Assassin’s Creed Needs Excitement, Not Remakes – Ubisoft
A New Chapter for a Familiar Franchise
Ubisoft is exploring the possibility of reviving one of the most cherished titles in the Assassin’s Creed series, but this long-standing franchise seems to be stuck in its own past. The latest efforts to breathe new life into the game have not fully captured the excitement that once defined the series.
The original Assassin’s Creed made a significant impact with its groundbreaking trailer at E3 2006. This CGI clip showcased an evolution of Ubisoft's Prince of Persia mechanics within an open-world historical setting. It was a powerful demonstration of where third-person action games were heading during the early days of the Xbox 360 era, and it visually captivated the gaming world.
However, the original game did not live up to the hype. It was repetitive and lacked polish despite its impressive graphics. The sci-fi element involving the Animus often interfered with the main storyline set in the 12th century. Despite these shortcomings, the series found its stride with Assassin’s Creed 2, which recreated the Italian Renaissance period with a compelling protagonist, Ezio, who became the face of the franchise and led two more successful sequels, Brotherhood and Revelations.
It has been over 15 years since the release of Assassin’s Creed 2, and while Ubisoft has continued to refine the formula with elements like ship battles, role-playing systems, and diverse settings, the series has not regained the same level of creative energy. In many ways, Assassin’s Creed 2 is the equivalent of Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare—a defining template that was so successful, there has been little reason to deviate from it since.
Like Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed games have become a staple in the gaming industry. They are consistently solid and remain a financial cornerstone for Ubisoft, but they have become a well-worn, familiar concept that no longer pushes the boundaries of innovation.
A New Strategy for Revitalization
To shake things up, Ubisoft is adopting a strategy similar to Capcom's success with Resident Evil, focusing on remakes. The upcoming title, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, is set to launch in July, and there are rumors of additional remakes, including a potential overhaul of the original 2007 game.
If true, this could be an intriguing rework, as the original game is now barely playable. However, based on the improvements seen in the Black Flag Resynced trailer, it seems unlikely that Ubisoft is aiming for a meaningful upgrade beyond the obvious changes. There are improved visuals, talk of refreshed combat, new parkour animations, and better tailing missions, but players will still be navigating through the same V-shaped trees and waiting for enemies to parry in an awkward circle.
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