Game: Assassin’s Creed launched an immersive franchise that continues to grow and push its boundaries. Plus, its roots go back…centuries.
Release Date: November 13, 2007
Developer/Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: Stealth; assassination and exploration; parkour; open world; 3rd person perspective.
Setting: various historical periods; graphics excellent – realistic, detailed, immersive.
Storytelling: Historical fiction mixed with real-world historical events and figures. The series depicts a centuries-old struggle pitting the Assassins, who fight for peace and free will, against the Templars, who believe peace comes through control of humanity.
Releases + Expansions: Ten main releases in different historical eras plus ten expansions in the same eras.
Formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC.
Origins (Chronological):
- 1980s – Loosely built upon gameplay concepts from the Prince of Persia series, first game released in 1989.
- 1930s – The series took many plot elements from the novel Alamut by the Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol, first published in 1938 in Slovenian. The novel dealt with the story of Hassan-i Sabbah and the Hashshashin, and was named after their Alamut fortress.
- 11th century – The game’s Order of Assassins are fictionalized descendants of the 11th century Alamut Hashshashin.
Adaptations set within the Assassin’s Creed universe:
- Film: Assassin’s Creed is a 2016 American movie with a new story, written by Michael Lesslie, Adam Cooper and Bill Collage. Directed by Justin Kurzel, and starring Michael Fassbender (who also produced), Marion Cotillard, and Jeremy Irons, the reception was poor, but at the time it was the ‘best video-game adaptation’.
- Short films: Ubisoft have made three short films, one animated.
- TV: Ubisoft and Netflix started talks in 2016 regarding how to develop an Assassin’s Creed anime series, which will feature an original story from Adi Shankar.
- Comics: eleven graphic novels and one manga.
- Novels: Collection of nine novels. The books follow various time periods.
Recommendation: Mixed-very positive reviews – franchise ongoing with the release in Fall 2017 of Assassin’s Creed Origins, set in Egypt near the end of the Ptolemaic period (49–47 BC).
4.6 stars: I’ve only played Assassin’s Creed Syndicate which is set in the Victorian era – so lots of steam, but not steampunk. As I often choose to play ‘assassin’ classes, I like stealth – and exploration. But my reflexes are erratic so progress in the game was frustrating. I loved the graphics and the setting felt very realistic and so immersive that I wanted to explore more of the games.
- Setting: 5*
- Storyline: 5*
- Gameplay 4*
- Entertainment 4*
- Genesis 5*
Alternative ‘A’ thoughts:
A could have been for Arthurian legends or Annales Cambriae, but they must wait for later games in my quest with other letters.
+ A games played: Age of Empires, Age of Conan: Unchained, Aion, ARK: Survival Evolved [a current 5* distraction], and ArchAge.
Enter this portal to reach other Worlds in my A2ZMMORPG
Hela da
Writing Wings 
I love the Assassin’s Creed games 🙂
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Have you played Origins yet, Ronel?
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No. It takes me time to get through a game — sometimes it can take a while to jump from one building to another… We all have weaknesses 🙂 I’ve just started with Syndicate — still stuck on the train scene.
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Great series of games – shame about the recent film adaption!
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Good to have a gamer’s approval. Iain – for the games. I missed the movie – maybe, wisely.
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Oh, so that’s what Assassin’s Creed is all about? The first time I came in contact with it, it was though the books. Not that I ever read them, but I saw them in a bookshop (quite oddly, in London – I mean, I don’t often happen to be in London) and only after I discover that was actually a video game.
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I’ve never sampled anything but the games, although I’ve known about the adaptations for a while. I wonder if the novels are good.
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They look very avarege fantasy to me, but since I’ve never read any of them, I might of course be wrong 😉
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For miladyronel – I’m stuck on the train too…lol
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I have never played the game, but I did see the movie with Michael Fassbender – I was unimpressed. Then again a friend who has played the game told me it’s not a reflection on the game 🙂
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings – Movie Monsters
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Playing catch-up with comments so apologies, Tasha. I seem to have been lucky and missed the movie.
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It’s interesting to see how the origins go back to the 11th century. I don’t like video games where I’m under pressure to shoot or escape from bad guys or the like. I never win and it gets frustrating 🙂
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Oops, forgot to reply – sorry Ellen. I sometimes get stressed out when the pressure gets too much so have to switch off. But I come back to get revenge when I can.
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Now I want to get Assassin’s Creed. I have a daughter who loves Assasin’s Creed but doesn’t like the UPlay platform. I will have to put it on my Steam wishlist and wait for a sale.
Facing Cancer with Grace
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Go for it, Heather. I play via UPlay as came with my desktop – before my wife upgraded the machine – but I prefer Steam as works better – even if they do control the market now.
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Update comment: since struggling with Syndicate, I’ve progressed much further. I also completed Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. The Ancient Greece setting had me totally immersed. I’m now anticipating AC Ragnarok with its Viking Age setting – if the rumours of its release are true.
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