The latest entry in the mega-popular Assassin’s Creed franchise has been revealed: Assasssin’s Creed: Syndicate. The game is for PS4, Xbox One and PC, on October 23rd.
Syndicate is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec. The game takes place in Victorian London, as reports suggested last year, in the year 1868 (very reminiscent of another Victorian London game). The plot seems to revolve around slavery, oppression, the birth of technology, and will feature famous faces, as is common with the series. There were 3 assassins in the demo, one of which was Indian, indicating that the East India Trading Company may also play a role in the story (also similar to a previous Victorian London game).
The trailer showed off new gameplay mechanics, including the Assassin Gauntlet (a grapple hook), a revolver, and brass knuckles. These new weapons seem to replace swords and long-range guns that the developer has said will make Syndicate “the fastest-paced Assassin’s Creed game to date.”
Close quarter combat is said to change the pace of the series more than any previous game, making it is faster and more “like a brawl.” Hand-to-hand combat is definitely a key feature that looks fun and a fair change for the series. You can also use the environment as a weapon now, similarly to the Arkham series, for example, dropping barrels on an unsuspecting enemy.
One feature also briefly mentioned was that of street gangs. There are little to no details about these gangs but it seems that they will play a role similar to the Brotherhood in previous games.
Traversal has been rapidly changed in Syndicate, particularly using the new grappling hook, or Assassin Gauntlet. This new hook allows you to climb buildings in a second and swing from one to another. Traffic is also a new feature in the series, having never been this far forward in time before; there are horse-drawn carriages throughout London. You can jump on top of the carriages and travel on them, parkour over them, assassinate targets within, or from them, and engage in fights on top of them.
Most notably, you can also drive the carriages and battle with them. These carriage battles look fun and exciting, smashing through the streets and damaging each others carts.
Perhaps the biggest feature in Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is that of dual protagonists; twins Jacob and Evie Frye. Reports Reports has suggested that there would be a playable female character and this was confirmed in the development trailer. Ubisoft said Jacob is somewhat of a hot-head and Evie keeps him in line. The extent of gameplay that can be had with Evie was not stated but the report suggested it would be similar to GTA V, switching on the fly – which would certainly make city-wide travel simpler.
The Syndicate footage looked very good, for pre-alpha footage. And the scale of London, which wasn’t fully revealed, looks very large and detailed. London looks like a live, breathing city, which is no easy feat. London will be divided into 7 boroughs. The demo showed off and showcased huge sections of London and the 7 boroughs. The developer said that Syndicate‘s London is “30% larger” than Unity.
Unity was met with intense criticism for its now infamous bugs and glitches, but maybe Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate may be a return to form for the series. Expect more of the game to be revealed in the coming weeks at E3.
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