Part of the fun of theAssassin’s Creedseries is getting to visit specific moments and civilizations from history. With all of human history as its idea board, the series has many potential settings for new games.Assassin’s Creed Shadowsrecently fulfilled one of the most popular requests among fans of the series: anAssassin’s Creedgame set in feudal Japan.
Now thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowshas launched, I can’t help but wonder what the next setting in the franchise will be. One direction could be to take asetting fromAssassin’s Creed Chronicles- India, China, or Russia - and flesh it out into a full game. However, I would personally prefer the series to go in a completely new direction, one that would extend the timeline further into the modern era than it has been before.
Assassin’s Creed Should Revisit A More Modern Setting
Recent Assassin’s Creed Games Have Been Set Farther In The Past
Recent games in the series, likeAssassin’s Creed OdysseyandAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, have been set in the distant past. WhileAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis far more recent - taking place about a thousand years afterAC Valhalla- it is still far from the most recent games in theAssassin’s Creedtimeline. Eventhe most modern game in the timeline,Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, only covers up to the mid to late 1800s. This leaves pretty much all of late-modernity with untapped potential for the series.
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As is made clear by Abstergo’s existence,the Templar Order still exists in the modern day, and we can assume they have remained active throughout history. This means there are clearly stories to tell taking place more recently than in the 1800s. While I’ve seen it argued that a modern city is asettingAssassin’s Creedshould never usefor gameplay purposes, I don’t agree. I think as long as the setting in question was well-suited to the core gameplay of the series, it shouldn’t be an issue, and I think I know the perfect place for the game.
World War 2 France Offers The Perfect Setting For A New Assassin’s Creed Game
The Occupation Of France Created The Need For Covert Operations
For anAssassin’s Creedgame to work in a modern setting, it would need to take place during a very distinct historical event, and in a place where the stealth-based gameplay makes sense.Occupied France during World War 2 fits this description perfectly. The setting has even been used for a similarly styled open-world game before withThe Saboteur. While not perfect,The Saboteurwas pretty enjoyable, and more than good proof of concept that a game in this setting could work.
Now, I know thatAssassin’s Creed Unityis already set in France, and even briefly showed World War 2. With plenty of places in the world that the series has yet to explore, I can understand wanting something new. However, I think setting a game in a more modern version of a previous location would open up some interesting possibilities. We could see Easter eggs about Arno and what type of legacy he left for the French Assassins. It would also be fun to explore an updated version of a previous map to see how things have changed over time.
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Occupied France would also offerthe perfect way to include the Assassins as part of the French Resistance. The Maquis were an assorted band of resistance fighters in France who used guerilla tactics to oppose the Nazis. Including the Assassins, or at least an Assassin, as part of the Marquis would make total sense. The setting also has the perfect role for the Assassins' rivals, the Templars.
World War 2 Has The Perfect Way To Include Assassins And Templars
The Assassin’s Creed Comics Already Have A Set-Up For World War 2
While noAssassin’s Creedgames take place during World War 2 (save for a quick section inAssassin’s Creed Unity), theAssassin’s Creed: Conspiraciesgraphic novels by Guillaume Dorison, Jean-Baptiste Hostache, and Patrick Pion do.These novels showed that the Templar Order had helped orchestrate the events leading to the warand embedded themselves into the Nazi regime. Following this set up, anAssassin’s Creedgame set in occupied France could include Templars among the occupying forces for the player to target.
Now, whileAssassin’s Creed: Conspiraciesis considered canon, there is precedence for comics to become non-canon stories. A previous crop ofAssassin’s Creedcomics were declared non-canon by Ubisoft Montreal’s transmedia and business development director, Aymar Azaïzia, onX. Still, I think there would be enough flexibility to use the set-up from the graphic novels for a World War 2Assassin’s Creedgame while still telling a new story.
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HardcoreAssassin’s Creedfans may know thatthere is already a story planned to take place in Nazi-occupied France for the upcomingAssassin’s Creed Roleplaying GamebyCMON. It, too, depicts the Templars being embedded in the Nazi forces, this time specifically in France. With this framework already set up, it seems like France during World War 2 would be the perfect setting for an upcoming game.
The End Of The War Would Be The Perfect Climax To An Assassin’s Creed Game
Hunting Down Nazi Sympathizers Sounds Like The Perfect Job For An Assassin
Not only is the World War 2 setting already primed for anAssassin’s Creedgame through external sources, but the history of the Maquis and their operations in France would make for a well-constructed narrative. The game could start early in the organization’s history, when they mostly carried out smaller operations in the rural areas of France. This would allow players to get a feel for the setting and new mechanics a modernAssassin’s Creedgame would introduce. The story could then also have a classic narrative arc with rising action as the Maquis' operations grew later in the war.
Following the liberation of France, the Maquis participated in the (often violent) retribution against the remaining Nazis and their collaborators.This seems like it would be a great backdrop for the ending of anAssassin’s Creedgame. There would be conflict and fighting to get involved in, and perhaps the game’s main antagonist could be attempting to flee while the main Assassin and the resistance fighters hunt them down. Ending the game with the assassination of the game’s villain, while France celebrates its independence and works toward rebuilding would be perfect.
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I can understand some of the arguments why players would want theAssassin’s Creedfranchiseto avoid becoming too modernized. Part of the fun of the games is exploring settings that are different from the world we live in and learning about historical periods. While there would be plenty to teach about 1940s occupied France, and the country has changed over the last 80 years, it isn’t nearly as different from today as somewhere like Ancient Egypt. That said, I think theAssassin’s Creedseries would work well in a more modern setting, and this feels like the perfect one.
