The Assassin’s Creed franchise’s boss has admitted that the series’ “modern storyline struggled to find its footing” after the third game, but Ubisoft will take a “new direction” with it in Assassin’s Creed Shadows – a game which could also let the studio overcome criticisms about the quality of its releases.
As Eurogamer reports, Ubisoft’s vice president executive producer for the Assassin’s Creed series, Marc-Alexis Coté, spoke at BAFTA event last week, where he admitted that the “modern day story arc” which focused on Desmond Miles ultimately led to “a creative crossroad” at the end of Assassin’s Creed 3. Without spoiling anything, he says that deciding to end Desmond’s arc was “difficult,” and after that, “the modern storyline struggled to find its footing.”
Coté explains that the “continued focus on characters hunting for Isu artifacts” – which had previously been driven by Desmond’s own journey – “made the narrative more predictable,” and ended up reducing “the conflict between Templars and Assassins” in favor of controlling “magical relics.” He continues: “This shift pulled focus away from what had always been at the heart of the franchise: exploring our history.”
This isn’t a shift that went down well with everyone, as Coté acknowledges that the approach “became repetitive,” with the modern-day storyline feeling like “a secondary concern” rather than “an integral part” of the narrative. With all this in mind, Ubisoft has a plan for the future of the franchise that’ll begin with the upcoming feudal Japan adventure, Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
“As we move forward, our goal is to put history back at the center of the players’ experience,” Coté begins. The modern-day narrative will, of course, still exist, but it’ll “serve to enhance, rather than overshadow, the historical journey,” and Ubisoft aims “to restore the balance that was once the hallmark of the franchise” by drawing “meaningful contrast between past and present.”
Clearly, Shadows is just the start of this, as Coté says: “The groundwork for this new direction will take shape with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which will lay the foundation for this narrative evolution that will grow in the years to come.” He’s also concerned about much more than just Assassin Creed, as he goes on to talk about “Ubisoft’s portfolio” in general, and the fact that it’s “faced criticism in recent years for a perceived inconsistency in quality.” Players expect “more polish” now, he says, as well as “more innovation and deeper engagement” from games, and Shadows may give Ubisoft an opportunity to prove itself to its fanbase once more.
“Assassin’s Creed Shadows represents our opportunity to change that narrative, not just for Assassin’s Creed, but I think, for Ubisoft as a whole,” Coté claims.
Although it was initially planned to release this month, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has now been pushed back to February 14, which should hopefully give Ubisoft a little more time to hone the game until it can meet the high expectations it’s setting.