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Ubisoft has dropped a substantial sack of info on the world’s doorstep related to the next entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. Through a couple of new trailers and features we are introduced to new details regarding the characters, environment, story, and new gameplay this first ‘true-next-gen’ will have to offer.
For anyone that missed the first batch of deets, this new entry will take place in the Victorian era of late 1800’s London. The city is a large recreation of the period including a few landmarks like Big Ben interwoven with cobble stone roadways lined with buildings built from masonry and iron. The streets bustle with the usual foot traffic but also a heavy presence of horse-drawn carriages as well.
The new pre-rendered trailer brings many recent movies and shows to mind. There are many scenes that feel ripped from the recent Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes films or any number of such period pieces. The trailer reveals a little more about the story and setting in that you’ll apparently be the leader of a band of miscreants fighting for power in the criminal underground of London, of course with the usual sprinkling of Templars and conspiracies and all.
There’s loads of fast action, fist fights, chase scenes, and the usual tropes you’d expect from an AC game.
The second trailer features pre-alpha gameplay and begins with a conversation between a few of the main characters in a pub. This is our first introduction to the brother-sister gang leaders that will be under our control through the story. Both Jacob and Evie Frye will be playable in the story, a new twist on the formula that makes me wonder if the story will actually change at all based on who you choose…
This trailer then turns into a brief playthrough by one of the dev’s that hits some of the new developments in gameplay that’ll be in play.
You’ll now have access to a rope-launcher that can be used as a grappling hook or zip line to traverse the city much more quickly. There have also been a number of changes made to the stealth systems in the game, which now focus more on staying sneaky and out of sight, versus hiding in the usual group of pedestrians.
The combat scenarios displayed show that the combat is much faster and focused on fisticuffs this time around. You can team up with other friendly NPCs from your gang to take on your enemies and firearms will again have their place in the fight as well.
A few other items brought up include the lack of multi-player, historical figures such as Darwin and Dickins, the return of the day-night cycle, and very limited details on the flash-forward segment of the game.
Overall I haven’t seen anything truly exceptional or game changing, it’s more or less just another AC in a new setting. The key takeaways for me would be the lively dialog between the boisterous Jacob and his more hardline sister Evie – I think these characters may end up being pretty entertaining and bring some life to the story.
As far as gameplay goes, I’ve stayed away from the series since starting Black Flag and not really being impressed with any of it. I’m not sure if the new setting, combat, and story elements will be enough to bring me back for what would really only be my third ‘complete’ playthrough, but color me interested at least.
AC: Syndicate should drop on or around October 23rd of this year for PS4, Xbone, and PC. Stay close for further details as they are revealed!
Source: Kotaku
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