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Answers Lost in Time: A Review of Assassin’s Creed Escape Room Puzzle Book Review Share 17 Feb 2023 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Banner Art by TOWCB Artist Thea Marie Rivedal (@ Moonchildgecko ) This article contains amazon affliliate links which help to financially support TOWCB #AD Glyph Puzzle from Assassin's Creed II (image by ActualSpider-Man) Stealth, combat, parkour, and puzzles have all been staples of Assassin’s Creed since the first game, but more so since AC II. Clay Kaczmerek was the first puzzle master that we unknowingly followed as we solved his clues to find “The Truth” of the Isu and the core of the Assassin’s Creed story. Solving the various glyphs that were sprinkled around Italy brought a logical aspect to the games that players hadn’t experienced in the first instalment. With each release after AC II, puzzles of some sort have been included to reward the player with additional stories or physical rewards (in-game) that we could use with our character. Author James Hamer-Morton Influenced and crafted by the mind of Escape Room artist James Hamer-Morton, comes a new experience for puzzle enthusiasts and fans of Assassin’s Creed titl es ' Assassin’s Creed Escape Room Puzzle Book .' A new adventure that traverses previous locales of the games as the reader follows an original character Joey through the ages, solving puzzles to stop an impending vision of the future, where a mysterious new villain uses an Isu Artifact to control the masses. Through the use of various puzzle types, readers of this book will pull at the threads of the interwoven story and have an experience similar to that of an escape room themed within the AC Universe. The escape room company that James co-founded “James Hamer-Morton is one of the masterminds behind UK boutique escape room chain 'Deadlocked' - the pioneering powerhouse behind hit episodic online escape rooms 'The Insiders' and 'The Cyphstress'. He was created in a lab specifically for the world of immersive experiences - whilst cutting his teeth starring in art house films and moonlighting as games level designers, he soon turned their hand to the world of 'alternative reality games' -devoting his life to transporting their audiences into the centre of their own artisan adventures. From this he came up with the 'Escape Room Puzzles' series, of which there are now four books.” (Quote provided by the author) The third Escape Room book by James Hamer-Morton I learned during a chat with James that he was approached by Ubisoft as they wanted a similar book for the Assassin’s Creed series to that of his previous works; something he was very excited to do being a fan of the series himself. Having a chance to write an original story for Assassin’s Creed and injecting the pages with puzzles, guiding the reader from one era to the next via the use of the Animus, is a dream for any author and fan of the series. The print error from the end of Chapter 3 While I will be breaking down the contents of the book fro m the story to the dificulty of puzzles, I must start this review with a note for anyone that is planning on picking up this unique entry to the transmedia line; the book has a handful of editing errors that resulted in a broken progression half way through the book. At the end of the third chapter, the Assassin that Joey is controlling within the Animus is provided incorrect information by the target of the confession room. This incorrect information, which is a puzzle itself, provides a list of numbers that are clues to the letter placement of the various identifiers of the target “My name 4, my location - 3,...” This will lead readers to a collection of letters that do not solve the puzzle, in turn stopping them from progressing without looking at the answer section of the book, or turning the page and disregarding the error. The answer section is the correct answer to the puzzle but due to a change of Editors and the publishing of a draft that James had provided to show what he would do, before making the actual puzzle (which changed the order and numbers used in confession), the book in the English version was printed with this broken experience. The correct solution from Chapter 3 James shared his annoyance with this issue as, before I reached out to him about it, prior to our chat he was not aware that his latest work was released with such an error. He shared his process of how he will write the story of each chapter and decide the puzzles he wants to use before sending them to the puzzle checkers and editor to make sure that they will work in all translations. For example, if the phrase “Leaving something up to chance” is said for a puzzle that uses directions such as up, down, left , and right, you can’t use that clue as in another language the key word “up” would not translate in the context that he was using. This is why puzzles that use names or deliberate translations are used. So when he was sent the copy for the test read, it was the correct version, but unfortunately the printing did not follow that same copy and was released incorrectly. He also informed me that he did not write the Answer section of the book, but thankfully the answers are correct so the reader can progress with its assistance. So knowing this, please keep in mind that the current English publication has this error, but can be solved via the Answer section or by just continuing to read the story. The story is a great read and worth purchasing the book for this alone. It fits well within the confines of the series’ lore without damaging anything. Both the author and myself consider it canon, but there isn’t a hard yes to the question of if it actually is. When asked about it by another fan, Aymar Azaïzia (Transmedia and Business Development Director for Assassin’s Creed) stated in his response, "It’s a puzzle book! It’s full of riddles inspired by our lore and characters. It’s definitely not bi[n]ding and would not affect our games with crazy twist that would jeopardize the universe" ( Source ) Readers complete puzzles as they work through the story The story follows a new character Joey (an easter egg to fans of the game Tunneling Through Time , another Deadlocked creation), a museum security guard that notices an artifact having moved when watching the CCTV feed. What is really cool about Joey is that the author deliberately did not gender the character so that the reader could give their own choice to the protagonist much like how you can choose your gender in some of the most recent titles in Assassin’s Creed. This leads to the book’s first puzzle (a letter organization puzzle based on the sides of dice) and the introduction of the Isu Artifact (a double bladed dagger ) which the adventure is shaped around. In this prologue, and the following first chapter, Joey meets the Assassin’s Brotherhood and begins to learn about the opposing Templar Order and the use of the Animus. From here, each chapter takes place in both the modern (day for story progression) and a genetic memory for the bulk of the puzzles, as well as exploring the mystery of the artifact that Joey found. The Animus revisits Ancient Greece, Egypt, Viking London, Damascus, and Venice, with cameos of main characters such as Bayek and Altair, but also supporting characters like Leonardo Di Vinci and fan favorite Markos from Kefalonia. With this and the addition of a new Isu who influences Joey and acts as a sort of AC III Juno (another Isu) with each page turn. Each memory fits within the timeline of their respective game which provides the story the possibility of being canon. However in certain chapters such as Chapter 4 where the Animus Avatar and Masyaf Assassin, Faisal watches Al Mualim give his speech to the attacking Templar forces as his three Assassins take their Leap of Faith from the fortress above (the opening scenes of the original Assassin’s Creed), to then read that Faisal is assisted by a horse riding Altair is a bit confusing as the time frame of making said jump and getting to the gates seems possible but out of place. However the speech Al Mualim is giving is cut directly from the game; another point towards the book being canon in my opinion. The first puzzle of the book The puzzles progress in difficulty and as the story moves forward and each will provide solutions for other puzzles in the chapter. So while in the first chapter, the reader will find a solution to every puzzle when they complete it, later chapters won’t give clues for a puzzle right away, but the solution to a later one will provide what is needed to complete said challenge. This is clearly explained in the “How to Use This Book” section in the opening pages. The reader is directed to read the story up until a labeled stopping point and then review the content of the story up until that point to gather what is needed to solve the forthcoming pu zzles. However, the story does not have false answers, or dead ends like similar books of this type that would make the reader restart an area in the chapter. This is something that I shared with James, about being a cool idea to improve on replayability. We also discussed how some of his earlier books had suggested time frames for puzzles, but that was not something the publisher wanted going forward. Additionally, some of the puzzles can be answered just by knowing the history of the games and which genetic memory follows the current one depicted in the chapter the reader is on. Puzzle 1 Difficult Hint If the reader still has issues figuring out a solution, the answer section is broken up into 4 levels of hints and solutions. Difficult Hints for inspiration on how to approach the puzzle. Puzzle 1 Medium Hint M edium hints prov ide pointers for those that are stuck. Puzzle 1 Easy Hint Ea sy hints provid e help to those that are truly lost, and the final section contains the actual answer to the puzzle. I myself had to reference all of them at some point for individual puzzles either due to being stuck, just wanting to see what the hints would be for a puzzle, or due to the unfortunate misprints in the text. So every level of puzzle lover should get a fun experience from the book and the challenges it presents. One of the various cut-out sections of the book Discussing the physical book itself, I mentioned the fact that while only a $15 USD book, being informed that certain pages would require you to cut out sections to make things like a cipher disk or sliding items into place to get a phrase, is hard for myself and a lot of other collectors who do not like to damage their items. I had made suggestions on adding additional pages that are left blank on one side or even having sliding pieces like those used in a children’s book would be nice. Understandably though, this would add to the production cost of the book and raise the cover price. James shared that in his other titles, a QR code is provided for all of the pieces that need to be removed for puzzles on a printable document so the reader didn’t need to do this to the book itself. When reading, I used a combination of a document software on my phone, a notebook, and scraps of paper to make what I needed to solve the puzzles without making marks or cuts. It was also mentioned that Jame’s bio or “About the Author” page was not included in this book unlike his previous releases, which is sad as it would be a great insight into who this author is to the series, learning that he is a master at his craft in escape rooms and puzzles. Luckily, the publisher is aware of the various errors I brought to his attention and will hopefully print a revised edition in the future. An addition that I will easily repurchase to have a complete and working copy of this enjoyable experience. I hope we get a sequel to Assassin’s Creed Escape Room Puzzle Book as I loved this entry to the series and, now knowing the level of care the author puts into his work, makes me want more. In addition, compared to the VR Escape Rooms that Ubisoft has released in the past, this is something that requires no physical and expensive hardware which means anyone and everyone can pick up a copy and “play” this title at their own pace no matter where they are. For fans of the series and those that enjoy the escape room experience, this is worth picking up and spending an afternoon with. Currently the book has only been published in English (from what I can find) and is available from various bookstores at an MSRP of £14.99/$16.95. Amazon US: Amazon UK: 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 Unity - A Great Game With A Bad Reputation Share 15 Feb 2025 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Gargudon Back To Database 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Unity, marked the beginning of a new era. It was the first game exclusive to a new generation of video game consoles, built solely with that powerful technology, meaning less restrictions and new possibilities. This made for an ambitious, graphically stunning and chaotic yet lively portrayal of 1790’s Revolutionary Paris, offering a wide array of activities making for dozens of hours of gameplay, one of the best storylines to date with remarkable characters, what might be the smoothest parkour to date, the widest selection of character customisation options yet, and of course, fun action packed Co-op missions to be played with friends and much more. Underneath all of this though, is a game infamous for being rushed in development, that was simply put out too soon, many players finding it unplayable at launch, having purchased an ultimately unfinished product. Numerous patches and a while later though, the game was finally able to be played as it was always meant to, with the years it having become a fan favourite among a number of fans, many even calling it their favourite instalment overall. However, none of this changes the rushed and disastrous launch, forever impacting and plaguing the reputation and legacy of an otherwise great and fun game, maybe even the franchise as a whole. Join us for a deep dive into all of this and more, in our new in-depth retrospective look at the game. Full video available now on our YouTube channel! Video written and narrated by SisterlyThrower, co-written and edited by Gargudon. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

The Ones Who Came Before - 2024 Highlights Community Share 22 Dec 2024 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) TOWCB Team Back To Database 2024 has been a big year for us here at The Ones Who Came Before. We celebrated our 10th anniversary, launched a wide variety of landmark projects - analytical breakdowns, photography, interviews and more - welcomed a number of new content creators to our team, as well as numerous new followers to our site, continuing to become one of the leading platforms for everything Assassin’s Creed. With the year slowly coming to an end, let us look back at some of the highlights and most recognised projects of ours from throughout the year! Thanks to all of our followers for supporting us yet another full year! We look forward to releasing more content on everything AC in 2025, and hope to see all of you stick around for it! 10th Anniversary of The Ones Who Came Before First and foremost, let’s reminisce on our site celebrating its 10th anniversary this recent August. From founder Colum , then only a kid, starting it as a place merely to share cool AC theories with next to no followers, to first being recognised by Ubisoft, becoming a three-man, then the 25+ members team we are today and 60K+ followers later, our site has certainly seen its share of growth and expansion, becoming one of the top Assassin’s Creed fan communities out there. To go with this massive milestone, we also released an array of special content and projects, from a golden version of our logo inspired by the AC15 aesthetic, highlight reels, interviews with high profile community icons and more. Interview with Jesper Kyd & Assassin’s Creed II Soundtrack Covers As part of our 10th anniversary content schedule, we had the opportunity and honour of sitting down with Mr. Jesper Kyd for a chat - the legendary composer behind the iconic soundtracks of Assassin’s Creed 1, The Ezio Trilogy and Valhalla - talking everything from Jesper’s journey in games composing, writing, production and sound design, musical influences and much more! To suitably go with this landmark interview, we also cooked up covers of a number of favourite tracks of ours of Jesper’s from the legendary Assassin’s Creed II soundtrack, among others the iconic Flight Over Venice. Create our versions of these tracks, sticking as true as possible to the originals, while also adding our own unique twists and elements. Full interview with Jesper plus covers of all tracks are up on our YouTube channel! The Meaning Of Edward Kenway’s Tattoos Early on in the year, at last properly relaunching our video venture which we are only looking to further grow and expand, kicking things off was the analysis of the meaning of the legendary pirate trained by Assassins Edward Kenway’s iconic tattoos. The analytical deep dive, turned out one of our best video successes to date on our growing YouTube channel with a couple thousand views, and had viewers getting good discussions started about their thoughts on the subject. What are your thoughts on Captain Kenway’s vast ink collection and the meaning behind the individual pieces? Make sure to let us know and to check out the full analysis available on our channel! East Again, Original Musical Fan Theme Inspired by Assassin’s Creed Mirage In the beginning of the year, following our entry into the world of music with our 2023 project Sounds Of History - an original instrumental EP featuring five tracks inspired by five different games - the brains behind that Gargudon cooked up another track, dedicated to AC Mirage, the three and half minute ambient and action packed fan theme East Again. From starting out on a slower, ambient section perfectly suited for stealth gameplay, then exploding into a louder section towards the end fit for fight, fusing electronic, Metal and traditional Eastern sounds and melodies, this track received praise from community members and was a blast to create! The track is available wherever music is streamed, as well as on our YouTube channel accompanied by an ambient visualiser. Links to listen on Apple Music & Spotify via our LinkTree. Virtual Photography Community & Contest Judged by Magnus Bruun As in-game photography has evolved heavily in gaming overall and Assassin’s Creed specifically with the years, so has a number of online communities dedicated to players sharing their incredible captures, including ours over on X. Run by our incredible photography team, our community passed 1000 members in the summer. Additionally we have hosted a number of photography contests, each with their unique theme, inviting our followers to share their best shots, one of the latest ones to be guest judged by Eïvor himself, Magnus Bruun. Every one has been nothing short of incredible entries, every shot leaving us mesmerised! Thank you to everyone who have joined our photography community thus far, and make sure to do so if you haven’t yet! We look forward to more talent joining and contests in the new year, and till then, keep tagging us in your best shots on X and Instagram @acfirstciv from across the games! Join our virtual photography community on X . AC Community Tattoos Showcase As part of our 10th anniversary celebrations, we asked our followers with such, to share a picture of their Assassin’s Creed themed tattoos with us, for a showcase compilation of the ink found among the community’s members. Featured were community members and fans @djdelange, @ rick_sama , @ valorianru , @ kells_creed , @ kendo_messiah , @ hangmanshand, as well as long-time community member Dave Woodward and his iconic collection, and Gargudon and ActualSpider-Man from our team. We would love to see more of the incredible Assassin’s Creed tattoos found on fans out there and do a part two to this showcase. Do you have any ink inspired by the franchise? Send it to us on one of our socials and we’ll feature it next! Assassin’s Creed Shadows Reveal + Code Breaking One of the major highlights in Assassin’s Creed this year, was of course the official reveal of of the next instalment in the franchise, with what formerly known as Codename Red officially becoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows, at last heading to a fan favourite location over many years, 16th century Feudal Japan. Leading up to the reveal in the last days before, Ubisoft also shared mystic encoded messages, as well as clues and character graphs that might aid those capable of decoding them, and as it happens, we were one of the first to do so, thanks to the incredible codebreakers joining our team. This reveal overall got us working on and putting out a series of Shadows related content, from fanart, custom wallpapers, analytical breakdown videos and more. More content on the game will of course only keep coming leading up to the February release, among other things including our teased original fan theme The Wind Between The Cherry Trees inspired by the game. New Additions to the TOWCB Team And last but not least, throughout the year we of course also welcomed a number of new talented and passionate AC content creators to our ever growing and evolving team, from writers, streamers, video creators, platform managers and more. On the video oriented front, the addition of SisterlyThrower has seen our growing video venture further taking off, with among other things analytical breakdowns and unique psychological analysis of key AC characters. We also welcomed shorts and skits creator Calvin, as well as streamer Laura Jung, who successfully executed our first community stream on Twitch, playing Valhalla while brilliantly cosplaying as Eïvor. Our writing team welcomed codebreaker Edenoi, who was key in solving the coded AC Shadows messages, and it also welcomed back Hayden Bird , a writer who originally joined us in 2020 but had to depart, but is now back with us in style as an article writer. Our latest additions, Zephryss and Renzo, have also brilliantly helped mange our social media platforms and content. We look forward to even further building our team in the new year, and we want you on it! Are you passionate about AC with a knack for writing, streaming, video creation, art or social media managing? Get in touch with us and we’ll take you into consideration, we are excited to hear from you! And that more or less sums it up for the best and most significant highlights for us here at The Ones Who Came Before in 2024. The year is of course not fully over just yet, and we still have bits and pieces of content we are excited to share before the new year. Once again, thanks to everyone one of our followers for supporting us throughout the year! We look forward to welcoming new followers and team members, and continuously creating and sharing an array of cool new exclusive content on everything Assassin’s Creed in 2025. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and new year Assassins! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Louise (TheNerdyArcher) Joins The Ones Who Came Before Writing Team News Share 20 Jan 2024 Written By: Edited By: Louise // TheNerdyArcher Colum Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to announce that community member Louise (@ TheNerdyArcher ) is joining The Ones Who Came Before / Isu_network! Louise is a UK Assassin's Creed community ambassador and former member of ' The Mentor's Guild ' and ' Scholars of the Creed ' . She is an Archaeology graduate and passionate historian. By joining TOWCB's Writing Team, we aim to provide her with structured guidance, early access to transmedia, and a platform for her written works. Throughout 2024 and beyond, TOWCB will be working on a variety of projects covering the series 🦅 Keep an eye on our social media channels and website for updates! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Louise (TheNerdyArcher) is a UK Assassin's Creed community ambassador and former member of The Mentor's Guild and 'Scholars of the Creed' community. She is an Archaeology graduate and passionate historian. By joining TOWCB Writing Team, we aimed to provide her with structured guidance, early access to transmedia, and a platform for her written works. Louise left the program in 2025 to focus on her studies. Louise // TheNerdyArcher

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 26th March -1st April 2022 Community Share 12 Apr 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) Wildlife Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @ GeeketteAna over on Twitter A first wildlife capture for our weekly roundup. I really like the Autumnal feel of this shot, with the fox as the main focal point. This truly is a beautiful photo. I feel like Valhalla really nails the design of foxes in the game. After playing Ghost of Tsushima I never thought this possible. 2) Cave Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ _Jellybird over on Twitter. Sticking with Valhalla and we have a wonderful shot of Eivor exiting a cave ready for battle. I love the details on this one with the rippling water and the egg shaped cave entrance. The lighting is on point to, giving a window like feel. Not quite sure where this is on the game but I would like to find it. 3) England’s Beauty Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s third shot comes from @ Chris25551 over on Twitter. I picked this shot because of its beauty. Valhalla has such great scenery, and this showcases it. A fantastic, almost painting like capture that encompasses the range of colours in England. The sun breaking through the clouds creating a misty haze adds to the mystery of this shot. 4) Nefertiti’s Throne Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ ophierian_vp over on Twitter. A change of game now for capture number four. This tilted image gives a great sense of depth to a sun-drenched imagine of Nefertiti’s Throne. It’s been a long time since I played the Curse of the Pharaohs, but I might just need to make a return after this. I especially love the small details in this shot. 5) Companion Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey The final capture of the week comes from @ Elvira04289 over on Twitter. I like this capture for two reasons: one it showcases Kassandra and Ikaros brilliantly, and in such fine detail. However secondly it made me smile. Ikaros definitely looks like he is photobombing here. I miss Senu and Ikaros so much, as they were great additions to their respective games. 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

Rally the Creed Episode 7 Released Podcasts Share 1 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database In Episode 7 of Rally The Creed, host Gargudon is joined by one of the newest recruits on our team, video creator and streamer Andy, also known as SisterlyThrower . At the core of this episode is a proper introduction to Andy, talk about our growing video venture and future content, the American saga and more. Enjoy listening! Edited by FrameHoldPhotography . Listen to this episode on Spotify: 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

Ubisoft release Assassin's Creed Mirage PC Features Trailer News Share 19 Sept 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database Ubisoft has released the 'PC Features' trailer for Assassin's Creed Mirage, for the first time showcasing the game outside of console release! Check out Baghdad and the surrounding areas, along with crystal clear details enhanced by an uncapped frame rate! Also released were the minimum requirements needed to run Mirage! Here is a chart comparing a few possible hardware configurations, and what performance specs to target with them. Finally, here are some captures from the trailer! That's all for now! Stay tuned for more updates on Assassin's Creed Mirage! 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)

Community Questions & Answers: Zephryss Interview Share 16 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Zephryss Colum Blackett Back To Database Col: Are you looking forward to working alongside the Social Media Team during the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows? Zephryss: Absolutely! I'm looking forward to contributing to the success of the Assassin's Creed Shadows launch and collaborating with the Social Media Team. As a social media manager and a content writer, I can provide creative content ideas, assist with community engagement, and help analyze social media metrics. I'm eager to see how my skills can support the campaign and connect with fans of the franchise. Col: How excited are you to get your hands on the upcoming installment? Zephryss: I'm absolutely thrilled to dive into Assassin's Creed Shadows. The series has always been a favorite of mine, and I can't wait to explore new historical settings, master new parkour abilities, and unravel intricate narratives. The blend of stealth, combat, and historical fiction is truly captivating. Col: What sort of Assassin's Creed content have you been posting about recently, and what are you working on currently? Zephryss: Recently I have been posting “Did You Know” & “ Assassin's Creed Quiz” series on @ Isu_Network and Assassin's Creed shadows facts on @ ACFirstCiv . Currently I am working on a Halloween special Assassin's Creed article and a special video on the 7th anniversary of Assassin's Creed Origins. Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? Zephryss: No, I haven't been lucky enough to visit any of the real-world locations featured in the games. While I haven't been able to physically visit any of the game locations myself, I've explored them extensively through the games and the vast amount of information available online. It's been a fascinating journey to learn about different cultures, historical periods, and fantastical worlds. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? Zephryss: Assassin's Creed II is my favorite in the series for several reasons. First, its historical setting in Renaissance Italy is captivating, bringing to life iconic figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Machiavelli. The intricate cityscapes, from Florence to Venice, are beautifully rendered, offering a rich and immersive world to explore. Secondly, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the protagonist, is one of the most memorable characters in gaming history. His personal journey, from a young noble to a skilled assassin, is both compelling and relatable. His interactions with other characters, particularly his family, add depth and emotion to me. Col: Have you attended any events within the Assassin's Creed Community? Zephryss: No, unfortunately, I haven't been able to attend any Assassin's Creed events yet. I'd love to experience the community and meet other fans, but I haven't had the opportunity to do so. Col: Do you have a favourite Assassin's Creed community moment/ story you would like to share? Zephryss: Absolutely! One of my favorite Assassin's Creed community moments was the widespread fan reaction to the "Ezio's Family" trailer before the release of Assassin's Creed II. The trailer, filled with emotional music and stunning visuals, perfectly captured the essence of Ezio's journey and his bond with his family. It generated a massive buzz within the community, leading to a collective sense of anticipation and excitement for the game. Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? Zephryss: A setting I'd love to see explored in an AC Netflix series or game would be the Aztec Empire. A world teeming with vibrant cultures, intricate architecture, and a rich tapestry of mythology. We could delve into the heart of Tenochtitlan, a bustling metropolis built on a floating island. The series could explore the clash between the Aztecs and the Spanish Conquistadors, the rise and fall of the empire, and the enduring legacy of their civilization. The possibilities for gameplay or storytelling are endless. We could explore ancient temples filled with puzzles and traps, battle fearsome Aztec warriors, and uncover hidden secrets about the empire's history. Col: Do you have any personal AC goals you would like to achieve? Zephryss: Absolutely! As a massive Assassin's Creed fan, I've always dreamed of exploring more of the historical settings and delving deeper into the intricate lore. I'd love to see a game set in ancient India, with its rich mythology and vibrant culture. Imagine battling the powerful Rajas, infiltrating forbidden temples, and unraveling the secrets of the Assassin Order in the subcontinent. Col: What would you say is your most significant community achievement to date? Zephryss: My most significant community achievement is becoming a member of TOWCB, one of the biggest Assassin's Creed communities. Col: What is your favourite part of being a community member? Zephryss: The Assassin's Creed community is known for its dedication and creativity. Being a part of such a wonderful community provides me with a rich and rewarding experience. Col: Do you collect AC merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? Zephryss: Unfortunately I don't have any AC merchandise right now. But I am planning to start a collection. Col: What advice do you have for people looking to begin streaming? Zephryss: Starting a streaming journey is a fantastic way to connect with people and share your passions. Here's some advice to help you get started: Find your niche: What are you most passionate about? Whether it's gaming, music, art, or something else entirely, focusing on a niche will help you attract a dedicated audience. Invest in quality equipment: While you don't need the most expensive setup, having good audio and video quality will enhance your viewers' experience. Be consistent: Regular streaming is key to building a loyal following. Create a schedule and stick to it. Engage with your audience: Interact with your viewers by responding to comments and participating in discussions. This helps create a sense of community. Have fun: Streaming should be enjoyable. Don't stress too much about perfection. Just relax and have fun sharing your content with the world!” Col: Where can our community members find you online? Zephryss: Community members can find me on our community Discord server. Just search for my name "Zephryss" and you can also find me on Twitter at @ TheRealZephryss . I share updates, news, and engage with the community there. And I have a separate YouTube channel for Assassin's Creed games named as Assassin Zephryss. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Zephryss is a passionate social media manager based in India who joined TOWCB's Social Media Team in Summer 2024 to help the team prepare for coverage of Assassin's Creed Shadows news and updates. Recently, he completed his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and is now preparing to take on a PhD. He loves video games very much, and since childhood has enjoyed playing various types of games in different genres He also has 3 gaming channels (Zephryss, Assassin Zephryss & Spider Zephryss) where he uploads gameplay videos regularly. Zephryss

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Review - A Return to Form for the Series Reviews Share 1 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Review contains MAJOR Spoilers Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes players on an adventure like no other, offering stunning landscapes and captivating story arcs that make it both refreshing and memorable. At times, it feels like the missing link for the franchise, striking a good balance between the classic Assassin's Creed games and the new RPG formula, masterfully bridging the gap. The game carefully finds a way of improving upon many of the core Assassin's Creed pillars, by adding more options than ever before. Although marketed as a Viking adventure game, Valhalla takes a successful leap of faith towards taking the series back to its roots, easily making it one of the most exciting and ambitious Assassin’s Creed projects in recent years. It’s a return to form for the series, offering countless opportunities for the player to master their own playstyle, and immerse themselves in another historical adventure. Valhalla is a game that looks to the past to drive the series forward, and operates in the space between old and new, making it feel both familiar and original. The narrative arc story structure overseen by the guiding hand of Assassin's Creed legend Darby McDevitt and his team of scribes are proof that the series should never be afraid to move away from annual releases, and take the time it needs to improve. It’s immediately clear that a great deal of thought and care went into building the game, that goes way beyond simple fan service. It's an injection of pure creativity, and a game that should not be missed. The World There's never a dull moment whilst exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, as it continues to find ways to surprise the player at every turn. It's the first game in the series to properly fill the open world, making it feel dynamic and life-like. As you navigate the Kingdom's of England, you'll discover endless activities such as flyting challenges, cursed areas, world events and more. Exploration is encouraged, and the game rewards you for your efforts, generously offering XP points (skill levels) and loot upon completion. The open world experience is unlocked early on in the game, and as you tie up loose ends in Norway, you can sale across the sea to England to begin the adventure. On your travels you'll begin to uncover the mysteries of England, as you encounter numerous puzzles that keep the player guessing. Puzzles are a nice feature that really add to the experience, taking different forms throughout the game. Valhalla always finds a new way to challenge the player, and encourages the use of all the tools at your disposal to overcome them. Sometimes you need to destroy a weak wooden wall to loot a chest, or shoot at a door's barricade through a slightly open window to enter. There are a ton of scenarios like this that test your skills as a player, and require a bit of thought before gaining a reward. There's also a great range of environments to explore, from the snow-covered mountains of Norway, to the swamps of East Anglia, so don't be surprised if you start to clock up hours using the photo mode tool as you capture each perfect moment. It's easily one of the most visually impressive games ever created, and it's immediately noticeable. England is vast in Assassins' Creed Valhalla, and each kingdom feels different to the last. There's always something new to discover, so look out for the coloured dots on your mini map to uncover loot that will improve your progress. You can hit bandit camps to gain supplies such as leather and iron ore, which can be used to upgrade weaponry and armour, or complete a raid on a monastery to steal riches that can be used to expand the Ravensthorpe settlement. Crafting is an essential part of the game, and you use the spoils of your adventures to do this. One thing that sets Valhalla apart from recent entries is the unpredictability of the world. In some ways, it feels like a Far Cry game, where many animals will attack on sight. It's not just animals though, as Eivor will be pursued from all angles whilst navigating the world. Bandits hide in bushes, waiting for your arrival. Zealots track you across the map. Snakes crawl out from under barrels. Wolves strike as you stalk the perimeter of an enemy camp. You never know when you may need to defend yourself, the world you explore is as deadly as it is beautiful. This level of unpredictability adds to the experience and brings it to life. It's extremely easy to gain XP just by playing the game, and you are constantly rewarded just for taking part. The cities of England bare a resemblance to that of Assassin's Creed I, taking the series all the way back to its origins. London has featured in the franchise several times, but the version you see in Valhalla is very different, a city built in the shadow of Roman ruins. All across England you'll see the ruins, and get a sense of the widespread influence the Romans had over the land. Even the Ravensthorpe settlement holds a memory of the past, as the pillars of an ancient structure can be seen near the longhouse. Later in the game you can even help local resident Octavian establish a museum, to house all of the Roman artefacts you discover. As the game progresses, you will also travel to surprise locations, such as Vinland and Jotunheim, expanding your reach even further. There's so much to see and do in Valhalla, and all your adventures start from Ravensthorpe. The settlement itself is right in the heart of England, and acts as a base for Eivor and the Raven clan. It's in a good central location, close to the city of Leicester. All narrative arcs begin and end here, as the wind calls you back to Randvi to report your progress. By upgrading and improving the settlement, you open up new opportunities such as ship customisation, romance options and legendary animal hunting rewards. You also give the members of Ravensthorpe a purpose within the clan, and make it feel more like a bustling hub. It's worth taking the time to familarise yourself with the settlement, as the traders and locals are essential to Eivor's progression. For example, Gunnar the blacksmith will upgrade weaponary and armour, whilst Reda will supply new contracts and rare items. The cultural differences are represented well in Valhalla, as Saxon cities feel completely different to those inhabited by Vikings. Architecturally, the structures are also different, and even the layout of the cities differ. Religious beliefs are also depicted well in Valhalla, as Viking sites such as Jorvik have statues for the Gods, and locals will even reference them in conversation. You will hear talk of Thor, Freja and Tyr as you walk the streets of Jorvik, whilst you will hear about Jesus Christ and God when wandering a Saxon city. Even the camps held by bandits or cultists all contrast each other. Accents also appear in the game depending on location, making a southern territory easily distinguishable from a Northern one. The team did a great job at adding variety in all areas, and that's just one of the reasons players will get lost in the expansive world, and fall in love with the game. Story The main story of Assassin's Creed Valhalla is both interesting and memorable by using creative storytelling methods to slot nicely into Assassin's Creed lore. Players will embark on a twisting adventure with many story arcs, all different from one another and each with their own characters, plot twists and outcomes. There's no doubt that it's a great story set in the Assassin's Creed universe, and one of the longest games in the series. Completing Valhalla's main storyline will easily take you over 100 hours, but that's not a bad thing. It's a gripping tale with many twists and turns, and you'll notice that each quest has a purpose, as Eivor looks to build alliances across the map. Both Cecilie Stenspil and Magnus Bruun deliver a solid performance, full of charisma and making Eivor an instantly likeable character. Valhalla immediately gives you the key to your own destiny, as for the first time ever, you play as one character with a male and female counterpart. You can let the Animus decide, or change Eivor's appearance at any time. The reasoning behind this is explained later in the game, and it's a clever take on previously established Assassin's Creed lore. The game is, in some ways, the spiritual successor to Black Flag, as Eivor works alongside the Assassins (Hidden Ones), without joining them, as their motives align. Both sides benefit from this union, and even manage to cooperate without any disagreements. Basim sees potential in Eivor straight away, even when Hytham questions it. You have the opportunity to play like a true Assassin, without even joining the Brotherhood. The Order of Ancients returns, once again acting as a shadow group influencing the land. Information on the group is scarce, so Eivor has to investigate to find out names and motives. Once you commence your hunt, taking down one member will lead to information on another, making it possible to track them all down. All information gained on the order will be stored in the inventory, giving you hints on where to begin your search. In this sense, it's more like the original Assassin's Creed game, where Altair had to learn information before beginning an assassination mission. It really adds to the game, as you focus your efforts on wiping out the Order. There's also an incredible new animation when you assassinate a target, rewarding players with some of the best white room conversations in the entire franchise. By eliminating members of the Order, you also gain new abilities and skills from Hytham, such as the Leap of Faith, making it worthwhile, and maintaining the 'Assassin's Creed' elements of the game. As we have already mentioned, all narrative arcs begin and end at the Ravensthorpe homestead. This is thanks to a new feature called the Alliance Map. Eivor pledges allegiance to a cause taking part in one of England's territorys, and travels there to form an alliance for the Raven Clan. The new quest system introduces self contained story arcs that act more like chapters of a book than scattered missions. Each quest has a purpose, and brings Eivor closer to a resolution in the area. Some are definitely stronger and more memorable than others, with some feeling like filler content at times, but they all come together eventually to form a solid conclusion. Although the game moves away from side quests, and replaces them with narrative moments and activities such as World Events and Cursed Areas, it does a really good job at filling the open world, and even provides some great moments for Eivor. World Events are some of the best side activities since AC III's homestead missions, and really help to develop Eivor's character further. You don't have to take part in them, as they are not tracked on the quest radar, but should you choose to ignore them, you are missing out on some great content. They all vary in tone, but it's worth taking some time away from the main storyline to focus on the other activities available in the world, even just to increase your XP or improve your charisma through flyting battles. You won't regret it. In regards to Isu lore and First Civilisation history, Ubisoft really cranks it up a notch. By completing the Animus Anomalies, the secrets of the past begin to unravel, and with the help of the settlement seer, Eivor begins to understand. For new players, the twist regarding Havi and Eivor is no doubt confusing, but for old fans, it makes a lot of sense. Assassin's Creed Black Flag introduced the concept of Sages, reincarnations of Juno's husband Aita. Valhalla takes this notion even further, as the Scandinavian Isu look to return after the impending disaster known as the Great Catastrophe using a supercomputer that can insert DNA and memories into the human gene pool. Essentially, the Isu technology leads to reincarnation, explaining the gender choice option in Valhalla. Later on in the story, players will begin to understand the true motives of Loki, another member of the Scandanavian Isu known for his trickery and mischief. The story also replicates the end game of the series protagonist Juno, who returned using cloning before being destroyed by Charlotte de la Cruz in the comics. It's a really interesting twist for the series that takes Isu lore to another level, and adds a fresh layer. The end sequence in the vault also ties up a number of loose ends, regarding Layla and the fate of Desmond Miles. The ending of AC III finally has consequences, and the modern day storyline in Valhalla finds a way to resolve another potential disaster. The Heir of Memories arc also concludes, and a new chapter begins with Isu antagonists, which could ultimately lead to Loki becoming a bigger threat than Juno ever was. It's an interesting conclusion and drives the series forward by adapting established plot points. Hopefully we see this storyline progress further in the DLC content One big difference to its predecessor Assassin's Creed Odyssey is that a romance option doesn't lurk around every corner, but when they do, they generally occur through the main storyline. Romances in Valhalla feel more developed than the previous entry, as it requires Eivor to spend time with them on quests before anything blossoms, rather than rushing into a forced connection. It's also possible to be rejected for the first time, something which occurs if an NPC already has a partner or simply isn't interested, adding increased depth to the romance options. Another change is the replacement of the usual eagle companion in favour of a raven, something which roots itself in Norse mythology, as Odin had two ravens called Huginn and Muninn. Although Valhalla has brutality in combat, the tone of the game never really drops to a dark place like in previous games, and even when faced with loss, Eivor remains determined and composed. The character is clearly very different to what the marketing campaign tried to portray. One thing I did notice however is that the game sometimes shies away from the dark history of Viking culture, with themes such as slavery and pillaging barely even getting a mention. Assassin's Creed should never be afraid to tackle difficult topics, especially those which are a part of history, and it's interesting that these themes didn't really surface. Characters in the main storyline are all very different from each other, and each narrative arc introduces a conflict which Eivor can resolve. The game does a really good job at hiding character motives, making betrayal even more surprising. Basim for example arouses suspicion early on, but it takes a full playthrough to discover his true intentions. Each arc has you question those around you, as you secure the future of the kingdom. The wrong decision can have catastrophic consequences, as seen in Linconshire when selecting a new ealdorman. Choices never stray too far from a fixed narrative, and although the game has multiple endings, they all follow a similar pattern. The dialogue options have also been improved, and do a good job at reflecting Eivor's personality, rather than giving options that don't line up with their personality. Eivor isn't a blank slate, and no matter which version you play, you're going to see the same character traits. Voice acting in particular is solid across the board, with a number of stand-out performances making the game even more immersive. Players feel compelled to resolve each narrative arc, and return back to the settlement to progress. The balance of tone is well executed, and although the game is long, it's worth the time spent. The big issue with the main storyline is that the Hidden Ones are completely sidelined, barely featuring in comparison to the alliance objectives. New fans to the series can't learn much about the Brotherhood, as Eivor doesn't join them in the main storyline. At times it feels like the Hidden Ones don't matter to the story, as you can go several narrative arcs without speaking to Hytham or Basim. You always have the chance to wipe out members of the Order, but the majority of members are just ordinary civilians, and unless you read all the documents, you don't even know why you're eliminating them. You do get a satisfactory white room conversation, but there are only a few members of the Order you will actually remember upon completion. It's such a shame to see the Assassin / Templar conflict becoming an afterthought. Even though the game has a great story set in the Assassin's Creed world in terms of lore, the pre-cursor Assassins are barely involved in that. It's clear that this has to be the last 'warrior' game, and future instalments need to circle back to playing as an established Assassin before the franchise loses it's identity entirely. That being said, Valhalla finds a different narrative to explore, and finds a way to bring history to life. Perhaps Viking Assassins are not to be, but there is still time for DLC content to explore a different path for Eivor. Parkour Parkour is a fundamental pillar of the Assassin's Creed series, and is probably the only franchise pillar that Valhalla hasn't progressed forward with in some way. At times it can be frustrating, as Eivor takes a long time to navigate rooftops, making a direct approach more and more tempting. Although parkour feels slow and uninspired, the game offers a huge variety of environments that increase opportunities. There are more chances than ever before to use parkour to your advantage, with many climbable buildings. Scaffolding is also something that features in the game, making it easy to navigate from above. Some buildings such as churches and longhouses also have open windows which can act as an entry point, or you can destroy a stained glass window to gain entry, all of which are accessible thanks to parkour. Beams and ropes also string houses together to increase parkour opportunities, and cities such as York also have Roman ruins scattered around which can also be navigated. Tree parkour makes a return, and is a useful feature that should never have been removed. Some of the trees you scale are incredibly impressive, especially in Jötunheimr, and it's great to see this feature restored. Don't expect style though, as Eivor's parkour technique is basic at best. With Basim away and Hytham injured it's clear that not much (if any) training was given. It can be argued that Vikings didn't know parkour, but it's something players expect in an Assassin's Creed game. Parkour in Valhalla isn't great, but the opportunities to do so are. It's clear that the team spent a great deal of time creating parkour environments, and even when it feels sluggish, it can be to the players benefit to use it. Animus Anomalies are probably biggest parkour failure in the game, as players control Layla Hassan through tedious platform challenges to gain information. Although the feature itself is a cool idea, parkour makes it difficult to enjoy, as it lacks any sense of urgency. Looking back to Arno Dorian, or even Desmond Miles, it's clear that parkour has drastically lost any sense of speed or style, which is a shame. Valhalla brings back floating pages to collect, which takes Eivor on numerous parkour routes. It's nice to see them return, but they can take a few attempts to collect. Parkour clearly needs to be revamped, but the many opportunities that Valhalla introduces to do so are a welcome addition to the franchise, opening many new doors and avenues of exploration. Some of the best parkour opportunities in the game are at the Hidden Ones bureaus, which are scattered across the map. Not only do they provide a glimpse at the history of an Assassin precursor group that once worked in the shadows, but they also store unique gear and codex pages. Each bureau is different, but they all require puzzle solving and parkour to unlock their secrets. To find them, you have to think like an Assassin in the cities of England. That may mean performing a leap of faith, or climbing down into the sewers to remain undetected. Parkour is the theme that links them all, as players will navigate platforms and beams resembling the Assassin tombs from the earlier games. Some of the bureaus even require swimming from room to room to gain the rewards. Once inside, you'll notice that the main areas resemble the bureaus visited by Altair in Assassin's Creed 1, and show that the order worked in similar ways hundreds of years before the days of Masyaf. Valhalla provides countless parkour opportunities, but the bureaus are a great example of how the game at times encourages players to use it to gain rewards, something that should definitely make a comeback in the next game. Stealth There's a lot to be said about the stealth in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Essentially, some of the features are the peak of the series, and others are below the standard we expect. Stealth in general is excellent, but social stealth needs to be improved. At times. Valhalla feels like the stealthiest Assassin's Creed game, thanks to fresh kill animations, new environments such as corn fields, and the return of bushes, haybales and tree parkour. As was the case with parkour, the game also provides many opportunities to be stealthy, with the majority of quests accommodating to both a direct or sneaky approach. Enemy camps can be cleared out without arousing suspicions. Air assassinations, sleep/poison arrows, haybale kills and distraction techniques can all be used to replicate an Assassin approach. The whistle also returns, drawing enemies towards their swift end, and bodies can be hidden to prevent the alarm being raised. Alarms, which first appeared in AC4, can also be destroyed to prevent the arrival of reinforcements. In cult camps, bone charms will rattle if you proceed too quickly, alerting enemies. The best stealth feature that makes a return is the instant kill hidden blade assassination, which now has a timing mechanism to dispatch your enemies. Odyssey had enemies that would survive a hidden blade assassination, no matter how much you upgraded your weapons, and in turn encouraged players to ignore stealth and use combat instead. Valhalla takes the best elements of stealth from previous entries and adds even more to make it better than ever. At the start of the game, players choose a level of social stealth. Selecting the hardest difficulty makes it nearly impossible, no matter how hard you try. Blending with crowds returns, as guards protect entry points. Distrust areas are introduced, meaning Eivor wears a hooded cloak to avoid detection. Numerous social stealth mechanics return, and new ones are added so that hiding in plain sight is no longer a thing of the past. Monks walk the streets in groups, imitating the original game, and the very first trailer ever released for the franchise. It's great to see so many old features such as bench stealth find their way back to the series. Eivor can also pretend to cook food, or weave fabric in social spaces, but with guards on high alert in distrust areas, it can be very difficult. The point of social stealth is to be inconspicuous in public spaces, and mask within surroundings. Valhalla has many great stealth features, but social stealth is something that definitely needs more work to be useful. The main problem is that guards see everything, and immediately attack. After 150 hours of game time, I'm still not sure if I have managed to perfect social stealth. You can also lure drunks to distract guards, or throw your torch to make them move. This is extremely useful if you're looking to enter a restricted area. Shooting from a haybale, or destroying hanging objects to make a kill look like an accident can also be used. It's clear that stealth has been expanded upon, and is much better than the options available in Odyssey. Odin's sight is a watered down version of eagle vision, acting as a short burst, but seems to be much more useful than 'Animus pulse'. Improvements have definitely been made in this field, as it highlights everything from loot chests to story hints. Order of Ancient members are taken out using the Hidden Blade, which has a new kill animation. Sýnin can distract guards, and locate points of entry. There are so many ways to be stealthy in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and although it can be challenging, mastering it and all the tools you posses is no doubt one of the best stealth experiences created by Ubisoft. Take the time you need to become the stealthy Viking the marketing campaign tried to hide. There's much more to Valhalla than raids and brutality. The only tools that are missing really are throwing knives and varied smoke bombs (Revelations). Combat In combat, timing is everything. Every enemy has a weakness, and Eivor can exploit that. The game highlights them so it's obvious where to aim. Valhalla has a huge variety of attacks that can be used, including abilities that you unlock throughout the game. Successful blocks or attacks build up adrenaline which make abilities available to use, and severely damage or finish off opponents in a brutal fashion. New animations have been created especially for the game, which is immediately clear, as Eivor will decapitate or even impale enemies with their own weapons. Even after 60+ hours, you will encounter new enemies in the world, waiting to finish you off with their unique attacks. Some kick dirt to distract, and others spill oil and light it to set you ablaze. The great variety of enemies makes the game more interesting, as combat requires a balance between timing and thought to determine how to proceed. Dodging is another good way to beat enemies, but stamina does deplete, leaving you open to attacks. It's also worth noting that not all attacks can be blocked, making dodging or even a well timed shot a better solution. The Rope Dart from Assassin's Creed III makes a return in the form of a harpoon, which is an ability you earn through skill points, and it's more lethal than ever. Rather than hanging enemies from trees as Connor did, Eivor lasso's them closer before striking. At any moment in the main storyline, a boss battle can occur. You can literally be thrown into a fight at any moment, sometimes after a tough battle mission, leaving you unprepared. Another problem the boss battles present are the locations in which they take place. The worst offenders in the game for this are the Faravid, where you unexpectedly fight in a tiny room, and Ivar the Boneless, where you fight on the edge of a cliff. The environments in which you fight make all the difference, and small spaces make it even more difficult. In general, most fights will take place in the open world, which can be used to your advantage. The new health system means that you restore depleting health through the rations bag, which you fill with berries and other food sources on your travels. You can also leave a fight at any point to find food, as raspberry bushes are scattered across the land. Mushrooms are another food source, but some will make Eivor sick, so choose carefully. Crafting returns in a basic form, giving you the option to upgrade quivers and ration bags, increasing their effectiveness. Gear and Weapons also also upgradable through collected resources, improving your stats. You can visit the settlement blacksmith to improve the quality of gear and weaponry, but this does change it's appearance, and not always for the better. Arrows can't be crafted like they could be in Origins and Odyssey, but there's a good chance you'll find them in the world, especially close to a boss fight or random tree stumps in forests. The three hardest enemies to defeat in the game are: The Daughters of Lerion, Zealots and Legendary Beasts. Defeating all of them will take time, as each of them need to be slowly weakened in different ways. There are so many different abilities in the game that can be used in combat, so you have to find the ones that work for your own personal playstyle. Valhalla brings back the three bow options, resembling Bayek's weaponry choices. Each of them are useful in different situations, and mixed with abilities are a deadly combination. If an enemy camp is near water, Eivor can blow a horn to signal a raid. This can be especially useful in a higher level area. Combat is diverse and interesting in Valhalla, and is the most improved upon feature from Odyssey other than having a more dynamic open world. It's a standout feature, and really improves upon everything that has come before. Customisation Customisation certainly is mixed in Valhalla, as you can edit Eivor's gender, hair or tattoos at any point. There are so many combinations that can make the character look like a different person entirely, if you choose to. Ubisoft even added the AC Sisterhood logo as a tattoo, a nice touch and something which means a lot to fans. Unfortunately there are a lack of in-game clothing options, with limited rewards for players. You can randomly stumble across cloaks, pants and other gear items in the world, or pay a random wanderer for their location. They come in the form of sets, but there are only nine to be discovered. Rather than unique loot everywhere. the game focusses on the player unearthing set pieces through completing puzzles and raiding tombs. You can also unlock a few gear pieces through the Ubisoft Store rewards, such as Bayek's Robes, or as always, visit the Helix Store to pay for a better set. It's a shame that there are such limited options in the game, as most RPG's usually reward the player in this way. For example, it would have been nice if every Zealot defeated unlocked new and unique armour pieces or weaponry, rather than gaining a medallion for Hytham and another name ticked off a list. In comparison to Origins and Odyssey, Valhalla really does limit the player's look, with only a few customisation options. Items do change upon upgrading with the Blacksmith at the settlement, but until the Transmogrification feature is introduced, players are left with the gear quality they have upgraded to, which isn't always the best visually. You can of course, visit Reda, the local trader, but it's highly unlikely he will have anything of value in terms of gear. Although gear and weapons are limited in Valhalla, what the game does have can sometimes be enough. You can unlock First Civilisation weapons such as Excalibur and Mjolnir, a must-have for fans of the Isu. These weapons take a great deal of time and effort to unlock, but they are amongst the best in the game. You are also, on occasion, be randomly rewarded for your choices in the game. For example, Petra will gift Eivor a bow, and Ubba will send a weapon if your relationship with him is intact. If Assassin's Creed continues to go down the RPG road, it should consider rewarding players more frequently. Another feature that should return in future games is the robe dye from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood era. There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to determine clothing colours. Simple features like this, and the increased gear options would have dramatically improved the overall player customisation experience. It would have been nice if Basim had gifted Eivor a version of his own gear, which features a unique blade and similar robes to Altair. When travelling to Vinland, Eivor unlocks a special Native American inspired outfit, but unfortunately it can't be brought back to England. The same goes for the Gloucestshire narrative arc, where Eivor wears a skull mask. There's no real reason to take these items out of players inventory, but the game does, and you can only wear them during the short time you spend in each area. The Drakkar owned by Eivor can also be customized upon upgrading the settlement, but again, the options are limited, with most unique and interesting appearance choices purchasable on the Helix Store. Figureheads are the best in-game Drakkar options, really changing the look and making it more interesting. The settlement itself has a few cosmetic features that you can edit as you play, to make make it feel more like home. Add a little figure of Odin to Immerse yourself in Norse culture before you raid, or head to the stables to change the appearance of your horse. There are a few options in-game, my favourite of which turns the horse into a giant wolf. You can also change the appearance of the bird companion, something which is new to Valhalla. Sýnin can change colour, or even into a different bird entirely such as a pigeon. The most useful customisation features added in the game are the horse upgrades, where you can train your mount to swim or improve its speed and stamina. This makes a real difference when exploring the open world. The options that are available in-game are pretty good, but it's clear that players are limited when you look at the crazy items available for purchase in the Helix store. Hopefully future updates will make more items available. Conclusion There's no doubt that Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a great game, and feels like a real adventure for the player. Although it's probably the longest game in the series, it's well worth diving into and exploring in detail. The gender options and exceptional voice acting performances make the game worth playing twice, so you might get 400+ hours out of Valhalla and really get your money's worth. It's a dynamic experience with a real variety of opportunities that'll still bring surprises even after 150+ hours of gaming. The open world is expansive and interesting, full of activities scattered around beautiful landscapes. Dig beneath the surface and discover new Desmond Miles audio clips and the return of the Database, once again written by Shaun Hastings. The story has meaning, in terms of the overarching narrative. Assassin's Creed often has a problem of carrying forward plot points and acting as stand-alone entries. Valhalla is a conclusion in some ways, wrapping up multiple plot points dating back years, and in other ways, it's the start of something new. The rebirth of the Hidden Ones in England and even the evolution of the Order of Ancients into the Templar Orders slowly begins to take place. There's no doubt that future Assassin's Creed games will be exciting, and the series is certainly heading in the right direction. Valhalla has a great story set in the Assassin's Creed universe, and is the first game in years to provide an actual cliffhanger ending with consequences for the modern day. Eivor is a great character, who only gets better as the game goes on. One thing that stands out for me is the amount of care that went into producing the game. There are so many features from the older games such as social stealth, and even sounds from previous entries that find their way back to the series. The game provides a unique perspective on the series, and develops lore plot points further that were established years ago. It's clear that the series should never rush to meet annual releases, and should take whatever time required to produce games of this quality. In my opinion, Valhalla is the last pre-cursor Assassin game needed, and stories of this kind have now wrapped up, establishing how and why the two orders were created. Future games should once again explore an established brotherhood, with players being a member of the Assassin order. That being said, this is an extremely strong entry that has a great story and characters, and is a game that will be remembered. Valhalla is the final piece of the puzzle, and a return to form for the series. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 20th to 26th November Community Share 30 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week 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 week’s guest judge is Ultra Violetra a real talent within the virtual photography community and known for some beautiful Assassin’s Creed captures. Ultra is also a Mod @ VGPNetwork and @ ThePhotoMode . Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: NPC All Father Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ _Virtualtourism “Rise, Eivor….and awaken” I love Norse Mythology so having it feature so prominently in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla was excellent. The whole Loki and Odin face off was interesting to watch, especially with how the two are so pivotal to the events of Ragnarok. I did love the assassination scenes too as Eivor fought between two personalities. I felt Jack captured the essence of Odin so well with this shot. Surrounded by darkness and riddled with pain, Odin appears from the shadow of his own hood. I really like how the lighting gives us a glimpse of his grey beard and showcase the runes on the tip of the hood. Such a brilliant capture of the All-Father. The Details Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Dario_OtherEyes The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ UVioletra Dario has captured a beautiful NPC that appears curious yet weary. The character’s skin texture and the lighting is perfectly matched, creating a gorgeous shot of the week. Aaron “Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent” Something Assassin’s Creed Mirage has perfected is the variety of NPC’s. The amount of different cultures walking the streets of Baghdad is quite special. It adds so much variety and makes for some really interesting NPC shots. This beautiful capture shows exactly what I mean. I adore the lighting of this shot, with the shadow covering half of her body. The warmth of the photo really does give you the feel of the desert whilst also highlighting the details of this amazingly crafted NPC. She definitely looks like she is being tailed by the order, let’s just hope Basim gets to her first. Valka Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ NIKOOO_WOLF “I am better than well. I am present.” Valka is the Raven Clans Seer and the women responsible for guiding Eivor in her visions. Her stunning character design and warming personality have led to her being one of the stronger NPC in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This side shot of her is extremely beautiful. I love the white mist in front of her and the clouds in the background. It reminds me of when we first meet her upon the snowy mountain. The level of detail on her clothing and face have been emphasised, and together with the saturation makes this shot look like a piece of art. Randvi Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Kristina_m0509 “Married off in service of peace between two clans.” For me Randvi is one of the best but most underused NPC’s in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. She serves as a strategist and potential love interest. However I was always disappointed that she didn’t accompany you more often. This capture of Randvi is exceptionally beautiful, the colours on show match the feel of the game. That stunning blue sky behind her not only looks great but elevates Randvi’s presence. I think the little details of her character design are wonderfully shown through that luscious golden sunlight. Excellent virtual photography of an NPC. Stowe Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Kristina_m0509 “Eivor, I beg you, Alfred’s men or not, they are Saxons and Christians.” Stowe is The Reeve of Lunden and close friend of Eivor. It was nice to see our Viking hero team up with an Anglo Saxon. Stowe is a man of pride and honour who plays a critical part within the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla story. The Lunden arc is probably the most 'Assassin' section of the game and I really enjoyed it. Here we have a strong portrait of Stowe surrounded by a striking wintery background. I quite like how he is framed in this shot, and the details are impressive. The shadow across his face adds mystery and I am getting super hero vibes from his stance. Once again an excellent NPC capture to round off the showcase. 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

Why Assassin's Creed Remakes Will Succeed Wishlist Share 12 Jul 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot announced recently that some of the classic original Assassin’s Creed games would be getting remakes, which means completely rebuilding and overhauling the original games in the series to hold up better against modern gaming years later since the beginning days of the series. Given the technology in the gaming industry has rapidly advanced since the start of this franchise, it makes sense for Ubisoft to use this modern tech to their advantage. The Assassin’s Creed series has been active and alive for over 15 years and counting, and over that time the games have changed a lot. The original games from the beginning were ground-breaking games in the industry that still have impacts to today’s game development. The stealth and parkour formula became an inspiration for other games following this same template. Even today, stealth themed games are in some way created by the foundation that is the Assassin’s Creed series. Now that Ubisoft has shown more interest in their roots of the franchise, only good things can come of this development direction from the company. Assassin’s Creed as we know it is unlike its past. Which has been a change for the good, as certain aspects of the older games simply do not hold up today, like oblivious side characters and enemies, old reused mechanics, or features from the original games that would make the current state of these games seem outdated and considered being out of touch with the rapid change of the gaming industry. Times have changed in this business, and to survive, Ubisoft has to evolve with the median, otherwise the series would remain stuck in the past and unoriginal. Ubisoft shows they not only care about the future games of the franchise, but also showing their appreciation to their beginnings. Creating these remakes is a huge step forward for this world-wide game industry giant, as they are aware that Assassin’s Creed is still as popular as ever, and doubling down on their best franchises is the way to succeed as a company. The future of the series already has several games announced and rumored, and now the idea of remaking the older games would be great for the reputation of these all time classic games. While the originals still are impressive and great, some of them do not hold up well in today's standards, both graphically and mechanically. The technology used in 2007 is much different than what we have today. The tech industry is a quick and ever evolving business, meaning you're forced to adapt with the change, or you could be left behind. The graphics from the original games were considered impressive at the time of their release, but now in an era where games can be created in almost life-like visuals, the state of the classic games look outdated. So, remaking these games can do justice to their legacies by improving on what are already industry-changing games, and making them hold up in our modern standards. Ubisoft has many years to plan and decide on the exact direction to take for these remakes, but from what we know already, fans should be excited for what to expect in the future. Ubisoft could make these games impressive in today’s vision by not only improving their visuals, but also going in depth into development and changing the way these games are played that would match what we expect today. It's clear Ubisoft knows that to create these remakes, the games should be updated but not abandoning its core. A way Ubisoft could approach this idea is by changing the more outdated mechanics of the past, but keeping the concept the same. Such as updating the parkour from the original games, by cleaning up the outdated parkour such as accidentally ejecting off tall building one has climbed by pressing the wrong button, which, thankfully, has been changed in the more modern Assassin’s Creed games where accidentally jumping to your death is not very possible anymore by not allowing it to be so easy to fall down. Ubisoft could also update these games with adding enemy AI awareness. In the past when playing the game it sometimes would be easier to pretend to be spotted until the enemy notices enough to come and investigate your position and you could take them down from there. This altered the way enemies are traditionally supposed to react, and is unrealistic to how modern enemies in gaming are. Which makes you have to be more careful about being spotted, instead of using it as an unfair advantage. Ubisoft is capable of perfecting these remakes to the point where it plays similar to current Assassin’s Creed series mechanics. The graphical updates could also have the game look as the developers would have originally envisioned, given the lack of advanced technology at the time of the games creation. Now, since games look so close to life-like graphics, these classics will look like they would have if the gaming world had today's technology available years prior. It is up to Ubisoft on how to approach these remakes. Whether it be remaking all of the originals, or remaking the ones they think would play best in modern standards. Ubisoft has plenty of options to choose from as the production could begin in the near future. However they decide, fans should trust that the vision Ubisoft has selected for these remakes will be a faithful adaptation of these all-time great gaming masterpieces. It is smart Ubisoft is investing their efforts so much into the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and not only focusing on future installments, but other ways to bring this beloved franchise to life. Remakes of these games are a brilliant idea from Ubisoft, as it will cater to all fans of this series, and those who may be new to Assassin’s Creed . Now that remasters and remakes are all the rage now, plenty of popular classic games are getting that treatment, so Ubisoft has picked a smart time to take advantage of this rise in popularity, and honor the roots of this franchise with remakes that rejuvenate the history of the series and perhaps one day have all the rather outdated Assassin’s Creed games match modern standards and once again have them become a staple of the industry, just as the did when they originally released many years ago. The Assassin’s Creed fan base should be excited for the future of these games, and Ubisoft’s dedication to admiring and adapting their massive money-making franchise. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Assassin's Creed Mirage Fanart by Yasmin Page Art Share 12 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Ashlea Blackett Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Check out this brand new piece of fanart by our very own digital artist Yasmin Page from our AC Partnership Program! One of the things that makes this piece of art particularly impressive is the speed of which Yas released it, sending it over to the admin team only a day after Ubisoft launched the Assassin's Creed Mirage trailer at the 2022 Assassin's Creed showcase event at Ubisoft Forward! I love how you can see the Assassins lurking in the background, and the glow on Basim's face, as if lit up by candlelight. This scene is directly from the trailer, as Basim is initiated into The Hidden Ones by removing his ring finger, a required sacrifice to operate a hidden blade, and also showing his commitment to the Brotherhood. Ever since the launch of Valhalla, members of our Art Team have been fascinated by Basim, and everything he represents. He is a bridge between the Hidden Ones and the Assassin Brotherhood, along with also being the reincarnation of the cunning Isu trickster Loki. We can't wait to share more Basim art with the community throughout the marketing campaign! Until then, check our what our other team members have been up to in the Community Hub! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Ashlea is the Editor/ Charity Project Coordinator for The Ones Who Came Before on its wide variety of social media platforms. Her main responsibilities for TOWCB involve creating and editing articles, organisation of events and coordinating our charity fundraising, as well as hosting the Rally The Creed Podcast. Ashlea Blackett

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 6th - 12th August 2022 Community Share 13 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to our weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Cloak Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 This week’s first capture comes from @ Junos_Wings over on Twitter. First up this week we have a bit of nostalgia, with Eivor dressed in Ezio’s Master Assassin outfit. I love the colour tones of this shot, as it add a certain quality to the photo. The light and the dark make for great symbolism of what Assassin’s Creed is all about. The shot is from a set that is truly beautiful and inspiring. Captures showcasing old outfits in the newer games give us a sense of what a next gen Ezio game would look like. Link to set 2) Huntress Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @ Birgamerinalbu1 over on Twitter. Next up we head to Greece for a bit of Kassandra dressed as a true huntress. This photo reminds me of the Assassin’s Creed graphic novels. From memory there wasn’t a comic to go alongside Odyssey which is a shame. I am always a fan of people getting creative with their virtual photography. The lighting behind Kassandra really helps accentuate her magnificent hair, but also does a great job of highlighting the incredible face paint of this set. 3) Desmond Game: Assassin’s Creed III This week’s third shot comes from @ FrameHoldPhotos , a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Photo number three takes us to this week’s AC15 celebration with Desmond, the modern assassin. This is the first time I have featured a modern day piece of VP and I am shocked these section don’t get more love. This capture really does give us an insight into what a modern day game could feel like. I always prefer the historical stuff but I would 100% love a modern day game or even a substantial DLC. Hoods, bows and swords in a city would be like AC meets Marvel and I would be down for that. 4) Wolf Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: Xbox Series S VP number four comes from @ Huldera1 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. I always enjoy wildlife shots from Assassin’s Creed games. The way the animals interact in the world is truly amazing. This impressive capture has three key elements and they all stand out in different ways. The colour of the sky is so rich, the grass slightly out of focus makes you feel like you’re there. Of course the growling wolf is the standout, fantastic timing to align all these elements. I wonder if Eivor made it away alive. 5) Ratonhnhake:ton Game: Assassin’s Creed III The final capture of the week comes from @ nkeiiin over on Twitter. I thought it only right we end the showcase with Connor himself. What a stunning portrait of the Colonial Assassin. The black background with the light pouring down onto Connor adds such an epic feel to this capture. I love the positioning as it showcases the eagle on the hood and touches of the blue on his outfit. I am also won over by the fact the bow and arrows can been seen on his back. The first playable Assassin with a bow, such good times. Checkout the set below for two more breath taking shots. Link to set And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Art Reveal: The Capitoline Triad by Serajeddine Art Share 12 May 2025 Written By: Edited By: Serajeddine TOWCB Team Back To Database Check out this new piece of artwork by TOWCB Art Team member Serajeddine! A closer look: This artwork of the Capitoline Trio, containing Juno, Minerva and Jupiter was created to mark Serajeddine becoming a member of TOWCB, something which we are thrilled to see come to fruition! Look out for more incredible art releases and collaborations with TOWCB over the coming months! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author In March 2025, Serajeddine joined TOWCB's Art Team just before the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows, in a bid to re-energise the team with new ideas and projects. He is a digital and traditional artist with a special ink style, often resembling comic books, something which we have been searching for to bring something different to our content. Throughout 2025, Serajeddine worked be working alongside TOWCB's Art Team on a variety of projects which range from creating art for fundraising to live art creation watch-alongs! By joining the AC Partnership Program, we aimed to boost his profile within the community and create a meaningful relationship with Ubisoft. Seraj left the team in October 2025 due to a change in personal circumstances. Serajeddine

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 11th to 17th December Community Share 6 Jan 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every week 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 week’s guest judge is Steffi Syndrome a member of VGP Network and host of the wonderful #PhotoModeMonday – it is a real pleasure to have Steffi along for this week’s theme. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Wildlife Peeking Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Guest Judge: @ StefanieMcMaken ''I just love the perspective, with the artic fox peeking through the shrubs, there’s such life in it! In addition, the colours harmonize and give a beautiful winter vibe. I am also impressed that they don’t get lost, and the fox stays clearly visible. A truly remarkable shot, that is reminiscent of real photography. I am always amazed by @ m_nt_13 captures, and this is no exception. Incredible work.'' Aaron “Wilderness without wildlife is just scenery”. ''The various location in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla opens the door for a magnitude of wildlife. The snowy tundra sections in the north of England and Norway play host to the coolest and most lovable creatures. None more so than this wily fox peeking through the undergrowth. I am loving the winter tones and how the fox is camouflaged. It is a shot straight out of a documentary series, with the fox clearly hunting its prey. Timing is everything with these types of capture, and it is also very difficult to get anywhere near the wildlife. Kudos to m for producing such a superb shot.'' Howling Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 “Wildlife is something which man cannon construct.” In the world of virtual photography, you must have an abundance of patience and a sprinkling of luck. Many shots you see on social media have had a lot of time and effort poured into them. This capture here is a moment to savour. I still can’t work out how this has been pulled off so brilliantly. The odds of capturing this exact moment must be so slim. The shot is perfection with the stag howling to the moon like a wolf. I really like how the clouds frame the capture and the moons glow adds a beauty to the shot. Epic timing and great composition make for a glorious winter shot. The Ocean Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ PhilGPT “Under the sea.” It is funny how Assassin’s Creed has evolved over the years. It started out a city game, but after the huge success of Black Flag the sea has become somewhat of a staple to the series. The wide-open oceans are limited in Origins and Valhalla but there was so much to explore in Odyssey. Once again, I must commend Phil for the timing of the shot. This insanely good capture must have taken some time to produce. The ambiance and colour scheme are beautiful, and having the fin sticking out of the water is a touch of magic. Hunting Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ G_Assassin90 “Sometimes I am the beast in the darkness.” Hands down one of the best wildlife games is Assassin’s Creed Origins. The ecosystem on show is exceptionally developed. Having predators hunt their prey in front of you as you stroll the desert is quite something. This capture of a crocodile weaving its way through the waters is both elegant and menacing. These beasts are arguably the deadliest in Origins and should be avoided at all costs. I love the green of the water and the ripple effect. The colours are balanced perfectly to mimic a real-life photo. The details on the crocodile are remarkable, just don’t get too close. Winters Coming Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ BetweenDPixels “Nothing burns like the cold.” Deer seem to be ever present in the wilds of Assassin’s Creed games. Often, they are hunted by other animals or by the player themselves. This gorgeous capture of a female deer walking through the thick snow gives off massive winter vibes. I could easily see this shot on a Christmas card. I adore the composition, with the forest slightly blurred in the background. There is such a cold feel to the shot, and the details of the snow along with those hoofprints look great. The deer looks startled, which means Eivor must be nearby. A beautiful capture that perfectly fits the theme. Check out this new video by Turið Torkilsdóttir showcasing other December 2023 Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography captures, taken as part of our Eivor and Wildlife themes! 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! Interested in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography? Join our Twitter VP Community for a chance to be featured in our weekly articles! 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

Jesper Kyd Interview Interview Share 31 Oct 2019 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database To celebrate the upcoming 10 year anniversary of Assassin's Creed II, we're proud to release a new Q&A with BAFTA award-winning composer and sound designer Jesper Kyd. Col: Hi Jesper, thank you very much for joining us today. It's a huge privilege to be able to conduct this interview. I'm sure most of our fans already know, but please could you tell us a little bit about yourself, and your work on the Assassin's Creed franchise. Jesper: I wrote the scores for the first 4 Assassins Creed games including what has become the theme of the franchise, Ezio’s Family. I have also composed all the Borderlands games, the first 4 Hitman games, Darksiders 2, all the State of Decay games, Freedom Fighters and many more. Outside of games my most recent project is the fantasy horror film Tumbbad (Amazon) . Col: It's been a couple years since you last composed a full soundtrack for the series, but your work has now become a big part of the Assassin's Creed legacy. How does it feel to hear different variations of your music in the recent soundtracks, and to have Ezio's family become the signature theme for the franchise? Jesper: I am a huge fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise and it’s a thrill to see that Ezio’s Family has become the franchise theme. I originally envisioned the theme to represent Ezio’s loss and struggles and I tried to capture the emotion Ezio felt when thinking about this act of betrayal and tragedy. This moment defines who he is and who he becomes and of course why he joins the brotherhood and becomes an Assassin. There is always a sacrifice and struggle for all the characters in the series when they join this secret brotherhood and to me, that’s what Ezio’s Family has come to represent. It’s absolutely wonderful to hear all the different versions of Ezio’s Family not only in the games but also the many fan versions on YouTube . This theme has evolved so far beyond anything I could have imagined. Col: What are your top 5 Assassin's Creed soundtrack songs? Jesper My top 5 Assassin’s Creed tracks that I have written? That’s a tough one but here goes… Ezio’s Family \ Earth, Venice Rooftops, Sanctuary, Home in Florence, Dreams of Venice but there is also of course, Access the Animus. I am proud of all my Assassin’s Creed music, however the creative freedom and journey creating a new music style for the Italian Renaissance in Assassin’s Creed 2 was one of my favorite experiences of any score I have written. I did not have the benefit of a live orchestra budget for Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations so it was a bit limiting in trying to match the vision of a similar setting without the means that contributed to the sound of Assassin’s Creed 2. In many ways the achievements of the original Assassin’s Creed led the way for Assassin’s Creed 2 and enabled me to be set absolutely free creatively for the 2nd game. On the first Assassin’s Creed we spent a lot of time and effort coming up with the central music ideas and creating the blueprint for the ‘Assassin’s Creed sound.’ This includes mixing live performances through electronics to remind the audience that the experience is simulated through the Animus. We also had to invent a lot of new gameplay specific music for game mechanics such as eavesdropping, following targets, chase music, unique music for each of the 3 different cities (which included different music writing styles, different arranging and orchestration techniques as well as different instrument sets). Col:Which song for the series do you think holds the most emotion, and why? Jesper: That would be hard to say. I always try to put a lot of emotion in my Assassin’s Creed music such as “City of Jerusalem” from Assassin’s Creed or “Ruins of Rome” from Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. I can say this though, I was pleased with the emotion in “Earth” from Assassin’s Creed 2 and when we recorded that theme with live orchestra and choir for “Ezio’s Family” I was very moved by the emotion the orchestra and choir brought to the performance. Similarly, with the choir’s performance on “Sanctuary” from Assassin’s Creed 2. Col: Do composers ever experience the musical equivalent to 'writers block', and did you find it difficult at all creating music for a video game? Jesper: I can’t speak for other composers but I feel music should flow naturally so if it doesn’t I think it’s because there’s something wrong. If I have trouble finding the sound or theme it either means I have not fully stepped into the project yet, meaning it’s the wrong time to write the music or perhaps there’s another idea floating around in my head that I need to express first, even if it doesn’t initially fit the game at all. I have been writing music pretty much every day since I was 13, so I just tend to keep writing until I get there. I don’t call that writers block, it’s more like you have to process ideas in your mind before fully finding the right sound, especially when you are inventing something unique, such as the Renaissance sound of Assassin’s Creed 2. Col: When composing music for AC, what would you say were your biggest inspirations? Jesper: How the game feels to play, the setting, the story, the characters and the atmosphere of the game. These are all very integral to the music creation process. On the first Assassin’s Creed, we focused on 3 main themes, Mysticism, War and Tragedy (of the Third Crusade). Then I worked these ideas into 3 different styles of music for the main areas in the game, Damascus, Acre and Jerusalem. For Assassin’s Creed 2 the music was inspired by Ezio’s story and the Renaissance and with Assassin's Creed Brotherhood we introduced a darker tone to reflect the corrupt and tyrant regime of the Borgia family in Rome. My music for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations was inspired by the city of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul), particularly the exploration and city music which features Greek as well as Renaissance and Middle-Eastern instrumentation. Additionally, all of the scores are filtered through the Animus. Col: Do you ever sit and listen to the AC soundtracks, like many of our fans? Jesper: I do listen to the music since it still retains a lot of deep emotions for me. It’s also important to review what you have written before as a refresher for interviews like this one(!) or when talking with fans at events. That might sound kind of strange but when you are working on the score, you are in the moment and everything is written to enhance the game. Once you take a step back, that’s when it helps you realize what you have created. A lot of people have told me Assassin’s Creed 2 is their favorite score of mine but to me it’s just one of many scores I have written and they all hold a special place in my heart for different reasons. Col: How many of the Assassin's Creed games have you fully completed, and which one is your favourite? Jesper: I have played quite a few but only fully completed Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. I really enjoyed the first Assassin’s Creed; Altair is a great character. But I would say Assassin’s Creed 2 or Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood are my favorites. They really improved the Assassin’s Creed 2 gameplay in Brotherhood and I really like the music implementation in Brotherhood. Assassin’s Creed 2 has the best story though. Col: Do you own Assassin's Creed merchandise? If so, what is your favourite item? Jesper: I quite like the Jack in the Box from Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. However, I would love to have some more vinyl of my music released from Assassin’s Creed outside of the ‘Best of Assassin’s Creed’ picture disc LP that’s currently available. We are in talks with record labels regarding more vinyl releases and hope to have more news to announce soon. I would love to see something similar to the ‘Hitman: The Critical Collection’ box set release from iambit. Col: How did you first hear about the Assassin's Creed Symphony? Jesper: I first heard about the concert tour when the producers of the show, MGP Live, reached out and started collecting material for their suites of my Assassin’s Creed music. Col: How involved were you in the song selection process for the Symphony? Jesper: I was quite involved with the music selection for the ‘ Symphony of the Shadows ’ concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed 2. For the Assassin’s Creed Symphony world tour, I was not involved in the track selection. Col: I understand that you were recently part of a community meet and greet. How did it feel to speak with fans of the franchise after the AC Symphony event? Jesper: Yes, I was at the world premiere of the Assassin’s Creed Symphony in Paris, where they held a meet and greet with fans after the concert. I love speaking to the fans of all the various franchises I am involved with. Often people share their stories about why the music is so important to them and I feel blessed and honored when fans share such personal stories. It’s almost like sharing a part of you with people when writing emotional music. I really try to pick projects where I can maximize the truth behind the music, writing music that has a deep meaning to me too, and I think that translates to people that hear the music in the games. Col: Do you have any plans to attend more AC Symphony events? Jesper: Yes, I will be attending their next show at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on November 10 and we have a special surprise in store for the fans in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Assassin’s Creed 2. Also, as I am writing, I’m actually flying back from an amazing performance of Assassin’s Creed 2 at the 10-year anniversary concert ‘ Symphony of the Shadows’ which was performed at the National Forum of Music in Poland together with Hitman…one of the best concert halls in Europe and an absolutely amazing performance by the Wrocław Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. We would like to say a huge thank you to Jesper Kyd for joining us for this interview, and to Top Dollar PR for making it possible. BAFTA award-winning and MTV nominated composer Jesper Kyd has created the iconic music scores for the ASSASSIN’S CREED series, BORDERLANDS series and HITMAN series. Renowned for his non-traditional methodology of blending live instrumentation and manipulated sounds, Kyd’s dark electronic, choral and symphonic scores for the HITMAN series received Best Original Music from the British Academy as well as an MTV VMA nomination. As pioneer of Assassin’s Creed’s musical universe, Kyd’s cinematic and uniquely atmospheric music helped define the series for fans around the world, including his ‘Ezio’s Family’ theme which has become the signature musical theme of the franchise. Most recently Kyd’s evocative original music can also be experienced in the visionary, multi award-winning Indian horror-fantasy Tumbbad. Bestowed with the 2018 Global Creators Award by Rock & Roll Hall of famer Nile Rodgers (David Bowie, Daft Punk), Jesper Kyd’s journey as an artist is ever-evolving and latest opus Borderlands 3 continues his penchant for experimentation with new sounds. Links: Jesper Kyd Website Assassin’s Creed Symphony World Tour Trailer Assassin’s Creed Symphony Tour Launch Trailer Jesper Kyd - Ezio’s Family Concert Suite (Assassin’s Creed II) | WDR FMF 2018 | Video Games Music Gala | Ezio's Family Suite from Assassin's Creed 2 FMF 2018 | Video Games Music Gala | Assassin's Creed Suite from Assassin's Creed 2 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 Day - The 21st of December Analysis Share 20 Dec 2019 Written By: Edited By: Thea (Moonchildgecko) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Why do we celebrate Assassin’s Creed (AC) Day, and why exactly the 21 st of December? Like every other person, firm, land, event etc. each have their day of celebration, why should our beloved franchise be any different? To have a specific day to celebrate something thousand of people have in common is a great way to reminisce the games, the characters and the stories they tell. Why then the 21st of December? Image by The Mentor's Guild The Winter Solstice – Early Human Tradition and Celebration The 21 st of December is commonly known as the Winter Solstice when the Earth’s North pole reach its furthest point away from the Sun, and for the people in the North the days grow longer again, and the darkest time of the year is finally coming to an end. The same thing happens in the South in June. The Winter Solstice have been celebrated by humans for thousands of years, both as a way of remarking the Sun’s lowest point on the horizon, as well as it’s rebirth and new rising. As far as 10,000 years ago, humans witnessed the Sun’s fall and rise on the sky, and celebrated it thereafter with religious and burial grounds being built to mark the turning Sun. Throughout the World, humans have made monuments according to the Sun and its movements. Both advanced civilisations, like Ancient Egypt and Greece, as well as more primitive ones like the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age civilisations in the North of Europe built their tombs based on the placement and the importance of the Sun. Some even studied the Sun and used it in their calculations. In 240 BCE. the scholar Eratosthenes used the Summer Solstice and the measurement of the angle of a shadow cast by a stick to calculate approximately just how big the Earth is. The Sun have also been used as one of the first symbols created by humans. The Spiral is considered one of the earliest symbols made by man, and although the meaning of it varies from place to place, the worship of the Sun has left its mark on many civilisations through time. As a symbol of growth, strength, rebirth and new life, we have discovered in modern times just how ferocious and dangerous the Sun really is. In Assassin’s Creed, solar flares followed by a massive coronal mass ejection was the doom of the First Civilisation in 75 000 BCE. It wouldhave been our doom again was it not for the Assassin Desmond Miles and his team in 2012. Desmond Miles – the Little-Known Ultimate Sacrifice As we know from the Assassin’s Creed franchise, the 21 st of December isn’t all about the fall and rise of the Sun. The first modern world protagonist we meet in the franchise, Desmond Miles, sacrificed his life on December 21st in 2012 to save the Earth from the disaster that would occur, saving billions of people. The Number 72 – Both a Password and a Puzzle 72 isn’t a number that is strikingly astonishing alone, and unless you’ve kept your eyes and ears open, it’s even illusive in the franchise. The number first appears in 45 BCE when the Vault in Rome was opened by Marcus Junius Brutus, then again later by Ezio Auditore in 1506 and his descendant Desmond Miles in 2012. The number’s importance becomes evident when it reveals to be the very password for the Vault. As explained by Shaun in AC: Brotherhood: The Tetragrammaton. The 72 names of God. You see? They're all contained within three verses: Exodus 19 through 21. And, get this, you'll like this. If you arrange the four Hebrew letters in God's name within an equilateral triangle, their numerical values add up to the same number: 72. Although Assassin’s Creed may be quite fond of the number 72, it can also be found outside the franchise. If you dig into the amount of occasions 72 have been mentioned through time, the list grows longer and longer the further you dig. From the 72 sicknesses, the 72 steps from Earth to Heaven in the Bible, the 72 old men of the Synagogue, the 72 Immortals in Taoism, the 72 evil disciples who enclosed the god Osiris in a coffin, the list, to say it short, goes on forever. If it’s God’s little joke, a human made coincidence or just Nature having fun with the number, it’s not a number to be throw under the carpet. It is an important number, both in history and in Assassin’s Creed. Before the release of AC: Origins and Odyssey, every main game from Ubisoft have been released within the time frame October 10th to December 21st. Whether it be intentional or not by the developers, it’s a funny coincidence nonetheless. From October to December, the franchise celebrates the growing amount of beloved games. Everyone has their own favourite, their first game or the one that touched a special place in our hearts. For the community, to have a day of celebration simply adds to the joy (and make an excuse for giving gifts). Image by Assassin's Creed Wiki The Community – a Day of Celebration, Charity and Reminiscing AC Day may have multiple meanings and significant facts behind the date, but first and foremost it’s a day for the fans, for the community and the hardworking people behind the games we all love. Sources: Britannica: Winter Solstice Images: AC Day Wallpaper Pack by The Mentor's Guild AC Wiki comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Thea is a full time student studying archaeology at the University of Bergen in Norway. She is a huge fan of the franchise and enjoys writing both fictional and academic texts. In her spare time, Thea is a passionate artist, creating detailed pencil sketches and watercolour/acrylic paintings. She has even created tattoos and replica historical props/ clothing before! In Summer 2022, Thea joined TOWCB's art team, where she will have the chance to work on a variety of projects and expand her art portfolio. Thea (Moonchildgecko)

Product Review: MADRINAS x Assassin’s Creed Shadows Boba Teas Review Share 6 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Frame Hold Photography Colum Blackett Back To Database Experience a taste of Assassin's Creed Shadows with two new boba teas from MADRINAS! Thanks to MADRINAS for sending me this item to review! MADRINAS, an online specialty coffee and tea brand, recently released its collaboration with Assassin’s Creed Shadows on October 17th. This drop includes two boba tea flavors–cherry blossom fruit tea and strawberry matcha milk tea, and a limited-edition Collector’s Box. MADRINAS sent me a Collector’s Box to review, so let’s jump into everything that’s included! The Collector’s Box has one tub of cherry blossom and one tub of strawberry matcha tea mix. Each tub can make eight drinks (1 scoop of mix per drink). Each tea comes with its own boba pearls. For the fruit tea, you receive four packets of Honey Popping Boba Pearls, and for the milk tea, you receive four packets of Brown Sugar Tapioca Pearls. The Collector’s Box also includes a super awesome Assassin’s Creed Shadows shaker cup, which is exclusive to this box set. The shaker cup features the MADRINAS logo and the Assassin’s Creed logo alongside silhouettes of Naoe and Yasuke. The Japanese text featured on the cup are Naoe’s and Yasuke’s names. I absolutely love the artwork on this shaker, and I will happily use it as I count down the days to Assassin’s Creed Shadows' release on February 14th, 2025! Lastly, the Collector’s Box includes eight plastic boba straws and easy-to-follow instructions on how to make your teas. Instead of single-use straws, it would have been nice to have a reusable Assassin’s Creed Shadows-themed straw to go along with the shaker cup, but the provided straws work well to suck up the boba pearls. I have had boba tea before but have never tried a product from MADRINAS, so I was very excited to try their boba teas! First, I tried the cherry blossom fruit tea. To make the tea, pour one scoop of mix into 13 oz. of ice-cold water and shake. After about 20 seconds of shaking, the powered mix dissolves quickly into the water. I then added some ice and a whole packet of Honey Popping Boba. I have never had popping boba before, so trying them was a super fun experience! The tea has a pleasantly light cherry flavor, and the popping boba provides small, sweet bursts of honey. Since the drink is quite sugary for my taste, I found making it with half a scoop of mix and 13 oz. of water to be to my liking. I encourage anyone who purchases this set to play around with the ratios of mix to water to find what you enjoy most! Next, I tried the strawberry matcha tea. To make this tea, you follow the same steps as the fruit tea. However, to prepare the Brown Sugar Boba, you must open the packet and cook it in the microwave for 40 seconds. Despite the short time in the microwave, these boba pearls get very hot, so it is best to let them cool down for several minutes before handling them and adding them to your drink. Since this is a milk tea, it gets surprisingly frothy once you shake your drink! This tea has a strong matcha flavor, and the tapioca pearls are sweet and chewy. Like the cherry tea, I found adding half a scoop of mix to 13 oz. of water to be the better ratio for me. When diluted, the green tea notes become much lighter, allowing the strawberry flavor to come through more. If I had to pick a favorite between these two, it would be the cherry blossom fruit tea! I love its light fruity flavor, and the popping boba is so much fun. Overall, this is a lovely, high-quality Collector’s Box of boba teas, and the shaker cup is an awesome Assassin’s Creed collectible! Thanks again to MADRINAS for sending me the Assassin's Creed Shadows Collector's Box to review! To pick up your own limited edition Collector’s Box or one of the two boba tea mixes, visit MADRINAS’ website at: https://madrinas.com/products/assassins-creed-shadows-collectors-box And follow MADRINAS on socials: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) YouTube TikTok Check out our video review of the MADRINAS x Assassin’s Creed Shadows boba teas here! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Frame Hold Photography is a passionate Virtual Photographer who joined our Video Content Creation Team in Summer 2022, as we began our efforts to break away from solely written content. During a period of uncertainty for TOWCB website, FHP stepped up and took on the role of Site Manager, overseeing our restoration efforts. Our website today now sits at the top of many Google searches📈 Outside of AC, she is also a full time editor and visual effects artist on TV commercials, and has been putting her skills to use in the community by creating epic Assassin's Creed tribute videos, miniature figure painting videos and editing episodes of our Rally the Creed podcast! Frame Hold Photography

AC Community Questions: Laury_Runs Interview Share 27 Sept 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Col: Hi Laury, thank you for joining me for this introductory interview. Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role within the Assassin's Creed Community. Laury: Hi Colum, I’ll try to make it short. So I’m Laury, born and raised in Germany but I travel a lot as I work remotely. I’ve got two beautiful bengal cat-leopards, I love lore deep dives into complex dystopian or futuristic worlds and I like to write and draw. The Assassin’s Creed series is my favourite game series of all time, so I will gladly be contributing hours and hours of gameplay in live stream and videos. Col: In September 2024, you joined The Ones Who Came Before's Assassin's Creed Partnership Program, known as the Isu_Network. Are you looking forward to working alongside the Video Content Creation Team during the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows? Laury: Absolutely! Since I played Black Flag I’ve been wishing and waiting for an Assassin’s Creed game setting in Japan, so I am very excited for the release of Shadows. It’s a whole new experience for me to be sharing gameplay online and I find it so much more enriching to share and discuss Assassin’s Creed related content with a community that loves the series as much as I do. Col: How excited are you to get your hands on the upcoming instalment? Laury: So excited! I’ve been hoping for an Assassin’s Creed game that plays in Japan since many years now, and now that I’m streaming it brings me even more joy to play games. I have high expectations, I know that’s dangerous. But if the world will be as broad and scenic as all the games before, Shadows cannot disappoint me already. I hope for some new juicy facts and intrigues about the Isu and Abstergo. Sure, I’m a little bit sad about the delayed release date, but I rather wait a little longer instead of playing a broken game…we saw what that does to people at the Cyberpunk 2077 release. Col: When did you first start streaming, and what would you say are some of the recurring themes that regular viewers will recognise in a Laury_Runs stream? Laury: I started streaming in winter 2023 when I was playing Baldur’s Gate 3. When you catch me on stream, besides Assassin’s Creed, you will usually find me playing any Open world RPG’s in the science fiction genre, sometimes fantasy. I like to cosplay from time to time, challenge myself with challenge runs, death counts or bets with the chat. Also you will see my cats getting in the way from time to time, begging for attention…or food. Col: What are some of your most recent Assassin's Creed Community Projects, and what are you working on currently? Laury: Trying to beat the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Niflheim DLC at the moment. Next on the list are the chronicle games, as they are the only Assassin’s Creed games I have not played…yet. Col: Have you visited any of the locations from the games? Laury: I’ve been to Greece, Rome, Paris, Norway, England and Israel. I had planned a trip to Florence (yes, mainly because of Ezio climbing around on the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore), but Covid got in the way. So it’s still on the list. I am very interested in archaeology, so I would also love to travel to Egypt and check out some cool excavation sites. Col: Which Assassin's Creed game is your favourite and why? Laury: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is my favourite game of all time. I also love the setting of Origins, but when it comes to the gameplay, characters and questlines, Odyssey just hits a special nerve. Also I’ve always been super interested in Greek history and mythology, so meeting all the “Greek” Isu, Pythagoras in the Atlantis DLC and seeing all my favourite themes and places come to life boost this game all the way up on the list. When it comes to “older” Assassin’s Creed games, I really enjoyed Syndicate and Black Flag. My first game I ever played on console was Assassin’s Creed II, so it will always have a special place in my heart, as I consider this game to have made me a gamer and I have never stopped playing the series ever since. Col: What would be your dream setting for the upcoming AC Netflix TV show or future game? Laury: I was always hoping for Japan as a setting, which we will now get with Shadows. The movie from 2016 was good, but it couldn’t really capture the complexity of the game series with its different timelines. So I am hoping for a more suspenseful experience, where several timelines will all come together in a big climax. When it comes to settings, I don’t think I can be disappointed, there is nothing specific on the list. The more complex the story and theme similarity to the games, the better. As I am from Germany, maybe I would like to see it in the upcoming Hexe game, and I know many people would love to see Germany during the Second World War. Col: What advice do you have for people looking to begin streaming? Laury: Only do it if you enjoy communicating with the viewers. I am not a multitasker so that has been challenging for me in the beginning, however I enjoy playing games so much more, since I can share my experience playing them live. Also: consistency is key. Don’t do it because you want to get famous overnight, do it because you love it. Col: Where can our community members find you online? Laury: You can find me on Twitch as Laury_Runs . I play Assassin’s Creed during the week and other games on the weekends. Soon you’ll be able to catch my first blind unspoiled RDR2 stream on Youtube, also as Laury_runs. We would like to say a huge thank you to Laury for joining us for this interview. Look out for her Assassin's Creed streams at Laury_Runs and stay tuned for all things Assassin's Creed here at The Ones Who Came Before. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin's Creed Shadows World Trailer Released News Share 13 Sept 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Ubisoft has released the World Trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows, showcasing the new dynamic weather system and stunning landscapes. We are now just three months away from launch, and we here at The Ones Who Came Before can't wait to play the latest instalment. Here is our Trailer Analysis video by SisterlyThrower from TOWCB Video Content Creation Team exploring likes and dislikes from the new footage. Stay tuned for all things Assassin's Creed Shadows here at The Ones Who Came Before 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)