Debate of the Date: American Assassin?

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Have you heard the news? The word is out, Assassin’s Creed is coming to America. The details of what we know (and another picture) are here for all those interested.

It’s a far cry from what we’ve guessed the next game might look like, but I’ll be damned if I don’t think this is actually a pretty cool idea. Here are some questions I’m still trying to work through, however:

– If this new Altair/Ezio/Desmond relative is Native American as he would appear to be, is he from like, the other side of the family or something? How would that work genetically? I supposed one of his relatives could have come over on the Santa Maria and married a local girl, and this would be his half European, half Indian descendant. Still, a bit strange.

– What exactly are we going to climb on? America might have some cool stuff to scale now, but were there any buildings taller than three stories in the Revolutionary War era? What was the biggest metropolis at that time? Can it even compare to a massive expanse like what we’ve seen with Rome in previous games?

– Guns are now the official tool of war, and though they’ve shown up in past games, everyone should have them now, our hero included. How much will this effect gameplay if the hand-held gun is no longer just some hard to use Da Vinci invention?

But yeah, I’m pretty pumped. Are you?

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24 Comments

  1. I’d much rather prefer it being set in the French Revolution (1789 one) because there was just so much crazy occurring at that time. I have not kept up with the series, but rumours say that it will take place in Philadelphia. I do not know my American History though.

  2. I love Assassin’s Creed, but the latest installment (Revelations) made me realize the franchise’s current formula is getting a little stale. Don’t get me wrong; even the worst AC game is better than 99.9% of games out there. However, I think this new direction is just the radical step the series needs to feel fresh again. I’m stoked.

  3. There were a number of established cities along the east coast by the time the war broke out. I’ve never had the opportunity to play any of the assasin’s creed games but the more I read about them the more I want to play. Does anyone know if they are on PC or just the consoles?

  4. The assassin just has to be a ancestor of Desmond, does not have to actually be a descendant to Ezio or Altair.

    Boston, Philadelphia, New York were all pretty established by then, though they were built with wider streets than their European counterparts.

  5. @Gil They’re on both, all four of the current ones are on Steam right now, as well in the PC section of many video game stores.

    I can’t remember where I read this, but Altair and Ezio were already on the mother and father sides of Desmond’s ancestry. If this Assassin is indeed Native American it’s possible maybe some Spanish ancestor of maybe Ezio ended up in the Americas.

  6. Considering all the secret society lore that surrounds the founding of the U.S., the Revolutionary War is a great backdrop for the on-going Templar/Assassin tension in the past. Didn’t AC2 even establish that Washington was in possession of one of the Pieces of Eden? Maybe that’s what Desmond will be looking for in the game’s present-time framework.

    As for his ancestor being Native American, it could just as easily be a riff on Natty Bumppo or evidence of the Assassins moved into the New World fairly quickly.

  7. I called this!! Yes, guns were established weapons at this time but we still don’t have a revolver. So if weapons take long times to reload all our new protagonist has to do is be swift. Imagine picking up a rifle, gunning down a Brit than fighting with the bayonet!

  8. Guns were established, but were far from accurate- rifling wasn’t commonly used until the 19th century. Much of the warfare during the Revolutionary war was guerrilla in style. Muskets aren’t good for guerrilla combat, because of the reloading time. On top of that, the colonies had been established early in the 1600s. The Revolutionary War did not take place until the 1770s, over a hundred years later. And based off of what we’ve seen with previous games, both the Templar and the Assassins tended to jump onto trends. There is a lot that can be done with a game taking place during the Revolutionary War.

  9. I like the art, and the idea, but I’m confused by one thing. The art alone isn’t enough to say he’s Native American. Yes, he’s got the tomahawk and a quiver, but anyone in that time period could have picked them up, especially as assassin’s tools. Just sayin’. Either way, I’m excited as hell for it!

  10. Please, please, PLEASE for the love of god may the people at Ubisoft avoid the idiocy of setting it in America. Let whoever disagrees be content watching National Treasure movies and do not deprive us from the potential AWESOMENESS this game could bring us if set in:

    – Decline of the Ming dynasty
    – French Revolution
    – Feudal Japan

  11. I think this is a great idea…the middle east / renaissance Italy theme is now wearing a wee bit thin, and setting it in the new world definitely shakes things up and will very likely introduce many new elements to the game play.

    Yes, there were large, sprawling metropolises during that era (New York, Philly, and Boston spring to mind)…but also frontier settlements, trading posts, and forts. I’m hoping it’s something in the vein of Last of the Mohicans…and quite honestly, that is a tone and topic we’ve never really seen in a vido game before.

  12. Mixed breed people of Native/European ancestry have been rather common in North America since the time of the fur trade. These people (now called Metis in Canada) often filled roles as guides, interpreters, hunters, trappers since they were essentially a bridge between cultures. It’s actually a very decent background for an assassin when you think about it.

  13. see i woulda thought the final AC game would be set in modern times, with Desmond as the assassin, taking down the modern day templars :S oh well

  14. Gotta say I am very excited after the cover reveal. I’ve played every previous game outside of Revelations simply because I was getting a little worn out on the Europe/Ezio storyline, but hopefully the “3” will include some more imaginative tweaking of the game’s controls and side quests to truly deliver a new experience.

    I particularly like the setting of the American Revolution, partly because I really enjoy American history and partly because I thought for sure the next one would take place in China (I have no idea why, just made sense.)

    The Revolution isn’t quite a black & white issue and playing as a Native American would be a nice touch if presented well. The Spanish, French and indigenous people of the U.S. all played a role in the Revolution and hopefully those shades of gray will come into play a bit. The period is ripe with historical figures and though there were major U.S. cities at the time, I wonder if the game will mix in the forests as a vertical aspect of the gameplay.

  15. I was really hoping for a ACIII in Japan during the Tokugawa Shogunate, but America would be nice too, specially during the Revolutionary Era, I hope they start with French-Indian Wars. And yeah Ben Franklin becoming the Leonardo replacement… and then Free Masons too!

  16. I’m excited for the new time period/setting. As a few others stated, the series has gotten pretty stale. I recently finished Revelations and it was my least favorite in the series. Keep in mind that we still haven’t heard anything about the other half of the game (Desmond’s journey). I hope it will be equally split between the new ancestor and Desmond.

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