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Ubisoft Launches Educational Discovery Tour for Assassin's Creed Valhalla News Share 19 Oct 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Ubisoft has now launched the third entry in the Discovery Tour series, Viking Age. The non-combat educational experience allows players to explore and learn more about the places, people, and cultures of ninth-century England and Norway. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla's new educational expansion builds upon the prior releases covering Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, allowing players to freely roam the Viking era to discover more about the history and traditions of the time. This entry however takes a new approach to how players explore history. Instead of embarking on guided tours, players will assume the roles of different characters and take on quests, which aim to bring them closer to the material by putting them at the center of it. (Ubisoft Blog) ​ Another new introduction is the inclusion of Discovery Sites, that each focus on a different element of the Vikings / Anglo-Saxons culture, including Viking Age: War & Politics, Daily Life, Religion & Magic, Myths & Legends, Science, Law & Justice, Art & Culture and Trade & Economy. Players embark on 8 quests that feature such sites that host images of items housed within the collections of Discovery Tour’s museum partners: UK’s Hampshire Cultural Trust, Preston Park Museum & Grounds, York Archaeological Trust, The British Library; Réunion des Musées Nationaux; National Museum of Denmark. ​ The entry actively encourages players to explore the time period in an authentic, narrative driven way, in comparison to the digital museum exhibitions of Greece and Egypt, making it feel more lifelike. By engaging with stories and playing as historical characters, new opportunities for learning are created. Although the quests are relatively short, each arc contains a wealth of history in a playable format that makes the educational platform feel more personal and memorable than ever before. The two new creative pillars, “History through stories” and “Learning by doing'', really are the driving force, combining narrative threads with historical information and virtual artefacts, bringing it to life. Viking Age is the strongest entry in the Discovery Tour series, and pushes the boundaries of virtual learning even further. Storytelling is at the heart of the experience, and was designed in close collaboration with historians and archaeologists. The non-combat approach also means that the tool can be used around the world to educate pupils on historical culture, with Ubisoft recently renewing its partnership with UKIE on the Digital Schoolhouse project. This saw the company release 5000 PC codes to 52 primary schools, who are now able to access the platform in unique lessons split between virtual education and traditional. ​ Ubisoft has also developed curriculum guides that offer customised activities and lesson plans based on the field of study and the level of the students, in partnership with the Montréal McGill University, with a grant from Mitacs. (Via Ubi Press Release) ​ Discovery Tour: Viking Age also treats all Assassin’s Creed Valhalla fans with 11 exclusive rewards to unlock in the main game, 25 Behind-The-Scenes stations about the main game development, and 24 exploration characters. Discovery Tour: Viking Age will be free for all owners of Assassin’s Creed® Valhalla and will be available on the same platforms as the main game. The PC standalone version of Discovery Tour: Viking Age will be available via Ubisoft Connect and on the Epic Games Store for £16.99. For the very first time in the Discovery Tour franchise, Discovery Tour: Viking Age will also release as a standalone on Stadia, Luna, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S | X in early 2022. ​ History is our playground 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)

Assassins Creed Tribute game - TOWCB Interview with Fan Project Game Director Noah Stavish Community Interview Share 9 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Colum Blackett Back To Database Back in December, a devoted and skilled group of fans who had spent the past year building their own Assassin Creed game released their first preview video, showcasing initial footage from the project. Now in its early stages, details on gameplay, story and the inspirations are ready to be revealed. Teaser trailer showing the environments of the city of Valletta, located on Quarry Wharf. It’s hard to deny that Assassin's Creed has gone through a bit of an identity crisis in its 15 year long existence, and endless stream of games. Originally lauded for featuring “one of the most unique gameworlds ever created” , the early titles included groundbreaking and innovative approaches to movement, story and the use of history in video games. As the series aged it grew past what once made it special. With the implementation of RPG elements, a stripped down movement system and mythological creatures patrolling the once purely historical settings, it’s hard to find the original ideas that drew audiences to these games so long ago. In lieu of official content to scratch that Assassin itch, a group of long term fans have decided to take on the challenge. “We really just started off with the desire to make a game,” explains game director Noah Stavish . “We didn’t have a single thing in mind for the setting or anything like that. “We just weren’t happy with the direction of the franchise, we’re big fans of the older style games.” “Tribute: An Assassin’s Creed Fan Game”, is a non-profit PC game, currently in development by Erudito Entertainment.'' Set during the French invasion of Malta in 1798, the team aims to bring the franchise back to its roots, with complex parkour and potentially even a few recurring characters. With his cat meowing behind him, I sat down with Noah to learn more about the development process and details of this upcoming game. It started quite earnestly, Noah recalls: “A group of us were talking about making a fan game over on the Assassin's Creed subreddit Discord. We then created our own separate Discord and started seriously discussing the potential locations.” “One of the big things we knew was that we had to have a setting where you play as an Assassin. We want to play as a capital A Assassin.” With this in mind the team created an 800 year period of time to choose a setting between, 1100 (the time of the first game) to 1900, where technology felt too advanced to tell a truly historical tale. Between that, and the gameplay intentions of bringing back complex parkour and detailed stealth mechanics, Malta seemed like the ideal setting; a unique location and period with enough political intrigue and highly populated cities to service a perfect Assassins tale. But, Noah made sure to point out that this setting will be more than just a pretty backdrop. “There’s a lot of really interesting conspiracy and intrigue and politics to play around with.'' “At the time the Knights Hospitaller, the Knights of Malta, started digging into the ancient temples of Malta.'' Concept work for customisable outfits. The team is taking inspiration from the disguise mechanics of Hitman and Assassin’s Creed Liberation, while keeping the visual codes of Assassin robes “We were looking at this, there were reports of this digging continuing throughout the late 18th Century. What were they digging for? “They’re in the middle of a siege and have a department of people going to dig up the site every day. That’s really weird.” It’s within the crevices of histories strangeness that Euridito Entertainment plan to build their story, playing into mysteries like what the Knights Hospitaller were truly upto, or Napoleon's secret motivations. The story itself will follow a young Assassin named Karmena, as she gains new skills to take out the threats that face this island. Harkening back to the Ezio trilogy, her family will be recurring characters, with their safety and own philosophies being constant pressures on Karmena’s actions. It’s all shaping up to be a true spiritual successor to the original titles, with an experienced developer leading the project. Noah told me: “I started off as an indie [developer] back in 2014. Game development has really been a passion, something I wanted to go into. “I ended up working at project contingency, project coral and a few other fan projects. That eventually led to me getting a job with Microsoft, I helped release Crackdown 3, Gears 5, and a couple Minecraft updates.” With this breadth of experience leading the team, and a dedication to the franchise, only one threat really stands in their way. Copyright law. “Shortly after we had the idea I reached out to Ubisoft support to see about whether or not this was allowed. “We didn’t hear from them till a week or two ago when we posted the teaser trailer. I was contacted directly by a Ubisoft representative who was just asking about the project, and I told them we were fully willing to comply with any of their demands.'' “I’m happy to do anything to make them feel secure in their IP.” So far Ubisoft seem to be happy, leaving the project to tick along without intrusion. With a few years of development left however, we will wait and see. Currently, the team are looking for artists and animators, especially those who can work with metahumans and Unreal Engine 5. To find out more about “Tribute” visit their Discord, or their ModDB page. Fact File Originally Assassins Creed was intended to be a spinoff of the Prince of Persia franchise, however as development progressed the team saw the potential of turning it into an original IP. The series' philosophies and historical influences are inspired by the Russian novel Alamut, which explores the real Islamic rebellions during the crusades. A TV adaptation of the series is currently in development by Netflix. At least four official Assassins Creed games are currently in development at Ubisoft, two of which will finally take the player to Asia. Ubisoft hire doctors of history to research the periods the game will be set in, as this allows them to build as accurate as possible depictions of the periods they explore. We would like to say a huge thank you to Noah for joining us for this interview. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases so far including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! Finn Fletcher

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 6th to 12th March Community Share 14 Mar 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the 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 captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed The Battle Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey VP Artist: @ coalabr14 This week’s showcase begins with an epic battle shot from Odyssey. I am really enjoying the mood of this capture. It has a very cinematic style and reminds me of the Gladiator movie. Kassandra looks like a true warrior, deflecting the Athenian shield while her sword is on fire. I wish these battles were in Valhalla. Would have been great to be part of a shield wall. Link: https://twitter.com/coalabr14/status/1632687287137103873?s=46&t=rIujpeSq9644fgpRWA_xMA The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week: Judge - Colum Blackett ( Col_96 ) from TOWCB Core Team I love how Kassandra and her flaming sword take centre stage in this shot, captured during one of the large-scale battles which Odyssey recreated so well. For me, this shot looks good enough to have been an official promotional image for the game, and uses colour particularly well to create an atmosphere. Kassandra almost certainly executed her attacker moments later. Surprise Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ m_nt_13 A bit of comedy for our second shot this week. This capture just brings a smile to my face. My daughter does the same thing to me if I don’t pay her attention. All jokes aside this shot is fantastic, it is the perfect mix of timing and positioning. I applaud m for originality here, really brings something quirky and different to our VP showcase. Women of the Creed Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 VP Artist: @ Amaya_Nocturna It was International Women’s day on Wednesday and what better way to celebrate than this beautiful capture of Eivor. I am always a sucker for black background shots, I feel it elevates the subject so well. The lack of colour in general here adds to a vintage feel that compliments the classic Assassin look. This shot would make a stunning phone wallpaper. Enter the Creed Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Virtual_Polly Valhalla often receives criticism for its lack of Assassin’s, however I enjoyed exploring the hidden Bureaus. This shot certainly shows off why they are such a delight to uncover. I like the angle of this capture as it encompasses the fiery Assassin symbol with Eivor stood in the centre. I love the shadow work, especially Eivor’s. This photo is full of mystery and intent, and it makes me want to fire up the game again. Edward Kenway Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ FrameHoldPhotos I had to end this week with a celebration of everyone’s favourite Pirate. It is very much a pirate’s life for this seafaring Assassin. Edward brought about a change to the formula and the reception was favourable. I love this capture, a beautiful celebratory shot in the modern format. The sea, sand, outfit and sky are a pleasure to look at. Happy Birthday Edward Kenway! Link: https://twitter.com/frameholdphotos/status/1634255117544202257?s=46&t=rIujpeSq9644fgpRWA_xMA 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 Podziel się swoimi przemyśleniami Napisz komentarz jako pierwszy. 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

Education Through Story: An Overview of Discovery Tour: Viking Age Review Share 18 Dec 2021 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database The Ones Who Came Before published an article in September about the Discovery Tour by Ubisoft, discussing both the museum style game mode and the books published in France. At the time of publication, the new Discovery Tour: Viking age had been announced but had not been detailed outside that it would be a new experience. With time we were provided more information that the new Discovery Tour would be an experience that focuses on education via combat free storytelling. The excitement built as the first images of the new mode were release just a few weeks before launch and come October 19, the Assassin’s Creed Community had dove head first into the world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla after countless hours of raiding monestaries, building settlements, and fighting the King of England. This was a new way to explore the beautiful landscapes and mythical realms of AC Valhalla. DT: Viking Age is told in eight chapters, following three storylines that intertwine across Norway, England, Jotunheim, and Asgard. Thorsteinn Silvertongue and his wife Gunnhilda, a merchant family from Stavanger, are seeking wealth through raiding under Jarl Harald Fairhair and the promise of a new life in England. In Grantebridgescire, a monk of the Isle of Ely Monastery, Brother Ealric is adapting to his new life as a brother of their church and strengthening his Christian faith. Lastly, King Aelfred of Wincestre works towards a solution to the “Great Heathen Army” and the protection of his Kingdom in England. When it comes to controls and mechanics, players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will find that the directional pad actions are usable to summon a horse, longship, use a torch, and meditate to pass time within the world. There are guided instructions for these actions via the story missions to assist those who have not played the prior release before. Additionally, Odin Sight and a personal raven are available to locate interactive nodes and examine the environment around them from a higher perspective. Keeping the same controls minus the combat has allowed a smooth transition into DT: Viking Age. The education portion of Discovery Tour is broken up into two types of collectable informative codex entries; Learnings (historical entries) and Behind the Scenes (game design entries). Subjects cover Daily Life, Law & Justice, Trade & Economy, Art & Culture, War & Politics, Religion & Magic, and lastly Science. The BTS sections are divided into Research, Immersion, England, and Scandinavia. The order these Learnings and BTS are unlocked are organized around the story in each chapter. In example, Chapter 3: Seaworthy provides information on relationships within a clan and their shipbuilding. On average, each chapter will provide 20 Learnings and at least 2 or more BTS Codex entries. When each chapter is completed, a short recap is provided by a research expert and the player is able to replay the chapter again or free roam the area in an open exploration, this is where the majority of Learnings and BTS can be gathered without breaking away from the story. Once the player gathers a fixed amount of either Codex type, a new character can be unlocked to be used as an avatar when traversing the world of DT: Viking Age. In total there are 24 total characters to choose from, 6 of which are available at the start of the story. 12 characters are unlocked from Learnings, 3 from BTS, and the last two are unlocked after finishing Chapters 6 & 8. One of the key benefits of having so many characters to roam around with is the Photo Mode function of the game, allowing players to take their favorite characters to any location within Norway, England, Jotunheim, or Asgard that do not require some form of combat to unlock (such as destructible coverings). Players of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla are also rewarded at the end of the remaining chapters that did not provide character rewards. These rewards cover all selective components of the main game around the customization of the character and their settlement. A new max level gear set, raven, longship, horse, tattoo set, and settlement decoration pack are the rewards. Once the player has completed all chapters in DT: Viking age, a Mythical Short Sword is unlocked to close the “Valhalla Rewards” provided. The theme of all of these unlocks is historical and more grounded than some of the mystical designs in the gear and decorations of the parent title. Discovery Tour: Viking Age, is an improvement on the original Museum style guided tours that were experienced in Ancient Egypt and Greece. Integrating the educational aspects of the history that influenced Assassin’s Creed Valhalla into bite sized chapters of a detailed and historically accurate story made the content interesting and captivating. Players that were dismissive of the original Discovery Tour method may find this interactive story to be more attention grasping and explore the content more. This is also supported by the use of DT: Viking Age in educational settings. The unique software has been provided to multiple schools and was spotlighted on the BBC at the time of launch. Multiple classrooms have presented this refreshed model to their classes and have had students take notes from the learnings to use for review. Gaming in the classroom is something that has been looked at for the future of education and Discovery Tour is a great source of historical information. With the success of the release, future entries in the Assassin’s Creed franchise will likely be followed by additional Discovery Tour experiences. With the game mode being offered separately, this series can continue via education, even when the series comes to an end or a reboot of sorts. The concept of educational story based tools can be expanded into other fields outside of history, and released in multiple languages. Expanding the library of tours for players to experience can also become a new focus for Ubisoft and their library of IPs. However, this can also lead to a higher price point for the mode. While the game is sold separately, there should be free application use for educators and students that are using the software for research. One option could be a more detailed database of Learnings and animated examples or levels to depict how something worked in the past. I found Discovery Tour Viking age to be my favorite entry of the series thus far. The overall gameplay feeling made it more interesting to come back to each night of my playthrough and not try to complete in a single sitting. The chapter format played like episodes in a TV series and the knowledge available in each chapter was never overwhelming. One thing I didn’t care for with DT: Viking Tour was that certain learnings were off the path of the story and were either left until the end of the chapter, or would be an off-course objective that pulls the player from the story. Everything should be included for a complete tour, or displayed as points of interest after the chapter was completed. In addition, once the chapter is complete, a quiz could be given as they were in the past for reward currency to unlock concept art or BTS videos, maybe even more characters to use with the games Photo Mode. It would be enjoyable to have an updated version of the previous two entries to this new format with stories of the era and not based on the games themselves, but more likely released around an anniversary of the games. Games that receive remasters or reboots could have the new mode added on disc or released as their own collection on disc. Assassin’s Creed Infinity could even add the new eras within its release if the game goes the route of the Helix service as seen in AC Unity. Implementing more and more education to the games will not only provide a stepping stone to those that do not play, but allow the ones that do to explore their new interest in the history of these characters via DTs or an in-game codex archive that covers all stories of the AC universe. All aspects covered in this review show not only the current, but future benefits of the Discovery Tour series. By presenting history in an interactive story-driven way similar to shows and film, the newer generations of students can experience their studies and not just absorb fact after fact. I have been able to speak more about the Viking Age, or at least know where I can find information over so many aspects of Viking life with this tool. Unlike the previous entries, while enjoyable, I have not retained the information as much and that alone shows the importance of this new version and a reason why everyone should play it that has interest in the history influencing Assassin’s Creed. Discovery Tour Viking Age is available now through the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla main menu on all systems and separately on the Ubisoft Store and Ubisoft+ for PC. 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 Virtual Photography: 4th to 15th March Community Share 20 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks 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 theme has been run by the TOWCB VP team. We have been monitoring the hashtag and the community hub to see all your wonderful shots. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Assassin’s Creed Vikings Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ GwynVP The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ TuridTorkil Looking at this shot feels like coming home. Fornburg is such a beautiful settlement and I really like to return to it in the game. Gwyn did a great job capturing the Northern Lights, the majestic mountains and the warm fireplaces. Aaron “It is easy to lose one’s way on the road to glory”. The magic of Norway will never get old. Eivor’s epic saga begins in the frozen north, which gives way to some awe-inspiring backdrops. The virtual photography opportunities are endless, that is one of the reasons we still see many shots from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on social media. This beautiful capture from Gwyn really caught my eye. I just love the colours and the strong Norse vibes. Eivor looks great walking in from her longship, torch in hand. The lights in the windows of the houses look so inviting and the sheer scale of that mountain in the distance is incredible. A truly wonderful piece of virtual photography. Corner Swing Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ PodToGo “Once, I lived on the streets and answered only to myself”. The parkour opportunities in Assassin’s Creed Mirage are so much fun. The swing in this shot has to be one of my favourites, I am so glad the developers brought it back. Little moments like this really help to keep the flow when navigating the rooftops of Baghdad. I really like how Pod has captured this as a portrait, it allows for a fantastic composition. The lighting and shadow work is perfect, and Basim looks awesome swinging around the building. Action shots are extremely hard to achieve, and Pod has done tremendously well to align all the aspects in this capture. The Eyes Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ Murphys_Law_Vp “Do not let false victories blind you to what is true”. The Dawn of Ragnarok DLC is a long and sad tale, unfortunately after the length of the main game it can be a bit of a slog. However, it’s an expansion that is extremely picturesque to capture and there are plenty of Easter eggs to be found. Here we can see one of them, I never fully worked out who or what the creepy being is. I assume it is some Jotunn, but it sure makes for an impressive photo. I love the framing in this shot, the trees either side of the Jotunn and the autumnal red leaves on the floor add to the mystical atmosphere. Havi seems really badass just walking away from it without a care, very impressive photography. Reflective Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ RossHiroAsmara “I will walk behind you, every step of the way.” I have found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be great for capturing silhouettes, and the whole atmosphere of the game lends itself perfectly to this. Basim is a character who has a lot of inner turmoil, he often finds himself reflecting on who he is and what role he plays in the world. Here we have Basim in a classic Assassin’s Creed pose. I love the cinematic style of this, with the noise of the shot mixing well with that beautiful sun set. The silhouette is perfect, I adore that the sword and totem are standing out with their respective colours. A magnificent Mirage moment. The Light Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ redmaiden_vp “And maybe someday you will find the light.” I am a sucker for a portrait with a black background. I think this style works so well in the Assassin’s Creed series, especially with the slogan ‘we work in the dark’. All the RGP games have exceptional lighting which makes taking shots like this a dream. We just had to feature this capture; it is so beautifully put together. I am a big fan of the framing, and how the saturation levels heighten the details on Basim’s face. You can see how deep in thought he is, almost poised for the assassination. The Red Maiden has only just started the Mirage journey and I already know I am going to enjoy seeing all the shots. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time 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

The Bold Assassin's Creed Syndicate Analysis Share 9 Aug 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird (TombAssassin) Colum Blackett Back To Database ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ was released by Ubisoft in October 2015, and was immediately greeted with fan love and appreciation. This game was the next title in the long-running ‘Assassin’s Creed’ franchise, and it had fans excited because the historical setting of this game would be the most “modern” game yet in the series, meaning it is the closest time period yet to modern day, set during the year 1868 in London, England during the famous Industrial Revolution. This era in history was a great setting for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series to visit, as ‘Syndicate’ had to change things up in order to accurately match the authenticity of London during this time. Previous games in the series were set further back in history, so certain elements of the era then were quite different from that of previous historical settings. Specifically the way people lived and acted during the Industrial Revolution. People did not walk around carrying swords on their hip anymore, so Ubisoft had a challenge to be different from the past games, while also making the game realistic to players. Ubisoft took a different path than what fans were used to in prior ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games, by still giving players the option to carry around and customize their weapons, but not sacrificing the authenticity of the era. Ubisoft introduced new weapons and elements to the game that made sense in this era. Instead of the protagonists carrying around swords and daggers strapped to their belt, they instead introduced weapons like cane swords, which were common during that era, having a large blade hidden inside a cane like one used for walking with. Ubisoft also brought in brass knuckles for the very first time, which also made sense in this era. Gang members and fight clubs used these weapons frequently, making Ubisoft’s attempt at historical accuracy a win for the company, and still giving fans the full experience of an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game without worsening the experience for players and still being true to the Industrial Revolution in London. Aside from the weapons that were introduced in ‘Syndicate’ , Ubisoft also had to face the challenge of transportation. People in this era got places in different ways. Horse pulled carriages were very popular at the time, the majority of all major streets in the Industrial Revolution London were filled with carriages. So, Ubisoft brought the idea of being able to ride or hijack carriages seen throughout London, and being able to use them as destruction devices. You were able to ram other carriages to damage or destroy enemies pursuing you, or to catch the enemies running away you had to chase down. It was a breath of fresh air for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series, as mechanics like this were brand new in the franchise. Ubisoft also had to introduce the important railroad system. Trains were all the rage in this time period in London, the railroads were used for everything back then, meaning Ubisoft had a challenge to implement this important factor in history into their game. Ubisoft took advantage of the opportunity and made the trains a big part of the game itself. A little bit into the story, gamers had access to their own train. It was a full on homebase almost, as everything you did in the game, a lot of it came down to your train. You could earn money through a safe on the train or upgrade your supplies needed within your group. It was a great deal of creativity from Ubisoft, as they had to face big challenges by being authentic to 1860’s London. Ubisoft also introduced the first dual-protagonist system, a first for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series. Previous games had you mostly playing as one character throughout the majority of the game, so having the choice to switch characters freely at any time was a welcome addition to the series. Ubisoft also allowed gamers to play as a female protagonist for the very first time. This was significant as every prior playable main character in the games were all males. The two characters were twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye, who you could switch to either character at any time during the game. The game even had missions designated for both Jacob and Evie, meaning you got to use both of them equally in the story, and still have the freedom to play as whichever Assassin you wanted while exploring London and what the massive city had to offer. Many fans had been asking for years to finally play as a female protagonist, and Ubisoft delivered in ‘Syndicate’ . The template of a male and female lead-character in an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game was in a way, a precursor to the future of the series. Each game following ‘Syndicate’ offered the choice to play as either a male or female protagonist, showing the importance that ‘Syndicate’ provided. Ubisoft also brought in a very unique addition to the series by introducing a new way to scale and zip across buildings and towers across London, a new rope launching grappling hook. This device was used to quickly climb buildings and structures without the need to take time to physically scale the walls. This was a very unique addition for fans as it was something unseen in the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series before. Gamers could use the rope launcher to escape combat against enemies and quickly disappear without taking too much damage or being outnumbered, and the players were also able to use this launcher as a zipline. If two buildings were far apart and separated, gamers could zipline across the two structures and get there fast without having to possibly encounter enemies and be spotted in your stealth mission. There were also unique things you could do while on the zipline, such as assassinating enemies from above. This addition to the game is still a fan-favorite feature in the series that made ‘Syndicate’ more unique than any other ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game. ‘ Syndicate ’ faced a hefty challenge for its release. The ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game released prior to this one, ‘Assassin’s Creed Unity’ in 2014 was met with criticism upon its launch. There were a significant amount of bugs and glitches that hurt the fan experience when the game was released. These issues put Ubisoft in a tough position. They now had to gain the trust back from the fanbase, and also had to deliver a relatively bug-free game after ‘Unity’ . Ubisoft had not been in this position before, so they knew they had to recover with ‘Syndicate’ as expectations were high and fans wanted to see a game that was well-polished and fun to play. ‘Syndicate’ , however, did in fact, deliver to fans who were anticipating its launch. The game ran and played particularly well when fans got their hands on the game in late 2015. ‘Syndicate’ also marks a significant timeline for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series. It is considered the “final” game of the original formula that the series was created in. After the launch of ‘Syndicate’ , Ubisoft took a full year off from creating an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game. This was a major decision from Ubisoft, as all games in the series were annual releases, meaning a new game was launched every calendar year. The tradition of annual releases in the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series began in the early days of the franchise. The last time an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game before ‘Syndicate’ took a year break was 2009’s ‘Assassin’s Creed II’ . Which was released two years after the original game in the series which began in 2007. Ever since then, an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game was released every single year until the break in 2016. Ubisoft decided to reevaluate the series after ‘Syndicate’ and instead of releasing a major game that year, they focused their time on the anticipated release of the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ movie, and also released a collection of remastered games in the series that were heavily popular among fans, which was always labeled ‘The Ezio Collection’ which was a tribute to the franchises most famous protagonist, Ezio Auditore, who had three main solo games to himself, a feat still no other game in the series has yet to touch, as Ezio is still the only main character to receive more than one game. So the launch of this collection of his three games were a requested bundle from fans and gamers alike. While 2016 was technically a year off for the franchise, it was still filled with great and exciting projects for fans to enjoy while they waited for the next installment in the series. ‘Syndicate’ still marks the close of the classic format the series had grown so accustomed to, because after the 2016 pause, Ubisoft rebooted the franchise with ‘Assassin’s Creed Origins’ in October 2017. This game was very unlike any previous games in the series. It introduced new gameplay mechanics the series had never seen, and created features like a new leveling system, RPG elements, an abilities tab where you can equip special abilities to give you an edge against enemies, and even the option to scan and examine your surroundings with your own pet eagle. These features were brand new to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series, and for the majority of the fanbase, were a welcome sight. The significance of ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ still remains evident today. It was clearly the most creatively bold game in the series to date, and also the end of a long run of recurring mechanics and gameplay styles that the series had known for so long. Ubisoft had to be bold with ‘Syndicate’ as they knew the importance of the game, knowing they were under pressure to regain fan trust and to create a game that plays and feels authentic to the Industrial Revolution in London. It took a lot of creative gambles and choices to historically honor this era of history while also remaining true to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series and its fanbase. It's unclear if Ubisoft will touch on a similar time period again as we have seen with ‘Syndicate’ , or if the series will visit another era this relatively far up in history, but the importance and relevance of this game remains vital. Ubisoft faced a big challenge while creating ‘Syndicate’ , as they had many important factors to take into account while creating this game. To many gamers today, ‘Syndicate’ remains a fan favorite for the series, and clearly the boldest ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game to date. 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. Hayden Bird (TombAssassin)

Assassin's Creed Movie: London Fan Screening Event Events Share 22 Dec 2016 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database On the 18th December 2016, I attended an Assassin's Creed Movie Fan Screening in London.​ Special thanks to UbiJollyCharly and Ubi-QuB3. This Article contains Minor Spoilers for the Assassin's Creed Movie. When Laureline (UbiJollyCharly) invited me to the Assassin's Creed Fan Screening, I was quite surprised to be asked, as I had already attended a Press Event (London) and Gamescom (Germany) this year alone. I immediately accepted the invitation, and started packing my bags for London. I couldn't believe that I would be one of the first in the UK to see the Assassin's Creed Movie. On the 18th, I caught the train from Chester (Where my Uni is) to London Euston. There I met Dom (Ubi-QuB3) from the Assassin's Creed Team. We then walked to the hotel and prepared for the Fan Screening. Movie Advertisement at London Euston. After about an hour, we travelled to the event which was being held in the West End. Immediately we knew we were in the right place, as everyone in sight wore Assassin's Creed T-shirts and Hoodies. The fans were mainly Assassin's Creed Cosplayers, and many others who had won Fox Competitions. Before the screening I spoke to several AC Fans, and they were all excited for the Movie. I met Beth from Amazonian Cosplay Beth from Amazonian Cosplay was wearing her Maria Robes, which looked absolutely amazing! The event was packed, and all the AC Fans were taking pictures with the Aguilar and Maria Robes which were on display. After 45 minutes, everyone began to surrender their phones to security and enter the screening. Reunited with my fellow Assassin, Fae We all took our seats, and waited for the Movie to begin. I could tell that everyone in the room was really excited to see the movie early. I certainly was! The lights went out, and we were greeted with a message from Michael Fassbender and Justin Kurzel. They told us that we were amongst the first in the UK to see the Assassin's Creed Movie, and that they had worked very hard on it. The film began, and I couldn't help but pick apart the first 20 minutes (As I had seen a different version at a Press Event in May). I could spot major differences to the footage I had seen previously in May. Bits of which I had enjoyed had been removed, such as music by The Black Angels and the Apple Pickings Poem by Robert Frost. The little girl saying "Your Blood is not your Own" to Cal as he ran around the Abstergo facility was also unfortunately removed. The first 20 were not as creepy as what I had seen previously, but still made me feel sorry for Cal. Although I was noticing major changes, I still enjoyed the first 20 minutes. New bits had been added, such as young Cal trying to make a jump on his bike. Young Cal on his bike After 20 minutes had passed and Cal was placed in the Animus, I could stop comparing the Movie to the footage I had previously seen. I watched it as a fan of Assassin's Creed and Movies in general. I was overall really impressed with the film. ​The Animus 3.5 was absolutely great, and the cuts between Cal and Aguilar made total sense. The Bleeding effect was creepy once again, and felt like a real problem that could drive subjects insane. From the start I felt really sorry for Cal. His life is pain. The colours used in the film are extremely artistic, and Kurzel's style shines through. I found myself in awe at many of the scenes. I was very impressed with the film, and even though the plot was not as complicated as in the games (as not to confuse new audience members), it felt like Assassin's Creed. ​ By this, I mean it actually feels like an Assassin's Creed Story that fits into the Universe, and not a film based on Assassin's Creed. The film was great, and I hope that everyone else enjoys it as much as I did. Please don't be put off by critics. Go and see the movie yourselves, and let me know what you think! The Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins ​Minor Plot Spoilers below ​ Something I really liked that had not been in the footage (Press Event) were flashbacks and Memories as Cal is given the Lethal Injection. One of them shows him as a boy with his mother. This only adds to the weight of empathy we feel towards Cal. This was a great addition! Cal with his Mother The device used to cut Aguilar's finger is much more ceremonial than anything we have seen in the past. I had previously seen the device, as it is on display in ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood, but did not know it's purpose. It was also the first time in the franchise that we had actually seen an Assassin lose a finger! Initiation block Cal becoming a Modern Day Assassin! Ever since the death of Desmond, i've been hoping to see a strong lead Assassin in the franchise. Cal could well be the next big Modern Day Assassin. The Bleeding Effect hits him quickly, and his abilities are clearly impressive! I would love to see him again. Callum Lynch People who do not comply with the Animus become docile! This was scary to see. People who do not use the Animus properly lose their minds! Dislikes and Queries: ​ ​The inclusion of Christopher Columbus. Does this contradict established Lore? Cal singing whilst using the Animus............ "We work in the Darkness to serve the Light". Mary Lynch. The Apple of Eden is now green when used. Did the film say a Templar had never held an Apple of Eden? (I'll need to rewatch to check this. Obviously wrong if this was indeed said) The ways in which the Apple could remove Violence are never explained. ​ After the film, we watched the Leap of Faith trailer live. So glad he performed it without hurting himself! Thank you so much to everyone at Ubisoft and Fox who made this event possible!Overall, I really enjoyed the film. and plan on seeing it again soon. Thanks again to Dom and Laureline from the Assassin's Creed Team! 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)

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