Biggest Traditions In The Assassin’s Creed Series

The Assassin’s Creed series has changed drastically over the years. What was originally a stealthy, streamlined series of games has grown into open-world RPGs that lean far more into the action genre. Despite the wild ride the series has taken, there have always been specific features, tools and elements of the gameplay, creating an underlying thread that has remained intact in every mainline game.

Not only do these traditions ensure that each entry in the series is recognizable and connected to the rest of the series, they also help Assassin’s Creed games differentiate themselves from other similar games. These aspects give them a unique feel that provides a sense of familiarity and nostalgia. The game’s settings and characters may change with every iteration, but the traditional elements listed below always manage to make an appearance in one way or another.

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8

Leap Of Faith

A Stylish Maneuver That Always Gets The Heart Racing

Despite being some of the most talented parkour runners in the world, the Assassins in the games are not superhuman, and are therefore limited by their own physical abilities. As a result, they can’t hover to the ground after jumping off the top of a skyscraper. This is how the epic Leap of Faith came to be: a mechanic where players can throw their character into a haystack to soften their landing.

The Leap of Faith is such a blast to pull off that many players will make it their first priority when booting up a new game to seek out the highest point of the map, only to launch themselves straight onto the ground. It’s an easy way to get the heart racing, and it’s a maneuver which has made an appearance in every game since the very first.

7

Parkour

Players Navigate The Map Like A Quick, Nimble Assassin

Alongside the stylish outfits and satisfying stealth gameplay, the first Assassin’s Creed game would also become renowned for its parkour movement system, which was incredibly realistic for the period it was released. At a time when open worlds had started gaining steam, Ubisoft found a way to allow players to navigate across the map quickly and easily without needing to resort to fast travel. Since its debut, it has become a mainstay for the series and synonymous with the core gameplay.

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Assassinating a target and scaling a building to evade pursuers is at the core of the Assassin’s Creed gameplay loop. An absence of the parkour system would be a noticeable omission, considering how much of a necessary mechanic it has become for each new entry.

6

Unique Historical Periods

Each Game Takes Place In A Unique Period With New Characters

While most video game series will at least try to stay within a specific period, or will only be a few years apart for each following entry, Assassin’s Creed does not follow the same trend. Whether it’s Renaissance period Italy, revolutionary America or even Ancient Egypt, the series has explored a variety of intriguing periods. These eras are literal centuries apart from one another, making the games a real treat for history buffs.

In fact, some of the recent titles, including Origins and Valhalla, even offer visual tours that allow players to explore and learn about the stunning environments, which aim to be as faithful as possible to the period they are based in. Ironically, one of the biggest traditions of the series is how different the setting is for each of the games, offering a fresh new experience for fans to enjoy with every new entry.

5

The Animus

The Device That Transports Players To The Past

The Animus started off as a way to connect the modern day to the past, justifying how players could take control of Altair in the first game. However, Desmond, the main protagonist of the series, would end up entering the Animus on more than a few occasions in order to retrace the memories of his ancestors to learn more about the Templars and the pieces of Eden. That meant that this tool would keep showing up for every new game.

When Desmond disappeared from the story, many fans expected the games to leave the Animus out. However, Ubisoft instead decided to bring it back in various forms in order to freshen up how it was being used, such as becoming a kind of video game in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag.

4

Ezio’s Outfit

Ezio’s Legacy Lives On Through His Iconic White And Red Robe

It’s hard to emphasize how popular of a character Ezio was upon his debut in Assassin’s Creed 2. The brash, sharp-tongued, rich Italian boy would embark on a long and arduous character arc after the sudden death of his family. Throughout much of that time, he would don a bright white and red assassin robe, which has made a return in every mainline game since as a heartfelt homage to the series’ most recognizable protagonist.

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Ezio’s iconic outfit is included as a bonus costume which can be acquired through the Uplay store for many of the games, but some titles will require players to have earned a certain amount of EXP across several titles to equip it. Though Ezio hasn’t been seen in person for many, many entries now, his legacy lives on through his signature outfit. This robe is always up for grabs, so long as players are willing to complete the challenges required to earn it.

3

Receiving The Robe

Symbolizes The Protagonists’ Entry Into The Assassins

The majority of the mainline games feature at least a few hours at the beginning of the story, where the player is gradually integrated into the creed of the Assassins. After proving themselves and becoming a fully-fledged member, the protagonist will be rewarded with a robe which will be their own unique attire for the rest of the story.

Despite the robes being less of a focus in the RPG games, the sequence itself of learning about the plight of the Assassins and symbolically connecting with them through acquiring their signature attire is always a moment fans look forward to. It’s also an effective way to make players feel a true assassin, by handing them the outfit that will keep their identity hidden while on their prowl for the next target.

2

Stealth Mechanics

Stealth Has Always Been An Available Option

No matter how much an Assassin’s Creed game leans into the action or RPG genres, it will always incorporate at least some stealth mechanics to give players the option to tackle a situation with a sneaky approach, if they decide to. While staying out of sight and tracking enemies from afar was a big part of the first game, the stealth in the Assassin’s Creed games has evolved and improved over time, allowing players to easily blend in with a crowd and listen out for enemy footsteps to aid them during a mission.

Even though Valhalla and Odyssey stripped back the stealth a little bit, it still remains the heart and soul of the franchise, so it always shows up in some form or another. Thankfully, Ubisoft went all-in with the series’ signature stealth mechanics in Mirage, and it also seems to be a big focus for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows through the character of Naoe.

1

Hidden Blade

The Go-To Weapon Of The Assassins

Without a doubt, the most recognizable piece of iconography in the entire series is the Hidden Blade. This deadly tool was introduced in the first game as Altair’s go-to weapon and then re-appeared in the sequel where Ezio would incorporate a second blade into his arsenal. Since then, it has shown up in every game since, even those that steered away from the traditional stealth gameplay, such as Valhalla.

This weapon would become so iconic that there would even be an entire DLC in Odyssey dedicated to revealing the backstory of how it came to become the weapon of choice for the Assassins. The Hidden Blade has gone on to become one of the most iconic weapons in the history of video games, and a tool that instantly fills longtime fans with a sense of nostalgia upon finding it in a new title.

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