charapof.bsky.social Assassin’s Creed Odyssey expands on the navel gameplay from Origins by adding upgrades to your ship, recruitable crew members and looting enemy ships. All of these are throwbacks the much-loved navel gameplay from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. I am always a fan of compositions such as this; the perspective really invigorates that sense of being on the water. The details of the sea remind me of times aboard the Jackdaw and that sail with the mighty Zeus and his lighting bolt, extremely relevant. It’s often the smaller aspects that I respect when scouring virtual photography and this capture has them in abundance. Sail Away Game: Assassin’s Creed Shadows VP Artist: @PhotoModeColin Assassin’s Creed Shadows was the first true next gen title from this outstanding series. The Ubisoft Anvil engine brought impressive illumination, dynamic weather and seasons to further enhance Feudal Japan. This foundation is what Black Flag will be model on and that really excites as the game already looks magnificent. Here we have sailor Naoe as she navigates the waters of Japan. The fog and the blue hues give this shot a cold feel. The silhouette of the boat and Naoe are perfectly executed, loving the hair waving in the wind. I feel this photo really emphasises the often-peaceful moments out on the water. Peaceful Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @thwippip As it’s a celebratory theme to commemorate the launch of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, we thought a special mention was in order. What better way than to return to the beautiful city of Baghdad, where Basim found his calling as a Hidden One. I love the calming nature of this capture, presented so well through Basim slowly navigating the quieter waters of a vibrant city. The shadow work on display is harping back to Roshan’s teachings of entering the light/returning to the dark. I think the buildings to the right look splendid with their golden hue and that absorbing fog hanging over them. 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 Virtual Photography: 1K Celebration Community Share 18 Aug 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young TOWCB Team 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 Virtual Photography team. We wanted to celebrate reaching 1K members in our Twitter VP Community. This has been a joy to watch as we have grown over the years. Thanks to Ubisoft we were able to mark the occasion with a VP contest. We have been monitoring the hashtags and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. This time we will be putting the spotlight on the winners and allowing them to tell us a bit about themselves and their wonderful captures. 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 VP Community Celebration 1st - Ship of the Desert Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ saskiaemmischVP I am Saskia, 28 years old, and I’ve been doing virtual photography as a hobby for about 2 years. I got into this pastime because I always loved the worlds and designs of video games and wanted to capture them. At some point I started posting my pictures, which is why social media and virtual photography also became a hobby. Since then, I’ve nurtured and cultivated my passion for it and put a lot of effort, work, and creativity into my VP. I came up with the picture itself because I love silhouettes. I happened to find this cave in Assassin’s Creed Origins and placed my camel in such a way. I then adjusted the photo mode settings so that this silhouette effect with the great colours was created. I thought the idea of a slight reflection in the water was very nice. My pictures are usually created spontaneously in the game, and that’s also the most fun. I hope that I can soon inspire this community with my VP from Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Aaron Saskia is a worthy winner of this competition with this beautiful shot from Assassin’s Creed Origins. I really love the minimalist approach with the reflection on the water. The blackout framing works perfectly and compliments the rich warm orange of the cave. This is an exceptional capture, and I can’t wait to see what Saskia can do in Mirage. 2nd - Longship Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ playpausephoto Imagine being a Viking far from land with nothing to see but the vast sea. All you hear are the crashing waves, the creaking sound of the oars and the wind tugging at the sails. The longship must feel so small, and the dark waters so endless. This is the feeling I tried to capture in this photo. I used a strong contrast between light and dark and a minimalistic composition to create a sense of isolation. I am truly honoured to be selected as one of the winners. It was my friends at TOWCB that introduced me to the games and the support from the AC community has been amazing from day one. Aaron A striking piece of virtual photography from Malin. I love the contrast and how it makes the wood on the ship pop. For me it is ingenious to split the shot down the middle of the longship, allowing us to only see half of the crew. There is a real isolating feel to this capture that fits with the narrative of long voyages to new lands. Assassin’s Creed often lends itself to minimal VP so I am very excited to see what Malin can capture in AC Mirage. 3rd - The Light Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ Yumejin Taking photos in video games has been an attraction to me since I was very young. The thought of seeing your favourite character in action and pausing the game just to enjoy the smallest details and immortalizing them all in a photo, seemed so appealing and interesting to me. Through time, as video games got more and more advanced, so did the technique of taking photos in them. The winning photo was taken by me just after I started going more in depth and taking virtual photography more seriously. Through learning different techniques of composition and how to take advantage of lighting and colours, I managed to capture a part of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey that is so visually pleasing and immediately sends you to Greece. Throughout my journey as a VP, I encountered so many talented people, and I also got so much encouragement, the AC community being one of the many cases in which everyone is very friendly and always supportive towards all the photos. I also see such a huge plethora of people who make amazing shots and play such different games, and it makes me realise that this whole VP community is great because it celebrates the universe of gaming and the beauty of exploring every frame to get the best photos. A worthy third place. Aaron What is so spectacular about this capture is the shadow work. I adore how the roof section is completely dark creating a frame around the photo. The pillars and meshing on the left really grab the attention as they leave varying shadows on the beautiful flooring. The shot really shows the wonders of Ubisoft’s attention to detail when creating these worlds. 4th – Setting of the Sun Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ astroghost001 I took this shot in Assassin’s Creed Origins by using a trainer to change the time of day, this allowed me to get the sun into an interesting position. I then used camera tools to get this extreme angle where it looks like the sun is rolling down the slope. I waited for Bayek to call Senu and that’s how I took the shot. In Lightroom I changed the colour from orange to purple just because I like exotic colours, and I already had a lot of sunset/amber shots. As a virtual photographer I like to try different styles and experiment a lot, every month I try to do a new style, also I love to work with colours to achieve a vibrant feel. Aaron What a breathtaking capture this is. The silhouette of Bayek with Senu on his arm is exceptional and the sunset mesmerising. I love how AstroGhost has experimented with the colours to produce something so unique and captivating. The line down the centre from the sand dunes really adds a new dimension parting the colours beautifully. 5th - Flowering Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ NovA1990 I hadn’t initially planned to capture this shot. I was photographing Kass, but I wasn’t satisfied with the results. So, I decided to take a break and explore the surroundings using the camera mode. That’s when I noticed the curve of the cherry tree branch, framing the birds flying by. After some careful adjustments, I managed to align the photo just right. I then did all the normal editing in Lightroom Classic and finished by adding blur to the birds. Aaron Sometimes amongst all the chaos you need a little serenity. Nova has definitely found that with this exquisite shot of a cherry tree. The vibrant colours of the petals have such a calming effect and the birds in the background are wonderfully placed. At first glance they almost look like petals blowing off the tree. This is a beautiful photograph, worthy of its place in this article. 6th – Shooting Star Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: Couch_Gamer2k23 To introduce myself I go by Couch_Gamer in the community, an avid lover of video games and someone who fell in love with virtual photography through the community. Until last year I had no idea what a photo mode was and as soon as I was introduced to it through the community, it made me realise you can appreciate a game more through it. About this shot, I was playing Mirage one night and I found out when you look at the sky during the night time you can see shooting stars and from my childhood, I heard stories from my grandparents that a shooting star when passing through, grants you a wish. So, I too decided to take a shot when the shooting star appeared on the screen. Took me a few tries but I was able to capture it. I admire the TOWCB community of Assassin’s Creed a lot for appreciating newcomers like me and giving a platform to showcase or participate in these types of events. They have been doing it for 10 years and I wish them all the best for next 10 years. Aaron This is such a tranquil shot that almost captures the essence of Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Basim's story. I love the black and white as it serves to promote the beauty of the starry night. Obviously, the shooting star is a fabulous addition, but so too is the composition with just enough white sand appearing at the bottom. I think having Basim stand with his back to us in white robes gazing into the night sky is a kind of insightful moment. 7th – Tomb Raider Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ BetweenDPixels Origins was my first Assassin’s Creed game, and Bayek is my favourite character from the games so far. Exploring these worlds is amazing and finding likeminded fans in the AC community has made it better. I can’t wait to keep exploring through my Assassin’s journey to see what other adventures and characters await. Not to mention the photo mode opportunities I already know to expect. Thank you for all the support. Aaron For me this is Assassin’s Creed Origins. There were so many promotional captures of Bayek walking with a torch in a tomb. The framing is excellent with the foundations of the pyramid surrounding Bayek. I really like how one lantern is aflame, and the other isn’t but compensated by the torch in his hand. The warm colours of the desert shine through with Bayek’s face covered in shadows but encompassed by the classic white hood. A contrast of a man who has gone through a crucible. 8th – Spiralling Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ BreizhThe “On the heights with eternal geometric shapes…. we perpetuate our credo from generation to generation” My name is TheBreizhGamer I have been passionate about virtual photography for around 10 years. I appreciate the world of Assassin’s Creed for all the historical settings that the saga takes us through. Assassin’s Creed Origins and Odyssey, although criticised enough, are my favourite AC. I salute here all the talented artists who have been selected and it is an honour to be part of them. A big thank you to the entire TOWCB team. Aaron A feast for the eyes is what springs to mind when I think of this shot. The dazzling tiles of that incredible roof really capture the attention. I find myself almost mesmerised by them. I do like the little triangle at the top and the white point with Kassandra atop of it. These little details help take you away from the stunning backdrop. 9th – Warrior Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ Tigas_VP Assassin’s Creed Origins marked my return to the saga, unfortunately I hadn’t played the series since Assassin’s Creed 2. I love the game and the fact that it takes place in Egypt, combining this with my passion for virtual photography was incredible. Aaron Tigas is one of my favourite Assassin’s Creed Origins photographers, this is mostly due to the cinematic effect of the shots. I adore how intense this capture is with Kensa staring us down from behind the shield. I do like the sparks and the mist just behind her as it adds to the atmosphere. She is a fierce gladiator, and I think Tigas portrays that with this shot. 10th – Field of Reeds Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ thefrostysm My name is Frosty, and I’ve been a part of the VP community for approximately 9 months now. One of my all-time favourite games series is Assassin’s Creed. I wasn’t old enough to play the first few games, so I started with Assassin’s Creed 3. That game was so impactful for me in so many ways that it has solidified itself as one of my favourite games of all time. I’ve played every AC since and don’t plan on stopping any time soon. Regarding my shot, this is from AC Valhalla and my focus was to show the peaceful, mindful side of Eivor. With so much rage, violence, and pressure as a new Viking King, I imagine what he would do to gather himself and his thoughts. A stroll through a seemingly endless field of roses seemed perfect to me. Thanks again for the selection, it really means a lot. Aaron Every time I see a shot like this I think of Gladiator, how could you not. Although not reeds this time, these awesome plants really make the capture with their red and white contrast. There is a huge element of reflection to this shot with Eivor walking away from the camera. I feel like it would fit as a scene following one of the tragic moments of the game. Having black and white with a colour splash really heightens a piece of VP and that is evident here. 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

Product Reveal: Assassin's Creed Through The Ages Tankard by Nemesis Now Merchandise Share 12 Feb 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database We are pleased to reveal the 'Through the Ages' Assassin's Creed Legacy Tankard by N e mesis Now! Releasing Summer 2024, this masterfully crafted collector's item pays tribute to the series and the multiple developments made over time to the hidden blade, the Assassins weapon of choice. Step into the shadows of history with this Officially Licensed Assassin's Creed Through The Ages Tankard . A masterfully crafted vessel that pays homage to the legendary assassins who have left their mark across centuries. Adorned with intricate gold details that capture the essence of the Assassin's Creed legacy. This Tankard is cast in the finest resin before being hand-painted, and will let you relive the adventures of assassins past at every glance. We can't wait to see this product in person when it releases in a couple of months, and can only imagine the sheer joy fans will feel when they receive their own. Assassin's Creed Syndicate Cosplayers in particular are in for a treat, as the style takes a stab at recreating a historical drinking vessel. Look out for it in stores June 2024, or pre-order now from the following retailers. PlanetMerch ComicWarehouse 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 Community Fundraising Campaigns for Charity Fundraising We here at The Ones Who Came Before regularly dedicate ourselves to raising money for a charity / fundraising cause with links to the Assassins' Creed franchise. Assassins in Need is an annual event which brings the community together, with the aim of supporting various causes around the world. We are incredibly proud of our community fundraising efforts, and each year aims to be bigger and better than the last. £3778 raised 2026 We are proud to announce that the 2026 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser is raising funds for various causes connected to the franchise. GoFundMe 2026 Fundraising Total: £300 so far 2025 We are proud to announce that the 2025 Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser will be raising funds for Blood Cancer Alliance and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a collection of charities around the world leading the fight in the battle against Blood Cancer. GoFundMe 2025 Fundraising Total: £1022 2023 The Ones Who Came Before joined fellow content creators within the Assassin's Creed community to raise funds for Save The Children Foundation to raise funds for the devastating earthquakes affecting Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria. The collaborative effort, led by AC Landmarks raised a total of $25,660.00, the largest amount ever raised by the Assassin's Creed community. 2023 Fundraising Assisted to raise $25,660.00 2022 Assassins in Need: Heart of the Creed Community Fundraiser: On the 15th August, we launched our 2022 community fundraiser for British Heart Foundation and The American Heart Association, two incredible organisations providing critical cardiovascular medical research and education to facilities around the world. This lifesaving campaign launched by The Ones Who Came Before in association with various different companies and communities hopes to be our biggest yet, 2022 Fundraising £430 raised 2021 Assassins in Need Community Fundraiser: On the 1st July 2021, we launched this year's Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser for World Federation for Mental Health in partnership with over 20 different content creators! Learn more We're teaming up with community member Gustav Poulsen to promote and support the launch of a new initiative called 'Forgotten Youth', a project that aims to shed a light on the long-lasting consequences of worldwide lockdowns. 2021 Fundraising £1380 raised 2020 The Ones Who Came Before are raising money for The Italian Red Cross (IFRC), who are doing everything possible to combat the Coronavirus. Learn more GoFundMe Art Sale 2020 Fundraising Campaign: £530 raised 2019 To celebrate World Oceans Day, we are proud to announce that this year's Assassin's Creed Community Fundraiser will be supporting Ocean Conservancy, a movement dedicated to protecting the ocean. Our partners for the campaign are Assassin's Creed United Kingdom and The Mentor's Guild. Learn more 2019 Fundraising Campaign: £264 raised 2018 We're pleased to announce a new collaborative fundraising project between Access the Animus and The Ones Who Came Before for Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation! £282 raised by the Assassin's Creed Community! 2018 Fundraising Campaign: £282 raised